Happy Birthday Connor!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONNOR!

I can't believe my "baby" turns 4 today! Happy birthday, pumpkin! Mommy loves you!

Do you recognize this dog?

Do you recognize this cute face?

Volunteers at the West Deer Dog Shelter have asked me to pass the following information along in case anyone might be missing this little guy or know of someone who is...

A 7-month old male Jack Russell Terrier mix was found along Route 910 near the Richland/West Deer Township border about 2 weeks ago. When picked up the dog was wearing a collar which had the remains of a chewed leash still attached. He is currently being housed at the West Deer Dog Shelter. You can visit the shelter's website at: www.westdeertownship.com/dogs.

If you recognize him, please contact the shelter at 724-224-5291. So far he has not been claimed and is, therefore, available for adoption.

Skate-a-Thon fun

The Pittsburgh Special Hockey Association held its skate-a-thon event this evening at Robert Morris Ice Complex in Neville Island (aka--the Island Sports Center). It was a pretty decent turn out. No word yet on how much money they were able to raise through pledges. I'll post that when I know. But as of right now, if they didn't generate enough pledges, they may not be able to pay for ice time for the kids this fall. So if anyone out there is feeling generous, let me know.

They are still selling raffle tickets for a chance to win the Marc-Andre Fleury autographed jersey. The drawing will be Oct. 13. If anyone wants raffle tickets, let me know.

Thanks to all who pledged support to us. We skated our full hour----even Connor!

Connor's party......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CONNOR!

Connor had his birthday party Saturday, and all had a really good time. Connor was incredibly tired, because he hadn't slept well the night before----he was so excited for his party he just couldn't sleep. :) He had two of his little friends over, and some assorted family members, and we played games and ate cake and had a great time together.

Connor doesn't actually turn 4 until Tuesday, so we'll have a smaller family celebration then. All in all, God blessed us with a beautiful day and wonderful friends to share in our celebration. Thanks to everyone who helped make Connor's day special!

Brush, brush, brush your teeth.....

Anyone who has kids knows what a chore it is to get them to actually brush their teeth.

For the longest time, Connor's idea of brushing was to chew on his toothbrush. And of course, it was an all-out battle getting him to let me brush his teeth for him.

A few months ago, I bought this motorized toothbrush. He was scared to death of it. Last night, he decided he liked it. Revelation of revelations, he might actually have clean teeth! :)

Help us help the Pittsburgh Special Hockey League......

For those of you who know us, you know we're involved with the Pittsburgh Special Hockey League----a subsidiary of the American Special Hockey League. The league was designed for young children and adults with disabilities such as Down Syndrome and Autism, who otherwise would not be able to play in a regular hockey league.

This Sunday (Aug 23), they are holding a fundraiser. The skate-a-thon will be held at the Neville Island Sports Complex. For those of you who can't skate, you are invited to walk around the track on the outside of the rink.

Isaak and I are doing this, and we are looking for sponsors. It's only for an hour, and there is no minimum plegde. If you're willing to pledge something to help these folks out, please contact me or Isaak. Ice time and equipment for this program is very expensive. All the people who work with and coach this team are volunteers, so every dollar counts toward helping provide the space and equipment these kids need to participate.

I also got word just two hours ago that an autographed, authentic Pens jersey has been donated by none other than Marc-Andre Fleury (thanks Marc-Andre!). The Pens have been very good in supporting this hockey league, and the jersey donation is just one of the many ways they have helped. The jersey will be auctioned off during the fundraiser at a silent auction.

For more information, visit www.pittsburghspecialhockey.org

Story time in Connor's room

This afternoon, I caught Connor reading to his stuffed animals and a few of his cars. Ever since he started reading on his own, he has usually sat and read to himself on the couch. Today, he decided it would be more fun if he had an audience.

He told me, after 3 or 4 books, that the animals liked "Red, Blue, and Pooh Shapes, Too" the best out of all the books he read to them. :)

Fur real or what?

So have you all heard the story behind this cute photo yet?

This couple is claiming that during a recent vacation to Banff (located in Alberta, Canada's beautiful Rocky Mountains---yay Canada!), they decided to set the auto feature on their camera and get a picture of themselves. Lo and behold, just as the camera went off, a cute squirrel jumped up and got in the frame. The couple thought it was cute so they've been sharing it all over the internet. The story even made the Today Show this morning.

However, some folks are speculating whether this is real or a photoshopped edition to go along with this couple's made-up story.

I'm not sure what I believe. However, I will tell you, that as someone who has had the pleasure of visiting Banff (and Jasper, Lake Louise and other small towns in the Canadian Rockies), animals are not shy there. I have photos from our trips of elk walking down the main street in Jasper. I also had quite an encounter with prairie dogs on a trip to Drumheller (also Alberta). Those little buggers were not shy at all. So do I believe a friendly squirrel would pop up just in time to be in a photo? As Sarah Palin would say, "you betcha." :)

A Woman's Worth

One Flaw In Women

Women have strengths that amaze men. They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice. They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution. They go without so their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend. They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards. They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left... They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart. Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors. They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you. The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideas. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give. HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.

**This was emailed to me earlier today, and I thought it was pretty wise, so I wanted to share it on here with all of you.

Happy Birthday Isaak!

HAPPY

BIRTHDAY

DADDY!

Today is Isaak's birthday. We had to celebrate last night because he is in Erie all day today for a small contract job he's doing. Connor got daddy a Penguins Stanley Cup Champion shirt and a tent for his birthday. Isaak has been wanting both of those for awhile now. :) Connor helped me make him a birthday cheesecake and dinner. Good times were had by all.

What an angry, angry world.....

I'm sure by now you've all heard about the shooting at LA Fitness in Collier Township last night. If you haven't, here's a link to a story about it: http://post-gazette.com/pg/09217/988669-55.stm Look at the picture of the guy, George Sodini, who is accused of the killings. Smiling, and apparently happy, no one would probably have ever guessed the utter rage this man held inside him.

After finding out about this man's blog (ironically, started right here on blogspot) and the fact that he'd been blogging about doing this for months, I went there to look at it. It has since been disabled, I'm assuming by either the authorities or the internet service provider.

Before it disappeared from cyber space, I read with amazement the utter contempt this man seemed to have for a few of his coworkers, his own family, and apparently any woman that walked the earth. All of these people were the reasons for his problems, according to him.

What was the saddest of all was to read an entry, just days before his death, saying that he hoped to be with Jesus soon. He seemed to be under the impression that God would not hold him accountable for his actions last night and just let him stroll right into Heaven. It's sad to me that this man was so unhappy that he wanted to die and to take others along with him, but even sadder that he was deluded into believing his actions would have no consequences after death.

It also is sad that we live in a world with so many angry people. And what is even sadder is the fact that it takes something like this for any of us to even notice that someone is within minutes of literally boiling over.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of those killed by this senseless act of anger.

Do NOT use this stuff!

Please, spare yourselves the guilt I am feeling right now by NEVER, EVER using this product on your cat or dog.

I have been putting flea and tick stuff on Zorro for awhile now, because I don't want him bringing fleas and ticks to us since he hangs out at our house all the time now. I was using Frontline, because I had a 6 month supply of it sitting on the shelf. But when it ran out and I discovered it now costs nearly $100 to buy more, I had to pass. With our financial situation, $100 for flea medication was too much to justify. I was standing in Target staring at this brand, when a lady beside me assured me she'd used it and it was good. So I bought it.

Fast forward to this morning, when it had smeared all the way down Zorro's back, where he could clearly lick it. I tried to get it off to no avail. He wouldn't allow me to wash it and anything else I tried didn't really work. He is acting strange, like it's clearly affecting him. I just read online that it can cause seizures and even death in some animals. All I know is if I did something to harm this cat, I'll probably be sick for the rest of my life. :(