Charlotte

Now that we're all settled in the new house and everyone has beds - i have felt like there's just one thing missing....working from home does have it's advantages BUT it can also be a little lonely....I told mike i wanted a dog!

he wasn't super excited about that idea - something else to take care of - we go out a lot (sadly that couldn't wasn't a good reason since everywhere we go happens to be dog friendly) of course when we mentioned it to annie she was super excited.. i started looking on craigslist and showing him some pictures - we looked on lab rescue - were trying to decide between puppy and big dog - we definitely knew we wanted a lab....

soooo i was on my way back after annie's school party and passed by the spca and thought "well i'm here i may as well look"

i love rescue dogs and my black lab georgia had come from the spca and she was awesome...so in i go and look what i happened upon



she looks so sad in the cage and notice she isn't jumping up on the cage
hmmmm...she's cute - i want to take a closer look please




they put her in a small room so i can hang out with her and see her temperament..
we had gone to see a dog a week before and i didn't "love" her - it's kinda one of those things - when you see your dog - you just know! well...i took one look at her
and i knew - SHE IS OUR DOG! i sent this picture to mike who was out on the golf course so he wasn't as excited as i was...he still wasn't convinced...

finally saturday morning he said "what time does the spca open? we may as well go take a look at her" (he had made me wait 2 days)




it took him all of 3 minutes to look at her and say "wanna go home?"
we decide Charlotte was the perfect name....




does he really look like someone who needed to be convinced??




and of course...annie loves her!




oh the floor's too hard for you baby? well then yea, make yourself at home on the bed....



she was even very well behaved at the farmer's market!!



seriously isn't she gorgeous???
welcome to the family charlotte!!!

It's not like in the movies.....

i was headed to Annabelle's class party and happened to look up when i saw it - a smoke cloud...now that's not unusual around here - we live near the paper mill but this smoke was different - it was BLACK and BILLOWING - like none i've ever seen
i was fully expecting to see the burger king on fire as i approached it i honestly couldn't believe what i was seeing....



i have NEVER seen anything like this in my life ~ i hopped out of my car and all i could think was "IS THERE ANYONE IN THERE???" it was paralyzing....you're sitting there watching people lose EVERYTHING they have which is bad enough but as fire rips through and you are standing there you are wondering if people are losing their lives




i know they say it on tv and in the movies about how fast fire can run through a house but let me tell you it's faster than anything you can imagine....when i got there they fire i think had just started i watched it rip through the apartment complex in what seemed an instant and this was the BACK of the apartment




there were people lined up on both sides of the road...i can't honestly think of the words to describe what i was thinking as i sat there...everyone kept looking around at each other with this "OMG is THIS really and truly happening?????"




i moved to the front of the apartment complex and it was GONE! the roof was totally collapsed and there in the middle of this smoke and chaos stands a lone fireman in a bucket battling the fire....(no you can't see him - YET)



and there he is ~ if you look at the pictures you can see the smoke turn from BLACK to GRAY to WHITE - thanks to their amazing efforts this was the only complex that was lost...

unfortunately - after further investigation the conclusion was horrific

a meth lab exploded (the 3 grown men made it out alive) the 19 year old and 4 year old they left in there to save themselves didn't make it out nor did their neighbor
life changing and for 3 life ending

how do you leave your daughter/niece/girlfriend and a 4 year old in an apartment??


it was one of those moments I will NEVER forget

school's out for summah!!!

ANOTHER year has come and gone...i can't believe it! so of course there's an end of the year PARTAY!!! girls getting their dessert on!




ms. beesley - annie's sweet shadow - they are a mess and make the cutest pair!!
we love having her with annie!!




you say party and put out a table FULL of cakes...carrot, red velvet, chocolate, marble, choc cupcakes and vanilla cupcakes you get a room FULL of faculty!
EVERYONE knows annie bc she and ms beesley like to go visiting so someone was always
chatting with her and she was always saying "i'd like you to meet my mommy - dis is my mommy - Mommy dis is________(insert most teachers in the school)



This is her sweet mobility teacher - i have NO idea how she's so skinny - look at that plate... she looked at her diet coke and said "who am i kidding?"




this is madison and cayla's last year at the school - they're moving up to middle school so they were having one last hug - they will be in the same school together next year and talk on the phone all the time



Annie LOVES her class!!



SERIOUSLY CAYUTE! Annie and Rebekkah



Priss and I



oops a little close




i feel sorry for poor sweet christian - annie LOVES him and is always hugging him - holding onto him - pulling him...he just smiles!!


We are so blessed to have such an amazing school for annie - her teachers are fantastic - they love her and take such good care of her - now what will feel like next week i will be talking about her first day of 2nd grade but until then
summah time - summah time!!