I almost forgot

While we were in Kansas over Thanksgiving our bathroom was getting a make over!!!

BEFORE:

out with the old 70's teal tile and in with the warm neutral tones!

AFTER:

notice there is no more window in the shower!  That means no more moldy window seal.  They also moved the shower head up since we are both pretty tall and did some plumbing work to increase the pressure!  I LOVE the results.  Only problem is I can't drag myself out of the hot shower in the mornings, and I don't think I can use the excuse of my perfect shower for showing up late to work any more :)

Isn't it GREAT!?!?

and so we wait

It is that time again.  The next two weeks will be LONG, as we wait for the 25th.  Yes, I'm excited for Christmas - but for a completely different reason this year.  December 25 is the day we can test with confidence to see if this has been the magic cycle.  TMI - sorry, but I'm already starting to get excited and it is still two extremely long weeks away.  I mean geeze, I've already waited 30 days just to get to the 2 week wait.  These LONG cycles are any girls dream when they are younger but when it gets time to start a family they are killer.  Being pregnant this time around would be a blessing - I would really like to be pregnant when the anniversary of my 1st due date rolls around on January 6th.  I think knowing that there is a baby on the way would help ease the pain of that day. 

So say a little prayer, cross your fingers, toes, arms, legs, etc. 

you get the point

hopefully we will have even more cause to celebrate this year!!

THANKSGIVING BREAK

Luke and I left bright and early Wednesday morning for Kansas.  After dropping the dogs off at their doggie hotel we were on our way.  We made the drive in pretty good time (only 9.5 hrs) and had the evening to relax with family.  I was able to meet up with my family and go to a birthday party and then headed back to the Simmering's for a good nights sleep.  Driving wears me out so I was ready for a nice warm bed.  Luke was up at 5:30 the next morning to hunt so I sat around and watched Molly work in the kitchen, preparing for the lunch feast.  When the hunters arrived home we all showered and got ready for the day.  Molly had prepared the traditional Thanksgiving meal and it was GOOD!  We were also able to celeberate Mary's birthday with the entire family which was fun! Luke and I hadn't seen Mary since last New Years Eve so it was great to get to spend some time with her.  We also got to meet Andy, her boyfriend for the first time.  Luke approves with is a pretty big deal.  He takes his role as big brother very seriously and doesn't approve easily.  He acted the same way with Katie, too.  He may be her little brother but he is very protective of her as well.  So Phil, be glad he loves you!! ;) 

Friday we spent at my parents.  I woke up bright and early to shop with my Lauren her fiance, my mom and a friend.  We had a great time.  Consumed TONS of caffeine and spent some quality time together.  I even made a few purchases, no Christmas gifts but a few shirts for myself and a game for Luke and I!  That afternoon I WORKED!  I do my dad's payroll so I went into the office and spent a little time there getting everyone paid before Dad and I headed back to Wichita to shop for cars.  I have always been his helper when it comes to cars!  We have alot of fun looking and spending time together.  I think we decided on another Maxima, they just set the bar a too high.  The others we looked at didn't measure up!  That evening we had Neufeld Thanksgiving at my parents house.  It was so great to see all the cousins and aunts and uncles.  We dont' get to see that group very often so we really enjoy our time together when we get it!  We will try and see them all again at Christmas but with Anna's due date and all the other Christmas activities going on I'm not sure that we will get to see most of them.  Saturday I got to do some wedding shopping with my mom and sisters.  Since I live 10 hours away I dont' get to be a part of most of these trips so I was so glad to get to tag along.  We went and bought samples of fabric for the bridesmaids dresses.  After bringing them to the seamstress that evening Lauren was able to pick one and has officially ordered the fabric!!  We will all get measured when we are together over Christmas so she can begin sewing!  I can't wait to see the finished dresses, they are going to be super cute!  Lauren has such good taste!  It makes me want to get married all over again, just to get to do all the planning and shopping!

Sunday we were up early to hit the road.  Our drive took a little longer because of all the traffic but we made it in about 10 hours, just in time to pick up Buddy and Kato from their vacation.
attempted family pictures.
Thursday with the Simmerings

Friday with the Raleighs

If only I were crafty

Check out this AMAZING blog!  I would kill to be just 1/2 as creative as her.  Just look at these amazing transformations. 

I have a sewing/embroidery machine combo but I would NEVER think to take a goodwill find and turn it into something so cute! See her blog for some great ideas. Also, she is giving away a A Silhouette Machine. My youngest sister just got a Cricut and I've been wanting one badly but after reading about the Silhouette I think that is the route I would rather go!

http://grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com/

year, doctor, questions .............

just a quick update.  We have been trying to expand our family for a year now.  I decided it was time to switch doctors.  I met with the new Dr. today and was THRILLED!!!  He asked me questions, listened to my concerns and CARED! This is a change from our previous Dr.  Needless to say we have a game plan and looks like we have some people on our team now!  Long story short today was a GREAT day and it makes me excited about the future!

-Morgan

Weekend Update

Saturday morning we woke up nice and early so Luke could run in the Sparta 5k at Squire Creek.  It was a miserable morning to run but he was a trooper.  Can you see him there in the middle, he has his arms crossed.  Not exactly the most intense set position but it was FREEZING!  And look at the crazy girl in the spandex and sports bra!  But I guess if I looked like that maybe I would wear that too!  Luke ran great, he got 2nd in his age group and 7th overall.  He broke 20 min and finished in 19:53 which is pretty darn good for such a hilly course!  I'm super proud of him.

After the race Luke dropped me off with a friend and I spent most of the afternoon running errands with her so Luke could have the house to study.  I tend to bother him when we are both home so it was best that I not be around :)  I did get some Christmas shopping done, I've never started this early but I found some cute stuff for the Simmering siblings and I think I'm done with them for the most part!  Successful day! 

 Sunday was study day for Luke.  We skipped church and Sunday school and he spent the day writing papers and studying for finals this week.  So as a good wife I made him a hearty breakfast! Sausage, egg and cheese biscuits.  They were yummy and provided him fuel for the morning.

 We were planning on attending a social with our Sunday School that evening but Luke was at his office still and I wasn't quite up for doing it alone so this dessert went to work with me today.  I think it was a hit - Luke ate a big piece when he was finished with school work yesterday and seemed to think it passed the test.  It was super easy and tasted great, I'll have to make it again!  

Great relaxing weekend in the Simmering household.  Next weekend we have big plans to get some work done around the house so it was nice to have a weekend where I could just enjoy my time off.

-Morgan

Call Me Crazy

But I love these 2 like you wouldn't believe!!

I just picked them up from the groomers, which is one of my favorite things to do!  First off they are clean and just too darn cute plus they are so excited to see me!  They come tearing out of the back like they just can't wait one more minute.  I love that Kato can't stand still because her tail is wagging so hard and Buddy makes a crazy crying noise because he can't contain his excitement!  I think maybe they love me too, just a tad ;)

I love that they will 

cuddle for hours

keep all of my secrets

sit on the couch with me all day if I'm on bed rest

or if I just want to be lazy

run around the backyard on a beautiful day

play fetch whenever I throw a toy

love whatever I cook - even if it isn't for them

run when I say "kisses"

but give me them when they know I need it

Right now they are guarding me, as I sit at the computer they are on either side at high alert of any and every sound.  It's no wonder we spoil them rotten, they do the same to us!

BEST NIGHT EVER

Ok, let's be honest.  Maybe not the BEST NIGHT EVER, but it did rank up there with the best.  We didn't do anything special or thrilling but we did spend the evening just the four of us (Luke, Me and the 2 furbabies) relaxing, eating a good meal and enjoying our beautiful backyard, amazing weather and a cozy fire.

this one needs explanation. Ever since she was TINY she has insisted on being held like a toddler.  With her legs wrapped around me.  Now that she is 45lbs it isn't quite so easy but we both LOVE it!

Ups and Downs of a Dallas Wedding Weekend

Overall we had a Great Weekend in Dallas.  We left Ruston early afternoon on Friday to allow time to stop and pick up a tux for Luke.  We found the place with relative ease and made it to the hotel with time to shower and clean up before rehearsal dinner.  The dinner was at Blue Mesa Grill in Plano, TX.  We had some great mexican food and entertainment.  Bill's mom did a great job with the rehearsal, sadly his dad is in the hospital in Oklahoma battling cancer and couldn't make it to the wedding festivities.  After dinner and a walk through at the church we headed to relatives of the bride for desserts and socializing.  It was so great to see all of our Minnesota friends again.  I hadn't seem most of them since we moved out of our apartment in Mankato over a year ago.  Having some time to catch up with this group was such a treat.  Saturday was wedding day, and also OSU football day.  Luke and I woke up early as always and went for a nice drive around Plano.  (We decided we could live here after he graduates :))  We stayed in such a great area, we had everything we needed with in walking distance.  We met up with the guys in the wedding party to watch the football game and get lunch before they headed back to the hotel to get ready.  Since the wedding wasn't until 7:30 I had most of the afternoon to myself.  We had lost our camera charger a few weeks earlier so I drove around to 2 Targets a Wal-Mart and finally found what we needed at Best Buy.  It was a hectic afternoon of Dallas traffic but I have conquered my fear of driving in Dallas.  I also had to make a run between the wedding and the reception to the hotel because Luke left his tux bag outside on a park bench with his clothes in it, including wallet and other items he didn't want stolen.  Luckily someone had picked the bag up and turned it into the hotel desk.  When I get to the reception I reach into the back seat to get something out of his tux bag and drop my keys on the the seat, not thinking I hop out and lock the doors.  KEYS INSIDE!  Yep, take me back to HS when I did this everyday, I was so sad, I thought I was going to have to pay a ridiculously expensive locksmith to come and open my doors, but luckily Beka is an expert car jacker and was able to break into my car in minutes flat.  She saved the day!  I've never been so relieved in my life!  Disaster avoided.  The rest of the night was great.  Dinner, Dancing and Friends.  We couldn't have asked for a better weekend.  We woke up bright and early Sunday morning to head back to Ruston.  Made a stop in Shreveport to drop off the tux and decided to grab lunch at Buffalo Wild Wing. (Sidenote: we felt this was appropriate as we used to eat at Buffalo Wild Wing with the Mankato crew atleast once a week, so it seemed a fitting place to end the weekend. )  Sadly I left my purse on the back of my chair and didn't realize until hours after we got home!! Again, we were saved by a friend.  DeAnn was in Shreveport and headed back to Ruston so she was able to bring my purse which had my wallet, camera, nook, cell phone, etc in it to Luke the next day!  Disaster avoided, again!  

We had such a great time, and handled our almost disasters with the help of great friends.  Just makes us that much more thankful for the wonderful relationships we have made over the past few years!

Enjoy some pictures from the weekend, and Congrats Bill and Erica Gerber!

Sad Sad Story

My little sister told me a sad story last night of a girl that threw away her baby!  That is right people, a girl that she used to have class with delivered a baby boy in her bathtub and then put him in a plastic bag and threw him away in a dumpster across town! 

She then proceded to go to work. 

Here is the worst part, in Kansas there is a safe haven law that allows parents to drop off babies up to 45 days old at any fire department, medical facility or health department.  Why in the world would you drop the baby in a dumpster when you know there are NO consequences to dropping the baby off at a place where it can be cared for?

Call me cruel but I'm all for having this girl steralized while fully concious, this is the extent to which I have mentally punished her at this point, but I'm sure I will think of plenty more ways in which she should pay for her actions!  She is being charged with attempted murder, I'm not sure what the sentence for that is but I hope she is too old to procreate if/when she is released!

I was so upset when Lauren told me this story last night!  Who would do something like this.  People are struggling everyday to have children of their own, tons of people looking to adopt infants and she chooses to let hers die!  I'm getting mad just thinking about it again!  And then there is the part of me that asks why?!?!  Why can a girl like this have a baby!?! Luke and I would be GREAT parents (in my opinion) and we have trouble with the whole pregnancy/miscarriage thing and then someone like this is able to get pregnant, stay pregnant and deliver a healthy baby only to throw it away!

I saw this picture this morning and it was a nice reminder that we aren't being punished and when we do have a little one the reward will be so sweet!

I'm learning to live with life not being fair, but sometimes it just makes me so darn mad!

Then I just remember all of the things I have to be thankful for and life doesn't seem quite so bad anymore!

Happy Hump Day

-Morgan

while Buddy was working on a hot spot........

Luke and I played.  

Does that make us bad parents?

We spent Friday night in Norman with Virgil and MaryLou (Luke's Grandparents).  We had so much fun with them.  MaryLou sent us home with some amazing silver pieces so I now need to have a dinner party!  

Saturday we headed to Stillwater bright and early!  We spent the day enjoying our favorite things in Stillwater.  We shopped at Chris's, checked out the house decs at the Greek houses, enjoyed cheese fries and burgers from Eskimo Joe's and of course cheered for the Cowboys.  Although the game didn't turn out the way we would have liked we had a BLAST!  Plus I got both Braums and Panera while in Oklahoma.  It was a great weekend.

enjoy some pics I stole from Beka - I left my camera in the car all weekend - oops.



my two favorite girls!




Luke and Jesse




view from our seats




Becky, Beka, Me - enjoying our time together!



- Morgan

Not everyone had such a Great Weekend.........

Poor Buddy chewed a hot spot on his back side that resulted in a cone for the remainder of the week.  The vet seems to think it is a combination of allergies and being in a new place for the weekend.    Poor Guy!

We have to be out of town again this weekend for a wedding in Dallas so we aren't sure what this guy will be doing.  He can't come to Dallas (I already checked with the hotel ;))  and we aren't sure we are ready to send him back to the vet.  He may get to spend a weekend at home with the pricey pet sitter, spoiled little doggie.

Hope your weekend was better than Buddy's

-Morgan

Updates........

1. Grandpa is doing GREAT! He was discharged on Wednesday afternoon and was out driving his land that evening. Stubborn old mad couldn't wait to check the fields :).  He didn't have to have dialysis this time around and for that we are so grateful! 

2. We are leaving in about an hour for O.K.L.A.H.O.M.A.  We will spend tonight with Luke's grandparents in Norman and head to Stillwater early Saturday morning for the game!  Can't wait to see our favorite okies!

3. Work is going well, corporate came for a visit yesterday and we seem to have passed with flying colors!  We needed a good report after months of playing catch up.  My job is SAFE!

4. Still don't know the gender of baby Walters (my niece/nephew) which is driving me nuts! I don't know how Katie is handling it, she doesn't do well with secrets/surprises like me :)  I also haven't bought anything for the baby and I LOVE a little retail therapy so this is saying alot. Everytime I see a cute little baby something I have to hold off on buying it.  Oh this child will be spoiled!!!! And I'm competing for favorite aunt with some pretty tough competition.

5. Next weekend is Bill and Erica's Wedding!  Can't wait!  Hoping to see lots of MN people in Dallas!

6. Girls weekend plans are being finalized and reservations have been made.  Only a few short weeks away, did I mention retail therapy! oh yes, and lots of food and girl talk.  BLISS!

7.  Fall has officially reached Louisiana!  The weather has been great, now if we could just get some rain life would be golden!

Ok so there it is, what has been and is happing in our world over the past/next few weeks!  Have a wonderful weekend!  Enjoy some RANDOM pictures, Luke and I have been going through old stuff and cleaning out pictures and I came across some that just make me smile.

Kato enjoying the beautiful weather :)



isn't she special



My one true love :)



some of my favorite Okies :)

the soon to be newlyweds with the soon to be parents!

- Morgan

Grandpa Neufeld

First, let me introduce you to my grandpa, my one and only!  He is the adorable guy in the bow tie.  Isn't he just the cutest grandpa a girl could ask for?  I guess since I only got 1 I got the best there is.  Ignore everyone else, it looks like we were talking or something :)

My grandpa is sick, he is in the hospital in Wichita, KS.  10 hours away from where I live :(  Last time grandpa was in the hospital I worked just a few miles away so I got to go and spend my lunch hour with him.  Let me give you some background on grandpa's history.

Grandpa is a farmer, and being in KS wheat is his main crop.  As he got older he started having to interupt harvest to go to the bathroom so the summer of 1994 he stopped drinking during the long days on the tractor.  This worked, and he was able to avoid those dreaded bathroom breaks, what he also managed to do was damage his kidneys so much so that they shut down!  He spent a few weeks in the hospital being nursed back to health and promising to drink more when it is 110 degrees outside.

Fastforward 13 years to June of 2007, grandpa does the same thing but much worse.  He doesn't feel good for a few days and before you know it he has lost muscle control and is being rushed to the ER.  He spent a few weeks in the ICU and then a few more weeks in a rehab wing of St. Francis in Wichita.  When he was discharged he was still on dialysis and the Doctors fully expected him to be dependent on dialysis for the remainder of his life.  But, by some miracle his kidneys regained function and he was given a 3rd chance.

Fastforward a few years and grandma and grandpa are in Russia visiting the villages that our ancestors lived in.  They saw the village that my great grandpa and great great grandpa lived in before coming to KS.  Grandpa was not fond of the bathroom situation and the bland food so he stoped eating and drinking.  Not a good decision.  He gets sick. In Russia.  Grandma makes a good call and ends the trip early.  They frantically make their way back to the good ole U.S of A where they are greated by some unhappy folks(my parents/aunts and uncles) who insist that grandpa go to the ER, he refuses and they take him home.  After a nights sleep those unhappy folks make him go to the ER where he is admitted and has been since Saturday.  I talked with him on the phone for awhile on Sunday and he is in good spirits.  He always is, thats one thing I love about him.  He is pretty darn honest about his situation and why he is there but you just can't be mad at him when he is stuck in the hospital!  So, long story short Grandpa could use your prayers, thoughts, etc. for the next few days.  If all goes well and his kidneys do as they are supposed to we are hoping for a Wednesday discharge!!! 

4 days until Stillwater!!! 3 until Norman!!!

Have a great Tuesday

-Morgan 

Catching Up

It's been awhile. 

Luke and I have been busy doing nothing these past few weeks.  We have been able to enjoy the last two weekends at home with 0 plans.  We have watched LOTS of football, worn alot of OSU orange and spent endless hours on the back deck enjoying this Louisiana weather. 

This past weekend I finally got my embroidery/sewing machine up and working.  I only bought red thread just incase I was terrible.  I embroidered our initials on a blanket we keep in the living room, my initials on a scarf and a few other odds and ends.  I LOVE it.  I can't wait until I have a little one to do this for, as it may be a little odd for Luke and I to begin wearing embroidered/monogramed clothing.  I'm a huge fan of the monogram and can't wait to have someone to use this machine on.  The good news is that my little niece/nephew will be here in April so I can spoil it rotten with cute little outfits/blankets/etc. (we need to hurry up and find out the gender of this baby, I hate calling it, it!)  I've found some software that I need/want.  It lets you design your own patterns and then saves them to a memory card, I think that I'll splurge on this before too long. 

My next project is curtains for our bedroom, and if those turn out allright I wouldn't mind replacing the ones our living room!  As you can tell I have BIG plans for this little machine!

We are getting excited for our next few weekends.  Stillwater this coming weekend for homecoming!  Did you know it is "America's Greatest Homecoming"?!?!  We sure seem to think so and can't wait for some time in Oklahoma.  While up north I WILL eat some ice cream from Braum's and get soup and a sandwich at Panera.  There are many good things about the south but geeze, how do these people live with out Braum's and Panera?!?!?  We are squeezing in some time with Luke's grandparnents on Friday night and will be back in time for work on Monday morning. AHHH, I can't wait!

Then, the following weekend we are going to be in Dallas for a wedding.  Luke is an usher in Bill and Erica's wedding.  Bill was Luke's roomate his first year at Minnesota State.  I got to know Bill and Erica after I moved to Minnesota for Luke's second year.  We can't wait for this wedding and are so happy for Bill and Erica.

This brings us to the first weekend in November and "GIRLS WEEKEND"!!! I'm so ready for some time with the ladies.  We are't going too far but plan to spend the weekend in Shreveport eating, shopping, and relaxing!

Can you believe we are already planning into November!  This past year has gone so FAST I can't belive it.  As of this week we have been living in Ruston for 1 year!  I hope the next few go a little slower or Luke will be graduating and looking for jobs before we know it, and I'm not sure I'm ready to leave Ruston just yet!

Here's to a great week!

-Morgan

Attempted Family Pictures

After church this morning we decided to give the new camera a try.  Here is our sad attempt at a good family picture.  Good thing we are having a professional help us out before it's time for Christmas cards.

 

This last one is my favorite.  Maybe not the best picture ever but if you look carefully you can see both dogs decided to attack me at the same time!

Hope you had a Great Weekend.

-Morgan

It's Time

After our second miscarriage I haven't been all that excited to begin trying again. Of course I want that baby so badly, but I've been too scared to really want it. What scares me the most is that I can't get excited for a positive pregnancy test because I'm too scared it will all end terribly.


The first positive came out of the blue after trying for 5 months. We had kinda given up and just decided we would wait it out until we could go see a specialist around the 6 month mark. Then, I got sick took the test and wham! here we are celebrating, naming a baby and dreaming about a nursery for a month. And then I have a little spotting, everyone says not to worry but this is different I can tell. The Dr. squeezes me in and takes what felt like gallons of blood. Sent me home on bed rest and said call back in a few days. The few days just happened to be the worst cramps and bleeding I have ever experienced in my life. I knew what had happened, but I was able to keep a little hope that maybe I was wrong. The Dr. called Monday to confirm what I had suspected. Miscarriage #1. He gave us the go ahead to try again right away since we were only a little over 7 weeks.

A little over 7 weeks later I'm sick again and complaining because I just want a normal cycle like all the statistics say I should have. I can't figure out what is going on until I take yet another test, and so begins our blissfully celebration. We are absolutely certain that this pregnancy will go well, statistics show that 85% of women have a healthy pregnancy following a miscarriage. Well, we didn't get too celebrate too long because just a few days after the positive test the spotting begins again. This time I didn't have to wait as long for the blood work, the Dr. was able to confirm on day 1 that this was the beginning of Miscarriage #2. This was also the start of what was supposed to be a great weekend. Our friends were getting married; we were going to be in Hesston to tell our families in person. Nope, all our families got were us, sad, depressed and me still suffering from the bleeding, cramping and morning sickness that go along with a miscarriage.

So here we are 12 weeks later and I have finally come to terms with the fact that I have to get another positive to get the baby. I have to take that risk that things may not go as planned. I've convinced myself that there is a light at the end of this tunnel. Even if worst case scenario, our next pregnancy ends in miscarriage it will be #3. This is the magical number in the infertility world, after miscarriage #3 you are diagnosed with recurrent miscarriages and can begin the testing to figure out what is wrong.

So, moral of the story is that I'm going to face this next few months with happy, excited, anticipation. And when we get that next positive I'm going to allow myself to be happy, to dream about colors for the nursery and names for my sweet little baby. I've decided that this is the path that I will be taking. It has taken me awhile to make this decision, but I'm sticking to it.

Wish me luck!


- Morgan

Weekend of Surprises

The first surprise came on Wednesday of last week.  Here is how it all went down :) I'm sitting at work minding my own business when my dad calls with exciting news and a secret.  Kevin, my little sisters boyfriend is proposing on Friday and my dad just wants me to know before hand that they will all be meeting (surprising) Lauren and Kevin afterwards for dinner to celebrate.  So before I know what I'm doing I buy a plane ticket for Wichita, I didn't think about it or worry about money I just bought a ticket.  I'm NOT a spur of the moment kind of person, I'm an accountant for crying out loud.  I only do things after weighing all my options consulting with Luke and sleeping on the idea for a few nights. NOT THIS TIME!

MY SISTER IS GETTING MARRIED!

That is the point of the story incase you didn't get it already!  

Now, you are caught up and I can tell the story........

Friday I arrive in Wichita around 10:30am, my mom picks me up from the airport and takes me home.  We meet dad and Taylor for lunch and kill time waiting for Lauren to get off work and ultimatly for her hysterical phone call we know we will be getting soon!  While killing time Taylor and I decide that we want to go wedding dress shopping while I'm around so we schedule a few appointments for Saturday and continue to wait.  Soon after 4:30 Taylor gets the call.  We all have to keep quiet because Lauren still thinks I'm i LA.  I get the call next and play it off GREAT! She has NO idea I'm in KS!  We all pile in the car and head to P.F. Changs to meet the happy couple.  We were seated at the first table so they couldn't miss us when they came in. It was a great surprise!  Lots of tears from me and Lauren. This may have been the first time in my life I've kept a secret long enough to see it pay off in the end! 

Saturday was a much needed Raleigh girls day! Can't remember the last time we had a day to do as we pleased!  It was so refreshing.  I needed some mom and sister time more than I would ever admit!  Lauren tried on some beautiful dresses and may have even found THE ONE!  She will be the most beautiful bride ever! Can't wait for May 20 2011 to roll around!   

one happy family!

the happy couple

and THE RING!  he did Good!

Hope your weekend was one to celebrate as well!

-Morgan

Bull Shoals/White River

On Friday of Labor day weekend Luke and I packed up the car and dogs and headed to Bull Shoals, AR.  We rented a house on the White River with Matt, Allison, and Brian.

view from our deck!  That little blip out there is Luke fishing.

This was our first family of 4 road trip!  As you may know Buddy is an excellent traveller.  He made numerous trips from MN to KS last year, I guess you could say he is a travelling veteran.  Kato, on the other hand is scared shi+less of the car.  (I mean this quite literally.)  So we were a little worried about her. But, she did GREAT, until we hit middle of NOWHERE Arkansas.  The roads were 2 lane, slow moving and windy as all get out!  She threw up for the first time about half way through the drive, # 2 and 3 were both within the last hour!  3 times!  I'm not sure if it is the mom in me or the fact that I'm growing up but I was able to make it the entire trip with out getting sick!  Thank goodness I layered the back seat in towels and the rental house had a washing machine.  The car made it with out too much damage.  We arrived about 4:30 so we took the dogs down to the river for some swimming.  They LOVED it.  Luke did some fishing and I enjoyed some cool weather while we watched from the beach.  The fishing was pretty short lived.  Buddy has been fishing enough times with Luke that he knows what the pole can bring in.  He wouldn't leave Luke alone.  He sat beside him the entire time and stared at the line.  I've never seen him so intense!  While this is pretty cute it also makes me nervous. Once while fishing in Stillwater, Luke "caught" Buddy.  The hook went right through his back leg.  Now, I didn't know this but those little hooks have a barb on them so they don't just slide out. I freaked out and provided NO help.   Luke had to carry Buddy around the lake looking for someone with the right tool to cut the hook so we could get it out.  We made it through the ordeal with no infections and a dog that learned NOTHING.  Ok, so back to the white river.  Matt, Allison, and Brian arrived about 11:30 that night, which means it was a late night of catching up.

Buddy LOVES fishing.  Luke is trying to keep him beside him and nowhere near the hook.

Saturday started out perfectly, Luke made biscuits and gravy for all of us and then we headed to the lake.  We rented a pontoon boat for the day so we were lazy all day.  We fished, swam, the boys jumped off some cliffs and mostly just relaxed!  It was just what we needed.  That evening we went out to eat at one of Luke and I's favorite restaruants Picante's.  It is a little mexican restaurant that has a store in Hot Springs, AR and one in Mountain Home, AR.  THE BEST MEXICAN FOOD EVER!

Sunday was a LAZY day.  We went on a float trip down the white river in the afternoon and then out to eat for dinner.  I don't have pictures of the float trip or the day on the pontoon boat yet, I'm awaiting them in an email from Brian!

It was a great weekend with great friends.  We need to make this happen more often!

- Morgan