Crisis Averted

This is what a disaster looked like in our house...

Cooper decided to give Mr. Bear a Craniotomy...there was stuffing everywhere.

Thinking I was being a good mom, I threw the unsafe toy away. Cooper pouted the rest of the night. The next day, I told a friend of mine at work about getting rid of Mr. Bear and she gasped...."You threw away your puppy's best friend?!?" So much for being a good mom. I felt really guilty. When I got home, I immediately grabbed this.....



Meet Charlie. My older brother gave this bear to me when I was a sophomore in high school after I had my first knee surgery. I gave him to Cooper and held my breath....



Luckily, Cooper loved his new toy! He never has his new best friend, Charlie, too far away from him. Mr. Bear who? Crisis averted.

State Fair 2010

Jeff and I went to the fair Friday night. Here is what we ate (most of it was shared):

*Ear of corn

*Jalapeno Cheddar Cheese Sticks

*Walking Taco

*Orange Shake Up

*Grilled Cheese Sandwich (cheddar on rye)

*Peanut Butter Chocolate Ice Cream

*Chocolate/Strawberry Milkshake

*Deep Fried Cookie Dough

*Dill Pickle Flavor Popcorn (brought this home)

Don't judge me.

The Journey Continues Where It All Began...

We found ourselves in Bloomington on August 8th for our good friends Will and Kristen's wedding. The couple met when in college at IU, so it was fitting for them to exchange their vows at such a memorable place.

The ceremony and reception were at the IU Auditorium...it was absolutely beautiful! The bride looked gorgeous, like something off the cover of a bridal magazine! For me, the tears began while I watched her and her dad walking down the isle. The amount of pure joy that beamed from her face brought back so many of the emotions I felt at our wedding.

The reception was a lot of fun! We had delicious food, dancing, and a good time with great friends. The bride and groom seemed to have a blast from start to finish. These two are absolutely perfect together! And so their journey continues...

Jeff and I at the reception

Best Friends

This is no joke. He does this on his own...I couldn't stage something this cute!!

The Best 4th of July Ever!

JOSEPHINE LOUISE SHIRRELL

BORN: JULY 4th, 2010

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY JOSIE!

LOVE, AUNT HEATHER & UNCLE JEFF

Puppy Kindergarten

Yep, you read it right. We enrolled Cooper in Puppy Kindergarten, a 6 week program designed to help your puppy learn "the basics." We attended class every Wednesday night from 8-9pm. It was us and usually 5 other dogs/puppies and their owners. Jeff and I switched off every other week to do the training in the class, while the other one watched. We really liked the trainer and the class. In 6 short weeks, Cooper mastered various basic commands, but most importantly, he learned how to stay (when sitting and while laying down) and how to walk on a leash without pulling like a wild animal. It was also good for him to socialize and be around a wide variety of dogs. We got a cute little diploma/certificate on the last night after his "big test." Up next, Canine Good Citizen Class and one step closer to getting Cooper certified to work with me in the hospital!

Cooper and I on his first day of "class."

**First day of class was May 19, needless to say, Cooper has changed quite a bit since then. Updated pictures coming soon....

DMB 2010

We take Dave Matthews concerts seriously. When I say seriously, I mean, we take off work on Friday, setup a huge campsite at Closeby Campground (has to be before the bridge, next to the pond, behind the old barn, and in close vicinity of the "clean" porta-potties), and then spend the next two nights singing and dancing to all our favorite DMB songs.

Friday during the day was filled with flippy cup, beer bongs, and catching up with old friends. Jeff and I had pit tickets for the show that night, so the start of the concert couldn't come fast enough. We left the campground early and ended up standing in the 5th ROW!!! Right before the start of the concert, a monster storm rolled in and delayed the start of the show by 2 hours. I can't complain too much since we were dry and safe in the pavilion. But, just so I can complain a little....after the rain, the humidity was ridiculous and it felt like we were cooking in the pit as we stood shoulder to shoulder with strangers....sweaty, drunk, strangers. But, it was totally worth it! I can't begin to describe how amazing it was to be that close to the Dave Matthews Band.

Jeff and I in the pit....I kept our tickets in the top of my dress. I'm so classy!

Unfortunately, once we made it back to the campground, the entire place was torn apart from the storm....including our tent which had broken and completely flooded. We went home, exhausted from the long day, and then returned as soon as possible on Saturday.

The second day was filled with the same kind of pre-show preparation as Friday. We were in the lawn for the concert and had a great time singing and dancing to all the old school DMB songs that were played. I would have to say, the show on Saturday was better then Friday.

Pictures from the campground

This year's concert was a little bitter sweet for all of us involved. Right before this year's tour, DMB announced they would not be touring next year. This is a pretty big deal to me. I have spent the past 6 summers at Dave concerts....what am I going to do next year? It is pretty sad for me to say, but this concert kind of defines my summer. Maybe as a big "Welcome Back" to the DMB concert tour of 2012, there could be some kind of westward road trip involved......Red Rocks or The Gorge maybe?!?!?! (I need someone to help me convince Jeff this really is a good idea!)