Home Sweet Home...Illinois

I made it back to good ol' Illinois today...back to the roots. So my mom picked me up from the airport, two hours after I had landed (she was working, so it's OK). She is a car salesperson and had one of the new Mercury Milans with her. It's a nice car other than the fact that the clock is analog with just lines, you have to figure out the numbers...I hate clocks like that. I mention this to my mom and she is like "Stephanie, that's an analogue clock, the other kind is digital"...I swear!!! She thinks I'm like the dumbest person in the world! My mom is constantly trying to "teach" me things (that I learned in elementary school!!) I can already tell, this may be a long visit home.

Going Home

Just my luck...Georgia hates me! I cannot find a job anywhere! So now I am having to go back home in Illinois and work with my dad at my favorite place in the world...Rexam (ugh). I suppose I should NEVER complain about the job because of how much I make. I would just stay here in Georgia, jobless, but Clayton and I STILL have OVER $10,000 and I'll be able to make almost all of that in 3 months...thank God!

I had a flight to leave on Monday night, however, it was canceled due to bad weather, so I am not leaving on Saturday afternoon.

Our Kids

Being kissed by my second love!!!















I sit here on my couch watching our two CRAZY kids playing as if they were wild animals! Oh my gosh they are going crazy! Bella is chasing Harley, they are sprinting around our love seat, each going a different way trying to catch one another. When they finally run into the other, they both jump high in the air. Bella, our boxer is literally standing on her back legs punching Harley with her front legs (boxing). She is a master rough houser. She is so quick and agile...as is Harley, but he is almost 20 pounds heavier than her so he has a more difficult time changing his direction.

Wonderful, now Clayton has joined in the fun. All three of them are running around the couch trying to catch one another. What a sight! Oh how I love all three of them!!! (there is seriously no point in trying to keep this house clean...they all mess it up!!)

My Everything...

A Few Things On My Mind...

A Few Things On My Mind....

1. Drivers in Dublin...this is a 20,000 person town...yet EVERYONE was on the road today. Oh my gosh, they absoutley drive me nuts!!!! I thought Toledo drivers sucked, UGH these people just seem like they have no where to go!

2. The way the drivers in Dublin drove once it started raining! You would have thought we were in the middle of a hurricane today, but really it was just a sprinkle!!!

3. Complaining to a worker at the Dollar Tree today about not being able to get a job and that I have a Bachelor's degree!!! Her response was "fill out an application and I'll see what I can do, but make sure you bring it back to me".....Swell, I have a chance of getting a job at the DOLLAR STORE!!!!! (nothing against the lady...heck, she may be my only friend here!!)

4. Being excluded from family holiday plans. Having the excuse "you were going to get an invitation in the mail"...ummmm excuse me!!! I have a phone!!!! and just because I moved to fricken Georgia does not mean I am not apart of my FAMILY ANYMORE!!!!!

5. The way St. Charles has changed. Yeah, so I haven't really been home in 4 years, who cares. I grew up there for 18 years and it has changed so much that it's ridiclious! All of the stupid new stores and million dollar homes, the crowds that are everywhere!

6. The new people in STC. Yeah, the yuppies! Way to ruin a perfectly good town! Thanks! and just because you have more money than I do, doesn't mean you override everyone who is "FROM" there!! (ie: perfect example...on the bike trail, yeah people used to say "HI" to everyone, now you get all of these new people who are MEAN and won't way hi back!!!!" Each time I come home it's something new. The Geneva Commons (which I won't support by shopping there), the RIDICLIOUS neighborhood they built across the street from me....why on earth do you need a house the size of a small city?!?!? Peck Road...yeah it didn't used to EVER get driven on...now it's a major highway almost! (yeah another thing I won't support...I won't drive on it!) All of the stupid stoplights that crowd my cute little Wasco because our wonderful Mayor decided to allow all of this overpopulation (even though, when elected, there was not going to be houses built in certain areas...yeah way to make that one happen!!!)

7. Change. I HATE change. Yeah, maybe that's my whole problem here (or at least with my family and STC). I hate when the things I'm so used to have to change (even my house, my bedroom for crying out loud is a fricken guest room....not my room anymore...and who the hell every comes to visit???? except ME!!!!)

8. I want to come home so bad, but every time I do I get so upset with the way things are...I know that sounds so stupid! But I just want it to be the way it was when I grew up....including my family.

Sleeping Arrangments

Ironically when we brought Harley home on his 6th week birthday he weighed 7.1 pounds, now, exactly 2 years a 6 weeks later he weighs 71 pounds!!! When he was a baby, starting from his first night home he always slept on my chest with his neck on my neck (picture this if you will). Well his habit hasn't changed. Yes, that's right, EVERY night he sleep with his HONKING head arcoss my neck or chest. HE IS WAY TOO BIG FOR THIS!!! but try telling him that!! His sister, Bella Rose wasn't as clingy, she usually sleeps ACROSS my legs (so I can't move them). Oh yes, and by the way, she's 55 pounds.

OK, I have a QUEEN sized bed! One would think that this would be plenty big for me to sleep in...but with 126 extra pounds it's not. These two dogs (especially Harley) main goal in life is to be the CLOSEST that they can POSSIBLY be to their MOMMY!!!! Serioulsy, these dogs have some sick fetish with me! They can't be away from me (but who can blame them?!?)

Last night I awoke at some odd hour of the night to find Harley laying on his back with his legs extended in both directions (his famous sleeping pose) on top my pillows!!!! with his neck across my FACE!! and Bella snuggled up so close that her head was almost between Harley's and mine.
Seriously, I need a bigger bed or I need to invest in a doggy bed (like a real human bed) for the dogs.

You Know You're Getting Old When...

You Know You're Getting Old When...You're weekend off from everything includes...

1. Mowing your acre lot with your OWN lawn mower!! As you can see, my baby girl, Bella Rose, follows me around the whole time! I'm thinking about letting her cut the grass by herself next week.
(p.s. that lawn mower was made at Clayton's plant...where he works! Husqvarna designs and manufactures all Craftsman, Murry, Weed Eater, & Poulan Pro mowers).

2. When you find yourself recovering your own furniture!! The culprit is lounging there in the right corner...he has BEAR CLAWS!! and accidently sliced our ottomon lid, thank goodness we had bought extra fabric for such instances!!

-----> the finished product!! He did an amazing job!!!

3. You do your own laundry in your OWN washer and dryer!! I seriously did 10 loads yesterday...ugh!! (because I found TONS more of my clothes in the garage)

Yes that is still the protective coating on them...I don't want to take it off!!

Tubby's Tankboat and Seafood

Yesterday Clayton and I went to Savannah and Tybee Island. While inland in Savannah we ate at Tubby's Tankboat and Seafood, a super cute, locally owned restaurant/cafe. We sat outside on the upper desk and enjoyed music and dancing celebrations down below. I ordered a basket of fried shrimp and side salad. The house dressing was Creamy Cucumber Onion. I just had to try it! To my surprise I absoutley LOVED it! I do believe I have a new favorite dressing!

Aspen

---> Harley
Yesterday Clayton and I received a call from the breeders who we got Harley from, Ernie and Mary, an older couple. These people were the nicest people ever! They loved the Weim breed so much that when we had bought Harley they had had his blood line for 35 years. They absoutley have a passion for the Weims and only breed right before their female gets to the age of "shouldn't have puppies anymore", just so they will always have one from the same line.

Before we were able to take baby Harley home (we had to wait until he was 6 weeks, which is still a little early to be taking puppies home) we would go over and visit with Ernie, Mary, and the puppies. Ernie had been diagnosed with cancer and one day broke into a steady cry telling us about his dogs. When he was going through chemotherapy and come home the female that he had had at that time (Harley's grandma) would just come sit on his feet and just gave him all of her love (if any of you have a Weim you totally know what I'm talking about...how full of expression they are!!!) These dogs have meant a great deal to them, their children, and their grandchildren who have all received offspring of the bloodline.

For almost all of Harley's 2 years we had lived in Toledo and would frequently go visit with the family. They had kept two puppies from Harley's litter, both girls, Aspen and Anya along with their mother, Sadie. (Sadie had 12 puppies in Harley's litter and had to have a C-Section to deliever all of them). Occassionally his brothers would come and visit as well and we would have a fun day of doggie playing!

Yesterday, we received a phone call from Mary. She told us that Ernie's cancer really has him this time and that they are needing to downsize considerably in house size. Mary said that they won't be able to keep Aspen anymore and were looking for a home for her, and knows how great Clayton's and my love for Harley is and asked if we would take her. Honestly, I feel so blessed that she would even ask us this because it shows that we love our dogs so much and is recgonized by others.

Taking Aspen may cause a few problems:
1. Bella Rose and another female in HER house. When we took in Jed she had a few issues with him but quickly worked them out and became super good buds!

2. Harley and another female in HIS house. Poor boy will only have his daddy to relate to.

On the plus side, Georgia does not have regulations on how many dogs you can own (meaning you don't need a kennel lisence for more than 3 dogs). Since Clayton are looking to buy a house or property to build a house on, we've only been looking at lots that are 5+ acres. The dogs would definetly have enough area to run and be WILD!! outside of the house.

I simply feel so honored that Mary has asked us to take in Aspen. I know that this is such a hard thing for her to do, give up one of her family memebers, especially in such a sad time.

When I go home for a week in October, I'm going to drive out to Toledo and visit with them and see how Aspen takes to me and if I get positive vibes about her fitting in well with our family.

Funny though, Aspen is just as deviant as Harley. Aspen knows how to open the garage door by jumping up and hitting the button, Harley knows how to open the refrigerator and microwave!! We would definetly have our hands full...but in a fun way.

Please give me your suggestions (but bear in mind, anything is possibly if you are willing to make it happen/work).