Still Goin' Strong

On Sunday (January 28th), Gene and I celebrated our 29th anniversary. It's so hard to believe that we've been married that long! Next year will be our 30th! YIKES! We feel so blessed to have been able to work through our problems and stay together for so many years. We're definitely in it for the long haul. (I know that nobody else would put up with me.) Anyway, here is a photo that someone took with their phone camera at TGIFriday's where we celebrated with a few friends after church.

The Joys of Owning a Home

A month ago we noticed that the wood floor in our kitchen looked a little warped. After some investigative work, Gene realized that our dishwasher had been leaking and had damaged most of our flooring in our kitchen, dining room, hall, and master bathroom. ServiceMaster came out and pulled up the floor and placed several large fans and dehumidifiers around our house. It made it extremely difficult to get around. Notice the lovely tile that was beneath the flooring. Turns out it has asbestos in it. So, now, our kitchen and dining room are quarantined with plastic and tape while the hazardous materials company gets all the asbestos material out of there. Fun stuff!

Krista is 9!

OK, I know, I'm way behind on posting this. We've had a lot going on here lately. Anyway, Krista turned 9 back on January 9th. Since it was just 6 days after Leah's birthday, we repurposed the Dora hats! Here are a few photos.

Our Newest Addition

I know, we're crazy. But we just couldn't resist this cute face at the shelter. Why did we go to the shelter? I can't explain it. But we were so lucky to find "Scout!" She's part Yorkshire Terrier and she's full-grown. She's slowly settling in and getting used to Bristow and Dakota. We love her already!

Leah is 13!

Hard to believe, but Leah is now a teenager. She's still small for her age, but she gets more beautiful each year. Gene got some free Dora the Explorer hats and napkins from work, which enhanced the celebration (Leah hates Dora, but she got into the spirit).

My Son is Back!

Well, "no cut '06" is finally over and Ryan got his hair cut. He went one year and 12 days without cutting his hair. He took these before and after photos of himself. I haven't even seen him yet. I'd forgotten how handsome he was!

Leah's First Horse Show

The girls were selected to participate in a wonderful program where they get to learn how to care for and ride horses at Challenge Ranch. They LOVE it! The ranch had a small horse show last Saturday, and Leah got to compete in a couple of events. She and her horse, Shooter, took 3rd place in the second event!


Grooming Shooter


Ready to Go


Jumping (actually stepping) over a jump


Setting up for the next "jump"


Her first award!

And Krista, Too!

Although Krista didn't get to compete Saturday, she is learning a lot at the ranch, too. She loves to ride her favorite horse, Rocky. On Saturday, after she helped the other girls prepare their horses for the show, she got to ride Rocky in the corral. Soon she'll be competing, too.