Trip to Target after Fun Morning of Bowling with the Family

We all went bowling this morning at Brunswick and had a great time!  Ashlyn enjoyed it more than we expected.  She bowled with Jeff officially until about the third game.  Then she played a little at looking at the vending machines as we finished off our two-hours of bowling.  It was a neat special which was $9.99 per person which included shoes, two-hours of bowling, individual pizza, and small soda.  Jakob bowled pretty well today scoring 70, 55, and 81.  I thought I bowled fairly well and was quite impressed with myself and bowled 126, 133, and 118.  Jeff and Ashlyn bowled together and scored 87, 85, and 106.  (Jeff's last game did not include Ashlyn as much, she start helping me bowl my third game.)

After bowling we went to Target for a few odds and ends for our weekly trip.  I am really working on making things last and only allowing us to really go to Target weekly.  This always helps our overall budget by making myself stick to the plan.

Today we spent $83.44 and saved $34.43 or 29% with all the discounts which were primarily Target savings today.  Not very many manufacturer coupons today that I wanted to match.  Since last week, we are trending approximately a 30% savings at Target.  Make sure to check out Southern Savers this week if you have not done your coupon shopping to match the Target Cartwheel deals, Target coupons, and manufacturer coupons all together!

Weekend Update

I finished reading a Three to Get Deadly by Janet Evavovich on my Kindle a few days ago.  I am finding that I am more interested in reading recently and just relaxing.  The author will be making an appearance on June 24th at a Barnes and Noble near us.  However, I doubt I will worry about it.  Wristbands will be distributed at 8am and then the event itself is not until 6pm. However, it is neat to me that she will be there!

Three To Get Deadly by Janet Evanovich

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As always, Janet Evanovich writes a comical mystery involving her klutzy bounty hunter Stephanie Plum! Many laugh out loud moments throughout the book!

View all my reviews

Since I finished the book, I was debating on a different genre to read.  I started looking at USA Today's top books and came across Something Borrowed by Emily Griffin.  Reviews were pretty good so I thought I would give it a try.

Yesterday, the four of us went and saw Thor in Irving using some free movie tickets Jeff won from a radio station a while back.  The movie was pretty good.  After the movie, Jeff asked if I liked it and I told him the beginning was a little slow but other than that, I enjoyed it.  The whole time I was trying to figure out what movie I knew the Professor from and right as I was looking it up on my phone I realized he had played on Mamma Mia!

Jakob is excited about this upcoming Monday.  His teacher will return from maternity leave.  He also has Kindergarten graduation on Thursday!  Kindergarten sure went fast!

Happy Thanksgiving

We were all able to get together in Abilene, TX for Thanksgiving.  On Friday, 11/26, we took a picture of all of us.  However, we are missing Brett. :(
The above picture from left to right:
Standing: Daniel, Dawn, Billy, Gerry, Gregg, Lana, Cherokee, Lisa, Jeff, Roland
Front Row: Hannah, Jakob
Yellow Labs: Bella, Tahoe, Yukon, Jeep

We also got some really great pictures of Lana and Gregg together with the three dogs, Yukon, Jeep, and Tahoe.

In Loving Memory of Tito

Jeff and I were on the way home from a trip to New Mexico.  We went to visit Joe, one of Jeff's good friends.  When we were about halfway home, we received our messages on our cell phones.  One message was from David calling to let us know he had a friend who needed a good home for a black labrador.  Jeff and I had talked about getting a dog, but had not at this point.  Jeff and I were living in The Colony and when we got closer to home, we called and left a message for David.  We ended up meeting with David and his friend at his house in the metroplex and Tito soon became our new dog.

Tito was born on September 28, 2001 and was about six months old on March 24, 2002.  He was in need of a good home as his previous owner was possibly moving overseas and could not take him with him.  These were some of the first pictures I took of Tito on March 24, 2002. 

On May 30, 2003, we visited Jeff's parents in Abilene.  The kids wanted to bounce on the trampoline and we ended up taking a cute picture of the kids and the dogs!  Tahoe, the yellow lab, is six months older than Tito.  Both Tito and Tahoe loved playing with the kids and I think we wore all of them out in the end!  It amazes me to look at this picture and see how little the kids looked too!  Roland was 6 years old!

Years later, we had all the kids bouncing on the trampoline in Gregg and Lana's backyard and I couldn't resist the picture!  The kids sure have grown along with Jakob too!  =)  We attempted to get all three dogs on the trampoline!  However, between 4 kids and 3 dogs, we had a hard time getting them all (including the kids) to sit or lay down long enough!

Throughout the years, Tito went annually to Lake Brownwood.  Normally, we all went to the lake around the 4th of July, but sometimes we went on Memorial Weekend.  I think Tito did it all while going including wearing a dog life jacket to ride on a Jet Ski and the boat, jumping off a 10 foot dock, playing fetch in the water, and just loving the water every minute he could be in it!  I actually saw him jump off the dock while water skiing!  I thought one of the boys had pushed him off, and by boys I mean the adult boys!  However, he never went back up to jump again!  I guess he figured he did it once, he was good!  We watched fireworks at Horace and Kay's house and Tito was not afraid!  He was on the leash and we had to put him back in the Ford Explorer because he kept pulling and wanting to run toward them and either attack or catch the fireworks!!  The last trip we took in 2009, he swam and swam and swam in the lake!  He barked at Tahoe, Jeep, and Yukon to come play with him in the water.  He did not get out of the lake until it was time to go and he slept the entire way home he was so tired!

Tito loved going to the groomers to get cleaned and I think he actually really liked when they put the bandanas on him!  He would sit so proud and knew he was so clean!

Tito was such a sweet dog and was always protective of his family.  The kids would hug and squeeze him and he would just sit there.  After Jakob was born, Jakob would hug and practically sit on him at times.  He would stay still knowing if he got up at the exact moment he could hurt Jakob.  When Jakob was done playing with Tito, Tito would gently get up and move locations.  He was always so careful and protective of us all!  I have pictures of both Roland and Jakob hugging him!

Tito made it through to our move to see the new home and all four of us were able to say we loved him before having to let him go.  He made one last trip to visit with everyone at Christmas and saw everyone in Killeen, Ireland, and Abilene.  While Jakob and Roland played with their toys outside in Abilene, Tito jumped in the Ford Explorer and was ready to go home.  He stayed in the Ford the entire time and we all said he did not want us to leave him.  I learned today this was the last picture I would take of him.

Overall, as sad as I am to have lost him, I am happy he was able to experience everything he did throughout his life.   We took him to the vet because he had not eaten any food for 4-5 days and were getting worried.  Based on how he was acting, I thought he was just having problems using the bathroom.  However, after trying one thing for him at the vet, the decision was made to do an x-ray and blood test.  About an hour later, we received the phone call they were finished and needed to talk to us.  We were told the blood work was fine, but the x-ray showed something not expected.  The veterinarian expected to see a blockage in his intestines...however instead we saw two large masses pressing against his intestines.  They were both very large and were some type of tumor, possibly cancer.  Receiving the news in the vet's office was not what I had expected and am still heart broken.  My first thought was how it was Jakob's birthday party and this was not supposed to be happening.  Our choices ranged from taking him to a specialist and have an ultrasound and possibly surgery.  Another option was to take him home, but since he was not eating we did not think it was a good idea.  We were worried about the process of the ultrasound and possible surgeries, medicine, and putting him through more suffering.  It was the hardest decision and even harder to say good-bye to him.  Yet all four of us were there to tell him how much we loved him and will always love him.  We will forever love you Tito.  You were such a great dog and we will miss you so much.

My Favorite Pictures of 2009

January
Schools were closed for two days in January of 2009 due to pure ice.  It was extremely thick on this area near our apartment.  We went outside on the second day because I thought I would take Jakob to school.  I could not even get my car door open the ice on the car was so thick!  Our neighbors had her car going because she was trying to run to the store for dog food!  Instead, I gave her some dog food so she didn't have to risk it  Jakob enjoyed playing carefully on the ice for the short time we were outside.

February
Jakob turned 4 years old in 2009!  It sure is hard to believe and he is getting so big.  We celebrated with friends and family at Going Bonkers.  He loved every minute and enjoyed having his friends with him to play with and celebrate his birthday.

March
We headed to the Fort Worth Zoo over Spring Break!  It sure was fun and so busy!  I did not know but Spring Break is the busiest time for the zoo.  When I stopped to think about it, it really does make sense.  This upcoming year, I have asked my mom to purchase season tickets to the Fort Worth Zoo so we can go throughout the year and enjoy it in the different season!

April
Southwest Airlines hosted the 36th and Last Annual Chili Cookoff.  The boys were able to do rides, play some fun games, and eat.  Jakob finally started enjoying the rides while we were here and since then has loved all the rides!   He used to hate carousel rides, but now he loves them!  We also tasted lots of different chili from different people who work for Southwest Airlines.

May
We visited our apartment pool many times this past summer.  These are a few of the earlier shots of Jakob playing in the splash zone. He absolutely loves playing in the water in the summer time!

June
We went to California in June.  The trip started at DisneyLand and we spent 2 days visiting the parks before heading to San Diego to also visit Randy and Nikki.  We went to the San Diego Zoo while in San Diego.  I was really proud of Jakob at the zoo because he walked and walked!  Jakob was so excited to get the pictures with Mickey Mouse and Pluto.  We almost had a picture with Goofy, but each time we got in line the line was closing.  Regarding DisneyLand, I totally under estimated our time for Disney!  Jeff and I went to DisneyWorld for our honeymoon and we were able to do most everything.  However, I forgot about kids getting tired and naps, etc!  Oh well, we can go again!

July
We usually go to Lake Brownwood for the 4th of July.   This past year, it was amazing to see how low the water was at the lake.  It was so low that not all boat ramps were open, but Jeff's parents still had access.  This year was the first year I got up on the wake board.  I attempted it on the first day and before water skiing so I would not be sore.  However, the day after wake boarding and water skiing, I was sore!  It is so much fun though!  Roland also water skied without extra support from Daniel.  It took him some work, but he did it!  Jeff and Jakob also rode the intertube and Jakob laughed so hard while riding!

August
Jeff and I  purchased a home to build in late August.  We had looked at Horizon Homes many years ago and went and looked again in August.  We completely fell in love with a model being built!  It is 2300 square feet, with an open floor plan, eighteen inch tile, granite counter tops in the kitchen, three bedrooms, one study, two and half bath, and two and half car garage!  We love it!

September
Jakob played soccer in the Fall.   He took some cute pictures, but at least last season it was not his favorite sport.  We might try it again, but I have not decided yet. 

October
I took the boys to the Flower Mound Pumpkin patch.  It was the first time Jakob had been to one and I think it was the first time for Roland.  They both enjoyed it and we took some nice pictures!  While we were there both boys picked out pumpkins to carve.  They had fun picking the "best" pumpkin...it was funny to watch them look!  Roland went through the maze with Jakob, but Jakob got a little scared halfway through and climbed on top of the hay bales to get to me fast!

November
Jeff and I bought my new camera on Black Friday.  We were in Abilene visiting family for Thanksgiving.  Roland, Jakob, Hannah, and Lana were on the trampoline when my camera was charged and ready to go!  I tested the sports mode on the camera and was extremely happy to receive clean, crisp photos that were not blurry with streaks from the movement!!  I was able to capture Roland jump high in the air while they took turns jumping high!

December
We had a great Christmas visiting family.  Jakob visited Santa and asked for Bakagan toys for Christmas and was excited when he opened his presents from him!  We visited with my grandparents in Austin on Christmas Eve and then headed to my grandmother's house on Christmas Day.  Jakob really enjoyed opening presents, helping others open presents, and really enjoyed passing presents out to people!   For Christmas, I received a new camera and I have been working on taking pictures with it daily for my Project 365 challenge.  I changed my camera settings to Manual to attempt to take a different picture of our Christmas tree before I put all the presents underneath.  I really enjoyed having off this Christmas and Jakob appreciated having some time off from school too.