Going to the Dogs

Tug-of-War was a holiday favorite at our house this year. Our house went to the dogs as we had a house full of family and 4 little four-legged friends running around. Of course, Lucy was determined to be friends with all of them! Her sense of humor in playing Tug-of-War was a little different from the other dogs, though. She would take a toy to another dog for them to play Tug with her, but Charlie and Tisha had other ideas and wanted to keep it. One great thing worked in her favor, she was the biggest of all...and the one with the most energy. What a shock! They provided all of the entertainment for the rest of us!

I'm the Boss

Alex is telling Lucy how it is! She just follows him around and wants to be wherever he is when he's here. Aren't they adorable together! Lucy and Alex played so hard with Ben that Alex just pooped out.

Christmas is coming!

I know it's a little early, but I love the first signs of Christmas! The stores begin to bring out their decorations and every once in a while, you hear a holiday song on the radio. Since we are going out of town for Thanksgiving and we are hosting our first Christmas dinner the first week after that, I realized that I had to go ahead and put up our decorations or it wouldn't get done. So, after some help from Mom putting up the trees and wrapping the banisters, a Tree Trimming party with the girls while the guys played cards, and a couple of nights working on things by myself, it's FINISHED! Well, almost...it's too early to decorate the yard, so that's not done yet. But, what a relief to see it up and know that I get to enjoy it for the next 6 weeks! Now...the shopping part, that's a different story.

Bring on the Pasta!

Ben has been on a diet for almost 8 weeks now. His dedication to this effort has him getting up at 5:30 in the morning to go to the gym followed by eating only foods that are considered low carb. We have always considered ourselves to be healthly eaters at home because I refuse to fry anything or cook meals that are high in fat. Having said that, we LOVE pasta and that's no man's land in a low carb diet. So, being the supportive (sometimes) wife that I am, I am eating the same things that he eats. Ben is doing a terrific job of sticking with it and has been very successful in shedding unwanted pounds and building muscle. Me...not so much. I haven't gained anything, but I haven't lost anything. If I'm giving up my favorite meals, shouldn't I be getting something out of it? Isn't it funny how men and women are built differently. If that's the case, bring on the pasta!

The Little Rebel

Our little Lucy is experiencing a rebellious streak. The Vizsla breed first appealed to us because they are known for their trainability. We quickly figured out that is the case and were excited at how easily she learned the commands that Ben introduced her to. What we have since figured out is that she is so smart that she can decide for herself when she wants to follow the command issued. Even as we use her command collar to correct her for her stubbornness, she happily wags her tail. This too shall pass!

Viva, Las Vegas

Ben is in Vegas this week for an IT class. You would think that would be awesome because we both went last year at this time and had a blast! Caesar's Palace is such a luxurious place to stay! But this year I wasn't able to go so now we're both bored, me here and him there. I'm home alone and he is all by himself in Sin City. Poor pitiful us...although Lucy, our little bundle of energy, is keeping me occupied AND I'm sure that Ben is finding something to do in Las Vegas! Last year, we stuck to the strip and took a tour of all of the hotels. This year, Ben has been venturing out to the old part of town. Check out the picture of the three pools at Caesar's. This was the view from our hotel room last year. They're all ornately designed!

In the Cockpit

I was scrolling through pictures the other day and found this one that was taken earlier in the summer. Ben has always wanted to get his pilot's license and our friend, Rodney, gave him the controls when we flew to dinner a few months ago. Ben loves seeing the view from the air and every time they go up it's just as exciting for him.