Its a beautiful day outside.
Its 70 degrees..

My dogs are happy, the cats are happy.

I fell asleep outback with a book. I love days like this.

Ill start with the girly stuff and end with the boy-e stuff.

I decided that corn syrup sucks, unless its in my beloved Pepsi. I am trying to eliminate most of it from our diet. Nathan loves a good bowl of applesauce with lunch, and I am apt to buying Musslemans or motts lunch packs. Recently however i switched to just buying th bulk jar and filling up the re-usable throw away Tupperware from Glad.

This is saving us a little bit of money, (i haven’t figured it out, but a jar goes along way ). However, when I started looking at the ingredient list, i realized that they are all using corn syrup. I decided it was high time for me to make my own applesauce.

So i did.. and it was scrumptious

Smashing the apples.

Next we move over the boy stuff.

Nathan has always wanted to weld. He talks about and talks about it, but refused to either pick up a welder and teach himself or take  a class. Well after 4 years of me badgering him to take the class, I just signed him up and said, Ok, your signed up for welding class, you start in three weeks.

That silly grin hasn’t left his face since.  I would love to show you that grin, but he wont let me photograph it, or his first piece he welded.  I was proud of him though, he’s really liking the class. I havent seen him this excited in a very long time.

Super Bowl weekend was a great. My Dad came to stay the night and visit with Nathan and I on sunday and we cooked dinner, had some beers and watched a VERY entertaining football game, where our team, The Steelers, won!! Great game, we enjoyed it, unlike previous years which hvae been major snooze fests.

Lastly, its winter. Do you know how i know this?

Because Mazey rejoins my house on a daily basis covered in snow from doing this.

Getting a snow bath.

And Lola looks like this.

Eating Yummy Snow!!

IMHO
A child should never be without a pet, and im not talking about a gerbil, or a hamster.. im talking about a true cuddle/wrestle/pet/lick/feed/poop pet.

There are so many types of dogs out there, that there is one for EVERY kind of person out there. There will never be a moment in my life, i will not have a pet in my life.  In fact to this day, i have never in my life, (even as a baby) had a moment i was without a Dog.

The love they can give you, is so amazing.  Nathan will kill me for this story but it proves a valid point.

Recently we had a pretty good disagreement. I cant say fight because there were no words yelled, just a statement and some pretty hurt feelings, on both sides.  I went and curled up  in bed, and spent the entire day, crying and sleeping. Lola never left my side. She was balled up and against me, ears down, with random licks on my hand (this dog does NOT lick) and little head butts to try and make me feel better.  She would randomly though get up and go downstairs to check on Nathan and then decide i needed her more.  She did this till i got up, and went and made up with my hubby.

Now, let me point out, she is always at my side (under my desk, at my feet on the couch on her blanket, in the bathroom, whereever). The only time she is not, is when I am not at home. But when she curls up next to you when you are upset, sad or grieving, its differnt.  They can interepret so much of what you are feeling its amazing.

Mazey is a good dog, but she is not faithful like this. She never was. She loves me, and loves a good pat but she is quite content being by herself, but She is always where i am as well.

I dont think i could honestly survive some of the things i have been thru if I hadnt had a dog to hug as a kid or as an adult.

I have distinct memories of my beloved childhood Austrailian Shepard, Koko, sitting on the top of the hill with me in my dads backyard, with my head buried in her soft fur, crying, because my parents were fighting. My sister sitting on the other side of her doing the same thing.

I have tons of fun stories about my dogs, but honestly the fun part ultimately isnt why i have them, granted it is the BEST part, but the love they give me, no matter what is going on, how bad i have screwed up, or who has hurt me, or the greatest news in my life.

My Girls were sitting there when Nathan proposed, They showed Nathan a new world of love (lola is quite possibly his best friend in the whole world i think). They guard my house, they tease me, they pose for me (sorta), they entertain me..

Honestly i could go on forever.
Point is, there is nothign in the world like having a Pet as part of your family.

:wub:  :wub:  :wub:
if you can tell me how these faces dont make your heart melt, then your nuts..
http://www.flickr.com/photos/luckyboudica/sets/72157606981834743/detail