Introducing........

Miss Princess Tinkerbelle Lee, aka 'Belle'.














We have always said that when Dixie passed we would have to get another dog ASAP to create a distraction for us, especially for Anna Kate. Well, here she is. She's absolutely, in no way, a replacement for Dixie. There will NEVER be another Dixie. But now we have Belle, a Toy Fox Terrier who is 6 months old and when full grown, will be 8 1/2" tall and weigh approximately 9-10 pounds. She's a tiny little thing and so adorable.

Anna Kate and I went to Wal-Mart after school/work to pick out her new bed, collar, food & water bowls and a few toys. I could NOT pass up the pink and brown toile bed with the satin bow. Too stinkin' cute! After that we went to Wendy's (AK's favorite) to eat so we wouldn't be sitting at the house going crazy waiting on Daddy and Belle.
















And here is Little Miss Priss with her new 'baby'. Aren't they precious?! Belle is a little uncertain about AK's wild and crazy self, but they'll adjust to each other. She actually started to play with her toys while Anna Kate was in the tub and now she's snoozing up a storm in her posh bed, covered up with her purple blankie that Anna Kate promptly assigned to her.

So now we're a family of four again and of course still really missing Dixie, but we know she is looking down on us and smiling, thinking to herself, 'Phew! I'm glad it's Belle having to hide under the sofa from that crazy kid, because Heaven knows I could never fit under there!'

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R.I.P. Dixie Anna Lee

I don't even know where to start. Our beloved dog of 13 years was put to rest this afternoon. She was very sick and had been for about a year now. We took her to the vet last week on our way out of town for a full evaluation and her doctor said there was nothing else they could do and it was really about quality of life at this point. For people who don't know, we adopted Dixie from the animal shelter two months after we married. She was our 'baby' through all the years of repeat miscarriages, infertility and even slept curled up against my belly while I was on bed rest for five months when pregnant with Anna Kate. I know she is in a much better place and she is finally back to perfect health where she can run, jump and play without any difficulties. My head knows that, but my heart is breaking. Jeff has gone to get her so he can bury her in the woods behind our house. Thank goodness Anna Kate is asleep. I don't know how on earth we'll explain this to her, much less do it without falling apart. She adored Dixie and has asked every day, including this morning, when we were going to pick her up. We'll have to pull ourselves together and tell her that Dixie has died.......*tears*

Well I hear Jeff, so I'll end here. Just keep us in your thoughts and prayers tonight and the days to come.

Dixie, we will truly miss you!!!

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Amelia Island Pics

Here are some pictures from our trip last week. I haven’t finished editing yet, so I will have more. I just know some of you are anxious to see them. I'll edit the link as I add pictures to the album.

Click on this link.

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Beach Portraits

These are the portraits I took on the beach this past week. I'm THRILLED with them!











































































*stay tuned for a complete update on our week/weekend.*

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Snow Birds

I believe we could easily become a family of snow birds. The beach in mid-February is wonderful (well, aside from the rain for the past 4 hours)! The condo is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!!!!!!! We are on the second floor on the beach. It's gorgeous! We found out last night that John Travolta purchased an entire floor in the next unit over from us. One condo is 1.8 million and he bought the entire floor and turned it into ONE large condo. That makes me LOL! Harrison Ford also purchased a condo two units down. Don't worry, I've got my camera ready for any star sightings :)

Anna Kate and I have had a good time. We ventured out yesterday to the grocery store. Thank goodness Mr. Garmin actually knew where he was going this time. We did get a bit turned around from all the 'round-a-bouts' on the plantation, but we finally made it back to the comfort of our mult-million dollar condo.

This morning we went down to the beach for a little while. Have I mentioned how much my child adores the beach? And just I expected, she was very disappointed that she couldn't get in the ocean. After we came in and got ready, we headed out to lunch and some shopping. Anna Kate was such a trooper and behaved beautifully, until about the last 30 minutes. She was so, so, so tired. I had the lady in one of the shops call us a tram, that picked us up about 10 minutes later. I just knew she would either fall asleep on the trip back or pass out when we got to the condo. Nope. She held on until about 6:30 and is asleep by me on the sofa right now (2 hours later). Bless her heart.

Tomorrow is Jeff's free day and we're planning to rent a golf cart to scoot around the entire plantation. I hope the weather cooperates so I can attempt to shoot Anna Kate's Easter portrait on the beach. I think the rain is supposed to clear out after lunch.......*crossing my fingers it does*!

Well, I'm beat and I really need to 'transfer' Anna Kate to the bed. Be sure to take a look at the slide show below from today. It's short and sweet. Have a good night and check back tomorrow.

Leaving On A Jet Plane...

Not really, but we are leaving in Jeff's company car headed to Amelia Island in the morning and be back Sunday. He has a company meeting/gathering there and we (Jeff, Anna Kate and myself) are being put up in a condo on the beach! Yahoo, a free 5-day vacation! Even the meals are paid for and we get 100 'plantation dollars' each to apply to any purchases or services while on property. Jeff has a few meetings Wednesday, Thursday and early Friday morning and is going deep sea fishing one day. The rest of the time will be down time. I have several activities planned for Anna Kate and I while daddy is in meetings. Anna Kate and I will have a few mother/daughter bonding days (I'm a little afraid of that *YIKES*.)! There seems to be a lot of great things to do on Amelia Island Plantation, including a trip or two down to the beach. However, I'm concerned Anna Kate is expecting our 'normal August beach activities'. I really think she is planning on swimming and making sand castles. I have explained that she can indeed make sand castles and play on the beach, but it won't be in a bathing suit and she won't be getting in the water because the surf is 55 degrees this time of year. I hope she won't be too disappointed. If you want to know the truth, it would suit me just fine to stay up in the condo and veg out, but I'm quite sure my almost-4-year-old will have none of that! She's full speed ahead 24/7.....

The most exciting part for me will be on Saturday. The three of us are driving to Gainesville (2 hours) to visit our friends Spring, Scott & Avery It will be the first time we have seen them since our Disney World trip last March and the first time we've seen their new house. I am looking so forward to getting the girls together to play, as well as just sitting down with Scott and Spring for adult conversation and laughter. Guys, we are so excited to see you!

In other news, aka - Anna Kate, her new saying(s) is 'Oo-la-la' (when she sees something pretty or that she likes) and 'Boom-Chicka-Wow-Wow' (think stripper music here) and she even has a little hip motion to go along with it. It's quite entertaining (and something I'd prefer her NOT do in public.) She's doing well in school and is very anxiously awaiting her birthday and birthday party. She asks me every morning on the way to school when her 'birtday' is.

And I have to share this one little story - last night she was in meltdown mode and getting close to bedtime. She requested more juice and since it was so close to bedtime we denied her request. Oh my! She threw her head down in her arms, onto the stool and screamed/cried in her best 'I'm-dying-and-no one-cares' drama.....'I'm NEVER getting juice, EVER AGAIN!' and stomped off to her playroom and slammed the door. *SIGH* What on earth will she be like when she's 13? I dare not think about it.

Next time you hear from me (us) will be from the balcony overlooking the beach! *don't hate me too much*

Oh, and don't forget the lunar eclipse tomorrow night, for any other photog buffs.

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A Class Full of Valentines

Anna Kate's Class Valentine's Day Party

What a cute little party they had. My assignment was cupcakes (actually, I volunteered to make them) and goodie bags. The kids had great party food to eat; brownies, cupcakes, chips & dip, cheese puffs, cookies, rice crispy treats and Caprisuns. I wanted to dig in myself :-)

The 'grub'





















Saying the blessing before eating.


























*This one has nothing to do with her party today, but I couldn't leave it out. Anna Kate would much prefer to run around in just her panties, no matter the temperature. One night during dinner she got a little chilly, but refused to put clothes on, so she opted for her pink hoodie......*




















(Remember, you can click on the pictures to enlarge.)

Hope everyone had a Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

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Happy Valentine's Day!!

And today is a special day for my mom and dad. It's their 20th wedding anniversary. Twenty years ago today we stood in a hospital room in West Virginia, where a very close family friend, who would later go into a coma (car accident), acted as the 'ring bearer' as my mom and 'new' dad exchanged vows. I wish I had the picture from that day so I could scan and upload it. What's that old saying, "Just look at us now, baby!" Congrats mom and dad and we love you!

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Mr. Garmin's Brain Fart!

Let me just say that the last word in the title is considered a 'bad word' in our house, but for tonight, you're lucky that's the word I chose.

I'm out of town on a business trip and had to drive a total of 5 1/2 hours to get here. Being that I've never been here before I decided to use our GPS (Mr. Garmin) to guide me. Turns out, 'ole Mr. Garmin isn't quite the know-it-all he claims to be. So I'm driving along and I see a sign that points me in the direction I should go. I thought surely that's the way I should go. No so says Mr. Garmin. He tells me to turn the opposite direction and drive 3.4 miles to a dead end road. Did you read that? DEAD END ROAD! I see said dead end road sign and just knew I would be turning off onto another road before the road ended. Again, not so. Instead I ended up staring at a cattle field gate with multiple cows within inches of my windshield. They looked as though they were thinking the very same thing I was, 'What in the world are you doing?' STUPID GPS! So I turn around and where does Mr. Garmin tell me to go?????? Right back to where I came from and onto the road with the original sign that pointed towards my destination. Added another 45 minutes to the trip. *HUFF*

Nevertheless, I am here safe and sound, but very tired. I have an early and long day tomorrow so I need to turn in. Before I do, let me describe what is going on in our house while I'm gone. Jeff and Anna Kate are on their own for the first time overnight. Jeff will be responsible for feeding, bathing, packing breakfast, lunch, snacks and backpack for school. Then he'll have to wake her up (NOT the most joyous event of the day) and get her ready for school (I did lay out her clothes so he wouldn't send her to school in pink pants, green shirt and her cherry red & blue rain boots.) We had planned to get on Yahoo and communicate via the webcam after Anna Kate's bath tonight. I got the following instant message from Jeff:

Jeff: Anna Kate is in the bath.
Me: Okay
Jeff: She had to poop. She was saying, 'I got to poop Daddy. NOW! I need to poop now!'
Jeff: ROFLOL......LOL......ROFLOL (that man can find more humor in poop than I ever thought possible)

Thank goodness Daddy moved quick enough. I can only imagine the sheer panick in that house if there had been an accident in the tub.

Shortly after that we had our video conversation. My baby was so cute (as was/is her Daddy.) She didn't talk much. I think she was a bit in awe of the whole see & hear-me-but-without-me-being-in-the-room thing. Before we signed off I told him he needed to blow dry her hair and then he asked what side to part it on and how to put the clip in it in the morning. Oh how I wish I could be a fly on the wall in the morning.

Since I'm out of town I don't have any pictures to add to tonight's update. However, I am extremely confident this will make you equally amused.....

*Yahoo Instant Messenger Conversation with Jeff*

BigBoy 4AU: Did you take all of the heart burn medicine with you??
Katie Lee: no dear. it's on the counter in the kitchen
BigBoy 4AU: ok wut do I pack? What goes in back pack and what in lunch box?
Katie Lee: okay. in the zip lock w/ her name on it - fruit snacks & drink.
Katie Lee: lunch box - sandwich, chips & drink.
Katie Lee: pop tart and drink for b'fast. that just goes on top of her snack bag & lunchbox inside of her backpack.
Katie Lee: so in the backpack is - lunch box, snack bag, yellow folder (you need to sign) and b'fast.
BigBoy 4AU: oh I sent breakfast with her?
Katie Lee: yes, unless she wants to eat it before you leave.
Katie Lee: did she just go to sleep?
BigBoy 4AU: @ 20 minutes ago
BigBoy 4AU: made sure she was good and asleep
Katie Lee: she in our bed? i miss ya'll
BigBoy 4AU: so the ziplock is the s nack bag and I put one or two packs of fruit snacks in it
BigBoy 4AU: heh?
Katie Lee: yes, with a drink. you will send a drink with the snack and lunch.
BigBoy 4AU: OK in the luch box a sandwich, chips, and a drink right?
Katie Lee: yes
BigBoy 4AU: then another dring in the snack bag with fruit snack? 1 or 2 fruit snacks?
Katie Lee: 1.
Katie Lee: lol!!!!!
BigBoy 4AU: and a drink? I am struggling and you suck at instructions!!!!!!!!!
BigBoy 4AU: how many freakin drinks!!!!!!!!!??????
Katie Lee: 1) one drink
Katie Lee: 2) 1 fruit snack
Katie Lee: 3) insert in bag
Katie Lee: 4) zip said bag closed
Katie Lee: 5) place into backpack
BigBoy 4AU: this is better
Katie Lee: get it done?
Katie Lee: you will have a total of 2 drinks and 3 if you pack b'fast.
BigBoy 4AU: got it..... reminder to self get it out of fridge in the morning.......
Katie Lee: good luck in the morning
BigBoy 4AU: pb&j cheetos and grape capri sun,,,, I am wanting to go with her lol...
Katie Lee: did you sign her folder?
BigBoy 4AU: fruit snacks and a capri sun for snack
BigBoy 4AU: yes I already did that.
Katie Lee: ok. check the weather in case she needs a jacket during outside play in the morning
BigBoy 4AU: Hey were are her hair clipy things. I picked that one up to move her clothes off her bed tonight and it just fell apart...
Katie Lee: in my bathrom in a basket on the counter
BigBoy 4AU: she has been pretty good tonight,,, she got really ticked with me when I made her try to pee before she went to bed.
Katie Lee: good. i'm anxious to hear tomorrow morning goes. tee-hee
Katie Lee: okay, well i'm about to fall over, so i'm headed to bed.
BigBoy 4AU: She ate all her chicken and fries, a cupcake when we got home and then a half of a pop tart. She would have eaten it all but I did not give it to little porky.... Big porky ate it hehe
Katie Lee: ROFLOL!!!!
BigBoy 4AU: I am a little worried about the hair but other than that we got this...... lol famous last words!!!
BigBoy 4AU: Good night!

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