I searched through pics to find some of the family room to show you as “before” pics.  This is all I could come up with in order to post.  So, look beyond the people in the photos…these were take at Christmas last year.

As you can see…this room didn’t exactly have much in the way of style.  I mostly had my Avalanche paraphernalia up on the walls and that was about it.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that…I love my hockey, BUT I wanted something a bit more surreal and relaxing. 

So, I opted for doing this:

The view from the television…

The view from the hallway leading to my bedroom…

Finally, the view from my chair..facing the television.

Now …understand that these are “during” photos and I’m not done remodeling this room yet.  I still need to paint and put up the window treatments.  However, compared to what the room was like before I began…this is so much better!!

Well…there you go!  That’s my update on my remodeling project.

Have a great weekend!!

I just had to snap a picture of Cotton…she’s just too darn cute!!

Of course, when I called for her to look at me…this is the look she gave as if to say, “yes Mom? You do realize that you’re interrupting my play right?”.

Here she is attempting to play with Tobey…I don’t think he’s amused…do you?

Yup…Tobey is bigger than Cotton and is constantly batting her in the head with his paw…but she just doesn’t give up!  She wants to play and she’s chosen him as her playmate…whether he likes it or not!

Oh…and I took this picture down the street in my neighborhood…just to give you all an idea of what the Fall colors look like out here right now.

Some people just don’t learn.

Now let me start by saying that I am a Christian…however, I’ve never nor would I ever force my beliefs on anyone.  I strongly believe that everyone in this world is entitled to have their own faith and beliefs…even if that differs from mine.  I don’t think that anyone has the right to say whether or not their beliefs are the “correct” beliefs. 

What really…REALLY bugs me is when I see others who claim to be Christians attempting to “spread the word of God” by annoying the hell out of people by preaching at them…telling them that they are wrong for believing what they do and that they will go to hell for doing so.  I just think that’s not what was intended by that phrase “spread the word of God”.  Why you ask?  Because, Jesus himself did not go around preaching to people…he lived a good life and taught mostly through his actions…not his words.  I believe that the Bible is more of a reference book than the “word of God”.  That is my belief…however, I know many who believe it to be THE word of God.  That’s fine…but not my belief.

I have reasons for believing what I do…one being that the Bible wasn’t written by the hand of God, it was written by man and has been translated, re-written, revised so many times over the years that I can’t even count!  So to state that it is THE word of God …to me…just holds no water.

I know that many people don’t believe in God…and that’s their choice and I respect that.  Many people must have solid proof to believe in something and not everyone believes the same things.  We have that choice as humans…to believe what we want…it’s called free-will.

So what has prompted this post you ask?

There is a Xangan that has been going around to other peoples’ sites and leaving a very long statement of his beliefs in people’s comments.  This person left it on Jason’s site.  I think I understand what this Xangan is attempting to do…however, I don’t agree with the way of which it’s being done…at all.

Jesus never forced his words upon anyone…and for a person who likes to quote the Bible so much in the comments he’s left on sites…this Xangan needs to go back and read some more of the Bible because I don’t think he got it the first time.  Just like many churches I’ve attended, this Xangan is taking the verses out of context in order to prove a point…and that’s just annoying.

I’m all for sharing your beliefs with others…but there’s a difference between sharing and preaching. No one likes to be preached to or at…and I just don’t think that’s a good way to attempt to “share” anything.  You can’t force things on people…especially those who don’t believe what you believe.

Okay…that’s my rant for the day!

~*Monday Ramblings*~

Friday evening was very nice and it was wonderful to spend some time with my hubby.  Who, btw, has new site here on Xanga.  Yup…he’s started yet another weblog.  I think he’s just trying to confuse me to be honest!!  

No seriously, I think he feels that he’s not the same person he was when he started litboiler…and so he feels he needs to move on.  So from now on you… well those of you who read his site, may find him at education_is_life from here on out.

Ya know, people who haven’t been reading my site for very long or have been and have been away for awhile and come back are going to see me referring to my hubby and see a new site linked and think that I’ve got a new husband! 

Nope…same hubby and I wouldn’t trade him for the world!

I had many plans this past weekend to get certain things done around the house…but unfortunately it just didn’t occur.  I did however manage to get some photos taken of my remodeling project, but I still need to upload them so that I can post them for you to see.  I’ll try to do that tonight…or have Jason do it for me tomorrow if possible.

I had Dora home this weekend and we had fun just hanging out and watching movies and being “girls”.  We don’t get to do that often and it was nice to have that change of pace.  Dora has decided to wear one of my old Halloween costumes this year and go as Juliet.  Now that she’s grown so much and is almost as tall as I am, it fits her quite nicely.  I did have to pin it in the back because her shoulders are not as wide as mine…but the length is perfect on her!

I had also purchased shoes for my costume, but they unfortunately were a bit narrow for my feet.  So I had Dora tries those on and it was a perfect fit!  At least the shoes will still be used right?  I’ll get the other pair that I was wanting instead and let her use the other pair. 

Corin is going as a cheerleader this year and will look SO cute in her costume!  She’d originally wanted to be Tinkerbell…but I decided that it would be a bit much for her.  See, the school has a policy that now states that the kids can’t wear any costume that requires make-up or scary costumes to school for the parade and party.  So I wanted to get Corin a costume that she could wear and would be fun but that she wouldn’t have to fuss with much.

With this costume I can do her hair and what little make-up that is needed at home before she goes to school AND she can wear a turtle neck under this so that her mid-drif doesn’t show.  Also, when trick-or-treating she can wear black spandex underneath her skirt to keep her legs warm.  It’s versitile and I like that.

For the boys I chose classic boy costumes.  Jonah is Hulk and Caleb is Spiderman…they seem to be very happy with my choice of costume for them.

Caleb LOVES Spiderman and Jonah LOVES Hulk…so I think that I’ve made good choices for them this year!

Speaking of superheroes…did you hear about Christopher Reeves??  He passed away last night.  I guess that he’s had a pressure wound that he had been undergoing treatment for and on Saturday he had a heart attack and slipped into a coma…he died at the hospital last night.

That’s just sad news.  I mean…what are we to do now that SuperMan is gone huh?

I’m a concerned mommy at the moment.  My Cotton is at the Veterinarian’s office right now.

Okay…here’s what happened.  My other dog, Ginger, is epileptic and is on Phenobarbital to control her seizures…so she must have a pill every morning.  We put the pill in a piece of hot dog to give it to her.  I normally have Dora do this for me because I don’t have much time in the mornings.  Well, Dora asked Corin (my almost 7 year old) to go get the pill from me for her to give to Ginger.  So she did and when I gave it to her I told her to give it to Dora.  Well, she didn’t.  She took it upon herself to try to give Ginger her pill and instead of giving the piece of hot dot directly to Ginger…she dropped it and Cotton got it.

Dora wasn’t in the kitchen when it happened, but walked in as Cotton was eating it.  She pried open Cotton’s mouth and took the hot dog out…but she’s already eaten the portion with the pill.

So now she’s at the vet’s office for observation because the dosage of Phenobarbital is way too much for a puppy her size and it could force her into a coma.

The vet seems to think that she will be just fine because she has been very bubbly even though she has this drug in her system.  However, they want to keep her there to observe her none the less.

My poor baby.

I’ll let you know what happens with her.  She should be OK, but I’m concerned because she’s my baby ya know.

UPDATE:

I just spoke with the vet’s office and they are releasing Cotton to come home.  The vet says that she’s doing just fine but should be put in her kennel for the rest of the day and shouldn’t be “over stimulated”.  In other words, she shouldn’t be running around chasing things and being chased.  She needs to remain “quiet” for the rest of the day…but will be OK! WOOHOO!   Thank God!

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On a happier note…

I would like to wish my loving hubby …

I love you with all of my heart and soul and I’m so glad that I have you.

My poor little Cotton is not feeling well.

She’s had an upset tummy since yesterday and has been having accidents in the house.  I feel bad for her, but I feel worse for me because at 1am, cleaning up after her is not what I want to be doing!

However, since she is the baby (of sorts) and I am the mommy, I suppose it’s my job to do so whether I like it or not.

She’s been playing and being silly like normal…but just her tummy is upset.  I guess she feels OK…maybe it’s just me who feels bad about this situation eh?  Probably so.

Anyway…it could be worse I suppose.

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I also want to say that I hope that you don’t think me unappreciative of what I already have in regards to my rings…because that is not the case by any means.  I love what I’ve been given by my husband and to be honest, when it comes right down to it…the ring doesn’t matter…his love and commitment does as well as mine.

However, you’ll have to excuse my excitement in regards to receiving this new ring as I’ve never had a man actually “give” me things the way that Jason has and does.  He likes to spoil me…and I’ve never been spoiled before knowing him…ever.  So I’m enjoying this a bit.  When he first gave me my engagement ring I couldn’t believe my eyes…even more so, I couldn’t believe that this incredible man wanted to spend his life with me. Me?  I’m a simple woman and never dreamed that I would find a man as intelligent, caring, thoughtful, romantic, kind, whitty and charming as this man is…let alone marry him.

I was so overjoyed by his gesture and his love that I bawled my eyes out before I could even answer him.  I’ve never cried like that before…never wanted to be with someone that much before. 

Not to mention the fact that the ring he gave me was so beyond gorgeous.  Up to that point, I’d never owned anything so amazing.  That solitaire is breathtaking…which is why there is no way I’d ever part with the center stone.  He put a great deal of thought & money into getting that for me and it represents his love for me which means more to me than I could ever express.

So please don’t think for a moment that I don’t appreciate what I’ve been given or what I have…because I do…and I cherish it.  I’m very lucky…and I know how blessed I am to have found this man and to be married to him.  He is the love of my life and there is nothing…not a ring, a stone or anything is this world that could even compare to the love we share.

Yeah…they’re shaking hands in this photo…but right after that it was as if someone yelled “let the slugfest begin”!!

See? Yup…fists were pumped…accusations were thrown and defenses were up!!

It was actually quite an interesting debate…but I’m not sure if I’d truly classify it as a “debate” because it was more like a mudslinging contest.

Well…I guess it’s what makes this election year interesting eh?  Sure it does.  Only in America would you have people who make a ton of money to do what most car salesman do…tell the people what they “think” the people want to hear.  Lies people…LIES! 

Here’s the question for you though…who’s telling the truth?  Or is anyone really telling us the truth at all?

Makes you wonder doesn’t it? Yeah…politics…isn’t it grand?

Let’s move on to something a little more pleasant shall we?

So…it’s Hump Day, which means that this week is halfway over. This is good news to most of us, myself included!  Yes, this Friday is Jason’s & my first wedding anniversary and I’m totally excited!  Not only because it’s the anniversary of the happiest day of my life when I had the priviledge of pledging my eternal love to my soul mate…but also because my love doesn’t have to work that night, which means that we will actually be together on our anniversary!! WOO HOO!!

He even told me last night that he’s taking me out to my favorite restaurant and that he’d already made the reservations.  He’s just too damn sweet isn’t he?  **awe**

He also informed me that he will be purchasing a little trinket for me that I’ve been wanting.  However, I will have to wait a little while before I will receive this lovely gift because of financial reasons…but hey, at least I know I will eventually get it right?  Oh…what is it you ask?

Well, before I disclose all of the details, let me just say that my current wedding rings are discoloring a bit…sad I know, and I could probably just have them fixed (it can be fixed) but…once you see the ring that I want to replace the set I have now with…you won’t blame me for wanting an upgrade.  I will be taking my blue diamond out of my current set and having it put into the new ring once I’ve received it…hey, I’m not parting with “the rock” no matter what!

Here’s what my current set looks like except mine has a blue diamond solitaire.

One of the problems with my current set is that my center stone is large (not complaining at all mind you) and so it was very difficult to fit into this wrap.  Because of this the rings do not align properly and are a bit uncomfortable to wear.  So I thought having just one ring instead of two combined would be better.  So I asked Jason if I could upgrade to this:

So…what do you think? Mine will have my center stone in it of course…so it will be a beautiful blue center diamond…but it’s gorgeous right?  The sapphires bring out the fire of the blue diamond even more…I love that!  That was the reason why I got the wrap that I have now to begin with. 

Anyway, Jason being Jason told me that even though I know that I’m going to be getting this new ring…he won’t tell me as to when that will be.  He likes to surprise me (I’m difficult to surprise…too smart ya know ) and so he says that he’ll have to be a bit sneaky about how he goes about getting this so that I don’t know when he’s doing it.  He’s so adorable like that!!

That was an awesome gift for my anniversary…just knowing that I’ll be getting this is enough for me.  Now all I have to do is wait…

…and you know how patient I am.

This picture definitely reflects my overall feeling for today…exhaustion.

Caleb has an ear infection in his right ear, so naturally he’s not exactly sleeping well.  Of course there is also the puppy (Cotton) to consider when it comes to late night awakenings with her frequent outings…along with Ginger who’s also been feeling that need as well as of late.

Don’t they realize that mommy needs her rest?? Apparently that just doesn’t fit into their schedule as much as their late happenings don’t fit into mine.  Hmm…maybe I should just get a hotel room somewhere for a few nights so I can get some rest?

I don’t think that Jason would approve of that.  But it was a thought eh?

Well…at this time last year I was frantically putting the final touches on my wedding.  It’s amazing to me that a year has gone by so quickly and we are soon approaching our first anniversary.  So much has gone on in the past year that I think it’s felt more like several years than just one.

However it’s only been one none the less.  I must say that my poor husband has been definitely tested a bit this past year as far as loyalty to me is concerned.  Not in the means of temptation by any sense of the word…but considering that only one week after our nuptials I had major surgery for severe endometriosis that had cursed me with pain for the previous five years and then only 4 months later had a pregnancy scare…and then tubal ligation 3 weeks after.  I think that my Jason has earned his stripes as a wonderful husband and caretaker.  Don’t you?

I mean, how many men do you know would marry a women knowing that she already has four children and one of them is autistic…move over 1400 miles to be with her and take on, not only this large already made family, but a live-in mother-n-law as well? Not many let me tell you.

Yeah…I’m a lucky woman to have not only found my soul mate…but to have married him as well.

It’s definitely amazing how much changes in a year….

Shouldn’t they have boxing gloves on?

Okay…probably not considering it certainly sounded as if the gloves were definitely off last night during the first debate.

Now I’m not affiliated with either party…but I kept thinking to myself while watching the debate that the President needed to say something different when responding to Sen. Kerry’s statements.  About what you ask?  Everything.

It seemed to me that almost every time Sen. Kerry made a statement regarding something that the President didn’t particularly want to go into…he just repeated himself from he’d said to the previous statement.  I know that he’s trying to be consistent and all…but does he have to be redundant as well?

A part of me felt bad for him because he was at times obviously a bit flustered and looked as if he was having a hard time finding the words to make his point.  Maybe that’s why he repeated himself?  I don’t know.

There were valid points made by both parties…but according to the polls Sen. Kerry was the winner of the first debate. 

However, I did hear on the news this morning that when the “people” were polled on who won the debate it was dead even:

It’s also been said that not many people normally watch the second or third debates…but I feel that maybe this election year will be an exception considering how close it all is.  I think that maybe we may actually have a real presidential race this year…wow, what a concept eh?

So, did you watch the debate last night?

Are you going to watch the next one?