We are the lucky ones...

Start with a little humor - did you know a dog could close his eyes in a picture like this? Pretty funny picture! Poor Rudy actually had frozen to this spot. His feet were stuck to the ice and he couldn't move. I had to get them free, warm them up, and unpack the ice and snow from his paw.. poor little guy!

We have been very fortunate this week because we have not lost power at all. We had some flickering on and off early on but it has been pretty steady since then and we have come to realize how blessed we have been. We went to the carroll electric and swepco sites and started adding up the number of people without electricity and it is overwhelming. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all!

Utah decided to clear a space at the base of the driveway for Tod to park his car. He worked for over an our with a hammer, shovel, and post hole digger to get the ice broken and moved. It is amazing how thick the ice is and how much snow had accumulated on top of the ice. The snow made walking a little less treacherous, but Hubb and I bought slid all over the place walking down the driveway!

This is what happens when Tod lays down on the floor.. he is swarmed by dogs. Rudy sits on his chest and growls at Hubb and Cosmo as they try to wrestle Tod and lick his face! Hubb also hates whistling and you can see Tod is whistling in some of these. I tried to get a video but the minute I get the flip out, they stop playing and stare at me! Check out how mad Rudy looks!

This is what Utah and I did last night when we got bored of watching tv, playing games, and taking pictures of Tod and the dogs. This didn't keep us entertained for very long either. Thank goodness American Idol and Fringe came on... we were going a little goofy at this point! We type A personalities get cabin fever very easily!

We pray that each of you have power restored as soon as possible and that you are safe and warm...

Backwards and our driveway don't mix...

Hubb is a collector. Every morning he finds something to carry around and then hide in his house. This morning it was his big bone... sometimes it is Tod's slippers.. my socks... you just never know what you will find in his house in the morning!

Well.. here it is... this is as close as I could get to it without landing myself in the ravine. You really can't see the back of the car that is leaning against the far side of the ravine with the back tires almost completely up off the ground. We are waiting on the tow truck but Tod doesn't think he will be able to get it out. Tod has cleared the driveway and put down some ice melt stuff.. we'll see...

Ice Storm!

Well... today at 2:15 we dismissed all our students and started the icy journey home... Utah had a friend come over so he would have someone to hang out with while we were snowed in, guess I am kinda boring. Of course, I did say that I looked forward to a snow day because I could sleep in, catch up on grading, write a grant, and play board games. I think that might be a clue as to why he invited a friend over.

The dogs were really hating not being outside at all and were getting a little, well, gassy... so, I found some kitty litter and created this path of safety between the door and the yard. They were able to safely navigate to the grass... thank goodness!

During my Dr. Phil and Oprah hours I decided to eat a bagel and this is the face that stared at me while I ate my bagel. Pitiful face.. too bad he can't have people food.

Then he decided to get really cute and put his big ole head on my blanket and in my lap. I ended up having to sit in the floor and play with him. He is quite the big baby!So, I decided to bake some cookies... had this dough for another project... decided to cheat on my cookies and just use the tube of Nestle.. they are yummy, not as yummy as homemade, but they work! Maybe I won't eat as many this way...So, this is what an alarm clock looks like in 2009! We have not bought an alarm clock since getting married, so 15 years. Our clock was like waiting to a nuclear warning device and we hated it.. so, for an anniversary gift to ourselves, we bought the iHome. We wake to music of our choice... go to sleep listening to music.. can set two different alarms for a work week, weekend, or 7 day week. It is a bit ridiculous.. but I love it!

Wow!!!!

Giant Hershey Kiss!!

As we go into a new era, with a new leader...

If you support Barack Obama or if you do not support Barack Obama...

if everything he does is picked apart, everything he says is criticized.. if everything is compared to Republican administrations...

aren't we becoming like the liberal media that has been so frustrating for the last 8 years...

and that is not who I want to become...

he is my nation's President.. and so, God is Great and I lift him and his family up in prayer and know that God will deliver our nation the leader it needs.

Shew.... what a weekend this has been...

Carolyn Miller and I left around 2pm for Harding University to attend the Young Author Series. Some people took pictures during the event, but it felt intrusive to me, so I didn't take any pictures. I will share with you that Jacqueline Woodson is a tremendous speaker, writer, and hope-filled author. I found myself inspired to change an entire project Karen and I have started planning (sorry Karen!) and I am purchasing many of her books today to read as a kick-off to Black History Month (if that is ok with Karen?). I want to read her books... but more than that, I want her to read her books to me. Her voice... her presence... truly made the stories, character, and struggles come to life and connect. Her web site is http://www.jacquelinewoodson.com/ and I hope each of you will take a minute and check out her site and give one of her picture books or young adult books a read!

Carolyn and I visited Rest Hills Cemetery while going through North Little Rock. Now, this cemetery has been a part of my family since well before I was born. As a young child I had a very terrifying and quite humorous (to my siblings) encounter with a goose from, well, you know where... at my Papa's funeral. I have visited Rest Hills my entire life. Both of my parents, my mother's parents, my uncle... they are all buried there. Also, my precious daughter Sarah Avery is buried there... I say all of this to tell you that it took Carolyn and I over 30 minutes TO FIND IT! They have rerouted some access roads, made access roads one way, and build this enormous walled access ramp that blocks view of the cemetery completely! I even had begun to panic and Carolyn stayed calm and patient with me as I worked through all the changes to my hometown and found my babies resting place. Thank you Carolyn. It was a quick visit... already very emotional when arrived... but Carolyn, again, demonstrated patience and true friendship during this trip. Thank you Carolyn. I know you will be pleased to know that on our next visit I want to bring some things with me to leave behind...

I have posted some pictures below of the dogs.. this is their new habit. We keep the heat on 68 degrees to save propane. We have small eco-friendly (recommended by a green web site) space heaters in the rooms with the highest ceilings.. it keeps us warm without warming empty space... I know, I know heat rises.. but this has really saved $$ and kept us feeling like we are leaving a smaller carbon footprint. Anyway.. now the dogs have discovered the space heater and they are definitely enjoying it... check it out below.

I also want to share how proud I am of our STAR students. We did a (used) book drive for a library being built in Lesotho Africa. We ended up with over 150 books being donated and we have 44 students on our team.. we are very proud of them. The books were picked up on Friday and we were left with a video and the opportunity to write letters to the children who are going to benefit from the library. Karen and I are so excited about this opportunity to extend our students awareness to another country... another continent.. another reality... another world.

Goofy recap to the weekend

Utah spent his Christmas money on a phone upgrade. We did a lot of research, two trips to the AT&T store, and then a final rush to a different AT&T store to get the selected phone.. LG Vu. One of Tuesday's friends from elementary through high school (lived two doors down from us) is now an AT&T representative and she did a fantastic job in getting us all set up. Her name is Lauren Eldridge if you ever need help with your phone or account at AT&T.

With the change in his braces and hair, his face is looking so different. He wants to go back and get even more hair cut off (the bangs to be specific)!

Saturday morning Tod and I got up and made breakfast for Utah and a friend. Tod made the gravy and the eggs, while I actually stepped up to the plate and made homemade biscuits. I used my mom's biscuit cutter and they turned out really well. Utah even said they were better than our 'usual' biscuits.. it was nice to be a success in the kitchen, especially since it is so rare. Tod was trying to look tough while he was cooking, so he wore the t-shirt the kiddos got him for Christmas! It is a Johnny Cash t-shirt that says Don't Take Your Guns to Town (a Johnny Cash song).

The final biscuit was Tod's doing... isn't it just pitiful.. the round biscuits were my doing!

Hubb and more Hubb... hubbabub!

A typical night for me.. at home with my boys! Everyone is laying around, resting.. and then.. the big Hub(abub) awakens and realizes Dad has laid on the floor (Tod only lays on the floor when he is prepared to wrestle with Hubb). The pictures and video below show what happens next..(don't miss Rudy's little face in these photos)...

Rudy is keeping an eye on Hubb at this point.. self preservation, he could be smooshed. Rudy panics! Tod can't breath :-)

Utah looks like Utah again!

Utah got sick of dealing with long curly hair and trying to make it cooperate.. so he went back to the haircut we all know and remember... no more hat head.. not more worrying about hair...

Below are the before and after pics...

Hubb is home!!!!!!!

We are so excited. Hubb came home from his second 3 week session with Nick Rangel(http://www.akadog.com/aka/Home.html) and we are once again, amazed at the results. Hubb loves Nick and he stood at the door after he left with his head tilted looking confused and a little sad. Hubb is sleeping now and Rudy must have missed him, because he is all cuddled up with Hubb.

First we bought this bed for Hubb. Cosmo has always hated beds and only wanted to sleep on rugs - until this bed showed up. So this is Cosmo's bed now...Rudy is pretty mad he doesn't have a bed, too. He barked at us from this bed. But you can see in the pictures that follow that Rudy has his own blanket and sleeps on the couch with us and sleeps in the bed with us at night. He is SO spoiled. I tried to talk Tod into getting Rudy a bed that had a heater and it massaged, too... he wouldn't go for it! He said that Rudy lays on him for heat and expects me to rub his back!

Rudy missed Hubb!