The Graham Village

Towns people enjoying a spirited snowball fight complete with pretzel barricades!

This is the home of "Graham" Ma. Completed with Licorice retaining wall to keep out all the young "Whipper Snappers"

This is the Home of the town woods man plenty of wood to keep him warm and a Candy Cain 4wheeler out back to gather it all in.

The view right down "Graham" Central. Ain't they CUTE!

Night Bear

We say good-bye to our dear friend Danny Bear tonight. He was more affectionately known as Bear Dog. He is a beautiful golden retriever who was born on December 11th (exactly 11 years ago today)
In his early years he loved to run and chase his tennis balls, he never met a roll he didn't like and who can forget the time he jumped up on the counter and snatched an entire turkey. Bears idea of a perfect day depended on the season, in the summer months his days were spent laying in the cool grass with his good friend Worf by his side, and in the winter months he enjoyed rolling in the snow and biting at every snowball thrown.
As age took its toll, Bear Dog became a mentor for all of the younger dogs. Though arthritis in his back hips slowed him greatly, you could still tell Bear was happy to see you, when calling out his name his tell would wag and his entire rear end would shake. He was a good friend and loyal companion.

Bear Dog we'll miss you!

Love Always,
Doug, Melanie & Colby

8 is GrEAt!

8 Favorite T.V. shows

1. Gray's Anatomy
2. Pushing Daisies
3. The Office
4. Private Practice
6. John and Kate plus 8
7. What not to wear
8. Family Videos

8 Things I did yesterday
1. Ate oatmeal with Peaches for breakfast
2. Cleaned my Bathroom
3. Ate a Cinnamon Roll thanks to Kathie
4. Payed bills :-(
5. Played with Colby
6. Watched Doug play Football
7. Ate at Fongs Fine Chinese Dining
8. Watched Ghost Adventures (I don't recommend it to people with active imaginations)

8 Favorite Restaurants
1. Main Street Pizza and noodles
2. Zupas
3. Simply Thi
4. Applebees
5. Godfathers Pizza
6. Fongs Fine Chinese Dining
7. Costa Vida
8. Skybox

8 things on wish list
1. A new mattress
2. A house
3. My sister to live closer
4. A new car for Doug (sorry Krystal not yours)
5. Any House
6. A puppy sweater
7. A cute magnetboard
8. Some little place to call my own

8 people to tag
1. Candace
2. Krystal
3. Kassie
4. Casey
5. Crystal
6. Kristen
7. Laura
8. Tara

I love going to the park!

Doug, Colby and Me playing in a tree.

Would you believe it if I told you his favorite thing
to do at the park is going down the slide?

Ready... Set... Go...

And there you have it folks... the amazing Colby and his
assistant Melanie have gone down the slide.

He is too exhausted from playing that he can't go another step :0)

Please let me play some more

Colby is big enough this year to really play in the snow and have a good ol' time and did he ever...

They jumped, rolled, dug and got covered from head to toe

When he came into the house this is what I had to clean up.
The one thing that kept coming to my mind was, he looks so much like the abominable snowman

He totally loved playing outside and keeps
going to the door to play some more.

I'm sure there will be many other chances coming up for
me to see the cute snowball he becomes

Its Birthday Month at our House

Colby's Birthday is the 1st and mine is the 2nd so we had a WOOF party to celebrate

This is my Birthday Boy with his hat on

These are the doggie bags full of all sorts of goodies for the end of the night

Cupcakes with paw prints and bones

Puppie Cupcakes, these were such a hit!

Trigger has the cutest blue eyes in this picture

All of the puppies chomping at the bit for there cupcakes

Doug hanging pin the bone on the puppie up on the wall

I was so mixed up after they spun me around and it was pitch black

Doug was chasing Tanner and Ceterra instead of actually going for the puppy

Ceterra making grandma smile for the camera

For Dougs birthday we all took pictures at the beginning of the night by the pumpkins.
Don't Steve and Crystal look so cut all NOT dressed up

Dj is wearing a pin that says "this is my costume" Lani is a run away bride, tanner is a karate boy and Ceterra is Cinderella

Ceterra thought this spider was really so I told her, "he was told to sit very still all night long or he would scare us..." she laughed and watched him very close all night.

We had bats, Caution tape, ghosts, Lights, spider webs and a fog machine to set the mood for a spooky dinner.

Colby is the only bee I've ever let get close to me without shooing him away

Dr. Doug is giving the Bee a shot in the bootie and the fairy is shocked and surprised.

Feeding the Ducks

We had half af a loaf of bread in our fridge for over 2 weeks and I didn't have the guts to eat it because I have a major thing for mold. So right after church Doug took Colby and I to this little duck pond in the next neighborhood over, you wouldn't even think it was there if you're driving on 7th East. We had a good old time.

They must have been looking at something.

Isn't he such a happy Puppy.
I set my camera case down on the ground when I was taking this picture and then it started rolling down the little hill. I chased after it sliding into the yucky water and freaking out that I would have a leach.

The pathways of life

I loved how many duck appeared when they noticed the bread. By the end I think there were about 27 ducks and 4 geese

Adorable Ducks!!!

Colby looks like a stuffed teddy bear

Such a cute pair

Girls Night Out

Cathie and Raelene made the whole night at Martina McBride possible.
They called and made sure each one of us wanted to go and when I told Rae I didn't really want to she said, "Were getting you a ticket and you're going to have fun sister." and it really was a blast.

Crystal, Lani, Myself and Cathie after the concert

We are all having a good old time dancing the night away.

We got a bite to eat before the concert, I had a Broughtworst, Crystal had a Churro and Lani had a true Chicago Dog

Crystal, Lani, Chelsea, Me, Cathie, and Jessica

Simmonds Family Reunion

just look at that beautiful sunset, it's too bad we are in the way of the view.

Krystal's such a pro she caught a ton of fish.

Jake is just being Jake... he loves spending quality time with his cute wife.

Doug did what Dan thought was impossible, he caught a 2-3 pound rainbow trout with a grub jig. He smiled from ear to ear the rest of the night.

I guess you have to release trout right side up and if you don't they stop breathing. Well our little buddy didn't quite make it back in the lake that way. Dan started backing up the boat and Doug got his pole out as far as he could reach and flipped the fish over. it was so funny to see but I was just waiting for them do mouth to mouth on the poor little thing...

Totally an amateur painter

I was looking at a Colett Yarro's website (http://www.artsymama.net/) this week and it struck an interest in painting because her art work is so fun and colorful. It looked a lot more simple then some crazy, hard, oil landscape so I printed off a few and decided I would try to paint one then it became two and now I want to make my own pattern of a snail for Krystal's little baby.

In the works...

Doesn't it look good!

They look so fun