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"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."

--Anonymous

John Michael Montgomery sings....enjoy!

Thanksgiving and a little more...

Hello all! I'm a bit delayed in updating the blog - sorry!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. My Mom's side of the family were all together for the first time ever and it turned out to be a GREAT day. We wanted to get together for my Aunt Jo who is suffering from liver cancer. Her condition is worsening and we knew she wouldn't be here for the holidays next year;

so family from as far as Florida made the trip to Newark, Ohio.

We rented a social hall and there were a total of 23 of us there.

It was a special day for sure.
Before Thanksgiving, me, Deb and her parents went to see Reba and Kelly Clarkson in concert in Columbus. As a fan club member; I was lucky enough to win a meet and greet pass so I was able to meet Kelly and have my picture taken with her prior to the show. I've posted our photo so I hope you enjoy it! The day after Thanksgiving is the lighting of our courthouse and Deb and I always attend this with her family. We happily met up with Julie and Kim and Julie's Mom and Mike while there; so we took an updated - and cold - picture of us at the event. That's about it for now. It's time to start some serious Christmas shopping and Deb and I are putting up our tree today. I wish everyone a safe and happy Holiday season!

Kelly

Kelly & Reba - Part 2

OK - so most of you know how much we love Kelly Clarkson & Reba McEntire. So much that we went to see the SAME concert again - this time in Columbus. I promised my dad that if they came to Columbus, we would take him to see Reba and we did. I think he enjoyed the show - he and mom had probably the best seats in the house. They were in the front row of the seats so they were high enough that they could see over the people on the floor who were standing, but they had no one in front of them so they could sit down the entire show. That was good since my dad's arm is in a sling from rotator cuff surgery that he had just 7 days before the show! Nothing was keeping him from seeing his favorite redhead!!

The show was as amazing as the first time, although the audience was a little flat - I'm not sure what that was all about! Melissa Peterman (Barbara Jean from the sitcom, Reba) started the show off - she was hilarious getting us all ready for the big OSU-Michigan game with the familiar cheer, OH - IO! When she was done, the show began! I have posted 2 videos on Youtube. To see them, go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx5A5f5a1rA (Fancy) and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bh3WFm_kIE (Up to the Mountain). They aren't the best quality, but then, I am no expert videographer either!! It is also my first time ever posting on Youtube, so that is kind of exciting!

I will let Kelly fill you in on her Meet & Greet with Miss Kelly Clarkson - lucky girl has gotten to meet her twice now. We are holding our breath that the picture turns out better this time! No doubt, it will be posted here when we get it!!

Until then, enjoy these couple of pics from the concert!!

Halloween Party 2008!!

Well, Halloween 2008 has come and gone. Deb and I were lucky enough to have been invited to a party put on by her cousin Julie's mom. As always, the party was great and everyone had a lot of fun! Neither Deb nor I won any of the individual games, but we were on the team that won the overall contest of Halloween Password! Our team consisted of me, Deb, Julie and Kim. We took home the trophy and we plan to defend our title again at next year's party! Deb was dressed as a rocker KISS girl and I was a pudgy, not so little Devil! The other costumes ranged from a witch and mad scientist to a doctor and Joe the Plumber! Here are some pics from the evening. Deb and I also want to thank Kim for updating our blog site. And no, the picture isn't of Bailey!

Gene Simmons eat your heart out!

The Devil & The Mad Scientist (aka Kelly & Julie)

The Crew: Deb, Kim, Kelly and Julie

Even Bailey got into the act!

Baxter in his Halloween bow-tie!

Fairy Princess Vera Belle

Sunday 10/26/08: Catching Up!

Hello everyone! It's been a while since I've posted and I'm pretty sure Deb has caught you up on most everything we've been doing. I'm still in mourning that the Yankees didn't make the playoffs, so I guess I'm rooting for the Tampa Bay Rays. I like the Phillies; but they've all ready got a few titles. Let's see, me, Deb and my Mom have re-joined the gym in an effort to get fit and lose some pounds. Needless to say, it's a slow process but I guess it really is good for us! Deb is getting more and more grumpy as the weather gets colder. This is something we disagree on for sure! I like fall and winter and the more snow the better! There's a chance of flurries next week so she'll be really mad! We're going to a Halloween party next weekend and I can't wait! We're still deciding on costumes but I'm sure we'll have photos of the festivities! Deb didn't want to dress up but she was over ruled. Can you imagine going to a Halloween party and not wearing a costume? What a kill joy! I'm posting some long overdue photos from months past and yes- one of is me with Jungle Jack Hanna himself. There's also a Mama Monkey and her little baby, a precious koala bear and a baby bunny from our side yard! Enjoy!

Home sick

Well, I am at home sick today. Thanks to Kelly bringing home her cold, I have now caught it and am feeling pretty miserable. Luckily, my boss in on vacation this week so I am all caught up at work and really, could afford to take the day off.

I can't believe I haven't updated since Labor Day! Sorry about that! Let's see - since then, we have been to see the Lion King - it was AMAZING! The animals were so lifelike that at times, you forgot they were people dressed up!

We went to see NKOTB (New Kids on the Block for all of you non-fans!). It was a GREAT concert! They sang old songs and new and I have never seen a crowd that stood for the ENTIRE show - floor to ceiling - everyone was on their feet - dancing, singing - the energy in the room was electric!! It was really fun!

Next on the entertainment agenda is a Halloween Party next Saturday - the costume requirement is still being debated, so if we dress up - we will have pics!

Then - AND I CAN'T WAIT FOR THIS ONE - the return of Reba & Kelly!! Nov. 20th at Schottenstein Arena. They say it is almost the identical show that we have already seen, with a few minor changes, but I still CANNOT WAIT!! I love them both so much! Our seats aren't quite as good as last time, but my camera is better, so hopefully, GOD WILLING, I will get some good pics and maybe, a video to post!!

Until next time!! C-ya!

Oh - and don't forget to Vote - Nov. 4th - Obama/Biden~~

Labor Day Weekend

Well, another Labor Day Weekend has passed and now summer is officially over - although it doesn't feel like it with these 90 degree days!! As some of you know, Kel and I joined my family for our annual Labor Day Weekend Camping & Canoe Trip. This was Kel's first year attending the outing and we brought the dogs along. I was so impressed with the way they behaved - they didn't bark at other dogs, they got along great with their cousins, Gretel and Todd, and for the most part, they stayed with us at the campsite without being tied up. Bailey had a little problem with his hips and he hobbled around quite a bit, but if we could get him to rest, he did ok.

The canoe trip was fun, although long - it was only 9-1/2 miles, but because we haven't had any rain, the river was low and we ran into a lot of rocks which slowed us way down! It took us about 4-1/2 hours to finish and Kelly tipped our canoe! Now, she has been spreading false rumors about the reason the canoe tipped and I am here to set the record straight! We had run into rocks and so we had to get out and drag the canoe over them. She got back into the canoe and I was still standing in the river trying to straighten the boat out before I got back in. I'm not sure what happened from there - I heard her scream, turned around and watched the boat tip over and pour her into the river!! She claims I was trying to get in the boat and tipped it -which is absolutely, 100% false!! :)

In any event, the weekend was fun - we had a lot of good food and shared a bunch of family stories around the campfire. Kel says she probably won't come back because her allergies can't take it between the campfire, the straw we put down, and the other outside elements. She was a mess by Sunday and the meds just weren't cutting it! I'm hoping to talk her in to at least coming back next year for the canoe trip, but we will see!!

Here are some pics from the weekend!