Okay, HERE are the Photos!

Rayna, performing in "The Three Piggy Opera" last Tuesday evening.

(photo of Rayna taken by her Uncle Eric!)





(remainder of photos here, taken by Grant!)









Doug had his first soccer game, ever, yesterday morning at 9:00am. As of 6:30pm the evening before the game, the coaches still had not figured out what time they would have the game. None-the-less, Doug had a whole crowd there cheering him on! His Aunt Jan and Uncle Eric came up from Willard to see the game (sure is nice having them live so closely, now!) and Kenny and Jean came down from Kansas City to see the game. Of course Doug's daddy was there, too! (Doug's mom and sisters were up in KC doing yet another Open House...but, his daddy took photos for us!) Doug's team won 4-3! Doug was EXTREMELY excited about it!!! Doug and his dad made the most of their first ever "Father/Son Day"... seems they went to see "Horton Hears a Hoo" together, ate Chinese food together, and watched a number of DVDs together. The two of them were no where to be found when the girls and I came home around 8pm last night. The boys were out taking care of a late evening craving at Wendy's (and changing a flat tire for an elderly couple passing through on their way from Willard, back up to KC)!

The teams still do not have their jersies...so Doug's team just all wore yellow vests.

Darcy is having her third soccer game this Tuesday evening in Springfield. And Doug will be having his second soccer game next Saturday morning.

On our way home from Kansas City (well, actually from PECULIAR), the girls and I swung by Gram's house in Osceola (Lisa and Laura's Grandma). Lisa's German Shepherd puppy, Violet, has grown into a beautiful dog and Lisa had intended, from the beginning, to have her bred and sell the puppies. Of course, Lisa had promised one puppy to our family (beings Violet and our dogs are COUSINS, you know!) and a puppy to her twin sister, Laura (who NEEDS a police dog, since her husband is a police officer, of course!). I still have not convinced Grant to let us HAVE the puppy...and he does have a valid point...we live in town now with a limited backyard already overwhelmed with three dogs... Darcy and I have not given up, though! (Sorry, Grant!)... (maybe there are some things I ought not voice in print!) (Too late, I suppose!)

Anyway, Gram (Lisa's Gram, that is) has always loved and raised full blood German Shepherds and she recently acquired a gorgeous (HUGE) shepherd named Gus...with every intention of Gus fathering Violet's pups. The problem is, Violet is extremely dog-agressive. She just doesn't cotton to ANY dogs, except Lisa's other dog and my three dogs. She is a very DOMINANT dog and, even though Gus is twice her size (he is HUGE), she thinks she is big enough to take him on any day of the week. Gus, bless his heart, isn't at all aggressive to VIOLET...but, he isn't going to stand idly by and let her take his face off for no reason at all.

Yesterday, on our way home, the girls and I stopped by Osceola to meet Gus. (Oh, Gloria was with us, too...man did SHE stink the car up...but, Violet was sure excited to see her again, up in KC.) Anyway, Gus is one impressive dog. He is extremely protective of Gram and there is not a timid bone in that dog's body. He gives meaning to the term "German Shepherd". Violet never met a stranger and is PEOPLE friendly, she just doesn't tolerate other dogs. Gus, evidently doesn't get worked up over other dogs, but he is ready to tear you apart (seriously) unless Gram shows him you are a friend...then he is just as sweet and playful as a puppy. Even at that, the girls didn't get to interact with him...there just wasn't time enough to do that safely, I didn't think. But, I got to spend a little time with him. He IS a gorgeous shepherd. I'm going back up to Osceola tomorrow and Lisa is coming down from KC, bringing Violet...and we will try to acclimate them to each other. Sounds like it didn't go so well the first time they met. Unfortunately, Violet is already coming into season, so that might make it a bit dicier. I think it will work out, though...we have our strategy mapped out!...

Hopefully, there will be some really awesome German Shepherd puppies running around in the very near future!


(I apologize for lack of photos of Gus and Gram...didn't have my camera with me! I had left the camera with Grant to take photos of Doug's soccer game! However, notice, I DID put LOTS of LINKS in this post!...just click away on the various links in the post above to see previously posted photos of Violet (in her puppyhood) and read all about her!)