Leaving 2008 behind & welcoming 2009

Richie and I just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year in 2009!! The year 2008 has been a very long year for us! Richie & I have had many struggles and often times felt like we were pretty much standing still and a little alienated from friends and family as a couple. We've shared many ups and downs as many married couples do but it has been extremely difficult at times because we miss our CA family very much!! We knew moving to NC would be challenging but wow we didn't realize just how much we would be tested. I'd say we passed with flying colors and this time away has definitely allowed us to grow closer and lean on each other more than we ever have in the past. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful husband who has become my rock because of his strength and he offers me so much unconditional love even when I don't feel like I deserve it. He seems to know just the right things to say and his arms have become my safe harbor during these difficult times away from what was my home in Southern Cali. We have learned that even during these tough times we can be somewhat content and we can allow God to chip away at our rough edges, hence a diamond in the rough. I am very grateful for the trips that my Mom has made to come see us here in NC and the trips that we also have been able to make to Southern Cali. I also am thankful for the use of the computer because that has allowed us to keep in touch with our loved ones. Cell phones with unlimited text messages and off peak calling have also been valued greatly.


I pray that this next year will allow us to continue on the track with education and will prepare us to move forward in our lives. We want God to use us for His glory and put us where He wants us. This is not always easy to relinquish control of our lives over to God but we have realized that this is something that we both want and need to do. We ask that you pray with and for us and remember us in your thoughts. If you don't hear from us as much this next year realize we are concentrating on our education and progression. Richie is in his last year at NC Wesleyan College and hopefully will be graduating December 2009. I am beginning my Graduate education at Capella University starting January 5th. I will be working on my Master's degree in Psychology with a specialization in counseling psych. I am looking forward to finishing my education and also am a little nervous. It will be a big change but I know that I am ready for this challenge ahead of me.

May God bless you all in this next coming year. We hope that you find peace, happiness, and that all of your dreams and wishes come true. Remember to keep your eyes fixed on Him because God really is in control! We love you all and are grateful for your continued support and encouragement!

Blessings,

Lori Fender

Lakers Victorious Against The Warriors

Kobe Bryant explained why the Celtics had a letdown and the Lakers didn't following the rivals' intense game several days earlier. "They had won 19 straight games, so they were due for a couple of bad ones," Bryant said Sunday night after scoring 31 points in Los Angeles' 130-113 romp over the Golden State Warriors. "For us, we just wanted to move on. We were ready to go. We knew what we had to do, so it was pretty easy for us to switch gears and come out and perform."

FUN FACTS
• The Lakers scored a season-high 130 points and tied a season-high 10 3-pointers as they won their 13th straight home game.
• The Lakers are 16-0 when Kobe Bryant attempts 20 shots or fewer (9-5 in games he attempts more than 20 shots).
• There have been seven games in which a team has scored over 130 points this season and Golden State has allowed over 130 points in four of those games.

While the Lakers breezed to a win in their first game since a 92-83 victory over the defending NBA champions on Christmas Day, the Celtics stumbled again the following night and lost 99-89 at Golden State. They were able to get back on track Sunday, however, pounding the Kings 108-63 at Sacramento.

Bryant understands the momentum changes. "It's a long season, so people go through emotions and things,"he said. "It's just an energy thing, because it's such a long season. I don't think people truly understand how long it is, because of the travel and things like that. So you have ups and downs."

Warriors coach Don Nelson said even before playing the Lakers that they were the league's best team. After the loss, he obviously had no reason to change his mind. "They have the whole package and they have a chance to win the whole thing this year," he said. He considers Bryant's expanded role a big part of that. "Kobe now has a grasp on the game like no other player and he controls it when he wants to," Nelson said. "He makes the players alongside him succeed and he is a real leader out there. "He has the whole package going for him; he is not just the best player in the league but, probably the best leader," he said.


Derek Fisher added 19 points in the win and Sasha Vujacic had 17. Pau Gasol continued to show his leadership and had 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Center Andrew Bynum chipped in with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Jamal Crawford returned to the Warriors' lineup after missing two games with a groin strain and scored 22 points. Marco Belinelli and Brandan Wright had 14 points a piece, and Andris Biedrins had eight points and 17 rebounds.

"Our defense wasn't even close to what we had against Boston and it definitely showed," said the Warriors Stephen Jackson, who scored nine points. "We didn't approach the game the same way we did the Boston game. We had more intensity, were up for that game and we weren't today."

Los Angeles took control with a 37-point third quarter that increased the lead from 65-58 at halftime to 102-85 heading into the final period.

Key notes of the game: The Warriors finished with 17 turnovers that Los Angeles converted into 31 points. The Lakers had 16 turnovers that were turned into 17 points. The Warriors are still without leading scorer Corey Maggette (19.1 ppg), who has missed 12 games with a strained hamstring. The Warriors and Lakers split four games last season. This was the first game between these two teams this season. The next game that they face each other is in Golden State on Wednesday January 7th @ 7:30 pm (PST)

Next Lakers game is Friday January 2nd vs the Utah Jazz @ 7:30 PM (PST)

Seven Pounds.....Two Thumbs Up!!

The holiday box office season is generally a time for light-hearted, star-driven films that keep audiences engaged. After all, it is tough in this economic climate and with so few days before Christmas to take two hours out of your day to sit in a theater and really become involved in the characters on screen, even if the dialogue is upbeat and the main squeeze is totally that one guy from that one movie. The new Will Smith film Seven Pounds does an wonderful job of two of these key elements, avoiding the easy-to-swallow storyline in favor of meatier pieces for the audience to chew on.


In Seven Pounds, Academy Award nominee Will Smith reunites with the directors and producers of The Pursuit of Happyness. Will Smith stars as Ben Thomas, a suicidal IRS agent. Smith described the reason he took on the role:“Usually with the films that I make there are ideas that I connect to, but lately I've been dealing with the bittersweet in life because it feels more natural. You don't ever get it really the way you want in life. That really fascinates me. As an actor, there are certain parts of a character that you create, and you train yourself to have those reactions and then it becomes hard to stop them when the role is over. You have to retrain yourself. My character in this film is like hot grits. You know you can't shake them off and when you do, it hurts.”

Smith felt that the character needed to be a quiet and rather introverted person who doesn't burn himself out at every possible instance. The character was a contrast to Smith's previous characters, and Smith felt that director Gabriele Muccino's trust in him helped him relax and avoid overextending himself. Smith acknowledged Seven Pounds as a drama film, but he saw it as more of a love story.

Also in the film are Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson, Barry Pepper, Robinne Lee and Michael Ealy. Will Smith handpicked Ealy for the role of the main character's brother. Connor Cruise, the 13-year-old son of actor Tom Cruise and actress Nicole Kidman, was cast in his first role as a younger version of Ben Thomas. Smith's potrayal of Ben Thomas , an IRS agent with a definite (if undisclosed) agenda was outstanding. Through cuts and jumps, we begin to piece together the back story of what exactly has brought Ben to such a place in his life, where his surroundings are in shambles and he relies on the crispness of a single suit and some IRS paperwork to get by. We also come to quickly see that Ben’s actions are very specific, and mitigated on a single element of atonement. For what, it’s unclear. But not unclear in that smokey art-house way where details are relegated to the second string while general themes duke it out on screen. Here the information is never lost, it is simply withheld, to be stored away like weight. And it is precisely when the action and plot (and Smith himself) truly begin to run that we see the energy of these previous scenes play out so beautifully.


While Seven Pounds is not a mystery, nor does it rely too heavily on the final smoke-and-mirrors conceit of typical ‘gotcha’ film making, there is a certain level of secrecy that should be maintained in order to keep the film as fresh as it deserves to be. With that being said, it is abundantly clear that Ben’s specific actions are directed from the outset at seven total strangers, all of whom are experiencing some type of major personal failure. Ben, as the philanthropic quiet type, knows (and shows) that it is well within his abilities to help these people in life-changing ways; provided they are truly deserving. As the list becomes finalized and his relationship with one of the seven - the heart-afflicted Emily, played superbly by Rosario Dawson - grows to exceed his expectations and his guidelines, Ben must work to find a solution that will release him from the emotional hell he lives in, and will affect these seven forever.

The greatest successes of Seven Pounds come from both the writing and acting, which is to say the best thing about cereal is the milk and the cereal. In this case, newcomer Grant Nieporte delivers a script that is bold enough to buck the traditional holiday sensibilities, but not so much as to alienate its audiences either. There are many archetypes to be relied on (but not overused), including the concerned best friend, the troublesome love interest, and that one looming moment of ultimate decision making. Most noticeably, Nieporte and director Gabriele Muccino have combined to create a visual story line that is as important as the plot itself. Because of the quick visual transitions in time and the swift-but-limited interaction with all of the major players so early on in the film, Seven Pounds is able to dedicate itself to stronger setups that pay absolute dividends by the end.


The second strong element, acting, should almost be considered as expected at this point. By rejoining with the crew behind The Pursuit of Happyness, Will Smith really gives himself the chance to carry on the troubled-but-motivated role he is able to work so successfully. And as a producer of the film, you can bet your bottom dollar he had a real stake in using every second of screen time to make the film so prosperous. With a supporting cast superbly mastered by Rosario Dawson and the under-utilized Woody Harrelson, the pieces really begin to fall into place for Seven Pounds.

Some early criticisms of the film have claimed that it is too self-centered and dreary to survive as a holiday piece, but the argument can and should be made that there is all the more reason to show the film the weekend before Christmas. When the box office line up gets filled with animated animals and folks wait in line for three hours to get an XBox, maybe it is the perfect time to release Seven Pounds. In this time, and in this season, a tale about redemption and sacrifice sounds like exactly what we need. If you haven't taken the time to go see the movie Seven Pounds you won't want to miss this opportunity and I personally don't think you will be disappointed by this film either. This is the type of movie that I could watch more than once and still probably notice something that I didn't before. I give this movie two thumbs up and on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest this movie gets a 10+ from me!

Gasol & Bryant Lead Lakers To Snap Celtics 19 Games Winning Streak

For Los Angeles the six-month wait is finally over. The Los Angeles Lakers can put the anguish of losing the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics and the embarrassment over the way the series ended behind them.

Fun Facts
• Phil Jackson became the sixth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 career games (the fastest to do so) and tied Jack Ramsay with 11 wins on Christmas Day, which is the most all-time.
• The Celtics' 19-game win streak was snapped, they had also won 10 straight on the road before this game.
• The Lakers won the game in the final three minutes as they finished the game on an 11-2 run. Pau Gasol scored seven of those final 11 points and finished with 20 for the game.
• The Lakers franchise won its 20th game on Christmas, which ties the Knicks for the most all-time.

Kobe Bryant had 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Pau Gasol scored seven of his 20 points in the final three minutes, and the Lakers used a strong finish to beat Boston 92-83 Thursday, snapping the Celtics' franchise-record 19-game winning streak. The game was the first between the teams since the Celtics romped to a 131-92 victory in Game 6 of the Finals last June to win their first championship in 22 years and league-high 17th title. The Lakers blew a 24-point second-quarter lead in Game 4 at Staples Center to fall behind 3-1 -- a deficit that's never been overcome in the Finals. These two teams have been archrivals since the 1960s, having met 11 times in the Finals, with the Celtics going 9-2.

"We've been waiting for that opportunity for a long time, and we won," said Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic, who scored 10 points. "I don't like them at all. A lot of people called us softies or whatever. It doesn't matter at all. We know what we can do."

On The Fast Track:
Phil Jackson became the sixth NBA coach with 1,000 wins. He is the fastest to reach the milestone as well, getting number 1,000 in his 1,423rd game, surpassing Pat Riley (1,433 games).

Fastest to 1,000 CoachingWins, NBA History
Games
Phil Jackson
1,423*
Pat Riley
1,433
Jerry Sloan
1,662
Larry Brown
1,761
Don Nelson
1,789
Lenny Wilkens
1,837
* -- Won 1,000th game Thursday



"Last year, they won the championship. This year, it's our year, we want to take it all the way."
The victory was the 1,000th for Los Angeles' Phil Jackson, enabling him to become the sixth NBA coach to reach that milestone. The 63-year-old Jackson has a career record of 1,000-423 in 17-plus seasons as coach of the Chicago Bulls and Lakers. He became the fastest to win 1,000 games, surpassing Pat Riley, who did it in 1,434 games.

"It's amazing. I mean, he's one of the greatest coaches of all time," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I can guarantee you that I won't win 1,000 games because I won't be around that long. It's just an amazing number. When you throw up 1,000 wins, that says a lot."

The Celtics entered with a 27-2 record -- the fastest start by a two-loss team. They were in pretty good shape when Kevin Garnett dunked off a feed from Rajon Rondo to put them ahead 81-79 with 3:57 remaining. But the Lakers went on a 13-2 run to finish the game and finish the game very strong I might add!!

"Give them all the credit," said Boston's Paul Pierce, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds but was scoreless in the fourth quarter. "We just have to play better down the stretch."


Pau Gasol continued to make the Celtics pay whenever they decided to double-team Kobe Bryant in the second half because they chose the wrong person to leave open. Gasol missed his first four shots, and showed frustration at times. But he made all three of his shots and all three of his free throws in the fourth quarter for nine of his team's 21 points. "We were pretty physical," said Gasol, who had three rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. "We were able to contain them, keep our poise and finish the game off. I had to make sure I took it to them and not settle for easy jumpers. I'm glad I was able to get over that hump of a slow start. "It shows we can beat anybody. Hopefully, we'll build on it."


Jackson said the Lakers played excellent defense in the fourth quarter, when they held the Celtics to 16 points. Boston shot 8-of-19 and was 0-for-7 on 3-pointers in the final period.
"I'm really happy with Pau," Jackson said. "He stepped up in that fourth quarter and we really needed him."

Lamar Odom had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers (24-5), who won their 12th straight game at home, where they're 15-1. Andrew Bynum, who missed most of last season and the playoffs with an injured knee, had nine points and seven rebounds.


Garnett shot 11-of-14 in leading the Celtics (27-3) with 22 points and nine rebounds. Ray Allen scored 14, but went 2-of-11 after making his first three shots. Rondo was held to six points, shooting 3-of-11, but had 12 assists.

"They played great, give them credit," Rivers said. "For a team that has been phenomenal down a stretch of games, I didn't think we were very good tonight. We've been as composed as any team that I've seen in a long time, and I thought quite honestly that we lost it a little bit at the end."

A 15-foot jumper by Gasol with 2:48 left snapped an 81-all tie and put the Lakers ahead for good. Allen's 3-pointer failed, and Gasol scored from close range off an assist from Bryant with two minutes left, putting Los Angeles up by four and sending the crowd of 18,997 into a frenzy.
Garnett answered with a jumper to draw the Celtics within two, but Gasol's three-point play with 1:28 left put the Lakers on top 88-83. Gasol then blocked a 3-pointer by Allen, setting up Trevor Ariza for a dunk that gave Los Angeles a seven-point lead with 1:12 to go. Bryant's basket completed the scoring.

"It was my first Christmas game, and I'm obviously blessed to be here," Garnett said. "There's a reason why teams are playing on this special day, so it had a playoff energy and a playoff atmosphere to it, absolutely. It's tough when you lose against anybody. We probably took a step back, but hats off to a good Laker team. Pau made big shots when he had to and Kobe put stress on the defense."

The Lakers played without backup point guard Jordan Farmar, who underwent knee surgery Wednesday and will be sidelined approximately eight weeks. ... The game marked the first time in NBA history that two teams met with so few losses (seven) this late in the season. ... The game was the 10th straight for the Lakers on Christmas. They have an overall record of 20-15 on Christmas including 11-6 at home. It was the Celtics' first game on Christmas since 2002. They have a 10-15 record, going 9-15 on the road and 1-0 at a neutral site. They have never played at home on Christmas.The game was the first on Christmas between the teams since 1970, when the Lakers won a 123-113 home decision.

Next matchup: Sunday December 28th against the Warriors @ 6:30 PM (PST)

Check Out This New Show On Lifetime

Okay so there is a new show coming out on Monday January 5th called Diet Tribe. It will be on the lifetime channel and it will begin at 10:00 pm. Yes it is a tad late for some people but if you have tivo or some type of digital video receiver you can record it and watch it later, which is what my husband and I do with everything we watch. This show basically follows the lives of five best friends who live in Southern California and have allowed food and unhealthy habits to play a big role within their friendships. One lady states that, "It's easier to make poor food choices when others around me are making poor food choices."


These ladies are now faced with all of the problems that they created together and now they will begin to fix these same problems together. They will learn how to eat healthier and make better choice and they will also begin to make exercise part of their daily lives with a personal trainer who will no doubt push them to their limits for sure. This will definitely be a great show and one that will allow us to look into our own daily lives of health, nutrition, and exercise and whether we choose to make them a part of our daily routine.

Blessings,

~Lori

Panthers Seek To Destroy Their Prey

Let me start off by saying there is only one team that is the absolute best in the NFC South right now, and that's the Carolina Panthers! Without a doubt the Carolina Panthers have proved themselves to be contenders in winning the top spot in the NFC against the Giants this Sunday evening. Kind of ironic because that's the kind of attention their fans have been begging for all season. It's also ironic because that's exactly the same type of attention their coach, general manager and owner absolutely despise.



John Fox has the Panthers poised for the top spot in the NFC playoffs. If John Fox, Marty Hurney and Jerry Richardson were piloting a plane up to New York for Sunday night's showdown with the New York Giants, they'd be scraping the ground all the way. These guys didn't invent flying under the radar they just have mastered it.

Tell Fox his team is 11-3 and he instantly will tell you the only thing guaranteed is the Panthers will finish with 11 wins. Pick up a phone in the Giants Stadium press box in the final moments of a 2005 playoff shutout of New York and start making hotel reservations in Chicago for the following week's game and Hurney, the bizarrely-superstitious general manager, will start screaming at a reporter, "Stan, hang up that phone right now. This game's not over. You're going to jinx us."



Richardson, the owner who brought the franchise to the Carolina's, gets bashed on talk radio for not giving any interviews. In recent years, he's sat down with a beat writer or columnist from The Charlotte Observer once or twice a year for one-on-one chats. In those settings, Richardson shows a tremendous mind and a brilliant common touch. He'll give good answers and, inevitably, the beat writer or the columnist would look at him and say, "See it's not so hard. Why don't you do this more often?" Richardson would then say he prefers not to because it's not about him, it's about the team. Then, Richardson would sit for an hour or two and talk off the record, asking the columnist about his family or asking the beat reporter what parts of the team could be run better. Part of it was a genuine care about the person he was talking to and part of it was to take the attention off himself. This man not only sets a good example but is such a humble and gracious man.


But it's no longer possible for Fox, Hurney and Richardson to stay under the radar. Their team is playing the defending Super Bowl champions in a prime-time slot -- nobody's overlooking the Panthers anymore. Maybe those fans who have been beating their chests and sounding like helicopters can stop. The Panthers are getting attention and respect. As I said at the start, the Panthers are the best team in the NFC right now. And I'll take it one step further and say the Panthers are the NFC's best bet to get to the Super Bowl.

Here are five reasons why:

1. Timing. In case you haven't noticed, the Giants have issues. Brandon Jacobs is banged up, Plaxico Burress is a bad shot and Tom Coughlin is raving about his team's season, which is a sure sign he's worried about what's been happening lately. The Panthers are the exact opposite and they're peaking at just the right time. They got their adversity out of the way early, when receiver Steve Smith slugged cornerback Ken Lucas in training camp. The Panthers suspended Smith for the first two games, Lucas immediately forgave Smith and all indications are this team is harmonious as it's ever been. The Panthers suddenly have the kind of momentum they did in their 2003 Super Bowl run, it looks like the momentum the Giants played with down the stretch last year.

2. Smash and Dash. Or whatever you want to call Carolina's backfield of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. They combine power and speed and their numbers have been outrageous for the last few weeks. Williams and Stewart both are playing outstanding football every single game and Jonathan Stewart already plays like he has been in the league for many years!

3. The offensive line. Right now, and we emphasize "right now," the Panthers have the best offensive line in the league. They've been blowing up defensive lines for the last month. That's precisely what Hurney was hoping for when he talked about blowing up the line after last season. The Panthers wanted to get bigger and more physical up front. They did. They drafted right tackle Jeff Otah, a mauler out of Pittsburgh. They signed oversized free agent Keydrick Vincent and put him at right tackle. They took second-year pro Ryan Kalil off the bench and put him in the middle at center. They took right tackle Jordan Gross and moved him to the left side, where he made the Pro Bowl. They took left tackle Travelle Wharton and slid him inside to left guard, where he came close to making the Pro Bowl. Otah, Kalil and Gross each missed some time early on with injuries but they've been back together for the last four games and that's when the offense started getting dramatically better. One other thing: This line's only going to get better with each game it plays together.

4. John Fox, often referred to as "Foxy". The guy gets knocked for his conservative approach. But that conservative approach in 2003 was good enough to get the Panthers within a field goal of a Super Bowl victory. This is the first time Fox has had the kind of ball-control offense since Stephen Davis carried that team. When Fox has been able to coach his style, it's been impressive. When Fox is in a big game, he's at his best. Remember when the former Giants defensive coordinator brought his 2005 team (which had run out of running backs and was riding on Steve Smith's back) into Giants Stadium for a playoff game and shut out New York? It was the best game of Fox's career.

5. The Richardson Factor. News just came out a few days ago that the 72-year-old owner needs a heart transplant. In most circumstances, that would be an off-the-field story. With Richardson and the Panthers, it's a football story. Richardson, a former Baltimore Colts receiver, is the first former player to own a team since the legendary George Halas. Richardson never has forgotten his routes and he's an incredibly popular figure in Carolina's locker room. He's very close to almost all his players and coaches and they're well aware of his situation. When Richardson was granted the expansion team, he promised a Super Bowl victory within 10 years. That didn't quite happen. But Richardson still wants a Super Bowl win and, more than ever, his players, who rallied around the ill Sam Mills and Mark Fields in their previous Super Bowl run, would like to give him the best thing they can.....a Superbowl win!!!

So watch as the top two NFC teams compete this Sunday night Dec 21st @ 8:15 PM (EST) on NBC. The Carolina Panthers are on the prowl to devour the New York Giants and take first place once and for all in the NFC.

By the way this piece is dedicated to my husband, the biggest Carolina Panthers fan of all. He is so dedicated to watching every Panthers game and stays current on all of the happenings within this organization. Now with my love for sports and my competitive nature he has got me hooked watching the Panthers and following their success as well. Goooooooo Panthers!!

The Lives Of Two Spoiled Dachshunds!!

This particular blog is dedicated to two wonderful Dachshunds. Hoagie Bear and Harmony Shy were born June 1st 2006 in Yucaipa, CA. I can hardly believe that they are two and a half years old now. I remember when we first went to pick them out in the litter and they were only one week old. We knew right away that we wanted Hoagie because he was so different, as he is chocolate dapple with beautiful markings and he stole Richie's heart from the very begginning. Out of the litter there were 3 males and only 1 female. I had wanted a female puppy and had always wanted a black and tan dachshund. After seeing the only female in the litter and seeing that she was adorable and also black and tan I voted to take her home too. So there it was was we were taking home two little bundles of joy and we were very excited. We were so excited that a few weeks after we first saw them, which made them a month old, we stopped by the breeder's home and got to see our little puppies.

They were soooo cute and we wanted so bad to take them home with us right then but we couldn't. You aren't supposed to be able to take a puppy home until they are at least eight weeks old. So we still had yet another month to go. The breeder said we could stop by anytime that we waned to as long as we called first so she could make sure and be home to let us in. We took her up on that for sure and sure enough a couple of weeks went by and we were back in there checking on them. They had grown so much and they were just little fiesty critters. Those eight weeks went by rather fast compared to what we had originally thought and we got the call to come and pick them up. They looked as if they knew we were coming to get them because they were waiting at the front of the little house that they were in. They were both leaping for us to pick them up and little did they know we had picked them out back when they were just a week old.

Hoagie was true to his male character as he always found a way to get into anything and to be adventurous. He would get himself stuck in small areas and wind up moaning so that we would come get him out from a flower bed, from under the bed, or from behind the couch. Harmony on the other hand has always been very quiet and delicate. She is much more content just sitting in your lap, cuddling with you on the couch and giving you a kiss when she finds it appeasing to her. She will bark if she sees a scooter or a loud motorcycle outside, that just drives her crazy. She also will bark at her brother Hoagie when she feels he is getting to aggressive or walking by her when she is chewing on a hoof or a toy. It really has been funny to watch as their personalities have developed over these couple of years. They remind me so much of children because they want what they want and they don't know how to wait very well. If their tummy is growling they want fed yesterday! I still don't really know who is the leader of the pack with them because one minute I think okay for sure it is Hoagie and then on the other hand I see Harmony pushing Hoagie around pretty good so then I am convinced she is the leader of the pack, very odd!!




Hoagie and Harmony went to puppy kindergarten at PetSmart in Southern, Cali and they both passed with flying colors and they did learn quite a bit. They both of course know how to sit, speak, stay, wait, and leave it. They do however still need to work on their barking. Sometimes they just get out of hand and want to bark at anything they think is trying to either attack them or us....like a motorcycle driving by, lol. It can get on your nerves sometimes. I would still love to take them to a more advanced course and see how they do. Maybe in the near future we could do that.

One thing is for sure with these little critters they have stolen our hearts and found a special place in our hearts. They love you unconditionally and they know how to make you feel better even when you're having a tough day. I love our Hoagie and Harmony and I look forward to the years to come with them. Hopefully our next house will have a nice fenced in yard and we can watch them enjoy the great outdoors more. I miss watching Harmony sunbathe like she use to in Southern Cali. So here's to you Hoagie Bear and Harmony Shy Fender. May you continue to stay out of trouble and may you bring much more joy and contentment in your household. :)

Oh and as soon as my husband and I can figure out how to do another slide show using photobucket we will post a whole slideshow of Hoagie and Harmony.

Blessings,
~Lori

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Okay so our house is all decorated and it is definitely beginning to look a lot like Christmas. We have our four big pine wreaths with red bows on them out on our front porch, we have our great big wreath hanging on our front door, our Santa head is mounted on our front porch, and last but not least our Christmas tree is all decorated and looks absolutely beautiful. Even though our lights on our tree died on us it was NOT going to ruin our holiday season, let alone Christmas. My brilliant husband went to our storage shed and got out 2 big strands of lights and put them on our tree so that we could have a lit Christmas tree. It worked and all is well for now. Once we take down our tree this year we will take off all of the lights that kicked the bucket and get rid of them. Who would've thought that the artificial tree that we just bought last year would have already died on us, or at least all of the lights! I thought we would get more out of it than that and I was excited when we bought this there tree because it was a pre-lit tree. Richie wound up checking on the warranty and can you believe it........ it only came with a one year warranty, that was up the beginning of this month. Ah well like I said my husband fixed it for now with new lights and every night we turn out all the lights and admire our lighted Christmas villages and our fixed Christmas tree. Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree how lovely are your branches.

There is something so majestic about a Christmas tree to me. Perhaps it has so much meaning for me because I remember the couple of years that my Mother and I were not able to have a tree at all. After my step-dad left we were having a tough time financially and things were really tight at the time. We were just focusing on paying our bills and our local church was helping us with food and our utility bills so a Christmas tree was definitely out of the question. I also am reminded of this one year when we were living in Georgia that I found a $20 bill in a convenient store close to my house. I took it up to the manager and he said he would hold it but if noone claimed it within 24 hours he would contact me. I gave him my phone number and I couldn't believe it when he was calling me a day and a half later telling me noone claimed the money and that I could come get it. Knowing what I wanted to do with that $20 I rushed down there and picked up the money. I took that money and bought my Mom and I a Christmas tree that year and it really made us feel so special at Christmastime. I remember praying that night and thanking God for allowing me to be able to keep that money and thanking Him that we were fortunate enough to get a real Christmas tree that year. So perhaps now one could understand why putting up a tree at Christmastime means so much to me. I am more thankful for having one now because of those years when we weren't able to have one at all, whether it was fake or real. Sure I know what Christmas is all about but having a tree up makes it feels that much more special.

May you and your family have a wonderful holiday season. May you take the time to enjoy the special times with friends and family and may we all remember what Christmas is all about.

Blessings,

~Lori

Lakers win 10th straight at Staples Center

Playing a bunch of teams with losing records isn't exactly bringing out the best in the Los Angeles Lakers. But for the most part, they're winning. Kobe Bryant had 26 points and five assists, Pau Gasol added 18 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots, and the Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves 98-86 on Sunday night. Though the Lakers remain hot at Staples center, there's still room for definite improvement. They need to work on a much more solid game which begins with strong defense!

Fun Facts
• Los Angeles has won 13 of its last 15 and 10 straight at home.
• The Lakers, the NBA's highest-scoring team, failed to score 100 points for the first time in their last 15 games.
• Minnesota has lost nine in a row and is 0-4 since Kevin McHale took over as interim coach.

Andrew Bynum added 14 points and nine rebounds, and Trevor Ariza scored 14 points for the Lakers. The Lakers have played seven of their last eight games against teams with losing records and lost to 2 of them, Indiana and Sacramento. Though I am a die hard Lakers fan, the Lakers have been a little disappointing lately as they haven't been all that impressive in several recent victories. They've been playing with a lackadaisical attitude and a very lazy defense. This just isn't their style at all! They're usually more aggressive and rebound much better than other teams but lately I just haven't seen it as much. This makes me worrry as we get ready to play much better teams coming up soon, including taking on the Boston Celtics Christmas day. We have to work on our defense and our rebounding skills so that we can be ready to play the harder teams.

The Lakers have won 13 of their last 15 games, and their 20-3 record is the second-best in the NBA behind Boston's 22-2 mark. They beat the lowly Timberwolves despite being out rebounded 53-46.


"We held a team under 100 points. We limited our turnovers to 10, which is good," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, looking at the bright side. The Lakers forced 17 turnovers while committing 10, and shot 44.7 percent to Minnesota's 36.1 percent. "It could be," Jackson replied when asked if his team was playing down to the level of its competition. "Our offense was pretty stagnant tonight. We're trying to find a combination out there that can give us better spacing. "Right now, it doesn't seem like our quickness or our execution speed that I like is there. Sometimes the ball stays on one side of the court too long or we're just not executing."


The Timberwolves trailed 76-70 before a basket by Ariza and four straight points by Bryant gave the Lakers a 12-point lead with 4 1/2 minutes remaining. Minnesota didn't threaten after that. "We can't hold a lead. These guys (Bryant and Gasol) have to come back into the game in the fourth quarter. That's awful," said Lamar Odom, who had six points and 10 rebounds. "We want to play the same way all the time. That's what great teams do. "It's only December, but we can play a lot better."




Al Jefferson had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead Minnesota, but he shot 8-of-24, missing 15 of his last 19 shots. Craig Smith added 18 points and eight rebounds, and Ryan Gomes scored 13 for the Timberwolves (4-19), who lost their ninth straight game and fourth in a row since Kevin McHale took over as coach last Monday.

"The guys are going to go out there and fight and scrap. I know that," McHale said. "We've just got to go out there and play a style of ball that will fit this team and stick with it. I don't think that right now, we are able to do that.
"Right now, we are not mentally or physically prepared to push the ball, push the pace for a long time." The Timberwolves have the NBA's second-worst record and are 2-10 on the road, but they led 57-54 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter after scoring eight straight points. But a 3-pointer by Bryant, a basket by Odom and five straight points by Luke Walton gave the Lakers a seven-point lead, and they were on top the rest of the way. It was 69-62 entering the final period.

"We were in a great position to win," Jefferson said. "I just missed a lot of shots. I think we just need to get that first win [under McHale] and everything else is going to fall into place for us."


Game notes:

The Lakers entertain the New York Knicks on Tuesday night before beginning a four-game road trip Friday in Miami. After the trip finishes Dec. 23 in New Orleans, the Lakers return home to host the Boston Celtics in their long-awaited Christmas Day matchup. The Lakers have won eight of their last nine games against Minnesota and five straight over the Timberwolves at home. Minnesota's losing streak is its longest since they dropped 12 in a row to finish the 2006-07 season and begin the 2007-08 campaign. ... The game was the first in Los Angeles for Minnesota rookie Kevin Love since he decided to leave UCLA and turn pro after his freshman year. "He's getting better all the time," McHale said. "He really brings a lot of energy, a great basketball feel. I think he's been tremendous, he's played very well." Love had two points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes. ... The Lakers were held under 100 points for the first time in 15 games. They've scored at least 100 in 19 of their 23 games. The Timberwolves have reached 100 just once in their last nine games and eight of 23 overall.

Next matchup: Tuesday December 16th vs. Knicks @ Staples Center 7:30 PM (PST)

LA Lakers Perfect Against the Suns, 2-0

Wednesday night's game for the Los Angeles Lakers was by no means an easy task. They struggled like crazy and their intensity just wasn't quite as it usually is. Their defense was rather stagnant against the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers battled like crazy to put the short-handed Phoenix Suns away.

FUN FACTS:

• The Lakers defeated the short-handed Suns who played without Shaquille O'Neal and three traded players in Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and Sean Singletary.
• Without O'Neal in the middle, Pau Gasol had a field day. Gasol scored 28 points and made 11 of his 14 shot attempts from the field.
• Kobe Bryant scored 18 -- the third time this season Bryant has had under 20 points (all Lakers wins).
• Phoenix drops to 13-10 on the season. Last season the Suns didn't lose their 10th game until Jan. 5.

Pau Gasol scored 28 points, Bryant had seven of his 18 in the last 6 1/2 minutes, and the Western Conference-leading Lakers struggled to a 115-110 victory Wednesday night.

Andrew Bynum added 17 points and 11 rebounds, Sasha Vujacic scored a season-high 15 points and Derek Fisher had 13 for the Lakers (18-3), who were coming off a lethargic 113-101 loss at Sacramento on Tuesday night and didn't clinch this victory until the final minute.

The Suns (13-10) played without Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and rookie Sean Singletary, traded to Charlotte earlier Wednesday for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a 2010 second-round pick.

Phoenix also was without former Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal, whose 92-year-old great-grandmother died this week. O'Neal was in New Jersey for funeral services and hopes to return in time to play Friday night against Orlando. O'Neal scored 35 points Tuesday night -- his most in nearly three years -- in a 125-110 victory over Milwaukee.

"That's what always happens when a team has eight to nine players," Bryant said. "They always come out with a lot of energy. We did a good job down the stretch."

The Lakers held off the Suns by making 17 of 22 foul shots in the fourth quarter including eight of 10 in the last 30 seconds. But their defensive difficulties continued as they have allowed the opposition to score 100 or more points in seven of their last 10 games.

"Our record is great," Bynum said. "But the way we're playing, we're not going to beat the good teams." Gasol agreed, saying: "We're not playing our best. Most of the time, I think we can do a lot better defensively. We're giving up a lot of points. We have to consciously every single game go out there and be focused on our defense. We know we can score. We also know that if we want to get to the next level, the championship level, we have to be consistent on our defense. It's something that we haven't been doing very well."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he thought the Suns brought the best out of the Lakers. "We weren't playing our best when we started the game, but we eventually had to play," Jackson said. "Maybe not the best, but we had to play well enough to win."

Matt Barnes had season-high totals of 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead Phoenix. Grant Hill scored 23 points, Amare Stoudemire had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Leandro Barbosa added 18 points for the Suns. Steve Nash shot 2-of-12 and was held to seven points and nine assists. "It was a huge challenge for us," Stoudemire said. "We didn't have our guys tonight and were short-handed, but we all knew what we had to do. For us to go out and compete, it took a total effort from everybody. We came out with a lot of energy and intensity and played well despite having only eight guys out there playing. So we can accept that. We were happy with the way we played."

Barbosa scored five straight points early in the fourth quarter to give the Suns an 86-85 lead. But a basket by Gasol and two more by Lamar Odom put the Lakers ahead 91-86, and they led the rest of the way. It was 91-90 when Bryant made a 3-pointer and Odom added two free throws to give the Lakers some breathing room. The Suns weren't closer than four points after that.

"We gave ourselves a chance to win that ballgame, so I was pleased with what I got," Suns coach Terry Porter said. "It is always difficult being short-handed, but in this league, that happens sometimes. You just have to have someone else step up." Barnes scored 10 points during an 19-6 run that gave the Suns a 76-74 lead, their first of the game. Nash's 3-pointer his first field goal in nine attempts put Phoenix on top. The Lakers led 82-81 entering the final period.

With Gasol and four reserves on the floor, the Lakers scored 10 straight points early in the second quarter for a 39-27 lead, which was the largest of the game for either team. But the Suns hung tough, getting as close as three points before Los Angeles settled for a 53-48 halftime lead. Bryant was hardly noticeable in the opening 24 minutes, shooting 2-of-7 for four points but he wound up coming around and lead his team to victory. It was nice to see Paul Gasol have such a good game and score 28 points for the night against the Suns.

Next matchp: Friday December 12th vs. the Sacramento Kings 7:30 PM (PST)