Cheesy apple recipe

The recipe for my grandmother's tasty apples...yum!

Make sure you use regular apples NOT pie filling.

Merry Christmas, Elmo!

Fun in the snow

We only got an inch or so, but it was still a lot of fun for everyone... snowball fights between Stacy and Will against Andy, a snowman taller than Will and attempts at sledding.

The cold didn't slow Will down a bit. He was even mad when we were cold and wanted to come in.

We even found some coal for his eyes, mouth and buttons.

It wasn't intended to be a slide down the hill but it got slipperier the more we walked on it.

They were being sneaking with their snowballs.

The bumpers on the cars were really good places to find snowballs.

White Christmas in Lagrange

Merry Christmas!!!

Will and Tad

Tad & Will having a bouncing good time

Stacy is packed and ready to go.

Less than 4 hours...updated

I've only gotten 3 comments...

The task has been accomplished - thanks to Amy's sneaky children and some emails.

Lots of smiles here :-)

What is she doing?

Scene: Stacy, Will and I had been wrestling on the floor. Stacy was laying there on her stomach shaking her head and kicking her legs.

I ask Will "What is she doing?"

Will answers "Shaking her booty."

Comments please!

A little positive reinforcement is needed here! Share your comments, share the things you like, make people smile.

If I must, I will threaten you with no Christmas pictures unless I receive 5 comments by Monday at 11:14 :-) If you can't comment, emailing me is fine too...stacyeskew at hotmail.com

Thank you for your cooperation! And for making me smile. :-)

What do you like?

Things I like...in no particular order

• when you walk by the Christmas tree and the lights look like they're twinkling
• the sound of rain on the roof while you're almost asleep
• fires - in the fireplace, watching them, being warmed by the, bonfires, campfires - not the destructive ones though
• watching a sleeping dog
• cuddling with a sleeping dog
• acoustic music
• getting a good IV start - that it barely hurt, that it's done and taped and finished and stress is over in 30 seconds, that you can get labs and feel better with whatever you get through it that fast
• watching people do what they're good at
• funny books on tape (or CD)
• funny people
• Will's belly laugh
• plucking dog fur
• watching the emergency vets at CVS when they don't know you're watching the emotions - you can tell, they love dogs
• STOMP
• being enough of a _____ to be trusted ____ (friend... with great joy - or sorrow, babysitter... to leave your newborn with, nurse... to go home and take a nap for the first time, kind spirit... for the animal to calm down and be approached, petted, sleep)
• a book that's good enough to read in one sitting
• chocolate
• buttoning my old pants
• personal mail - especially personal notes
• the joy/appreciation of others when you've done something sneaky or unexpected for them
• the joy/appreciation that I feel when someone's done something sneaky or unexpected for me
• reading old journals
• looking through old pictures
• the turkey magnet I made to spread the spirit of Thanksgiving
• seeing the people in other cars tell the other people in their car to, "Look at that dog." and sometimes even roll their windows down to tell him hello or let the kids wave at him
• friends and family
• when there isn't traffic on the interstate
• pandora
• fireworks
• playing in the sand
• being warm enough outside when it's really cold
• the right circumstances and attire to be rained on
• comments - it's the internet hug you know :-)
• positive feed back
• communion - millions of people doing the same thing for thousands of years
• the ability to heal
• the internet
• a good treasure hunt
• working hard on something and loving the way it turns out
• my bathrobe - did you know a housecoat is called that because it's a coat you wear around the house?
• stars
• the moon
• "Aim for the moon. Even if you miss you'll be among the stars."

Share yours in the comments!

1 Corinthians 13 - Christmas version

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing a gourmet meal and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir's cantata, but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way.

Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can't.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

Video games will break, pearls necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust.

But giving the gift of love will endure.

-from my mom's bulletin, author unknown

It is so funny

>

In loving memory of Lincoln

We love Lincoln so much. He brought us so many smiles -watching him circle, scratching the carpet to make the perfect nest for sleeping - being disappointed in that nest and thinking perhaps the carpet two feet away will move a bit more and make a better nest. Seeing him run carefree full speed through the yard. Hearing him bark at the deer in the backyard for hours on end. Cuddling with him while the "lap dog" was laying on top of you on the couch. Seeing Will play with his best buddy and giving him hugs. Hearing his saggy face flopping in the breeze with his head hanging out the car window. The offended look on his face when he put his head out the window in the rain and got wet. His curly tail. Sniffing and sniffing and sniffing. Getting an Alabama fan to say, "Well, you've just got to say War D*mn Eagle to that." Letting Crosby (as a wee tike) put his finger up his nose and just looking at me saying, "Please make him stop." Alerting us to someone at the door. Hearing the garage door open, how he came out to greet the car then took off high speed to the backyard to make a lap. His gentle, loving nature - full of goodwill and contentedness. Frisking about with his buddies Max and Porthos, then sleeping the other 95% of the day. Loving so unconditionally. We are going to miss him...






Lincoln is the 3rd, Ike is the 4th.

He loved being fast

Not afraid to get dirty

War Eagle!!


Cuddling even though the new one that smells funny was there.

Synchronized posing and sleeping and dreaming.

Keeping everyone warm when the heat's broken (or when camping in 20 degree weather!)


Hugs

Watching the world

Shopping. Merry Christmas

Hanging with Max

Letting Will hang with them too

Feeling the love

Ensuring the yard is well watched

I love my babies

The greatest sandbox ever

The story of Lincoln's goodbye - warning I'm crying as I post - you might too - feel free to just skip it

As you know, Lincoln had been diagnosed with lung cancer. The Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Lincoln was having a strange "bubbly" noise sometimes while he was breathing, but was still quite content - not breathing fast or having a fast heart rate or looking like he was stressed at all. We dropped him off at my parents' house at the lake and he had a wonderful time over Thanksgiving (and we had a wonderful time with Andy's family in Dalton.) They said he was doing great while we were gone. We stopped by my parents' to hang out a little while and pick him up on the way home. He couldn't quite get comfortable, but still wasn't breathing hard or looking stressed. We came home and he ran out to the backyard to check everything out and bark - continuously for over an hour. When we finally called him in for the night, he couldn't quite catch his breath and was panting and breathing kind of hard, he was very restless and was getting more frantic. I gave him some of the narcotic cough suppressant thinking it might help him relax. A while later I ended up taking him to the emergency vet (Carolina Vet Specialists - emergency - highly recommended) to see if they could give him anymore medicine to help with his anxiety (which in dogs causes panting, which means he can't catch his breath, which causes anxiety and the cycle worsens.) My wonderful parents came over to watch Will so Andy could meet me there if he needed to...but Lincoln was pleased to go on a car ride and by the time we were there, he'd stopped panting and looked quite comfortable again, but I went ahead and took him in - especially since the vet that was there was Dr. Smith (who I love - he's the one that helped take care of Ike too.) We discussed it and he gave me some new medicines we could try to help with his breathing (kind of like what you'd use for asthma in people) and really calmed me down and comforted me about the situation. Linky did very well Sunday and had an okay day on Monday. Monday night he had a lovely time out barking again, but once again couldn't catch his breath when he came in. I took him back to the vet and Dr. Davis (who I now love as well) gave him some IV medicines to help him relax and sent some more home with me in case he woke up and was stressed again. He woke up breathing hard, but didn't seem stressed about it. We had a good day puttering around, but started thinking about whether he'd have anymore happiness in the next couple weeks that he'd never experienced before in his great life or whether the stress of his "can't catch his breath" moments were too upsetting for him. We eventually decided to give him a day filled with as much of his favorite things that we could, then help him let go rather than suffer through the anxiety anymore. We did lots of cuddling and got him a delicious hamburger to eat and took him for a really long car ride - that he loved. He had his head out the window sniffing the whole time - really taking in the joy of the moment. Then took him back to the vet. Dr Davis was there again and was super kind and organized and as smooth as possible as we cuddled one our first "children" and tearfully said goodbye. It's been very hard adjusting to life without a dog. We've had some very kind friends that have let us borrow theirs to help Will (and me) ease into the transition. We told Will as best we could, but he didn't really seem to get it and would walk through the house calling for Lincoln. It's been really hard to hear that too and have to keep reminding him that Lincoln is gone and can't come back, but that he's happy in Heaven where his is now. We also have a book that we've read a couple times about Dog Heaven that one of our great friends gave us when my parents' (and my childhood) dog died a few years ago that I think helped give him an understanding of what Heaven is and that it's a good place. Will's still having some separation anxiety I think. He's really cried a couple times when we were putting him to bed, but seems to be okay with some extra cuddling. Some prayers for all of us would be appreciated though. While we miss him terribly, we are so thankful for the time we got with Lincoln.