Oh My---Updates Finally!!

I cannot believe it has been a year since I wrote anything on here.
Highlights:
*Vern is working after 17 months of unemployment. He loves his job and is giving life to help those threatened by a possible flood on the Green River.
*Christy is loving Troy University and has been accepted to the School of Education and is carrying a straight A grade average. Our delightful son-in-law, Randy has been accept to Warrant Officer school for the Army but does not know when his journey will begin.
*Our grand puppies, Buddie and Baylee go weekly to visit a nursing home in Enterprise, Alabama and they do such a wonderful job of loving the residents there.
*Brian has started a new career with Edward Jones as a financial advisor and he is doing very well. Megan continues to give care, love and awesome care to her patients.
*Our very sweet and special grandkids (Randy's two young ones) each have had a birthday. Emma was 6 in September and Jared turned 10, December 4. I was thrilled and honored to spend an entire month with them in Alabama in July. Grandma Connie got to go to Disney World and Panana City with them. What a ball I had. I love being Grandma and Vern loves being Grandpa Vern!!
*Samantha Case, our precious grand girl because of Rudy and Anne Case melts my heart each time I see her. She now says, "I love you!" There is nothing any better than that AND she will have a new baby brother or sister the end of April. WHOOOOPPPPEEEE
*My mom bought me a surprise new CAR!! Yes, I said bought me and I had no idea it was coming. My awesome 90 year old mom is quite the lady and really pulled off an enormous surprise!! I love my new Honda CRV all chosen by my mom.

For now just be happy that all is well--hubby, kids and their spouses, our adopted grand girl, Samantha and parents, my grand-pups, grand kitty and our two dogs and our beloved Jared and Emma who are our grandchildren because of Christy's hubby, Randy!! More later!! We are so happy with our marvelous family!!

Buddie has a Very Proud Grandma

Our Buddie completed his first obedience class and from what I hear from Christy, he is the Valedictorian. He learned to walk on a loose leash, do doggy push ups in the second class (that was a trick for the 7th class normally), play dead when you say bang, sit and stay, come when called and much, much more. He learned things so quickly that he constantly amazed his instructor. Now, the instructor is talking to Christy about training him to be a Therapy dog. Christy would love to do so if she has the time and can find the resources to do so in Enterprise, Alabama. He would have to pass the Canine Good Citizenship Test. Christy plans to enroll him in the intermediate class when her own college class schedule allows.

Buddie's best trick is convincing Baylee to go outside. Baylee walks to the door and stops. Buddie goes outside and then grabs Baylee by the ear and pulls her outside. SMART DOG that Bud Bud.

So Grandma says way to go Bud Bud! You are the tops and always will be. I am popping my buttons here in Washington.

Thank you to our Veterans

Thank you to our American Veterans for their service in our American military. The best news of my week has come from my friend Regina. Her husband is out of Iraq and will arrive home soon after Veterans' Day. She is so excited. Her husband has been deployed for 15 months. They had been married just a short time when he left.

So, thank you to the veterans we know personally or know their families: our daughter, Christy, our son-in-law, Randy, Teri Hice, John and Regina U., John K., Rob W., Bobby A., Mike VH, Jeff R., Elizabeth M., Nick, Chris C., Bill Hice, Jon P., Ross S., Keith, And please forgive me if I did not remember everyone.

Blessing to all our Veterans.

Whoopeeeeeeeeee! Great Aunt Connie is Happy

September 15 at 9:25 p.m. Carlee Archer, my great niece was born. This is the daughter of Darin and Susie, Darin's first child. Darin is my youngest nephew (age 41) and I never believed he would have children. Susie has an 18 year old son so this is baby is such a thrill for both them and me, Great Aunt Connie. I am so excited. Darin is the third son of my brother. Darin also has a younger sister. He was the last to have a child so we are celebrating!!! Oh, Carlee is a big baby at 8 lbs. 14.5 oz. and 21" long. I think she is inheriting her mother's height. Susie is 6'2" tall. Darin has contributed lots of dark hair to this baby. In fact my Archer family is all quite short. So, Hurray for this Wonderful Niece!!

Hurricane Ike

Prayers for Vern's niece, Shawna and her husband, Jeff and their kids, as they deal with their home in Kemah, Texas being flooded by Ike. It is a townhouse that sits at the edge of Galveston Bay and 21" up in the air. The garage was flooded and full of their belongings. When it is allowed, Shawna and Jeff will return to Kemah and begin the clean-up so they can look for a place to move to. I believe they were renting. The kids will remain with relatives until all is taken care of. The yellow lab Jack and the bunny Oreo are safe as well.

Missing One That I Can Count and That Counts---Need a Randy Picture with this Family

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.
Albert Einstein (1879-1955)

Why I Have Not Posted on Here!

1. It is raining in Seattle. Wrong--We have bright blue skys.
2. We have not had any dogs to write about. Wrong--We have our own Faith and Toby. We had Buddie (Christy and Randy's dog) May 20-July 30. We had Baylee Bear for the time Randy and Christy were here. We also had and will have Walker around.
3. The yard is so small that there is nothing to write about it. Wrong. The yard is almost 1/2 acre including the house and Vern is always planning and creating in it.
4. I no longer work so nothing new there. Wrong. I work and there has been a ton of changes going on at preschool. We have two new teachers after two leaving having worked there for 15+ years.
5. The presidential campaigns are boring. Wrong. Not boring maybe but getting very tiring.
6. Brian and Megan are never doing a thing. Wrong They are so busy we have to be written in on their calendar to see them. They are doing super!
7. Christy and Randy lead dull, uneventful lives. Wrong. Christy calls 2-6 times a day with news of something. Their stories of the two dogs alone are enough to entertain us for hours. She is making plans to return to college in January and they have a new house in Alabama.
8. Nothing is happening at Christmas so nothing to tell anyone about. Wrong. We are going to Wisconsin for Christmas to be with the Goodmans, Megan's family. It is so exciting and I hope we have snow. I can hardly wait. We will also get to me Lucas, Megan's nephew for the first time.
9. Our unofficially adopted kids Rudy and Anne have nothing going on. Wrong. They have our new adoped grandaughter named Samantha and I have been babysitting this summer. She was born in May and it has been so much fun. I love her! They are planning on moving if they can sell their house and find one that suits them. We hope it is not too far away.
10. Our Dot #2, Lorae never see us. Wrong. Oh boy, we do have fun. We have to watch 6 episodes of Desperate Housewives to catch up. She took me to a play for my birthday and -------------------------nevermind on that one. We had a bit of a surprise in the content of that play. If anyone asks, there were no dogs in it.
11. No one had a birthday. Wrong I did and it was great. Vern and I rode the Duck in Seattle and I got to sit in the captain's chair and drive. We had lunch at Chandler's Crab House and dinner with Brian and Megan at Stanfords. We took a wonderful drive along Lake Washington. The day was beautiful. Actually, it was the hottest day of the summer in Seattle.
12. No anniversies Wrong Vern and I had our 37th wedding anniversary, September 4. Brian and Megan cooked us dinner to celebrate. Brian cooked the most wonderful turkey breast on the BBQ. Megan made yummy dishes to go along with it. She is such a good cook. We are so lucky. We had other plans but decided to stay home and not spend money on gasoline.
13. The Olympics were boring. Wrong I love, love, love the Olympics and watched them a bunch. I could have written volumes about just the swimming gymnastics and women's soccer.
14. I did not take one picture all the month of May through August. Wrong I have so many pictures of Buddie, Baylee, Toby, Faith and Walker, I would go broke if I printed them all. In fact, I do not know how to organize them all. I think I need to find something to do and take a class to figure out how to work that camera and find out what to do with all the pictures. You notice none are on here. I mess up the blog when I put them on. Then, I call Christy and she fixes it for me. Isn't that what daughters are for? Well, I think it is. She is always rescuing her mom with such good humor.
15. A large brown lab named Faith stays off our bed. Wrong, oh so Wrong We can be wide awake and she will get up on the bed so quietly, we do not even hear the jingle of her tags. Other times it is like a two ton truck coming through. We take her down, place her in her bed and say stay and she stays. That is just long enough for me or Vern to get back to bed and lie down. This all started when her friend and playmate Buddie moved to Alabama. So the way I see it is, Buddie needs to come live with us so Faith is not so lonely. OH, baby gates keep her out of the bedroom and make us feel terrible. She gives us the puppy dog, sad brown eyed look.
16. I have no friend anywhere else in the world that are up to anything. Way WrongI have many friends who are a part of Soldier's Angels who are up to good stuff taking care of our American soldiers who are overseas. They send me great news about their experiences and events almost on a daily basis. I have met special people through Soldiers' Angels and there are some very special, brave men and women in our Armed Forces.

So, no more excuses here. I just did not write anything about anything and I am not pretending that I am going to.