Congrats (again) Shelby

While it seems to becoming habit, I must once again say a big congratulations to Shelby.  Finals start today and Thursday she will be done with her junior year.  If that wasn't exciting enough, she was named section leader of the Rompin, Stompin, Raider Band Pit for the 2010 marching season!  They are going to be doing the music from Broadway's "Jekyll and Hyde."   I know she will be an awesome section leader!  Congrats, Shelbs!

Congrats Jacks or Better BBQ

Tim and some of his fellow firefighters cooked in the Great American BBQ Contest this past weekend and scored big with their side dishes.  They won 4th place in the vegetable category, 1st place in the potato category, and with their 32nd place in the bean category were named the Grand Champion of Side Dishes!  Pretty amazing!  Well done.

Mother Nature - Take the Rain Somewhere Else

Okay, I know rain is good for plants and flowers and I seriously like plants and flowers, but this is ridiculous.  I know the amount of rain we have had in Kansas City pales in comparison to the amount Nashville had (thank heavens Murfreesboro escaped damage). What does it mean when you walk out of your house in the 'burbs - miles away from the nearest body of water and you have visitors in your yard?  I left the house yesterday morning, bright and early at 7:30 and had to go back inside to get Shelby and the camera.  Much to my surprise, we had 2 ducks in our side yard.  Were they searching for dry land or is my yard so oversaturated they thought it was a pond?  Very strange.  I am really tired of all the rain as is poor Shelby who we have discovered is basically allergic to outside (trees, grass, weeds, mold, and cats).  Not sure but I think all this rain isn't helping her mold allergy.  Come on, Mother Nature - Go rain in the UK and give us some much needed sun! (My apologies to Emily - presently in the UK).

Goodbye to a Member of the Family

It was with heavy hearts that Tim and I made the decision to put our beloved Brittney Spaniel, Missy, to sleep this morning. Missy joined our family as a puppy way back in 1995. At almost 15 years of age, she had lost her vision, her hearing, and was having great difficulties walking and climbing stairs. She fell yesterday and injured her back legs and we could not stand to see her suffer. Tim has wonderful memories of hunting western Kansas with her, Shelby and Brenton have great memories of growing up with her, and I will never forget the night Tim let her outside in the middle of a blizzard, only to have her jump the fence and head off down the street. Tim got dressed, scraped the 4 inches of snow off his truck and went to find her. When he didn't come back, I got dressed and joined him on the hunt. I will never forget rounding the corner and the headlights hitting Missy, eating the neighbor's trash. We called her name and she looked up (with part of the trash hanging from her tooth) with an excited expression that said "I've hit the motherload!" She loved to jump the fence (until Hannah drug her up the street by the collar when Hannah was just a puppy and Missy never jumped the fence again). The memories go on as will our love for our friend. RIP, Missy - you will be missed.