Abbie, Bud and Zabe

So last Wednesday I told Shelly and Ann we were doing a photo shoot of them.  I think they both thought I was crazy but I insisted.  With a few cocktails in hand we had a great, great time.  Or at least I did.  You don't get much more photogenic than Ann, and Shell had a great time in front of the camera, she's a natural.  Man it was funny.

I can't even remember what they were cracking up at.

And this one.  OMG.  They are both belly laughing at not being able to see the 4-wheeler Shelly is sitting on.  Oh my, funny girls.   

I feel like I haven't posted in forever.  It's been busy this week and I felt like I needed to get on here and post a little somethin', somethin' about Zabe.  He's doing fabulous and his biggest accomplishment lately, mainly this week is WALKING.  FINALLY.  He's finally figured it out.  Which is great because I think he's happier.  It's funny because now when he crawls it seams weird and looks strange.  Ever since he's started walking he carries things around with him.  Mostly tractors, sometimes balls.  His vocabulary has really broadened and he tries to repeat most words.  His new favorite word is geez.  Or Oh, geez.  He actually uses the word at the right times.  Tonight, Bud had tipped his piano over on its side and Zabe saw it and said, "Oh Geez." Too funny.  Sometimes when walking and he falls he say's, "Oh Geez."

I do have to say now that he is walking, he's a little more busy.  He's still pretty slow when walking but he's so darn tall he can reach so high.

We are so blessed.  He's such a good boy, we keep telling him he's a big boy and big boys don't have bottles.  Seriously.  He's going to have that thing until he's 16.  The other morning we were in a fight because he wanted one and I wasn't going to give in.  I kept telling him how he is a big boy and that he needs to drink his milk from a sippy cup.  (He will drink anything BUT milk out of a sippy.) So as I am saying, "You are a big boy." He says while he's crying, "baby, baby."  Whatever, I caved.  My weakness is crying and whining.  We'll get there.  Ahhhhhhhhhhh.

Other news this week. 

Mom decided she didn't want to go to girls weekend in Florida this week so she admitted herself into the hospital for A-Fib.  That's not really how it went but she came home today after spending 5 nights at Fairview.  We were missing her so it's so nice she could come home just in time for the weekend.   Rest up mother.

Bud also decided to head to Fairview this a.m. to get his big toe checked out.  He came home with a diagnosis of gout.  Ish.  Otherwise he's fiiiine.  Back to his full time job.  Hopefully spring comes soon, he's ready to plant his garden.  Which reminds me I NEED to take pictures of his tomatoes.  They look great and he is so proud of them.

I am also doing fiiiiine.  So excited to go to Vegas in 21 days.  We are staying here.  Finally a place to stay.  Hopeing and praying it's a nice place.

My new photography adventure is going really well.  I just absolutely LOVE taking pictures thanks to sis.  I have had a few requests from people who have wanted to buy prints that I have done.  To check it out for yourselves head on over here to take a look for yourselves.  A HUGE thank-you to everyone for your kind, kind words about my photos.  

Have a great weekend.  I'm getting together tomorrow night with my high school girlfriends.  I'm sure it will be very boring!  Were so boring.  Their hilarious, so I can't wait.  We don't get together enough!

I will leave you with a couple photos of Savannah that I took last Saturday. She just turned 1.

Giving her mama kisses.  How cute are they?!

****UPDATE-  Zabe just woke up.  Went up to see what the deal was and he had thrown up.  Got him all cleaned up, jammies, bed sheets, pillow, blankets.  He didn't feel warm but when I laid him back down he was shivering.  Didn't my weekend just get fun :)  So hopeing he's not coming down with something!  Ish.

Wow.  Just wow.  We have never had a night like we did last night.  Zabe continued to throw up and dry heave until 4:00.  Roughly every 15 minutes.  Good times.  He then had diarrhea.  4:00 was the last time I looked at the clock, he was up at 7 searching for something to drink, and slammed 3 bottles of water.  He was sooo thirsty.  During the night when I would give him water he would throw that up within minutes.

Bud took over this morning when we got out of bed at 7:30, Z slept with him downstairs for 1.5 hours, and is in his crib sleeping now.  Poor kid.  He had no energy last night and was hard for him to sit up to throw up.  Many towel changes and pillow case changes throughout the night.

Bud said he was up playing with toys and reading this morning.  Not sure what the deal is.  When he went to bed at 7:30 last night he was completely fine.  I got to sleep until 11:30 this morning with only a few interruptions of Zabe coming to say hi and the purebred barking his tail off. 

It is absolutely BEAUTIFUL outside.  43 degrees.  I don't know if I have ever said 43 is beautiful but seriously is feels so nice out.  I am hoping we can get out for a walk today and maybe go see the cows.  I also need to run to RW to get Z some pedialite (sp) as the nurse said to hold on milk.  He's still having some massive diarrhea.  The last 2 mornings he has woke with poo from head to toe.  Not cool.  He feels fine otherwise; playing, walking and talking gibberish like crazy.

I came down with the sickness Sunday afternoon/evening and was down and out for about 24 hours.  Now Bud is home again today with the same stuff.  Ish.  His gout is healing but still has a hard time getting his toes into his boots.  Funny how on Saturday for his party he had no problem.  Strange how that happens. Anyway.....hopefully once Bud gets over it we'll be on the road to good health....and once the poo stops with Z.

I did some pictures of my girlfriend Buddy who is 35 weeks pregnant on Saturday night, after my girlfriends and I went out to dinner.  She is just so darn cute, can't wait to meet her little girl.  

A couple of my favorites.

I don't really have anything to say, but I have a half hour break before I start hair again and I don't really feel like cleaning or dishes or mopping floors.  I just needed to sit down and breath.  It's been steady here since 11 this am.  Auntie Ann is bonding with her godson out at moms so I'm enjoying my free time.  Thank you Annie.  Were pretty much same old since I updated last.  Z still has diarrhea, trying to cut down his milk.  This is a very hard thing to do with a kid who LOVES his milk.  This morning for the first time in his young life he actually drank his milk from a sippy cup.  Wowzer!  I'm not sure how it happened and how he accepted it but he did it!  We are defiantly going to keep trying!

Should be a fun weekend....at least for me.  I am going with sis tomorrow to a Photoshop class tomorrow in the cities.  I just got CS3 in the mail yesterday and have been trying to learn some things before the class.  I am so excited and excited to be spending the day with Em.  Hopefully I will learn a lot.  Zabe will be hanging with his auntie Ann again.

Saturday I am playing in a volleyball tourney with cousins Char and Alicia and some others.  Can't wait for that either.  Bud and Zabe will be bonding together.  Hopefully it will be nice out so they can play outside.

Sunday after we receive our Palms at church Tony and Carrie are having a small housewarming and St. Patrick's Day party.  Will be fun to hang out in their new house. 

That's about it.  LOVING this weather.  My thermometer reads 52! 

Spring is coming. 

Oh, now you just settle down there.  Were not pregnant.

But these two are.  Carrie is due October 1st.  We couldn't be more excited!!  They will be wonderful parents, can't believe Ton is going to be a daddy. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Oh, now you just settle down there.  Were not pregnant.

But these two are.  Carrie is due October 1st.  We couldn't be more excited!!  They will be wonderful parents, can't believe Ton is going to be a daddy. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Howie Michael is going on a lifelong vacation this afternoon.  He's going to a new home.  As I am sure it will be weird around here for a while I think both Bud and I are equally ready to have him go.  He's been living with us for 3 years.

                  I can hardly imagine.......

1.  Not having to let him in and outside constantly

2.  No accidents to clean up

3.  NO BARKING

4.  No holding him back when a client walks into the salon

5.  No more dog food

6.  No more haircuts

7.  No more Zabe putting his dog food into his water dish and making a wet mess

8.  NO MORE BARKING

9.  No more letting him out during the middle of the night

10.  Amen.

I will say he's been a decent dog for us, minus the barking and constant annoyance he endures on me.  It will be really strange for a while I'm sure.  I'm sure he will be missed at times but he'll just be a short drive away.  When I talked to the new owners they were very excited and said, "It's a blessing in disguise because LeRoy has just had some heart issues and since he will be home during the day it will be good for him to get up and let him in and out."  He's going to Pat and LeRoy Swenson's.  I hope Howie enjoys his new home.  Goodbye Howie, be a good boy and make your original owners proud! :)

Last Sunday Shell and I went on a little photo drive, here are the pictures.  These are just a few but I wanted to get them up and posted.  I should take a drive today because there are a few inches of snow out there this morning.  Irritating. 

It is VERY quiet around here without the purebred.  I braced myself a few times yesterday when clients would walk in because I keep forgetting he's not going to come barking.  Yesterday when Z woke up he went straight to the kennal to find no Howie, I told Zabe again that Howie went bye, bye.  I'm sure he's really wondering where he is.  I think Bud is missing him a little too, he asked me last night if I missed him. :) 

A week from today we leave for VEGAS!  So excited.  I'm sure this week will fly by.  Can't wait for the sun, lights, and to see the old salon and friends.  Ohhh so excited.  It will however be the longest I've been away from Zabe that might get a little rough but he will be in good hands with his daddy.  There are going up north to Bud's sisters the day we leave for the weekend, so Z will see his cousins which he'll love.....and Sparky, Howie's brother. 

Have a great day. 

My team-  Hondo, kneeling, Jill and Dave Voth, Back row, Alicia O'Reilly, myself and Charlotte Volkman  (not pictured) Renae Bryan

We did well.  We look a little exhausted in the picture because we played hard.  We were Consolation champions.  Good times, good workout and went to a good cause.  The DuBar Dolls fight against breast cancer, they do the 3 day walk so the VB tournament was a fundraiser for them.  They raised $830.91 at the tourney.  Each person had to pay $10 to play and since we got Consolation champs we got our money back which then we turned around and gave it back to them.  Every dollar helps.  It was a lot of fun to play with Alicia and Char, hopefully we will play again next year and be the champs:)

....I have ever seen on Craigslist! 

****Sorry I just saw this was deleted by the owner.  shoot.  It was hilarious.  It was 4 free bowling trophies.  I seriously LOL'ed!  I wonder if someone came and picked them up?

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Just incase your curious what the weather will be like :)

and I promise there will be no pictures of that, or at least not of me in my thong bikini.  :) 

I will leave you with a few pictures of Zabe.  Oh, how I'm going to miss the little man.  6 full days without him.  I'm going to be so out of shape when I get home.

So while packing and getting things ready for vacation I plopped Zabe down in front of Elmo on TV.  As most of you know TV is not something he's in to but I thought I would give it another try.  When I peeked in at him he had gotten up and went and grabbed his Elmo doll and sat down with him.  So cute.  His TV watching experience lasted about 2.8 minutes. 

See that mark by his face?  That is from our visit to the chiropractor the other day, he totally biffed it on the TV/VCR stand in the waiting room.  The situation could have been a lot worse, as he could have punctured is eye.

You know how he likes to wear necklaces and such around his neck.  Today he found one of my clean socks and tried putting that around his neck.  His most recent "necklace" has been a little toy fence he has for his animals.

And looky here...it's me. 

Oh, how he loves the outdoors.  Hopefully when we get home from Vegas the weather will really start to behave and we can play and run and jump and spend hours outdoors. Because I am really sick of things like this happening...so glad it missed us today!

......or Abbie the tomato. Let's just say I was in the sun yesterday about 5 hours too long. You know one thing lead to another, a little to much oil, a few beers later, and a heat index of 8 is not good for a girl who had no base tan to start. Pictures to come. To illustrate the tomato.