Ummm ... remember me .... my name is Ruth?!

Well - I have been proven that there is more to life than blogging these days. It's not that we haven't had anything to share - it's just I have been wrapped up - if you asked me with what, I couldn't tell you - but we're here - bright and shiny - happy and completely bowled over that it is already August - and that my friends, means that there is three weeks left until school starts for Miss Alexandra - and the following for Miss Catherine - and THAT is about enough to bring me to tears - HAPPY tears mind you - but nonetheless.

Perhaps another reason why the blog has been so neglected this summer is because our camera (that is as old as Lexi) is on the fritz and officially kicked the bucket this week. It's no fun I tell you. THANK YOU Mom and Dad Mattson for the early birthday gift - it should be arriving this week - and yes, Jason, it is PINK!!! :)

We are DOUBLY excited. We have GUESTS arriving next week!!! Jason's friend from home - I mean, they go WAY WAY back - and his wife are coming to Maine for vacation and will be staying with us. Jay is taking the time off too so we can enjoy it with them. We haven't seen Matt for eight years - can you believe that? Jay and I had just gotten engaged - life took us in different directions - us to NE - Matt to the Southwest for grad school. Things have settled down for us all - and we're going to pick up where we left off. :)

ALSO - big news - Cate made the headlines of the local paper. If you can see past my shirt - a wild paisley design (which is dark dark dark blue and white thank you, not multi color - I'm not nuts), you can begin to make out a steer, Cate, Jay, my back, and if you look REALLY close, to the left, you'll notice Lexi who is poking between Jay and I.
The photo was taken (candidly, we had no idea) at the Burlington 4th of July Festival we attended when my mom and dad were visiting. We had such a good time - imagine our surprise when we picked up the paper and saw that. The headline, "Say Moo" - which is funny, because we've been calling Cate "Moo" since she was a baby - I'm sure she'll be glad we told everyone that when she is older :)

Oh - and could my lack of time to catch up with everyone on the blog have to do with a little 15 week old 'mongrel' puppy (seriously, that's what was on his cage) who has since taken up residence with us!?

Rollie
(by the way - he doesn't look ANYTHING like this anymore - ummm - nope - he has GROWN)

Now, I know, a few months back - I had posted an announcement about a new family member named MAX. Well, Max is now living with another family - with older kids - and doing VERY VERY WELL. We are happy (well, most days) to have another little family member named ROLLIE - a 15 week, 25 pound bundle of energy and love - not to mention BIG clumsey feet. Now - when I say most days - I mean it - puppies are HARD - duh (I wish you could see me give myself a good clunk on the head) - but Max, who was almost two, had some issues like all dogs do - that needed some attention. One of them was jumping, and when you take a 27lb preschooler and 48lb dog, it's not a good mix. As much as we LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED Max - it was proving too tough to concentrate on correcting his 'issue' and poor Cate was beginning to develop a fear of him - and other dogs too - so that was the cue to find him an appropriate home - there hasn't been a day since however, that I don't miss him - I'm completely serious. SO - one day - I (note, me, alone, no one else, just me - something Jason will never let me forget) came home with Rollie - that was five weeks ago - and there hasn't been a day since that I don't miss Max - lol - serious - but ALSO - Rollie, as much hard work a puppy brings, has been a lot of fun - and I like to think we're working with a clean slate - although - I must say - it is doubly hard - and again, I miss Max :) lol.

And ... how can I forget ... Lexi is sporting a very cute toothless grin :) which makes her look even older :)

OK - enough, enough - It's a cloudy misty Saturday morning - I hear the girls (at least one) singing upstairs, so I know I have but a few minutes before the day really begins. I'm off for a cup of chai.