The Disappearance and Reappearance of Roxy

Christy, Jon, Emily, Mitchell, Michael, Emily, Ryan and Mya came over for dinner tonight. We had a blast watching the kids play and hanging out. The house was very busy all evening, so busy that we did not notice that we were missing a four-legged child. At the end of the night we said good-bye to our friends and Chris went downstairs to feed the dogs. Roxy was no where to be found. We searched under the furniture, in the closets and cabinets and in every corner of the house.... no Roxy. We called Michael and Emily and then Jon and Christy to see if Roxy could have escaped while they were coming or going. No one had seen her all night. Just before everyone had come over I let the dogs out into the yard. I went back outside to see if she was hiding in the yard... no Roxy. What I did find was a new hole that Blue had dug in the yard under the fence... a Roxy-sized hole.

I immediately went outside and called her... no Roxy. I asked the neighbors and a man walking his dogs on my street but no one had seen her. I grabbed my keys and jumped in the van. I made it about half way around Highgate Circle and saw a lady walking a dog that looked just like Lassie. I asked if she had seen Roxy. Not only had she seen her but Roxy was in her garage! :) Her daughter had found Roxy that evening around 6pm which means that Roxy had been missing almost all night!!! They had gone door to door but lived on the other side of the neighborhood and hadn't made it to our house. I was so glad that Roxy was safe! I went over to their house and they opened the door from the living room to the garage and out pounced Roxy!! That little stinker!!!

She's home now... safe and sound. Guess I need to find a big rock to put in that darn hole. Thanks Blue.... :-/

So I've decided to give Swagbucks a try. Google has my heart, but I'm all for checking out something new. :)

Wish List Wednesday

Chris's birthday is coming up and I wish I had the talent to make this cake!!! I may give it a shot... we'll see.

I would also love to have this bed for Gabriel.

Lastly, I would like a wallet to match the purse that my awesome husband and children bought me for Christmas.

Our First Anniversary Weekend

Chris and I spent our first anniversary at the Inn at Merridun in Union. I first heard of this place about nine years ago when I read about it in a book about haunted hotels in the South. The house was built in 1855 and is said to be haunted by as many as nine spirits. Chris and I first checked it out in November of 2008 and we didn't really come across anything unusual during our first stay.

The drain in our bathroom is the type that you push and twist and it pops up. You then push and twist it again and it closes. I popped the drain up and left the bathroom. About fifteen minutes later I realized that the water sounded like it was barely trickling down the drain. I went back into the bathroom to discover that the drain was down. Needless to say I was kinda weirded out.

That afternoon Chris asked me if I had heard a dog whimpering that morning. He thought he had heard one while we were still in bed. I didn't hear a thing; however, we spoke to some of the other couple that frequents the inn. They said that other guests have seen the ghost of a white dog around the inn. Some have even said that it jumped in their bed.

We were talking to the other couple again later in the day and I swear someone said something to me. It was one syllable and it sounded like a woman but I don't know what it said. At that point I was probably just paranoid.

Surprisingly enough, we slept like rocks both nights. Saturday afternoon we even spent some time enjoying the snow. Check out our snowman!


I totally recommend the Inn at Merridun to anyone looking for a weekend away. Peggy, the innkeeper, is the most kind and hospitable person I've ever met. She makes you feel like family coming home after a long time away. Don't be frightened by the ghost stories. A few things may go bump in the night, but you'll be fine... :)

Year One

Valentine's Day is our one year anniversary. Crazy! It does not feel like it has been a year. In some ways it feels like we got married last weekend and in others it feels like we have always been together. I can say that I never thought I could be so incredibly happy. I am happy that I have someone that enjoys going through the routine with me... getting the kids up in the morning, going on family outings, cooking dinner, cleaning the house, playing with the dogs, going to church, etc. I am blessed to have married my best friend. Someone that came into my life at a pretty crappy time and effortlessly picked the kids and I up, dusted us off and held our hands as we continued forward on the road of life.

I am thankful for the awesome friends and family that Cadence, Gabriel and I have gained. When Cadence, Gabriel and I were on our own, the prospect of remarrying terrified me in part because I didn't want the kids to feel like they were third-wheels at family events. The "step" feeling can be pretty hard for little kids to deal with. I could not ask for a more welcoming family. Cadence and Gabriel see all of their aunts, uncles and grandparents as part of their big family and it is awesome.

My First Mickey Mouse Cake

We had a pretty lazy weekend. Chris and I went to Stax Peppermill for dinner on Friday night. Yum. I haven't been there since highschool and have made a mental note not to allow so much time to lapse between visits again. We were going to go see Avatar after dinner but, alas we are old now and the thought of going to a 10:30 movie made us both sleepy. Saturday we baked a cake for my co-worker's son's birthday. It was my first Mickey Mouse cake and I think it turned out pretty well.

Sunday we went to see Avatar. AMAZING!!! After the movie Chris and I went to the Camp and Education Fair at McAlister Square to find summer ideas for the kids. A few of the overnight camps offer family camping weekends and I think we may try to do that this summer.It's back to work today and I'm thankful that the kids' daycare is open.

Gabriel's journey into the bathroom

Gabriel loves my bathroom... I mean he really LOVES my bathroom. It is hilarious to watch a two-year-old boy pick up various bottles of lotion, body wash and body scrub. He stares at them with such concentration as if he is attempting to uncover the secrets of women well before his time. He puts the smaller ones into a cup and carries them around... for further investigation later.

One evening Chris came home, went upstairs to our bathroom and said, "Why is there a cup with a bar of soap, shaving gel and a hanger in it on our bathroom scale?" He knew the answer before he even finished with the question.