My new baby?

With Dustin leaving home, I am asking myself "Will I now become a dog person?  You see, I'm not a dog person at all...I don't like doggy breath, doggy smell, dog food smells, dog poop, dog hair on everything and a dog constantly wanting to be touched.  But our bassett hound of one year is becoming my buddy as I take care of things in the yard and around the house.  She has calmed down and is finally not chewing every mat I put outside the back door(although she gnawed on it a little this week), she will stay when I say stay and will not run in the door every time it opens.  She loves to play ball and bark at you.  I always thought that bassett hounds were slow dogs....not this one, she lives up to her name....SPEED!  AND she can jump on things that you just wouldn't think a dog could get up on.  I push all of our patio chairs under the patio table so she can't get on them and I don't have to sit in dog hair each time but she has found a way!  She climbs in the planters at the side of the yard and digs....how did she get up there???  Anyway, only time will tell if I become that dog person or just enjoy the dog every now and then.  How can you not love this face though????  I was playing with my new EXILIM camera yesterday and taking random pictures in the yard and she stands in front of me and barks.  So this is SPEED!  She is good company!

Empty Nest

We have a week and a half until we will be official empty nesters.  You never think this day will come when they are little.  It's come too soon.   I'm feeling a bit sad this morning as I'm picking up the house and seeing the stuff we bought for Dustin's apartment yesterday.  It also makes me feel that I have done my job as a mother and my children are raised.  Raised enough anyway to try to make it on their own and isn't that what our job as mothers and fathers are.  Our older two are out on their own and married and starting their families.  It was also sad when they embarked on their own.  Danielle never really did come back home.  Dallas has been back a couple times and stayed as long as he could. (He likes to save his $$$ and he said he was saving ours because we did not have to pay for the dorm/apt.)  So now here I am, feeling sad but triumphant that we have come so far with our child rearing and I feel that we've done a pretty good job.  My husband has had tears this last month or so thinking about this day.  I think of God allowing Jesus to be born and  raised by Mary and Joseph and then they had to let go.  It's a part of life and I too will be better for it with a few tears is all.

Earthquake and More!

Yes, we have survived another earthquake and quite a shaker it was! A 5.8 on the richter scale. I was in my office which was built in the 60's and it has full glass panel walls on most offices so it was a bit scarey after it was all said and done to think that we stood there and waited for the quake to finish. They usually last only seconds and then it's done however, we vowed to get out of the building or move to the middle of it next time. I'm still glad that we only have the occasional earthquake and not the annual hurricane or tornado.

THE MORE part: To play catch up, we've all been sick with the flu. Bella got it from her Uncle Josh, who then gave it her parents(yes, Dwight and I got the call Sunday at 7am--can we come get Dylan and Bella because both Dallas and Selena were throwing up!), they passed it on to me and finally Dwight got the bug on Tuesday. According to him, he's had it the worst! We hope we are done with that! Dwight really got to bond with little Dylan and was great help. After spending the whole day with two little ones, Dwight said "I don't think my friend, Kevin has any idea what he's in for!" Kevin's wife Katie is due with their second child in October/November. They have three year old Grace that's the light of their lives right now.

This is the first time to mention my office on the blog....yes I do work sometimes! I am a realtor with Coldwell Banker Armstrong Properties. I was attempting to take the summer off as I have been very frustrated with the market however all of a sudden I have gotten a busy again. Guess what??? When you give it all to God, He turns it around for you. That's what happened. One day, I just said Lord this business is all yours...if you want me to do this, then show me. I can't complain, although I was looking forward to just playing this summer and sitting at the beach a day a week or so. It hasn't happened yet!
I enjoy the real estate business overall....it's just been hard with clients losing their homes and nothing works to assist them in keeping the home, the short sale process is not an easy one and foreclosure takes forever. Good sellers can't get buyers to look at their homes because it's not a foreclosure. The perception is that the best buy right now is the foreclosure. Buyers want a smoking deal and won't take your advice and they lose out on the house they really want. They get accepted on the one they don't truly love and you have to cancel that one. Or they still want to wait because real estate is still losing value. My best advice: Real estate is a long term investment and it's right to buy or sell when it makes sense to you personally and financially.

Precious Grandma

I was talking to Bella the other day. I tell her often that she is my precious Bella. As we were talking, she says to me "you're my precious grandma!" Awww....love this precious girl. That's what grandma days are all about!

Cute as a button!

My sweet daughter is the cutest mommy-to-be ever!  100 days to go!!!

African Safari Shorts GIVEAWAY!!!!

I entered my first giveaway for these cute shorts.

I think Bella will look darling in them!  If you have a little one or a granddaughter...check them out.

African Safari Shorts GIVEAWAY!!!!

I hope to look this good at 85!

Bella loved the purse!

Selena with Dylan, her little man!

Grandma Lenie with all her grandchildren and her two great grandchildren and one in the womb!

My mother-in-law turns 85 tomorrow and we celebrated tonight with a little surprise party.  Ray, my father-in-law at 88 years of age thought she needed a surprise party because she had never had one.  She thought she was going to dinner with Damon and Peggy, however, both her sons and their wives with all of the grandchildren and her two great grandchildren made the trek to celebrate.  She is still the fashionista at 85 although now courtesy of Ross.  She loves that store so Dwight and I got her an $85 gift card to continue her shopping every Tuesday on Senior discount day.  Even Bella who had been sick that morning came to sing "Happy Birthday" to Grandma Lenie and then proceeded to tell her that she liked her purse.  

Awww....I love that little girl!!!