Happy Birthday Owen! Welcome Holly! Back to school!

I think the title sums it up. Owen has turned 2, we got a puppy and Zach is officially in the 3rd grade. I admit, I was NOT aware that school was starting so early and I'm still smoldering a bit of anger/frustration about it. In my mind there were 2 more weeks and I was happy to get some school shopping done 'early' as we had 3 weeks to go...imagine my surprise when my mother in law informed me No, you only have a week! I wanted time to kick back and relax, stay up late and sleep in (on days that Kev was home at least) Noooooo I don't want to start dragging Zach out of bed early every morning, struggle through the routine for getting to school, then the after-school homework, reading, chores, dinner, karate....aaarrrgggghhhh! But it's here and he's doing great, even if I'm still a bit miffed about it.

One week after our arrival home, Owen turned 2. Hard to believe he's so grown up already. And I swear, it's like he flipped some switch...he's suddenly trying to talk more, saying a new word almost daily, showing more personality, on and on, I just look at him and wonder where this little boy came from. We have started Tumbleweeds, a gymnastics center that has a great program for little ones, and he had a blast, running like a maniac through the gym. The owner commented on how much like Zach he was, she remembered details about how Zach was at that age and then remarked how he had the same energy. Hahahahahahahahaha.

Enter Holly....this is all Rusty's fault. He and Kim got 2 of the cutest little beagle puppies just before we left to come home. Little Sylvia melted my heart and I would have taken her with me then and there, had she not been Sophia's pick. So when we got home I started looking on Petfinders to see what sort of puppies were available around here. Kept it a secret from Zach and on Saturday, August 1, we snuck up to Orlando and got Holly. THANK-YOU SHARON! for signing us up on the list giving us a top spot so we could get the dog of our choosing. Otherwise, we wouldn't have gotten her, and she's a keeper. Part chocolate lab, part Australian shepherd (we are wondering about that second part, she looks like a lab) she's smart as a whip and keeping me busy when I think I have a free moment, I remember that I don't.

I think this brings me up to speed, I'll grab the pics and hopefully pass out for the night and get back on schedule with this here blog thing.

Btw, one of Owen's new words is 'rain'..."Wain!"