The Players...

I wanted to take a moment to introduce the "characters" in my life here in Peoria, so you'll know who I am referring to in my posts:

First off, there are the pets...

This is Harli, our miniature pinscher. She is 8 months old, and tips the scale at almost 8lbs. But, don't let her size fool you. She has the attitude of an 80 lb dog, and rules the roost. She definitely keeps us entertained and on our toes.





Then there are the cats, Allie and Sammy. Although they may not look like it, they are brother and sister. As you can see here, Allie is a bit of a couch potato (which explains her wide rear-view.) She loves to watch TV, and I guess you can say we are "enablers" because we even provide her with her own stool for doing so.










And Sam... Poor, Sweet, Sam. He is a true blond (no offense to anyone out there.) He was the runt of the litter, and has never seemed to catch-up with the rest. He is a lover, not a fighter (something that Harli frequently takes advantage of by kicking his butt whenever she can.) As you can see by the picture below, Harli has been getting Sam in headlocks since she was just a pup.

Then, there are the real animals, Scot's sons, Matt and Andy. Actually, they are really great kids, and we have a lot of fun with them. Matt, 14, is a Freshman this year, and really seems to be loving it. He is our technology guru and one of the most mature 14 year olds that you'll meet. Here he is just before the Homecoming Dance last weekend with his date. We had fun helping him prepare for the dance, including taking him to get his first "real" haircut and shopping for his outfit. I must say, we did a good job, because he looked quite handsome!

Andy, 12, is in 7th grade and he is quite the sportsman! He plays it all- baseball, basketball, and football, but football is definitely his real love. However, he does a good job balancing sports with school as he is also a straight-A student. Here is a picture of Andy (center, #31) in all of his "football glory" following a recent tournament.

And last, but certainly not least, there is Scot. I could go on and on about him, but I’ll just say that he is one of the best things that has ever happened to me. He is not only a great boyfriend, but he is a great friend anyway you look at it. Scot is a branch manager at a local credit union, he loves riding his Harley motorcycle, and he is a great dad and guy.