It is quiet in the house.  Not that it isn’t usually.  I’m just a little surprised.  I was expecting there to be more going on after my hospital stay.  But everyone is gone!  And will be gone for a bit.  The girls both have sleepovers after school tonight and Corey is going mountain biking tonight after work.  I’m all alone!  I just thought that I would be more sick and there would be more people here.  However…

My “procedure” went really well.  Better than I expected, actually.  They got the IVC filter out!  I’ve been feeling pretty good.  My only issues have been from the anesthesia…and that is a little unusual, for me…and I’m just a little tired.  I was bracing for all the things that happened the last time they tried to remove the filter and it just hasn’t happened that way.  I’m glad.  It’s just surprising.  I got all ready for a month’s worth of recovery and I’m actually doing fine.  I would just like to thank God for this.  I would also like to thank everyone for the well wishes and prayers.  I’m a little dumbfounded so I don’t have much to say! ;D

It was raining last night and Laney went out to enjoy it.  Here she is! ;D

The leaves are starting to fall off the trees…not turn color…just fall off…and there have been enough cool days for me to feel like baking.  I like to bake…when it is cold. ;D  I made a pumpkin spice bundt cake today.  Even tho it was 95 out. ;D

Last night it was pretty cool.  Finally cool enough (I mean in the 50′s vs 80′s at night) to enjoy a fire in the pot belly stove and make s’mores. ;D

Since I got such grief for not including a photo of  my new “do”…here ya go, Wendy. ;D  You know how I LOVE to include photos of myself.  Oy!

And then lastly…we had Grandparents Day at school on Friday.  It is extremely popular.  Only.  In past years each class has performed something as well as individual kids.  Not so this year.  It was just individual performances.  Neither of the girls had anything planned.  They were upset about it.  I’m like, “Let’s just take Grandma to lunch!”  Yeah.  Way more fun.  So glad we did!

Oh…for those wondering…I think I’m getting over my cold.  House is pretty clean.  Laundry is done.  Grocery shopping is done.  I might just be ready to head to the hospital. ;D

This weekend we had a puppy reunion with Skits and his siblings, parents and other litters of puppies they have had.  We had Westies coming out our ears!!!  It was so awesome to get together with the other owners and chit chat about how neurotic all Westies can be…and how much we LOVE them!  We snuck in Baxter too.  He’s small and white.  He mixed in quite well.  I think our dogs are still pooped from it.  ;D

I actually got Baxter to stop long enough to get a photo.  When does THAT ever happen!

Skits (in front) and his twin Bella.

Westies…begging.  My dog is not one of them.  Either he’s a good dog…or he’s stupid for missing out.  You decide! ;D

Skits is sitting on the back of one of the couches staring out the window.  As we all predicted he would today.  He is lonely and depressed.  Waiting.  Waiting for two girls to come home and play.  He’s been with them all summer you see.  If I were a dog…I’d be doing the same thing.  I feel the same way on the inside.  I just can’t get away with acting like that!  Muahahahah!

So let it begin.  Activities and homework and activities…wait I already said that.  Gone are the lazy days of summer.  Gosh.  School starts early around here.  Sigh.  I sure miss ‘em!  Yes even when they fight!  Even then.

I’ve told you before that when I get out the camera to take photos of the dogs Skits poses and Baxter runs away.  It makes me laugh.  You might wonder why I have more photos on my blog…cute photos anyway…of Skits and why I have layouts, and the kids do too, of Skits and not Baxter.  Same reason.  Better photos cause he poses.

The other evening Corey and the kids went outside to play catch in the front yard.  We have a window seat in the formal living room that the dogs like to perch in and watch the goings-on in the front yard.  I found the dogs perched there watching.  I grabbed my camera to capture it.  As soon as I returned Baxter ran away.  Skits turned and literally “posed”.  Here he is…

I think the girls were inspired when they saw this layout…

Because they both wanted to scrapbook and when I asked them what they wanted to scrap about they both said, “Skits!”

It could be because he is on our minds a lot because on Friday he got “fixed” and he was gone all day.  We sure did miss him and realized just how much he “entertains” us.  Even Baxter was depressed.  We all piled in the car late Friday afternoon to go get him…yes, even Baxter!

I’m writing this on Saturday and he is doing well but he is sore and stiff.  Poor dogger!  We love him so muchly!  We have to help him go up and down the stairs to get outside to the yard to go potty.  He is not so keen on doing stairs yet.  He is lying low and we are trying to get the kiddos to back off and let him be.  It’s hard cause we just want to smother him with love.  He is such an awesome dog! ;D

Here are the girls’ layouts…again, I helped Laney a little more than Ava.  I did both their extractions.  They chose all their elements and put them where they wanted.  The photos are their own.  All elements (except that moon) and paper are mine! ;D

Anyway…on to the layouts! Laney’s…

And Ava’s…

…the photos from our home fireworks show.  I love that we can buy fireworks here in Colorado.  In Maine we were lucky if we got a box of sparklers for the 4th. ;D  We got a large pack of fireworks on sale this year and there were a ton inside.  You know its pretty good when the neighbors come out and watch.

Having fun playing with long exposure time.  I told the girls to not move…but move the sparklers.  So much fun to do this!!!!

I’m so thankful I have Corey who will light these things.  Cause even tho I will participate…I hate lighting them.  I especially hate the loud ones and I hate those freakin popper ones…the little white ones that you just throw at the ground and they snap really loudly.  The girls just LOVE THEM…even tho they are the most simple things on earth and Corey will do all those nice loud ones with them.  When they come out…I disappear inside.  Thank goodness for a fun Dad! ;D

After almost a year…my Kia is finally fixed and running again.  Oh man is it ever nice not to be doing the one car thing!  Why so long you ask?  Well it needed a new engine…and they aren’t cheap!  Don’t ever buy a Kia.  Just sayin’.

So we drove my little suv over to Roxborough State Park today and went hiking.  So when I say back to normal I mean we are starting to do more and more outdoor adventures like we used to…before I got sick.  And it feels so good…AFTERWARD.  During we have to listen to the girls complain how horrible their lives are and they can’t take one more step.  Then when we get home they are like, “That was the best day ever!”  They make me laugh!  They were saying how much they have to write about over summer break when they go back to school.  In an hour they will be saying how bored they are.  Oh, to be a kid!

Two weekends ago we took the doggers to another dog park.  This one is further away…but…it is off leash and in the mountains! ;D  So we took the 45 minute drive to investigate.  Yeah.  It rocked.  It has fenced in areas so you can rest easy about your dog running off.  But.  It also has just regular hiking paths in the woods and if your dog is under voice command…which our are thank goodness!…then you can be on the trails with them off leash.  Oh man was it ever fun and nice.  We got a little hiking in…and didn’t have dogs on leashes…which really rocks!  Yes.  I said rocks more than once…but it DID!

Skits is total outdoors dog.  I mean he is anyway…he loves going outside all the time…even in the snow and rain.  But he was like all over the woods and hiking and climbing rocks and doing crazy stuff.  Following the kids everywhere…even up big rocks!  He is a wild man! ;D  And very entertaining!

Oh yeah.  In other “Skits news”…he caught a bird the other night.  He came up to the back door and “presented” it to us (like cats do).  He was like, “LOOK what I got!”  He’s moved on from snakes cause he has killed all of them in our yard.  He is crazy! ;D

And here’s a layout I did of some photos of Ava on our hike…

I have been working.  The problem is…I can’t really show you because I’m not done and the product isn’t released yet.  Sometimes that is frustrating.  Having the kids home from school is definitely throwing a different element in the mix.  So I work and we go to the pool and relax and we do it all over again.  So far it is working.  I think I like relaxing by the pool the best. ;D

A layout I have been working on with products soon to be released…;D

And then just some pictures from recent days…