Dear Dog Food,

Why do I love you so much? Is it because you have such a pleasing scent? Maybe the way you leave little crumbs all over after I play with you? Nope....I think it's because I know that Mom HATES it when I play with you. Whatever, I love you.
P.S. Please tell Mr. Purina that I love him too. Love, Ava.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!

Well, we had a great day! We're still over at my folks' house. Mom had a knee replacement last week and we've been staying with them. She is doing well and we are so glad!
This Thanksgiving was a tad different as the family spent a lot of time in the bedroom with her. Kinda funny. We are a really LOUD family. Really loud.
Have I mentioned that my nephews taught Ava a new trick? Whenever someone belches or farts you have to put your thumb to your forehead. Last one to do it has to eat it. Sick, I know, but that's the kind of family we are. Hey, we always have a good time and laugh a lot!!!
Anyway, Ava's 2nd birthday is in 2 weeks (Dec 11), so Grandma and Grandpa have been teaching her how to sing "Happy Birthday"....over and over and over! You'll notice that Aves gets a tad bit irritated in the middle as Josh isn't singing loud enough. What a diva!
Second video is, of course, I love you!!! As if it can't be made out from her talking!

Weekend pics....

Does this little girl know how much I love her? How much she has changed my life? She's napping right now and all I want to do is go in and wake her up! Someone please remember this so that you can play it back to me when she's 16!!

It's getting cold here, but absolutely gorgeous. We were able to get out and feed her buddies, the ducks...including Ted and Nugent...that's right...we've named two of the big, funny-looking ones....Cat Scratch Fever baby!! If you were here right now you'd see me holding up the rocker sign. :) We also played out on the deck and her slide. I'm afraid that it might be the last time this year. Yuck. I'm not looking forward to all the rain. Sigh.

Today's Mail.....

Sweet Ava,
Grandpa and Grandma wanted you to have a nice blanket for the cold Fall and Winter days. When you use it, remember our love is sent with it.
Love, Grandpa and Grandma Brutto

Oh,oh,oh,ooooh Sweet child o' mine

I usually don't post on Bec's blog, but since she was talking about the 80's, I had to risk my life and post these two pics from her G'N'R groupie days. She'll kill me but it's worth it!!! Long live Axl Rose!!! Fall 1988.

HEART ATTACK.......God's revenge for eating his animal friends.

"UH-DA-BLOO"

Mmm...hmmm!!! That's right. Babygirl is saying "I Love You"....okay, so maybe not exactly, but ding-dang close!!
So. I've been thinking. I know, I know....look out. But, the cableguy came last night and was freaking out about how big Gus is. I guess I don't see it because I'm with him everyday. The guy is like "OMG....that is one of the biggest dogs I've ever seen...he's huge"...so. Got me to thinking. When we adopted Gus last year, in August, he weighed in at 85 pounds. Now, he's pushing 140. Gasp!!
Then I got to thinking again....we weighed Ava two nights ago. Ahem, she weighs, ahem again, 37 pounds. No kidding!! However, she did have a headband on....that should count for a pound, right?!?!
When I met Dave, he was about 135 pounds, soaking wet. Seriously. Now remember that was, HOLY CRAP, 20 years ago. Anyway, he's gained about a hundred. Should I be writing this? He won't care...he looks GREAT! I'm just saying....what is going on?
20 years ago, I only weighed 105 pounds. Okay, stop right there...this IS NOT about how much I've fluffed up. No more on THAT subject.
Anyhoo....I've come to the conclusion that I am one fantastic cook/wife/mom. It's all the love....
Here's a pic from 1988, right after Dave and I met....I LOVED the '80's!!! I mean, seriously....would you just look at our hair! Sweet!!

I'm back and I have 6 things!!!!

Okay, so I know that I'm REALLY slow with getting in on this "tag" business. I've been so frigging sick. Seriously. Had Strep throat, Tonsillitis and these nasty canker sores/ulcers in mouth....ALL OVER my mouth, gums and tongue. Couldn't eat, drink or talk. Dave loved the no talking part. haha. After two weeks of that crap and antibiotics, a trip to the docs, a trip to the ER and some vile crap the made my whole mouth numb (I seriously thought that I was going to swallow my own tongue a couple of times) I'm better! The only good thing is that I lost 9 pounds!! I think that I've gained 7 of it back in the two days that I've been better tho. Oh well! I can talk and type again!!! :)
So. Here goes with my SIX random things about myself.

1. I cannot stand any sort of cruelty to animals. Period. There is something seriously wrong with someone that would hurt an animal. Now here's where it gets dicey. I was raised way out on a dirt road in the sticks. About 7 miles from town. Town was 1100 people. One of the residents was Walking Tom. Don't get me started on poor old Walking Tom. He got ran over by a hickabilly in a jacked-up redneck pickup truck. Poor Walking Tom. Anyway. I don't see how anyone could call hunting a "sport"....unless you give the deer, elk, moose, etc a rifle. Then, it would be a sport. They could shoot back. Otherwise I think it's disgusting. Now, I love my relatives. They, pretty much, all hunt. But, I don't like it. And they think I'm weird....went and got all "citified"....I love it!!

2. I will not eat ANYTHING with a face. Not a thing. Meat is murder. Refer back to above paragraph. I am a serious black sheep in my family. Here's the deal. We had a farm. And raised cows, chickens, pigs, rabbits (yes, I did say rabbits) and then we ate them. And, Granddaddy Bud was the butcher. So, on a cool Saturday morning, here would come some of "the boys" to, ahem, make my pal cow, Cletus, into hamburger. And then, we would wrap it. And then, eat it! OMG!! I'm having nightmares again!! Oh, and I don't eat fish either....fish swim in their own shit. Seriously. Think about it. Now, I DO cook meat for Dave and Ava. I'm an excellent wife and mom. HaHa! I might hurl half way thru, but by-gum I'll get 'er cooked. Have to. Dave doesn't eat anything green. Calls himself a "meatatarian". Whatever.
And, I don't have a problem with anyone else eating meat. To me, it's just disgusting.

3. I have no idea what my real hair color is. Sometimes it's blonde with black streaks, sometimes a bit of red...you just never know what my mood (or Ramina's) will be on "hair day".....last I knew, back in '98 it was really blonde.

4. When I was 16, I went to the prom. My mom (great lady that she is) took me and a bunch of my girlfriends to the "big city" to have lunch and get our hair done. Now, prior to this, I had no idea what an "up-do" was. And, I never want to know again. The woman used a whole can of AquaNet on me...remember this was 1987. Well, as soon as I hit the car, I started taking the bobby pins out. 67 of them. I still remember. Good Lord. And my mom? We just laughed and laughed. I love her. She has always been my very best friend.

5. Delbert McClinton, Keb Mo and Kid Rock are my favorites as far as music goes. Especially Delbert. Everyone should go and see Delbert live before they die. Seriously. I do believe that when we adopt a boy, I will name him Delbert.

6. Lastly. I have a VERY bad mouth. Very bad. Very, very bad. I will not take the Lord's name in vain, but, pretty much, everything else is fair game. Sigh. I'm trying to be better. I'm a mom now. We started a "cuss jar"....lasted about a day. Finally put twenty bucks in it and called myself good for a couple of days. I'm not sure where it came from.....it has just kind of evolved. I'm working on it. It's just not going very well.

Okay, so that's it. 6 things you probably wish that you didn't know about me. I'm not going to "tag" anyone else. I think everyone else has already done it!! P.S. If you hunt, eat meat, have an '80's hairstyle, and don't cuss....don't worry...I promise I will still like you. But, if you don't know Delbert, I'm afraid that we can't be friends anymore.