Happy Thanksgiving

This year for Thanksgiving we hosted dinner at our house again.  Mom came over a few days before and helped clean and straighten the house and bake pies and then the night before she prepped alot of the food.  We had so much food - turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, corn, green beans, sweet potatoes, cranberry salad, watergate salad, cole slaw, deviled eggs, chicken and dumplings, cheese dip, and beer sausage, along with pecan pies, apple pies, pumpkin pies, chocolate pie, butterscotch pie, chocolate coconut pecan pie (my new FAVE pie), and texas sheet cake.  Everything was delicious and I ate ENTIRELY too much food!  We had lots of family members come over and we had a great time.  It's sad to say that Thanksgiving is the only time I see some of my family. 

Our Annual Vet Visit

Once a year, we take all of the animals to the vet for their annual shots.  I like to take them all at one time and get it done with versus making multiple trips to the vet.  The only downfall of this is the price.  It was $438 for both cats and both dogs to have all their shots, their heart worm tests, and a month supply of flea/tick medicine.  They all did great at the vet though!  We brought them home, dropped them off, and then Shawn went to work and I went to Rockport for the day.  Shawn and I met for dinner at Cancun's at 7:00 p.m. and then came home around 8:30 p.m.  Around 10:30 p.m., Shawn noticed that Hershey kept shaking his head and that one of his ears was fat and puffy.  I started looking at him and realized that both of his ears were swollen and that bumps were starting to form under his coat.  I knew right away that he was having an allergic reaction to something - probably from the shots he got earlier in the day at the vet. I knew I could probably give him some Benedryl, but wasn't sure what dose.  I decided to call the All Pet Emergency Vet in Evansville.  I didn't want to take him there cause I know it's really expensive to go there, however my pet was in distress and something needed to be done.  I spoke to the girl on the phone and told her what was happening.  She said it sounded like he was having an allergic reaction and that she recommended we bring him in and they could give him a steroid and a benedryl shot.  I asked her the cost just so I would know what to expect.  The visit was $95 and then the two shots, she said it would probably be around $200.  I told Shawn what she said and what the cost would be and told him to get dressed and not to forget his billfold.  We drove there and they saw him right away.  I could tell he wasn't feeling well cause he just kind of snuggled up with me on the way there and wasn't trying to look out the window like he normally does on car rides.  They checked him out and gave him a steroid shot and then a shot of benedryl and then had us stop at Walgreen's and buy some regular benedryl to give him twice today.  We were given a blessing while we were there.  Our regular vet, Dr. Chapen of Animal Care Clinic in Newburgh, is on the Board of Directors of the Emergency Vet, and because Hershey was having complications from a visit to the vet that day, they waived the $95 exam visit and all we had to pay for was the two injections and they were only $74.  Hershey Bell is back to his old self again and I'm SO glad.  I was really scared for him and even shed a couple of tears. 

Scales Lake Playday

Mom went and got Gavin on Sunday for me so that they could spend the night and we could spend Monday together since I took a vacation day.  We spent the morning being lazy, playing, and napping.  Later in the afternoon, we got ready, stopped at McDonald's to get lunch and then went over to Scales Lake to have a picnic and play.  Our McDonald's lunch was yummy and the play was fun.  We played on the all the toys they had.  Even mom and Aunt Stacey went down the tornado slide and the swings!  After playing, we drove around looking for deer and hit the jackpot.  In the cabins area, we found a man pulled over on the side of the road feeding the deer.  He said he comes everyday to feed them and around 3:45 each day, alot of deer come.  We saw about 6 on the day we were there, but he said the day before there was about 10 to 12 deer.  After we watched the deer for a while, we went to the little petting zoo/farm they have.  There was donkeys, rabbits, sheep, chickens, goats, peacocks, and even a mini horse.  There was one donkey there they kept smiling for me when I would take his picture.  He WAS the funniest thing ever!

St. Louis Arch

On Sunday, before heading home, Shawn and I went to the St. Louis Arch.  I've wanted to go to the Arch for quite a while now, but we never seem to stop when traveling through St. Louis.  The day was beautiful and sunny, not to hot, and a little bit of breeze.  There was actually quite a few people at the Arch, but not overly-crowded.  We bought our tickets and while we waited for our time, we visited the museum.  They had a smashed penny machine, so I had to get my smashed penny.  I've started collecting these because those machines are everywhere we travel!  When it was our time for the tour, we got in line and up we went in the Arch.  The little pod that we rode in was tiny, but not overly cramped like I expected.  I knew it would be small, but all you are doing is sitting in it to get to the top of the Arch, so the size was sufficient.  Right before we got up to the little pod to ride up to the top, a photographer snapped your picture and then they are printed and available for sale in the front of the gift shop.  You got a 5x7, a 4x6, and 2 wallets along with a night picture of the Arch, a folder to display the pictures, and 3 magnet frames for $20.  We said if our picture was good, we would buy it and we did.  I thought it was a really good picture of Shawn and I.  I need to scan the picture in and post it.  The whole Arch experience was really neat and I'm glad I finally got to do it.  The views were amazing!  St. Louis is a fun place to go with lots of free things to do!  I can't wait to go back there and take Gavin to the Zoo!

A few different pictures of Shawn and I.

Some different pictures and angles of the Arch.

Some different views out the Arch windows.

Congratulations DJ & Kristine

On Saturday, November 6, 2010, we loaded up the car and headed to St. Louis for the weekend.  Shawn's cousin Kristine was getting married and we wanted to help them celebrate their big day.  Shawn brother and Christa and then Shawn's parents were also going so we all met at the church.  After a short, beautiful wedding, we headed to the reception at the Moulin Event Hall.  We had a grand reception with delicious appetizers, soup, salad, and a yummy meal followed by cake.  There was cocktails, dinner, dancing, and fun had by all.

(Not really a fan of these collage photos, but I think that's what

 I'm going to have to do to post lots of pictures with minimal space!)

Uh oh!

I've hit a little blog snafu with blogger!  Apparently you are only allowed 1GB of memory for pictures with your blog and I've hit that benchmark.  So now I am either going to have to pay a yearly fee for more memory to blog with, blog with no pictures (no way!), or figure out a way to resize ALOT of my previous blog posts.  And from this point on, I'm going to have to resize my pictures for blogging.  It's a pain, but it's something I'm going to have to do to continue with the free blog. 

My new Golla Bag

I've been on the hunt for a new camera bag probably every since I bought the camera a few years ago.  I got a "free" camera bag when I purchased the camera but it's this big, black, box-y looking bag that I hate carrying so I am constantly using different little bags or buying different bags to use as a camera bag, or just throwing the camera in my purse, which I know is not good.  So I'm always on the lookout for a new bag, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.  I had seen a bag at Walmart a while back and thought it was cute, but didn't get it because I wasn't sure if I would actually use it and it cost $20.  Heaven forbid I spend that much money on a camera bag that I probably wouldn't like.  LOL!  Well I decided the other day that I wanted to get it, however Walmart doesn't carry it anymore.  Stinkohla!  So earlier this week I was in Sears and saw this camera bag.  It was cute, fun, and seemed practical.  I ask the price - $49.99.  GASP!  I put it back....I'm not paying $50 for a camera bag.  I spent all week online searching for it cheaper and couldn't find it any cheaper.  So last night after work I went to Sears and bought it.  Before that though, I had the man at the counter take all the packaging off so I could "play" with it.  I adjusted the straps to make them longer so I could wear it cross body and then shorter so I could just sling on my shoulder like a purse.  I took my camera in with me and put it in the bag to make sure I liked it and that there was plenty of room for it and my other lens.  I loved the color, the size, the look, the feel.  I really, really liked this bag and wanted it, but did I want to pay $50 for it?  I asked if he had any coupons...nope.  He even did some looking around to see if he could price match it with some local stores....nothing.  I caved and paid the $50.  I'm going to be getting an expense check from work for some deliveries I did so I'm justifying the camera bag with that money.  Shawn's probably going to explode when he sees the receipt....which is probably why I haven't told him about the bag yet.  LOL!  He's always talking about our photography business and getting it started.  I'll just let him know that it's an investment in our future success as photographers.  Yeah, that's what I'll say!  I can't wait to carry that bag this weekend when we go to St. Louis for a wedding and to the Arch!

Boo in Boonville

This year for Halloween Shawn and I went to Boonville and passed out candy in the square at an event called Boo in Boonville.  Shawn's work, WOW, had a candy table set up and we went and passed out candy.  There was probably between 1,000 and 1,200 people that came through the line to get candy.  The weather was nice and we had alot of fun doing it.  There was people of all ages dressed up in all different kinds of costumes.  We also saw a couple of wiener dogs in costumes.

The Lucy (Luce) Fall Fest

This Saturday was the fall fest at my old elementary school, Luce Elementary School. We've been going to it every since I was in grade school.  They have food, games, prizes, entertainment, and lots of fellowship.  It's fun to buy the door prizes tickets and win fun prizes, and fun hanging out with old friends just having a good time.  We won lots of prizes in the door prize ticket drawings - 7 tshirts (all too little though :O), a computer repair kit, and lots of gift certificates for pizza, Lic's ice cream, McDonald's, Long John Silvers, and one other (I just can't remember though).

 Renee and her mom Tina showing REBEL PRIDE!

Gavin & Uncle Shawn

Heather & Bowen

Aunt Stacey & Gavin doing the cake walk.

Uncle Shawn & Gavin - the prize trophy!

Beth & Tommy

Gavin playing with his balloon and Chick-Fil-A cow.