IT HAS BEGUN...

Wow. I thought I had at least another year to go before it started. Boys have been calling the house for K. They are nice boys, I have met them. She is actually a cheerleader for their 7th grade football team. She knows the rules: no dating/kissing, etc. till she's 16. She will turn 13 in December. Group-type dates are fine. You know, a bunch of kids going to the movies, etc. We have been talking about abstinence in Confirmation class at church. I am going to buy her a purity ring (I still need to talk to J about that). Maybe she can get a bunch of her close friends to do the same with their parents... She keeps talking about having a big dance for her 13th birthday. She has seen one too many episodes of "Sweet 16" on MTV. Those kids have millionaire parents and get whatever they want. It's just not that way in the real world...

GRADES

First quarter grades came out and both my girls got the same grades. All A's and one B+. They were thrilled. I'm so proud of them. Already they are starting to realize the effort it takes to get good grades and what the rewards are. As long as they keep their bedrooms clean and keep up with their chores, they can pretty much do anything (within reason!). They are such good kids.

NIKITA BOBITA

On Tuesday, October 17th, 2006, at 7:30am our 7 (almost 8) year old boxer named Nikita died. She had been sick for about the last 10 days. It just started out as coughing, or trying to get something out of her throat. Then she started to cough up blood when we went to the vet. He didn't know what it was. He gave her some antibiotic and some prednisone to knock out whatever was ailing her. It didn't work. By Friday night, she was bad. Stopped eating and not drinking anything really. Stopped peeing. Just laying down breathing hard. I felt so sorry for her. Because I have asthma, I know what a struggle it can be to breathe. I prayed every night those last few days for God to just come and take her. I didn't want her to be suffering anymore. We had even taken her to the emergency vet place over the weekend. They wanted to keep her overnight and give her oxygen and some other meds, but it would cost $800 to do that. We just don't have that kind of money. So, we took her home to be with us. We had planned to take her to the vet on Monday and see what they wanted to do. Either try new medicine or suggest putting her down. I knew in my heart she was close to the end. Monday night I almost slept on the kitchen floor with her. I knew. I just knew. When J came downstairs that morning, she wagged her tail at him. I will never forget how miserable she looked but still wagged that tail. He was comforted by that. He went to move her from in front of the garage door so he could leave and he put her by the deck door. When he went to set her down, she couldn't stand on her legs. She collapsed and then started to heave and go into mini convulsions. He hollered at me to come to the kitchen (I was headed back upstairs as he moved her). I knew it was time by the tone in his voice. Oh no. Not my Nikita! I hollered for K to come down and be with her. When her bladder let go I knew it was really close to the end. I ran over to the school to get L from math class. I was bawling my head off and still in my PJ's. We got back over to the house just in time for L to say goodbye before it was over. We all cried together as we knelt over her. J held her head in his lap. She was his favorite. He covered her up with some blankets (we will never forget which ones they are as we use them all the time anyway.)
I took the girls to school (they wanted to go) and J was making calls to work. When I got home, our other boxer, Sasha, had uncovered Nikita's head from underneath the blanket and was laying by her side. It was such a sad, loving moment. I will never forget it. We had her cremated and are looking for a special memorial/urn to put her in. I have cried every night since she's been gone and I still think I hear her around the house sometimes. I know she will always be with us and we will see her again one day in Heaven... Rest in peace Nikita Bobita. Rest in peace.

LET'S GO RACING!!

This past weekend we went to the Nascar races. It was our last year to do it. We even took the girls out of school Friday to go to qualifying. They had a blast. It was an awesome, exhausting weekend. Not sure if it just emphasizes how out of shape I am or that I'm getting older, but it sure took a lot out of me. This is a busy week as well and an even busier weekend coming up. All of the pleasure I've had over the last few weeks has been magnified by the fact that my husband and I seem to be really in sync with each other. I've noticed it the last few months. I mean, really in sync. Not that we ever really fight. We have our disagreements now and then. But, everything lately as been smooth as silk. I love it. I love him. Gotta go now- more later...