Robert - The patriarch of our clan is a Hydrologist and Civil Engineer who
loves his career. He is well suited for his job, as he has always been interested in fixing problems and making things. Lori has said that if you were ever stranded on an island, Robert is the guy who you would want to have with you. When he isn't working or performing some type of service at church, he likes fixing up old cars. His dream car is a 1968 Mustang - he has a 1968 coupe and a 1968 convertible, both of which he is working on. He also likes camping, hunting, and fishing, and working with the Scouts. He hates sitting still, and is always up to something! He keeps things around the house working, and he keeps Cookie under control.
Lori - The matriarch of the clan worked outside the home in various jobs until she was able to quit that stuff a couple of years ago and be home full-time. She now spends her days trying to learn all of the things that she didn't have time to learn when she was younger, and even though she is no domestic DIVA, she is having a great time learning all of those new things. She has experimented with gardening (her triumphs and defeats are chronicled in her blog,
"The "Gan"-"Green Thumb"), and is learning all that she can about home food storage, while trying to summon the courage to take on sewing and quilting. Lori loves scrapbooking, and as the family "historian", she will probably be the one to write most of our blog entries. She also drives Dee Dee to all of her doctor's appointments and tries to keep the pets from running the zoo!
Dee Dee - The "grand" matriarch of the clan, Lori's mother moved in with the family a few years ago when her health began to decline and the neighborhood in which she lived was experiencing a lot of crime. By having her live with us, we don't have to worry about her being sick and alone, and we sure cut down on our phone minutes! Robert built a large bedroom with a bathroom onto the back of the house so that Dee Dee can hide out when she wants, or she can come hang out with the family whenever she wants. Whenever she is feeling good, Dee Dee loves cooking and we are so glad -- she especially likes to try new recipes, the latest being
Pumpkin Butterscotch Fudge. Dee Dee certainly keeps up with politics, and can actually name individual senators just by the sound of their voice on the television, even if she is in the other room! She is each family member's biggest cheerleader, and the person to whom you want to go to whenever you've had a bad day. In our own ways, we take care of her and she takes care of us!
Alan - Alan recently graduated from cosmetology school, and unfortunately for him, he graduated during one of the worst economic periods of recent history. He is still looking to get his foot in the door at the right place, and in the meantime, Dee Dee and Mom are reaping the benefits of having a built-in stylist in the house. Dee Dee especially likes the pampering that she receives when Alan rolls her hair for her or gives her a manicure. Alan is also very handy to have around the house -- with two short women who have trouble lifting heavy things, he is always being called upon to carry boxes or reach that top shelf. He also is usually willing to help his Dad out whenever there is a service project going on! Alan also likes to draw (a talent which he had as soon as he was old enough to hold a pencil).
Cookie - Cookie, our registered Brittany, is the one pet that we actually
planned on having. She is incredibly smart, but when you combine her brilliance with her being the most high-strung dog on earth, it means that she pretty much runs the household. She is eight years old now and is slowing down a bit, but is still always willing to play "Go Git-Git" the minute her Daddy gets home. She has Lori and Dee Dee trained to give her a treat whenever she wants one.
Toffee - Toffee came along when Cookie met a border collie that jumped our fence. We thought that we had found homes for all
ten of Cookie's puppies, but after just a few months Toffee's owner was unable to keep him, and Toffee came back home. He was a very needy, timid little guy for a long time. However, lots of love and his last trip to the vet seemed to
fix many things, and now he is much more mellow and content. He is very loving and sweet, and although he does love to play, thank goodness he is not as high-strung as his mother!
Chewka - We never in a million years planned on having Chewka Marie Woodbury, but when she fell from her nest at only four weeks of age, we truly didn't think that she would make it through the night, so we didn't take her to a rehabilitator. Boy, were we surprised! She is now over three years old, and even though she lives in the house, believe it or not, she does get to go outside and play. Every once in awhile she gets a little hard to corral, but most of the time she is ready to go back inside after a little while in the yard. In fact, if she is startled by a loud noise, she will run through the doggy door, into the house, leaving Lori standing outside by herself. She
is very loving and sweet, but you have to be willing to accept the fact that she likes to chew things sometimes. You have to watch her like a hawk when she is playing in the house, or your furniture will suffer greatly!
Robert - The patriarch of our clan is a Hydrologist and Civil Engineer who loves his career. He is well suited for his job, as he has always been interested in fixing problems and making things. Lori has said that if you were ever stranded on an island, Robert is the guy who you would want to have with you. When he isn't working or performing some type of service at church, he likes fixing up old cars. His dream car is a 1968 Mustang - he has a 1968 coupe and a 1968 convertible, both of which he is working on. He also likes camping, hunting, and fishing, and working with the Scouts. He hates sitting still, and is always up to something! He keeps things around the house working, and he keeps Cookie under control.
Lori - The matriarch of the clan worked outside the home in various jobs until she was able to quit that stuff a couple of years ago and be home full-time. She now spends her days trying to learn all of the things that she didn't have time to learn when she was younger, and even though she is no domestic DIVA, she is having a great time learning all of those new things. She has experimented with gardening (her triumphs and defeats are chronicled in her blog, "The "Gan"-"Green Thumb"), and is learning all that she can about home food storage, while trying to summon the courage to take on sewing and quilting. Lori loves scrapbooking, and as the family "historian", she will probably be the one to write most of our blog entries. She also drives Dee Dee to all of her doctor's appointments and tries to keep the pets from running the zoo!
Dee Dee - The "grand" matriarch of the clan, Lori's mother moved in with the family a few years ago when her health began to decline and the neighborhood in which she lived was experiencing a lot of crime. By having her live with us, we don't have to worry about her being sick and alone, and we sure cut down on our phone minutes! Robert built a large bedroom with a bathroom onto the back of the house so that Dee Dee can hide out when she wants, or she can come hang out with the family whenever she wants. Whenever she is feeling good, Dee Dee loves cooking and we are so glad -- she especially likes to try new recipes, the latest being Pumpkin Butterscotch Fudge. Dee Dee certainly keeps up with politics, and can actually name individual senators just by the sound of their voice on the television, even if she is in the other room! She is each family member's biggest cheerleader, and the person to whom you want to go to whenever you've had a bad day. In our own ways, we take care of her and she takes care of us!
Alan - Alan recently graduated from cosmetology school, and unfortunately for him, he graduated during one of the worst economic periods of recent history. He is still looking to get his foot in the door at the right place, and in the meantime, Dee Dee and Mom are reaping the benefits of having a built-in stylist in the house. Dee Dee especially likes the pampering that she receives when Alan rolls her hair for her or gives her a manicure. Alan is also very handy to have around the house -- with two short women who have trouble lifting heavy things, he is always being called upon to carry boxes or reach that top shelf. He also is usually willing to help his Dad out whenever there is a service project going on! Alan also likes to draw (a talent which he had as soon as he was old enough to hold a pencil).
Cookie - Cookie, our registered Brittany, is the one pet that we actually planned on having. She is incredibly smart, but when you combine her brilliance with her being the most high-strung dog on earth, it means that she pretty much runs the household. She is eight years old now and is slowing down a bit, but is still always willing to play "Go Git-Git" the minute her Daddy gets home. She has Lori and Dee Dee trained to give her a treat whenever she wants one.
Toffee - Toffee came along when Cookie met a border collie that jumped our fence. We thought that we had found homes for all ten of Cookie's puppies, but after just a few months Toffee's owner was unable to keep him, and Toffee came back home. He was a very needy, timid little guy for a long time. However, lots of love and his last trip to the vet seemed to fix many things, and now he is much more mellow and content. He is very loving and sweet, and although he does love to play, thank goodness he is not as high-strung as his mother!
Chewka - We never in a million years planned on having Chewka Marie Woodbury, but when she fell from her nest at only four weeks of age, we truly didn't think that she would make it through the night, so we didn't take her to a rehabilitator. Boy, were we surprised! She is now over three years old, and even though she lives in the house, believe it or not, she does get to go outside and play. Every once in awhile she gets a little hard to corral, but most of the time she is ready to go back inside after a little while in the yard. In fact, if she is startled by a loud noise, she will run through the doggy door, into the house, leaving Lori standing outside by herself. She is very loving and sweet, but you have to be willing to accept the fact that she likes to chew things sometimes. You have to watch her like a hawk when she is playing in the house, or your furniture will suffer greatly!
