Kitchen Make-Over

For my birthday in October, Mike and Cheryl sent me some money and I decided to use it to make some changes in my kitchen. It has been a long project but the kitchen is finally complete!! So here are the before and after pictures. (My favorite part of the kitchen is the curtain that my Mom made while she was here for Christmas. Thanks Mom!) Thanks Mike and Cheryl for the B-day money!!

Here are the before pictures:

Here are the "during" pictures:

And here is my new and "VERY" Improved Kitchen:

So Proud!

Ashlee is such a great girl. I am continually amazed at her sweet spirit, her natural desire to be obedient (unlike me), and her great gift of kindness. We received this email last week from one of her teachers. It makes me so proud that she is my daughter. I love you Ashlee.



-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Ashlee
From: "Kurt Scriffiny"
Date: Thu, January 15, 2009 12:38 pm
To: bill@emailhilliard.com

I just wanted to send out a quick note saying how much I appreciate Ashlee’s awesome
attitude and work ethic. She is one of those students that really makes teaching enjoyable
and fun.
Kurt Scriffiny

Our Christmas Eve

We had a Christmas Eve dinner with our friends, The Palmers, and Mom and Dad. We had a great time, eating and then we sang Christmas karaoke, and read the Christmas story.

Merry Christmas 2008

We had an eventful Christmas this year. We were especially grateful to have my Mom and Dad with us and to get to spend time with our friends. Ashlee made out like a bandit (one of the only benefits of divorced parents, you have four sets of grandparents, and two parents to give to you.) We enjoyed the Thursday Christmas with the rest of the week and weekend off. Poor Bill was very sick and made a trip to the doctor on Christmas Eve to get some antibiotics. Needless to say he waited up "all night" for Santa. He was miserable on Christmas Day but he was a good sport.

Ashlee and her Wii (Well... our Wii, since we can't get the adults off of it.)

No Christmas would be complete without Edward!

Mom is so fun at Christmas. Everything is exciting for her.

Little Bill with his Bronco's blanket that Ashlee made him. It came in handy on his very sick day!

The boys with their prizes from Santa!

The Wii in Action!

And YES... we had a White Christmas!

VICIOUS

On Wednesday night when I got home from work I noticed there was something on my front door. A card from Animal Control. So I called the officer and she said that there had been an indident with my dogs earlier in the day. Appearently I had left my back gate open and they were wandering.

Break: My next door neighbor on the east side is a crazy, cranky, confusing, confused, old man. Some days he is very nice to us. Some days he is mean. Last April when I was planting my front flower bed I the dogs were outside with me and he walked by and said "Your dogs are so beautiful and well behaved." A month before that he had called animal control on our dogs. Three times this summer he came to our door to let us know that he was having his yard sprayed for weeds and wanted to let us know so that our dogs didn't walk on the lawn and get sick. "He would hate for them to get sick." (Our dogs have never been on his property) On Tuesday during lunch when I went to get my mail and take the dogs to play ball (our regular lunchtime activity) And he says "Hi there, look at those cute dogs, How is Bill doing?" Up and Down, Up and Down. We just try to be nice.

Okay back to story..... So apparently during the wandering I guess Polly went over in his driveway and he claims that Polly (the lazy lovey dog) chased, yes I said chased him into his garage. So he called the police. There is more to the story but basically the animal control officer thinks it is ridiculous. This is the same dog that on Tuesday night while I was babysitting my friends 10 month old baby, let the baby climb on her and pull her hair all while she just layed there. This is the same dog that the neighborhood kids ask to have come play at the park with them. And the same dog who won't even chase a ball but instead lays on the grass while Sadie plays ball. Trust me she doesn't "chase". So now we are faced with the possibility that Polly might have to be placed on the "Vicious Dog List" and we will have to keep a beware of dog sign on our property. Yes.... when you have stopped laughing you can agree with me, with the animal control officer, and many others, I would actually be impressed if my dogs would do anything aggressive. I can't even get them to bark when a stranger comes to the door. One night when my dad arrived late at my house, really late like 3am from traveling across the country he pulled into the driveway around back and walked right into my back door and my dogs didn't make a peep and then welcomed him as he walked in. Seriously I wish they would be more like watch dogs but they are not. They are family loving, kid playing, loyal, fun, great dogs, and they bring so much joy to our lives.

My Little Christmas Matador

As usual Ashlee was more help than I needed decorating the tree this year. She helped a little but performed for most of the time. And of course the Pops was under the tree on the tree skirt within 2.2 seconds. And then Sadie and Polly are so excited about the tree. So excited that they walk by it with their tails wagging and knock the ornaments off. It is so exciting that some things never change. It makes Christmas feel familiar again!

Broken Toe

After 35... no wait, 34 years of my life I have finally broken a bone. Now in all those "Have You Ever?" questionaires I can answer "Yes". Does a toe count though? How did I do it you ask? Well I was carrying laundry through my bathroom and kicked my scale (I knew that thing was worthless.) Anyways it hurt so bad that I yelled and screamed so loud that poor Sadie thought she was in trouble and hit the floor immediately. My toe was purple for a week and my foot is still blue and aches in the mornings.