Laurel!!!

She was SO getting into the Hula-Hoop on the Wii Fit!

Yep, still cold when it got light!

As I was leaving for work this morning, I told Laurel she probably should go warm up her car.
She followed me outside wearing a TANK TOP and complained how cold it was. She saw the sky and insisted I take a picture of it. You can't really see how red it was at the bottom, but his picture is pretty cool. Definitely snow clouds!

Then she scrambles to her car, freezing all the way, as I get into my warm car wearing a shirt, TWO sweaters and a lined leather coat with gloves. BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!

Wow! Southerners....Look what you are missing!!

For those of you that live in the southern states, look at what you are missing. I finally gave in and turned our furnace on yesterday after walking into what felt like a refrigerator. Then upon arising this morning, was greeted outside with this "fabulous" sight!


This is the top of my car after Brent had warmed it up for me (about 20 minutes) The frost still on the top of the car looks like snow and ice.

This is Ricky's car....totally encased in sparkly frost. Beautiful, huh?

I just heard that we are supposed to have sleet, snow and rain today. Oh, yeah! I love driving in the stuff. (NOT) On a good note, though, we are supposed to have a heat wave and see record highs on Friday...Halloween.....60-65 degrees!

Funny, Funny, Funny

This video was forwarded to me in an e-mail. It's just plain funny. (I'm very sure the gun was never loaded. He was playing a prank on her, not trying to hurt her). Watch her mouth after she smells it and aims at the water bottle. Just FUNNY!

(Warning.....there is a swear word at the end of this video)

Ringo actually LOOKED at the camera!

Wow, this is such a rarity. Ringo actually kept looking at the camera when I was taking his picture. Isn't he so cute?

I'm still snapping away, and he's still looking at me!

Even though he has a whole toy basket full of chewy toys, I gave him a new one and you'd have thought I gave him a million dollars (as if he cares what dollars are!).

Oh, and here's Ricky and Ashley leaving for her house. Hey, I've got to get the pictures while he's here. He's going to be gone for another long while!

My Back Yard Again!!! I love it!!!

Wow! What a huge change from yesterday. Guess I posted my back yard video too soon. I just couldn't wait, though.





The trees have REALLY changed just since yesterday. Amazing.

This cool looking guy knows that I am sitting here at my kitchen table looking at him. It's so funny, I've seen other birds do this too, especially when I was sitting RIGHT THERE on the patio.....they put their backs to me. I guess they figure if they can't see me, I'm not there! How funny is that?

This little house finch was enjoying his dinner too.

I took a video of this guy eating, but, once again, I'm having problems posting it. Not sure what's up with that.

It was pretty cool. He didn't fly off until Brent opened the garage door when he got home. How that bird heard that is beyond me. He didn't hear me clanking on the window or Ringo or Silver slapping up against the blinds.

Ricky, Ashley and the Gearharts go to the zoo!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

My Backyard

Make a Smilebox slideshow

More Wii Fun!

Ricky and Ashley have never done the Wii Fit, so we got them set up with little Wii Miis and had them do fitness tests. According to the test results, their "Wii Age" is early to mid thirties! We've just been hanging out today, not doing much of anything. It's kind of nice for a change. And the weather is way better than what the forecast called for and than what it looked like it was going to be early this morning.

Ricky is in town! Surprise!!

Brent and I were the only ones that knew Ricky was coming home. (I told my Mom this week too, but don't think she remembered when). It didn't start out to be a surprise to everyone else, but Ricky asked us not to say anything to Ashley. I didn't realize that I had never said anything to Sara or Laurel either.

He got home yesterday afternoon after taking a Greyhound bus from Augusta. 22 hours later he arrived in Ft. Wayne. Ricky didn't realize that we were going to be at the station waiting for him. Gees, always drama. I got called in to work because of this Sara Palin thing in town and we got slammed with work. So Brent dropped me off and went to the bus station. I called him just before 1 o'clock and he said Ricky hadn't arrived yet and couldn't get him on his cell. So Brent came to get me and we went back. The station was CLOSED! Still couldn't reach Ricky on his cell. So we went to the library for a few and Brent got a call from Ricky. He was already at HOME! He had called a buddy and was going to surprise US! He didn't realize we were coming to get him.

Anyway, the first thing we did was break out our Wii. I just had to box Ricky because I am undefeated ~ even with the computer! I am the BOXING QUEEN! So Ricky challenged me.................and........................I AM STILL THE BOXING QUEEN! Of course no one took pictures of that. I am just too good! I did take pictures of Ricky and Brent playing tennis. And a video. It's so funny.

Then Brent ran Ricky over to Ashley's work to surprise her. As soon as he walked in (in civilian clothes), the girl at the counter (FYI...she's an estitician at The Surface...go see her, she will give an awesome facial! She needs the business!!) asked him if he's "the fiance"! Ashley had an idea, but didn't know for sure.

We've only seen him for a few minutes, he's got lots to do before reporting to Fort Drum the week after next. He's going to be busy, busy, busy!!!

Us!

It's definitely Fall here in Ft. Wayne. Brent and I got home at the same time tonight and took a few pictures of US! It's hard to believe that the snow will be flying in just a few short weeks.

Play Date!

Another beautiful day.....

I picked the girls up this morning and we went straight to the park by Parkview North Hospital and met a girl I work with, Nicole, and her two kids, Taylor (she's 4 ~ 6 months older than Mackenzee) and Dylan (2). We also met Ashley, her nephew, Vincent (2), and her mom, Dot.

The girls acted shy with each other for a whole three minutes, after that they were bff's! Maddison and Taylor really hit it off. Mackenzee was in all her glory with the two little boys. She likes to be the "mamma" and she had her hands full!
The kids all had a ball playing in the sand. They made the inside of this structure their fort and proceeded to get sand in and on everyone.
This is Maddison and Taylor deep in conversation. (it's funny...Maddison's middle name is Taylor!)

Vincent loved the swing!

Vincent and his Grandma.

Ahsley and Dot.

Taylor, Dot and Vincent

Nicole and Dylan

Mackenzee loves to swing too.

Mackenzee, Vincent, Ashley and Maddison.

Mackenzee "taking care of" Vincent.

Vincent running from Mackenzee!

We went to Old McDonald's for lunch and the kids played for another hour there. When we were leaving, Taylor told her mom that she just never wants to leave Maddison and Mackenzee again. The girls all hugged and kissed when they said goodbye. It was so precious! We were there so long that Sara picked them up from there!

NBA comes to Ft. Wayne!

We got invited to attend the Chicago Bulls vs Indiana Pacers game last night at the Coliseum with Scott and Kathy Foltz. Kathy got tickets through work and they were for the Suite! We've been in there one other time when we got to see a Mad Ants game. This was really fun and there were so many people. I also think we spotted Shaq there! Another guy said he heard that Shaq was supposed to be there, but I never saw him up close and never confirmed that he was really there. How cool would that have been.

Here we are in the suite. The view was great and we didn't have to go stand in line to get a drink or food....a waitress comes right into the suite. There's also a sink and a fridge and furniture like in a living room.

The Journal Gazette mascot paid us a visit too.

The stadium wasn't exactly full, but there were a whole lot of people there.

The cheerleaders put on several shows as did some local kids from area schools.

This picture was an accident, but I think it looks cool. I was taking a picture of Brent and whatever setting I had my camera on made the lights outside all squiggly like this.

What an absolutely gorgeous fall day!

Wow, I'm lovin' it! Not so much the cool, damp mornings; but I sure am happy that it's still light when I get home from work. Not only was it light today, but the SUN was shining so wonderfuly and the sky was a brilliant shade of blue. I love the view of the woods from my back yard.

And I still have some really pretty flowers. The ones below are some that my mom gave me way back in the spring. They stayed little and dry most of the summer, but since the huge rains we had a few weeks ago, they have just grown so lush and they are flowering ~ so many different colors!

I'm enjoying it now because I know the days are numbered. Soon, it will be dark when I leave for work and dark when I come home from work and there will be no leaves on the trees and there will be no more flowers. So.........I'm not going to think about it! I'll just enjoy today!

Until next time.....................

After School

I was fortunate enough to be going from my center to the other center today right about when Maddison was getting out of school. I had something I needed to give to Sara and caught them as they were going to pick her up. Her school is just down the road from my other center, so I stopped by.

I took this picture when I saw Sara with the crew they were taking home today. I just realized how excited Maddison was when she saw me. This is so adorable.

Mackenzee was full of it this afternoon too. Her mom said she was an angel all day. Sara, Mitchell and Mackenzee worked at the school (hearing or vision testing or something like that).
Sari!

Mitchell buckling in the girls' cousins, Kimmy and Buddy.

My visit was brief, but a much needed break from my VERY long day at work!