Samantha Elizabeth Miller

My sister Susan gave birth to Samantha Elizabeth on Wednesday, January 14. She weighted in at 8 lbs even. Both mother and baby are doing well. Susan looked great when we saw her Wednesday night. Samantha slept through the whole visit. She looks just like her mom. She has Susan's nose and chin. Samantha is beautiful and we are so excited to welcome our 2nd baby to the family in just 4 month's time.

All the Ford ladies (except for Virginia, she was with Grandma).

The proud parents, Susan and Joe...what a good looking family!!

It is hard to believe that both my little sisters have babies!!! We've come a long way!!!

Christmas Day

Well, we thought, one family Christmas gathering just wasn't enough, why not do two!! On Christmas Day we had the Ford Family to the house for our usual Christmas lunch. Since I was the host this year, that meant that I had the 'opportunity' to provide the meat. I was nervous, but really, how bad could I mess up a pre-cooked spiral cut ham?!?! The ham turned out fine and everyone else brought a side dish and dessert. The food was great. I especially loved the candied yams that Susan made. After dinner, we opened presents. I really loved my gifts!! Mike has a reputation of taping every inch of Annette's present, so it's impossible to get into. Kathy got him back this year. She wrapped his present with duct tape. Ha Ha!!! Thanks everyone!! Then Robert and Annette and I took the dogs for a walk. We needed to walk off lunch so we could eat more dessert!!! Isn't that really what exercise is all about!!!

Little did I know, but Susan and Joe had to leave. Poor Joe was not feeling well at all. I hate that we didn't have more time to visit. I talk to or email Susan regularly, but we don't get a lot of face to face time :(. Also, Kathy and Reiggin split during my walk too (maybe the ham wasn't as good as I thought). They needed to go to Reiggin's parents house to visit. I was sad to not get more time with my adorable niece Virginia. I'm sure Kathy was relieved though. I have no kids of my own, so my kid handling skills leave a little to be desired...but I haven't dropped her yet!!

Long story short, I didn't get any pictures of Susan and Kathy. You'll just have to take my word for it that they were there. However, I really enjoyed the opportunity to visit with my Aunt and Uncle, Robert and Annette as well as Mom and Dad and Grandma and Pa. These are the pics...anyone notice any themes with the pictures...all are with the fireplace as a backdrop! I promise to have more 'natural' pictures next year.

Robert and Annette...what a cute couple!!

My adorable and sweet, sweet Grandma and Pa!

And finally, Mom and Dad. I didn't want to break the camera so I took a far away shot. I kid because I love!!!

We loved having everyone over and we look forward to having everyone over again soon!!

Poor Foggy!

There was some drama on Monday. Mike got home from work and Foggy was not in the yard. He had gotten out of the fence somehow. I got off work (we had a meeting) and headed home at 8pm. I called Mike and he said he had 'terrible news'. He said that Foggy was gone and he'd been looking everywhere for him for 2 hours with no luck. I held it together for a bit but then I crumpled. Just ask Susan...I called her hysterical. Anyway, I got home and still no Foggy. We were making signs to put out in the neigborhood. We'd already discussed the fact that Foggy was probably gone for good. Mike had left all the outside lights on and the garage open in case he came home. Mike went out to the garage to get something to hang the signs with and there Foggy was, in the garage!!! I hadn't been home more than 15 minutes and he showed up.

He'd been in a fight. He had a pretty nice gash in his side and he was feeling pathetic. Mike carried him downstairs and we warmed him by the fire. We cleaned his wound and wrapped him up snuggly. He didn't move a muscle all night. Mike took him to the vet this morning. They put him under and drained the wound. He's going to make it. We feel very fortunate that he came back and he's alive. We have no idea how or why he got out.

Here's poor pathetic Foggy after we found him:

Near Death Experience

This morning I took the dogs for a walk. I decided to go a different way than usual. I guess this is really where the trouble started. I should have just stuck to the usual path. Anyway, we turned down this cul-da-sac that runs pretty close to our house. We were about half way down the road when this dog comes running out from his open garage and I can tell this is not going to be good. More preciously, my first thought was "Oh, S*%t!!" Foggy doesn't like other dogs so he was going crazy and Yana was oblivious. We've always wondered what Foggy would do when actually confronted with a real fight. Well, I was about to find out. Let it be known, that we were not in crazed dogs yard and were attacked in the yard across the street.

I, of course, didn't respond correctly. I should have jumped in front of the crazed dog and kicked the crap out of it. But my initial response, other than of course screaming at the top of my lungs like a lunatic, was to try and reel Foggy in on his retractable leash. Well, crazed dog went after sweet, innocent, bewildered Yana. After taking two bites at her rump, Foggy put him in his place. Foggy went after crazed dog and he backed off. By this point, I realized that I may have to kick some dog ass. Luckily crazed dog seemed to be scared of Foggy.

Crazed dog just stood at a bit of a distance and snarled at us while I tried to get Foggy untangled from his leash. Then I proceeded to yell at crazed dog "Where the hell is your owner!!" I waited and no one came running out of the house to get crazed dog or to apologize profusely. So, I started to walk away. Well, I wanted to walk away but my legs were literally shaking like a leaf. Once I got it together we walked away. That's when I realized that Yana's rump had been bitten and she was bleeding. Mind you it was a small puncture wound, but that's when I lost it. I started crying and was super pissed. I was marching home and was going to get in my car and come back and kick some dog owner ass. Then, my knight in shining armor rode up on a white horse (or maybe it was a white Tahoe). Mike had heard the commotion because he was out in the yard blowing leaves. I was really really glad to see him. He went to crazed dogs house but no one was home!!! NO ONE WAS HOME!!! They left crazed dog on the loose while they're gone for the weekend.

This same crazed dog came up to our fence one weekend. This is the exact reason that I wanted an actual fence and not an electric fence like the architectural committe wanted. An electric fence may keep my dogs in but it doesn't keep others out. That would have been really bad if we wouldn't have had a fence.

Anyway, we got home and Yana and I cuddled and I had a good cry over the "what if" scenarios that kept running through my mind. It's not over, we will be having a face to face conversation with crazed dog's owner. We went back later to get a picture of crazed dog outside of his yard.

Thanksgiving

Disclaimer: I realize that this picture is blurry, but it's the only one I've got!

OK, now, let's proceed. Mike and I made the annual trek to Taylorsville for Thanksgiving. It was the usual crowd: Me and Mike, his sister Sharon and her husband Keith and their kids Brandon and Ashleigh. Then there's his mom and dad. Not pictured is Jonie, Brandon's girlfriend. She's the person we can thank for the blurry picture. She's also the one we can thank for the comic relief at lunch. She dumped an entire bowl of corn on her plate and didn't get hardly a thing on herself. Now that's talent!! Also not pictured is Ashleigh's fictitious boyfriend. She supposedly has a boyfriend and they've supposedly been dating for quite a while now but Mike and I have never met him. So, we've jumped to the logical conclusion that he is not real!

Mike's mom always makes almost all of the food and she always goes overboard. But man is it good!!!! I was so disgustingly full at the end of the meal. I thought no way can I eat another bite for the rest of the day. But of course, come about 6:30, I was eating left overs.

Mike and I have a lot to be thankful for this year:

1. Friends and Family
2. A new house

3. My new job (starting Dec 1st)

4. Each other (oh, isn't that sweet)

I hope everyone's Thanksgiving was as good as ours!!

Baby Shower #2

Today we had a baby shower for my sister Susan. She is due in January. She is expecting a baby girl, Samantha. Her best friend since forever, Lezlie, hosted the shower. She, Kathy, and I planned the shower. We played some shower games (one went well, the other, not so well) and had some good food. I thought her cake was adorable. It looked like her invitation. She got lots of good gifts that should be put to good use soon. Kathy brought Virginia, her two month old baby girl, and she was a perfect angel. It was fun and that should be the last baby shower for a long time!!

Three hot mamas!!! Or, two hot mamas and one hot aunt!! BTW, Kathy looks great so soon after having Virginia.

Diaper cake and real cake - both adorable!!!

Susan and her BFF, Lezlie.

The real star of the shower, Virginia!! She's tired after all that entertaining!!

Baby Pictures!!

What a cutie!!!! My sister Susan and I met our niece Virginia for the first time on Monday night. She is just too adorable for words!! I mean, look at that face!! She's so tiny, you just want to snuggle her close to you.

As soon as she was born she was taken to the nursery to receive oxygen. She was having some trouble breathing. While Susan and I were visiting the new parents, new mom Kathy was able to hold her precious new baby for the first time in the nursery. It was a very sweet moment and I feel honored that we were able to be there.

Only parents and grandparents are allowed in the nursery so Susan and I were bummed! We were really wanting to hold the little cutie!! Lucky for us, soon after Kathy was able to hold her, she was able to come off the oxygen and was brought to the room for the first time. Then new dad Reiggin was able to hold her for the first time also. The family will be going home today to start their new lives together...

First family photo!

Mom and Virginia...how sweet!!!

Proud new aunts...Susan and Lisa (I look like a natural, I know)!

Kathy is such a loving and forgiving person, Virginia is lucky to have her as her mother! Kathy may miss sleeping in but I know she wouldn't trade being a mother for anything in the world.

Not much longer and sister #2 (Susan) will be a new Mom too...only 3 1/2 more months and there will be more newborn pictures to post!! Can't wait!!

Happy Birthday Betty!!

Today is Mike's mom's birthday. Happy Birthday!!! We went to Taylorsville to see her on Sunday and to wish her a happy birthday. Of course I made her have her picture taken for the blog. Pay no attention to the helmet hair Mike and I are both sporting.

Betty is just so adorable. I couldn't have been blessed with a better mother-in-law. Betty, you make sure Wayne is good to you today!! We love you!!!

Baby Virginia's Shower

Saturday my sister Susan and I hosted a baby shower for our younger sister Kathy. Mom was gracious enough to let us borrow her house for the shower since neither of us have a descent home of our own (sad, I know!). Kathy is due in about 4 weeks...so this shower was not a moment too soon. I have to take a moment to brag on Susan and myself. Above is the baby shower cake (adorable!) and the table of food offered to the guests. Susan did a lot, OK, most of, the cooking and she did a great job.

Mom to be, Kathy, with Great Grandma to be!! My Grandma is very worried about Kathy and Susan having what they need as they become first-time mothers. She is just too sweet!!! We all love her and Grandpa so much!

Here are the three Ford girls!! Mom didn't get us centered in the picture and I couldn't figure out how to edit it to fix it...so, yes, I know it is not centered. But that doesn't take away from how cute we look. Well, at least they do...notice Susan's ever growing baby bump. I think she looks just adorable. Everyone was amazed at how good Kathy looked. She really hasn't gotten too big and she has really looked great throughout her pregnancy!

Here is Kathy with all her loot. Everyone was very generous and she got lots of cute stuff. All the ladies love the baby clothes. There were lots of "oohs and aahs"!

The shower guests were Ford family members, except for our Aunt Annette (we missed you!), Mom's friends, and a few of Kathy's friends. I think the shower went well and everyone had a good time. I think that for our first attempt at hosting a baby shower, we did a pretty good job. Now, I've got to start planning for Susan's shower!!

Sunday with the Family

Sunday Mom and Dad had everyone over for lunch. As always it was good food and good company.

Mom loves having her picture made...that's another thing we have in common!!

Everyone was just so thrilled to have their picture made for my blog. My husband was especially enthusiastic!! He's sitting on the couch with Reiggin and Kathy, not too long after the picture was taken, Reiggin was put to sleep by our rousing conversation!

Last, but not least, Susan and Joe...more willing picture participants!! Joe was trying to look intellectual by posing with the book. However, I think the dopey look kind of ruined the image he was trying to project.

As author of the blog, I am free from the torture of pictures. I get to inflict torture upon others...they love it!!!

Wild and Crazy Weekend

Saturday night my two sisters, both pregnant (don't they look adorable) came by the house and we went out to eat. We don't often spend a lot of time together, just the three of us, so it was nice to get together. We ate at the Prickly Pear in Mooresville. It is located in a renovated church near downtown. I've always wanted to go there so this was my chance. It was delicious!!! It is a fancy Mexican restaurant and it did not disappoint. I may make Mike take me there for our anniversary.

We had a good time just catching up. Kathy is due in about 5 weeks and she had her first Lamaze class on Saturday (I think she's getting nervous). Susan is about 18 weeks along and she finds out what she's having on Wednesday. After dinner we just hung out at the house for a bit. It was a bit of a tame night for Susan, but she is pregnant after all!! They hit the road at about 9pm, I was asleep on the couch by 9:30 and in bed by 10pm!!

It was fun and we should get together more often!