Well, I've realized that if I continue to wait until I find time (or I guess make time) to upload photos I may miss a lot of blog worthy info. So here goes a post-Christmas update without pics. The biggest and saddest news is that we lost our beloved Stoey. Stoey (short for stow-away - from my college no-pets allowed apartment days) has been a part of our family since our family began! Marty and I found her as a kitten in the parking lot of my apartments off Riverside in Austin in college (we weren't even married yet). Anyway, she was our kitty from day one and welcomed each one of the boys into our family. They've never known life without her. She was an old girl at 17 and finally decided it was time to go. She just refused to eat so after a trip to the vet we decided to let her have it her way. She died last Saturday night. We buried her in the backyard and planted bulbs there to always remind us of her. She was our good girl. We do still have our Lucky (the stray we picked up about a year ago). He is still a little confused as to why I am letting him eat out of Stoey's food and water bowls.
A Funny Boy Story
I just love having three amazing boys. Thursday Nolan, Colin, and some neighbor boys were out playing in the backyard. Colin came running in to notify me that "Lucky caught a mouse but it isn't dead and Nolan is trying to catch it." I ran outside knowing that Nolan would indeed catch the mouse if I didn't intervene. I found the boys (3 of them I think) under the neighbor's deck with the mouse cornered under a wheelbarrow. Nolan had his bug-catcher jug (big enough for a mouse) open and ready to capture the creature. Worms, bugs, snails I can handle (he brings them inside in containers all the time) but I had to draw the line at a mouse. I had to explain to them that mice have diseases that we don't want to catch! I wish I'd had my camera.
Other News
We are off to sign-up yet again for baseball - this time only Matthew (whew). Nolan and Colin want to continue with swim lessons which is great with me.
We are in a bad allergy season here with the cedar (all over our backyard). I had Nolan allergy-tested (which was an ordeal - poor guy) and he showed up highly allergic to cedar, dustmites, and of all things cats. This came about 4 days after Stoey was gone (she's slept in his room everynight since he was out of the crib). Poor Nolan. We are working on clearing some allergens in this house to get him feeling better.
Marty has been working lots and doing jobs around the houses. We got the boys' room painted and it looks great. I have been cooking alot and really enjoying that. I'll post some recipes soon.
I guess that's all for now.
