Happy Birthday to Keaton!

 

Keaton turned 21 on Saturday!  We enjoyed celebrating with him, his beloved, his roommates, and some family members at a seafood restaurant.  After dinner (and thoroughly embarrassing him when everyone sang to him in the restaurant) we headed back to his dorm room to watch the Tigers, open presents, and cut into the adorable cake his girlfriend had made for him.  Even though the Wings aren't playing, he still is a HUGE fan and the cake was absolutely perfect!  The only thing that could have made his birthday any better was a win by the Tigers...and a settlement for the NHL.

 

 

To further embarrass Keaton, I had to make a cute little birthday video.  So, click on the arrow below, turn up the volume, sit back, and enjoy to a trip down birthday lane.  I dare you not to smile or tap your foot.  Enjoy!!

 

 

   

More Fall Stuff

 

 

 

Okay, I'm now officially ready for winter.  I don't want it to be winter yet, but I am ready for it just in case.  And living in Michigan, we could have snow any day now.  I switched around all the closets and drawers and packed up all our summer stuff last week. I also added more fall touches to my already-decorated house. I can't ever leave anything alone. Just ask the dog. I'm constantly in his face snapping his picture or kissing him or talking/singing to him.  I guess I can kind of see why I also drive Keaton crazy. 

 

We enjoyed a nice visit from my dad and step-mom this past week. They're living in TN now and their blood has definitely thinned in the years they've been down there. They were chilly in our 50 degree weather while I thought about wearing shorts. Just kidding...they were packed away, remember?  We went to the casino for our monthly donation to the Indians, but still had a lot of fun. Keaton came home for a visit and I ended up making him all sorts of goodies. (Can you say spoiled?)  It was a nice weekend and now I think it's time for my nap.  Finally. 

Cyrus enjoyed cuddling with Keaton...until the yelling when the Tigers lost their lead.  (My ears are still ringing.)



This is Matt getting ready to bite into his homemade caramel apple dipped in chocolate chips. 
As a matter of fact, this is the same face he made when the Yankees tied the game last night.

 

Fall Color Tour (and My Near-Death Experience)

Yesterday, I grabbed the camera and Matt (so he could drive me while I gawked at the gorgeous colors...plus his height helps to elongate my ever-widening frame in pictures) and we embarked on our west Michigan color tour.  It was a drizzly, cold, gray day, but the drizzle soon stopped and the sun even poked out a couple of times as we headed north to see the spectacular colors and visit some covered bridges.  We were able to visit three of the four on our list (one was closed to the public, darn it) and we were even able to drive over two of them (bridges, not the list).

 

 

We had some drama at the second bridge that involved Matt saving my life.  Well, it wasn't really that extreme...but it could have been.  Matt crossed the bridge to go underneath to look at some fish.  I went down to the water on my side to take some pictures and that's when there was a ferocious barking and a woman frantically yelling in the woods behind me, trying to get her dog under control.  Based on the horrific, blood-curdling barking, the dog was a reincarnation of Cujo...or more likely, a hell hound...and my heart about jumped out of my chest.  As the barking and yelling kept getting closer, I yelled for Matt while I frantically started trying to decide which tree I was going to have to climb and how far up I had to be so the maniacal beast wouldn't rip me to shreds.  (Oh, did I mention that Matt had the car keys and I couldn't go cower in the car like the big baby I'll hastily agree I am when there's a demon dog who is probably thirsting for my blood?)  Matt, being a thoughtful husband, was already sprinting over to me as I yelled for him.  (I'm sure he was being thoughtful and protective...and not trying to prevent any embarrassment he'd feel from the screaming, crying, hysterical hot mess he knew would be coming from my side of the bridge any second.  Plus, he probably did not want to have to climb up a tree to coax me down or...God forbid...have to catch me as I fell from a tree.)  Thankfully, the lady got demon beast under control before I was eaten alive.  It was pretty scary, though.  Big dogs absolutely, positively terrify me.  And I definitely must have been terrified if I was actually thinking of climbing a tree!

 

 

 

After my heart rate became normal again and I stopped shaking, I finally remembered that I had brought along the tri-pod (duh) and we were able to take some cheesy photos of us posing at the last bridge.  (For your sake, I'm not posting those.  You're welcome.)  I'm extremely happy and thankful I don't have any pictures of Cujo mauling me...or any pictures of me being stitched up in the nearest emergency room.  Life is good...and would be even better if I don't ever have to come in contact with a big dog.  Ever.

If I Only Had a Girl...

Being the only girl in the house forces me to sometimes play dress-up with the dog.  Here he is in a pretty pink headband.  Wait 'til you see him in a skirt and heels.

Ta Da!!

Here's what I made today with my hot glue gun, some foam pumpkins, and some fake fall flowers.  My porch is now officially decorated for fall.  (And I don't have any blisters from my hot glue gun.  It was a good day!)

 

 

10 Reasons Why I Love My Husband

Matt may be the best husband in the whole-wide world.  He brought me home a pretty bouquet of fall flowers just to cheer me up. 

Well, if he's not the best husband in the world, then he's gotta be in at least in the top ten.  Speaking of top ten...here are ten reasons why I love him.

1. He always puts the toilet seat down...and closes the lid.  Always.
2. He likes to do the dishes.
3. He cleans up the yard after the dog.
4. He doesn't question my vast collection of shoes and purses...or question my need to keep adding to it.
5. He lets me pick which movies we get from Netflix.
6. He puts gas in my car...and always has since I was pregnant with Keaton (21 years ago).
7. He doesn't conspicuously roll his eyes when I make him watch 'The Notebook' with me.
8. He patiently waits for me to spackle before we go out for an evening on the town and never gives me an A.I.S. (ass in seat) ultimatum.
9. He's been known to hold my purse for me and make a run to the store for feminine hygiene products.  The times are far and few between, but he has done both a few times.
10. He lets me control the TV remote...for the most part.

Halloween Month

It's October, so that means it's Halloween month!  I LOVE Halloween and to help us get in the spirit of Halloween, I decorated our back door yesterday with some pictures, magnets, and scrapbook paper.  I saw this little saying online and definitely had to turn it into a sign.  It pretty much sums up our little family!

Team Lost Dumasse Rides Again!

Yesterday, Matt competed and completed the Grand Rapids Urban Adventure Race.  He and his race partner biked 17-18 miles and ran 4-5 miles to find 36 of 37 checkpoints in and around downtown Grand Rapids.  (Matt's cardiotrainer app. on his phone logged a total of 22.2 miles, but I'm sticking with my rough estimation.)  To make the race even more adventuresome, they did it all in the middle of ArtPrize...an art competition with over 1,500 pieces of art and thousands of people milling about admiring it.  Team Lost Dumasse finished 41st out of 193 teams.  The weather was beautiful and they had a lot of fun competing.  They're looking at competing in a race in February.  I think I'll cheer them on from the comfort of my nice, warm living room.

Fall Fun

My rough, cracked hands with their short broken nails can attest to the fact that my fall cleaning is officially finished.  Well, mostly.  All I have left is the carpet to shampoo and the seasonal closets to switch around.  But, looking at the almost 80-degree weather forecast for next week, I'll wait a bit for a chance to open the windows to dry the carpet...and enjoy another chance to wear shorts before they get packed up for a while.

Matt and I enjoyed a nice day in Grand Rapids with some nice friends looking at some nice art last weekend.  It's ArtPrize in Grand Rapids and that means there are thousands and thousands of people looking at all of the fabulous artwork on display.  It's a good thing we're tall and can see over so many people.  Looking at all the awesome art makes me wish I was that creative...or could draw a straight line.

In between my cleaning breaks, I was crafty and made some things for the porch.  I forget how much I love crafting and have decided to do it more often.  I've missed my hot glue gun more than I thought.  I may have even missed the blisters I usually get from it too...but just a little bit.

 

 

Matt spent this past week in South Carolina on a business trip.  Cyrus was my little shadow and my little bed hog.  I tried to enjoy all the extra room on our California king bed, but Cyrus had other ideas and kept me on the edge of the bed every night.  Keaton has been busy with school, working in the computer lab, and doing his pre-season workouts for basketball.  He stopped by last night to pick up a few things, grab some fresh-from-the-oven banana bread and to say a quick hi to Cyrus.  Cy welcomed Keaton home by tackling him on the couch.  Cyrus is going to be a football player for Halloween.  I think he's already getting into character.  

 

 

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Sorry, I don't know where the twang came from.  I've been playing Words with Friends with some family members from Tennessee, so maybe my urge to use the term "y'all" came from them.  Anyway, today is the first day of fall and I'm happy to say that I'm about half-way finished with my fall cleaning.  I do heavy spring AND fall cleaning every year.  I scrub everything...including cleaning curtains and carpet...and reorganize every drawer and cupboard.  Why?  Because I love to purge and clean!  Seriously.  I love having everything all shiny, neatly lined up, and smelling fresh.  I also think I have A.D.H.D. and can't sit still.  So, after giving the main floor a thorough cleaning, I decided to break out the fall decorations.  After I get the rest of the house thoroughly cleaned next week, it'll be time to get back to scrapbooking.  Or maybe it'll be time to take a nap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Cyrus!

Sir Cyrus Pembroke turned the big 11 on Friday.  He began his day with his usual good-morning treat.  Then, he enjoyed a nice nap on the couch, carefully positioning himself so he could bask in the sunlight streaming in through the front door.  He awoke from his nap to then carefully jockey for position so he wouldn't be ignored during my breakfast and enjoyed a healthy bite of my omelet.  His after-breakfast nap was rudely interrupted when we lost power and the smoke alarms started chirping.  For some reason, that really bothered him and he climbed into Matt's shower to hide. 

I put his Thundershirt on him to help calm him down (and it worked), but he wasn't too happy because he has a hard time sitting in it, so he's forced to stand when he wears it.  And any of you who know Sir Cyrus can verify that he's a persnickety dog (euphemism for a big stinker) and doesn't like to stand for long periods of time...unless he's begging. (Even then, he usually sits and lays his head on your leg or the table...whatever he thinks is cuter at the time and will get him some people food.)  Once he calmed down, I tried to take some pictures of him. Tried. He was still pouting because I made him wear the Thundershirt for a bit and he refused to look at me for a picture. (See what I mean about being a little stinker?  He's definitely a strong-willed little guy.)

After Cy took another nap in the afternoon, enjoying the sun streaming in from the patio door this time around, a treat (hey, it was his birthday), a bite of my lunch, and another nap, we gave him a pat goodbye and headed up to the casino where I won $72.73 on my favorite slot machine!  Whoo hoo!  I was definitely the big winner last night...especially after Matt lost his one free hand playing blackjack.  (He had a free $30 voucher for a table game and he decided to try his luck at blackjack.  The dealer dealt him 20...and then she dealt herself 21.  Ugh!)  But, Matt redeemed himself before we left at the slot machine he likes and came away with a profit of about $40...after being down to a lowly $0.68.

We enjoyed a great dinner (and a fabulous piece of Mounds cheesecake!) and brought some donuts home for breakfast.   We even picked out a donut for our birthday boy.  He eagerly posed for his birthday picture and then enjoyed half of his yummy glazed donut.  Happy birthday, Cyrus! 

 

 

  

Lucky Matt!

Matt's been on a lucky streak lately.  Not only is he fortunate to have me as his lovely wife, blessed to have Keaton as his wonderful son, and charmed to have Cyrus as his quirky dog...he won a new iPad last week.  Earlier in the summer, he entered a carpooling program sponsored by a green company in Grand Rapids.  He and Keaton carpooled most of the summer and both Matt and Keaton won gift cards for $25 and $15, respectively, drawn randomly by the Grand Rapids organization.  Yay for both of them!  Then, Matt's name was drawn for the great prize of the iPad!  Double yay!!  Keaton and I were excited when Matt brought it home and we both tried to claim it.  Spoiled rotten Keaton thought he might nab it.  Yeah, right.  It's totally going in my scrapbook room...when Matt's not using it for football stats on Sundays.  Matt bought a lottery ticket last night and we're keeping our fingers crossed that his lucky streak continues!

The Third Time's a Charm!!!

Yesterday we moved Keaton back into his home-away-from home for the school year...Severn Hall.  It's hard to believe he's beginning his junior year!  The time has flown by...and I haven't had nearly as many cocktails as I thought I'd need.  After moving him to school over the past two years, we have this moving-in stuff down to a science.  (It definitely helps that Keaton's a minimalist and doesn't bring a lot of extra stuff with him.)  We were able to move him back to school in two and a half vehicles.  (His girlfriend was nice enough to offer to bring some stuff in her car!)  So, while I cleaned the room, the guys moved everything up three flights of stairs to his new room.  It was a nice, organized move.  (Of course it was organized...I'd tolerate nothing less.)  We got his room all settled and left Keaton with hugs, homemade brownies, and a big pile of cables he'll have to untangle himself for all his electronic stuff.  As a computer science major, he's definitely more capable of hooking up all his stuff than we are.  Now I just have to decide whether or not to turn his room into my own personal shoe closet!


Vehicle #1:  packed to the brim.
Notice the case of Mt. Dew...it's in every college kid's survival kit.

Vehicle #2: packed to the brim.
Matt and Keaton did some body work and painting above the rear wheels of Keaton's Explorer.
Keaton said that when he's done with school, he's buying a new car...and a garbage can with an automatic lid.



Cyrus was a little antsy while Keaton packed. He stayed close to Keaton and ran upstairs to see if he was still home first thing in the morning.

  



This is Keaton's bedroom. We probably won't see his bed neatly made again for the rest of the school year.

 

Keaton shares his bedroom with a roomie. Their room is pretty big for sleeping, studying...and playing video games.





Keaton loves his new Red Wings rug. He had to make sure the coffee table wasn't blocking the logo.

  

This is our moving team and the other half of the common living area. He has five roommates and they now have seating for 10 people...or napping for 6 people. 
Notice that the coffee table does NOT block the Red Wings logo.

 

What do you do when you have an extra end table in your dorm room? 
You put the fridge on it and...voila...no more stooping to get in the fridge.  Plus there's now bonus storage for Mt. Dew and Gatorade underneath. 
Sometimes even I'm impressed with my organizational skills! 



We moved Keaton into his room and got him settled in two hours flat. I think we're definitely seasoned movers now.

  

Tenneshoe

We went to TN over the weekend so I could buy some shoes.  We didn't plan to go down for shoes.  We headed down to visit family and golf.  And by golf, I mean Matt and Keaton.  So, while they went golfing, we girls headed to do some shopping...and I ended up bringing home seven (yep, 7!) pairs of shoes.  They're girlie.  They're cute.  They're totally me.  And most of them were 60% off, so how could I NOT buy them?

I also found some clothes, sunglasses, jewelry, and my Halloween costume.  It's a referee uniform that Keaton told me I could not EVER wear to any of his games.  (He's no fun.  What's the point of having kids if you can't occasionally embarrass them?)  The guys wanted to go to the area clubhouses to check out the clearance items.  So while they looked at shirts and putters, I found a jacket...and ANOTHER pair of shoes.  They're golf shoes.  They're pink.  They're totally me.  Plus, they were 60% off.  Now I just have to find a cute pink golf bag and I'll be ready to hit the links.

It was a quick visit, but a nice one.  The guys enjoyed golfing and I enjoyed shopping.  Cyrus enjoyed all the food my dad made for him.  (Do other dogs get to eat French toast and ham sandwiches?)  Cyrus also enjoyed some wrestling.  It was a tight squeeze in the car riding back to Michigan, but totally worth it.  Eight pairs of shoes bought in a 24-hour period...that may be a tough record to break.  But, there's always next year's visit.

Back to Normal

I'm happy to announce that Cyrus is feeling much better and is pretty much back to his usual peppy, perky, puppy self.  (Try to say that three times as fast as you can.)  He was on lock-down for the weekend and that meant he couldn't climb, jump, or run.  So, we had a long weekend trying to keep him calm and still.  He couldn't understand why, oh why, he couldn't wrestle or why, oh why, he couldn't get on the furniture or why, oh why, he couldn't sleep in our bed.  I put a large pillow on the floor for him and he just gave me a dirty look when I tried to talk him into lying on it.  So, I used the pillow...on the floor, like a dog.  Hmmmmm...I'm not sure exactly when Cyrus turned the tables on us and took over the house.

Sir Cyrus cuddling with his beloved Liger...finally on the couch again! 

Poor Pookie

Poor Cyrus has had a rough couple of days.  He started acting uncomfortable on Wednesday night and couldn't seem to sit without it hurting.  He had a restless night (which means I also had a restless night) and I took him in to see the vet yesterday morning.  It looks like he has a pulled or strained muscle in his back and it's making his hind quarters sore.  She gave him some anti-inflammatory/pain meds and he seems to be doing better.  He slept a lot yesterday and didn't seem so uncomfortable last night.  He was even able to sit without fidgeting like he did the day before.  This morning, he wagged his tail at me and has a bit of a spring back in his step.  He's still having some trouble managing the step to go outside and can't really lift his back legs.  (That's AWFUL to watch and I just carry him.)  We're still keeping a close eye on him to rule out any abdominal blockage, but it looks like it's a sore back.  Poor little guy.  He wants to jump up on the couch so badly and just has to settle with cuddling with me on the floor instead.  I can't wait until he's back to his old self again...jumping around and wiggling his little rear end and stubby tail.  I also can't wait to be able to sit on the furniture again.  This sitting on the floor stuff is starting to hurt MY back.

Life would be so much easier if he could just talk and tell us what's bothering him.

I LOVE Jewelry!

I LOVE jewelry!  Silver.  Gold.  Gemstones.  Diamonds.  Bracelets.  Rings.  Necklaces.  Pretty much anything.  I'm not too picky.  I ordered myself a necklace that I had personalized.  I wanted something casual that I could wear every day.  It's so cute and I absolutely love it!  Happy Thursday to me!!

 

I ordered it online from AJ's Collection.  (http://www.ajscollection.com/)
Cute and adorable stuff!!