Everyone say awwww…

We found Abby via the St Louis Senior Dog Project. She is a gorgeous Beagle mix and is more than deserving of a loving home.

Poor Abby spent the first 8 years of her life chained up in a yard with nothing but a barrel for shelter.

She is incredibly well behaved and a very loving old girl, which is surprising given her prior situation, but thanks to her loving and caring Foster Mom, she has become a wonderful friend for someone who wants to love her. We happen to be that lucky family.

Welcome to our family, Abba Dabba Do!

Duncan is the newest addition to the McCrorey family.

He is an 18 month old kitty with a big fat case of the snuggles.

He was surrendered to animal welfare when his family were moving interstate to look for work and couldn’t afford to keep him.

He’s adorable and we’ve fallen in love with him already.

However, I did my duty a few weeks back and went along to the family trip to the zoo.  I was not looking forward to it.  I decided it was a good excuse to test out my new 500mm zoom.

I had a wonderful day and would highly recommend St Louis Zoo for a visit.

2009 was my first Halloween in the USA, it also happened to coincide with my girls visiting.

Our first taste of Halloween was visiting the Pumpkin Patch to choose our pumpkins with my niece and nephew.

Next, we had a family carving night.  Kids young and old had so much fun!

The front step, now resplendent with Jack-O-Lanterns.  Emily gets the prize for most evil, Susan gets the prize for most scaredy cat-like.

Scarefest.

St Louis is well known for it’s haunted houses.  No, not REAL haunted houses, but houses dressed up by Hollywood crews and inhabited by actors dressed as monsters lurking in doorways and camouflaged into the walls.

OMG

It was the most Awesome thing I had ever done.

UNTIL

We went to Knott’s Berry Farm, which at the time was called Knott’s Scary Farm.  It had also been dressed up for Halloween and had actors dressed as monsters, and the rides had been changed for the event as well.  I’d have had a heart attack on several occasions had I not been having such an awesome time.

Halloween 2009 ROCKED!

***I stole the two photos of Scarfest from Scarefest.com***

Oh shit, there it goes!

Meet my niece and nephew!  Gorgeous, huh?

Seriously Uncle Brad, get off your lazy ass and chase the damned thing!

Yesterday my eldest graduated from Sydney University with a Masters Degree in Education.

She had an army of adoring fans there to witness the event.  She looked beautiful and we were all SO proud.

Enough of the study, can someone please teach her how to cook?

Benni is a Rottweiler x Kelpie.

We found him 10 years ago, at 6 months old, in the local pound while looking for a kitten (long story!).  He was so cute sitting there, head tilted to one side…. just looking at us.  No excitement…. no going nuts like all the other dogs in their cages, no competing for our attention.  Just quietly sitting there looking at us, willing us to take him home.

That’s exactly what we did…. after making sure that he and our German Shepherd, Marley, would get along.

Benni had been badly mistreated at some stage in his young life, and was a frightened, fretful, skittish little thing .  He was terrified of brooms and mops… anything that looked like a stick.

Over the years he has become the most beautiful creature.  He lives to please, to be loved, adores his three (two legged) kids and is incredibly obedient.

At ten years old, he is one of the fittest animals I have ever seen.

This is Benni a few weeks ago …. at play.

Not bad for a ten year old, huh?

The World’s Most Beautiful Bride

Originally uploaded by Kerri McCrorey

My first baby, my darling niece, was married on the weekend in Bali.

When I first saw this photo I was reduced to tears, she is just so beautiful.

Congratulations baby girl, I love you very much.

With love from your favourite, most attractive and completely awesome aunt

P.S. I just love that you wore thongs!  It’s SO you!

50

Originally uploaded by Kerri McCrorey

I have been dreading this number for years, but now that it’s here, I’m really quite liking it.

I’m comfortable with the fact, for now, that today I am 50.

Brad, of course, will be running his tail off spoiling me rotten, as usual. In fact at midnight he took me to Krispy Kreme for my first birthday coffee, he has downloaded a girlie movie, that no self respecting male would admit to watching and he is currently baking me birthday oatmeal cookies.

….and it’s only 2:15am. Heh

So, it will be a Maccas birthday breakfast, followed by an Italian birthday dinner, with lots of birthday fun and snacks in between.

OOOOOO, maybe we can do a birthday Dark Knight screening?

The possibilities are endless!

40th dinner – Bob and Phyllis

Originally uploaded by Kerri McCrorey

I’m late for Mother’s Day and getting in by the skin of my teeth for Father’s Day.

Thank you for being such wonderful in-laws. It makes not having my own parents around a lot less depressing at these times.

I love you!