All in one day!

Today is Friday so I have Jackson. We did some earns in the morning and then meet up with Rae and Tash and hung out until it was time to meet Alan for lunch. We went to Johnny B's!!! My favorite place to eat. After lunch its nap time.

Playing at Johnny B's

While Jackson was sleeeeping I just happened to notice a raccoon running across our yard coming towards the house. I get up and get my camera and when i open the glass door he jumps out from under our bench (that sits against the house and it is also where we keep the cat food.) He just looks at me and i move back and starts for the tree. It was crazy he was so close.





After all of that I was going to go look at something I had found on Craigs list. Tasha, Rae, and Lydia all wanted to joy in on my adventure. I ended up not getting what i went to go look at. On the way back it started to down pour! You could hardly see anything in front of you. But we made it back. When Alan gets home it raining really bad and the next thing we know it is hailing!


All the white is hail.


So to day was packed with lots of fun stuff.

A trip to the dog park turns bad

Me and Alan decide on this lovely day we would take the dogs to the dog park. Alan had taken them last Sunday with mocha and said the dogs loved all the running area. They were the only dogs for a little while and then a few other dogs came to play. Well today there were 30+ dogs. When we first walked in Jaine was a little over whelmed when all the dogs came to greet her. She growled a little but when I accidentally dropped her leash she was fine. There was a rottweiler that would not leave Jack alone (or any other dog.) Jack got fed-up with the rottweiler being up his a** and snapped at him. We (me, Alan, and the owner of the rottweiler) would separate the two they would go right back to each other. The rottweiler would chase both of our dogs Jaine was petrified for him. Well I guess this worked Jack up so any dog that came near him he would snap at then. We were there for less then 5 mins. I was soooo aggravated. So neat less to say I will not be bringing Jack back to the dog park.... At least not for a while.

We thought of a few this that may have sparked this behavior...
1. I was very tense.
2. The rottweiler was very aggravating.
3. Flash backs from living in the pound.
4. To many dogs.

It could have been 1 or more of the above.

It's been awhile.

Hey everyone I know it has been a while but no much has been going on. Just working and trying to survive.We did have a big snow storm come through. It was beautiful outside! We just happened to of lost our power for 3 days, that was not fun. We spent one night at Alan's parents house due to the fact the low was 12 degrees that night. Mazzy went to my parents house for 3 days because if not she would have been a pupsicle when we got back.
This was at 11 pm.


Look how much snow we got!!



Our little house covered in snow (and broken branches)

I have my nephew Jackson every Friday. I always try to plan something fun for us to do (I know am crazy he is only 1.) Alan has been able to join in on our fun the past few weeks. Jackson loves Alan and enjoys Alan tossing him around. This pass Thursday Josh and Sharla decided it was time for a date night so Jackson stayed the night we us. We had a blast!!

Peek-a-boo I see you!!


Swinging at the park.


We ventured out to Monkey Joe's. That was a great day!

February was is a big birthday month on Alan's side. Jackson turned one, and David and Josh also had birthdays. We enjoyed a very nice dinner at Outback with his family. Then dad and Natasha have birthdays in March. We (me, Alan, mom, dad, and Tasha) the Benefield gang and Rae and Lydia all went out to Red Lobster. Umm Umm! We all had a great time, It was nice to go out with everybody because we had not gone out together in awhile. I will try to add more pictures soon. Hopefully it will not be as long till I post the next time.

Bye
Stephanie and Alan

Things that start with "A"

Sharla has but me to the challenge with this blog game. I have to come up with 10 things I love that start with A. This was a little harder then i thought but I did it. Lets see what I got...

1. Alan, my wonderful loving husband

2. Animals, I love all animals but my puppies and
kitty cats are my favorite.

3. Aunt, being an aunt is so much fun. I love my nephew Jackson.

4. Au gratin potatoes, they are so yummy!!

5. American Idol, I don't know anybody that does not like that show.

6. Apple Bees, when the service is good, you just have to chance it.

7. Alice in Wonderland one of the all time favorites.

8. A league of there Own, Yes another movie. This is a really
old movie but it is a good one.

9. Alphabet soup, I am running out of things

10. Last but not lest Advil, my go to drug :)

Now I am suppose to assign letters to others:

Amber: R Have fun!!!!

Update on the Neighbors

I called the Animal Control office and talked to the head honcho up there to make sure a doggy door was suitable, and he said it was. We put the doggy door so the dogs can come in and out of the laundry room when ever they needed or wanted to. Alan installed it a few days after Animal control come out. We have had a few incidents where they come in the laundry room and one of use forgets to shut the big door to the kitchen and we have muddy dogs all over the house. What fun that was to clean up. For the update on the neighbors they have called Animal Control on us again for not having a dog house and when the guy came out I showed him the doggy door and he said that that was fine. We are trying to be the good people in the situation and have not done anything back. I did ask when I went up to Animal Control the first time in the beginning of December if they had come out for the time I called back in like June for there dog coming after me when I was walking my dogs. The lady said yes and that they were told that there dogs needed to be registered for rabies with Gaston county. She also informed me that they had not been registered with rabies shots scene 2004!!! She did what they call a computer generated call because they still had not register them when I went up there in December. I guess you can say I did it to myself but I could not get home, and there dog has attacked her niece and they did not do anything about it. The only way we see this will stop is when we move. So I guess we will just deal with it for now. We have had a few people tell us to go and have harassment charges put on them, but I worry it will just make things worse for us.

Our Christmas

I know I am a little behind I am sorry. Alan's extended family's Christmas stuff started on the Saturday before Christmas. We enjoyed seeing all of his extended family. It was so cute to see Jackson open his first Christmas gift.


He is just so cute!

Then on Sunday we had a lovely lunch at his Grandmothers house with is cousins. We had a quite Christmas Eve spend at home hanging out with each other, and a quick run to Wal-mart. On Christmas morning we did our presents and the headed over to Alan's parents house for our immediate family, Lynn's side of the family, and the girls Christmas stuff. It was fun to see the girls and everyone else.


Alan playing with Jackson.

We celebrate Christmas with my parents on New Years eve do to the fact that were in Florida for Christmas. That was a big bash with Rae, Craig, Lydia, Dodie, Randi, Eil, my parents, and sister. Lydia was so cute me and Alan had gotten her some pj's for Christmas and she put them on over her clothes.

Sorry I did not take any pictures this year, I had to steal them all from Sharla. Thank you Sharla. We had a great Christmas week! Hope everyone had a great holiday season.

The Neighbors

The abused dogs


Ok the neighbors have been getting really bad. So I was on my UPS rout when I got a call from Alan telling me that Animal Control was at the house. WHAT THE HELL!!!! I Tell him I will deal with it when I get home (about 1hr later.) Well come to find out it is illegal to let dogs outside with a dog house. If you are not outside with the dogs they have to have a dog house!! Please remember our dogs are not outside dogs. They come inside at night, when there is bad weather, when we are home and when ever. We end up getting a warning for not have a dog house and a citation for the dogs not have on there rabies tags (yes they have the rabies shot they just don't wear collars.)


This thing with the neighbors is going to far. So anybody with advice with bad neighbors WE NEED HELP!

What a Big Weekend!

Saturday I was invited to see Peter Pan the play at Imaginon in Charlotte with Lynn, Sydney, Abbey, Amelia, and Gracie (Amelia's friend.) It was kinda sad how we got the tickets. Anita had gotten them for there family but there was a death in the family and they where not able to go so she asked Lynn if she could take the girls for them. The play was GREAT. They did a good job on really getting in to the characters. There were a lot of scenes where they were flying. But from there we went to get a bit to eat and then to visit with all the pups at the house. We decided to ask the girls to stay the night.

Later on in the day our church was having there Fall Festival. We did hay rides, games and the Trunk-or-Treated. The girls had a blast. After all the fun was over we headed home. Then one of the things the girls always ask me to do is paint there nails. Abbey ended up with black on one hand with a ghost on one nail, and an orange hand with a witches hat on one nail. Amelia had one hand black and one hand orange with her initials on both hands and a bat on one finger and a ghost on another. By that time I was tired and EVERYBODY was off to bed.


The next morning we hung out and played Operation, Candy Land, Skip-bo, and Chutes and Ladders. For lunch we did a cook out on the back porch. It was beautiful outside. Right before we left Sydney asked for her nails done so she did orange with black polka dots.Then we went to the Shield Museum for there special event. It was neat we got to see a dog herd ducks, and how each whistle meant to do something different. We also walked the trail and enjoyed just being outside in the wonderful weather. By the time we were done there it was after 4 and time for the girls to head back home.


We all had so much fun this weekend including Mazzy who has never had so much attention in her life.

Sunday Afternoon is put to Good Use

The Cutters got stuck in the tree. Alan trying to figure out how he
is going to get the rope over the tree limb.

















Alan on roof, up in the trees. Alan cutting up the BIG limb we took down.

Our neighbors had Tiny Tim's Trees Service come and cut there trees. Well they decided to cut all but the one that is on our roof. How nice right! So I decided to take care of it myself (with Alan's help.) We started out on the roof trying to get all we could reach. I would pull on the branch and Alan would cut it. Then we used the ladder, that worked well. Alan got the bright idea of using a rope to pull down the branches. This worked for the first one then we moved the rope higher so we could reach more. Well then Alan asked me to grab the rope (note I am on the ladder, I was cutting the branches) so I did as I tryed to get off the ladder the branch kinda just made it like a bungee, just bouncing up and down OFF THE GROUND. Not so much fun. But anyway we got as much of that one as we could. On to the next. Alan started pulling on it so I could cut it and snap this large branch snapped 1/2 the way though. We tryed and tryed pulling to brake the other 1/2. That did not work. Alan got the Durango. Remember it has rained for the past 2 day!! The back tire spun a few times and crack it came down. Woooohoooo!!! {sorry for that} I think it was a very successful day.

A Wonderful Weekend with Jackson!

Josh and Sharla had a wedding to attend in Raleigh, NC, so we got Jackson for the weekend!!! I picked Jackson up on Friday afternoon and he was picked up Sunday afternoon. Friday night we went and grabbed a bite to eat. When we got home it was night night time for Jackson. He went down great, we all (Alan included) read a book and then rocked for a few minuets. Harrison (Alan's best friend) was in town to sing in a wedding so he come over to hang out for a while. The boys went and got Dairy Queen. Ummm! It was so delicious.

Saturday morning at about 8:20 I went and woke Jackson up because I was ready for him to get up and play and so he was not off schedule to much. Then the craziness started. Mom called and let us know that there was a rabies clinic in Gastona but did not know for how long. So there we went off to see the vet, it was the fastest thing ever. You pulled up Alan gave the info the vets gave the shots. I don't think we were there more then 5 mins. Well the place just happened to be close to mom and dads so we stopped by for a visit.They wanted to see Jackson and there grand puppies. Of course Jackson was the hit of the party. He was so happy and friendly! We just hung out at our house for the rest of the afternoon. Sharla had told me that Saturday night was bath night. Not so easy with out a baby tub. She had suggested to use the sink. Well as most know Jackson is not the smallest baby, so he did not have much room. But we got the job done, and down for bed he went. Then it all started. I had been telling Alan about the leak under the sink but he just puttin it aside and puttin it aside until he seen how much it was leaking (just happened to be the weekend we had Jackson.) He had to run to Lowe's at like 9 O'clock to get a piece of pipe that was broken. Then he realized the sink was moving, they never put silicone under it. There was nastiness under the lip of the sink. EWWW! Finally we finished that unexpected project. Time for bed right? Nope Alan had let the dogs in and we realized Jack had blood on him towel and legs. Alan forgetting he had set the Alan opened the door. OMG!!! The siren wen off!! But anyway we need did find what had happened to Jack. We did not get to bed till 12. What a long day.

Sunday morning was a breeze. Me and Jackson went to Sunday school (this is my month for nursery.) When was got home a feed Jackson and then Josh and Sharla were here. Having Jackson the whole weekend was not as hard as I expected. It was really fun.