Just Plain Cute

Uncle Brogan snuggling w/ "Cheddar Bob", as he calls Chester. :)

Better Late then Never!

Happy belated birthday to Mom Bibler (9/8) and Matt Bibler (9/7). We celebrated with a fabulous dinner (prepared by my wonderful husband!) at our house for both b-days, and while we took this pic on September 7th, it's taken me a while to get new batteries for this camera. HAPPY BELATED B-DAYS!! :)

P.S. Mom Bibler was camera shy and took the pic, which is why she's absent from it!

Another Quick Brogan Blip...

...from the GR Press, in case you missed the phenomonal game last Friday...

Sometimes these amazing matchups between unbeaten teams live up to the hype. Sometimes the fans -- nearly 10,000 folks crammed in the stands and sprawled on the hillsides -- get there early and stay until the decisive play.
That play, a 40-yard interception return by Rockford's Brogan Bibler with 1:25 left, sealed the win.
"Points were just brutal to come by, it was a tough battle up and down the field," said Bibler, a rare three-year starter for the Rams. "They hit hard, they came back and we tried to hit them hard, too. Hudsonville is a great team, and it's great to come out on top of this (game) one time."
The win, the first for Rockford at Eagle Stadium and the second all-time against Hudsonville, was a first for Bibler. But that does not mean the Rams have not done well.
The last three seasons, Hudsonville and Rockford have captured at least a share of the O-K Red Conference title. Since 2004, both teams have made trips to the state finals, and Rockford won it all twice.

And here's the clip of the interception! http://www.rockfordfootball.com/images_multi/04_int_bibler.mov

Prayers Requested, Please

There are three very special people that are in need of prayers. The first is my mom, who is suffereing from severe chest (and neck/back) pains and cannot find an answer as to why she is having them. Fortunately, all serious medical concerns have been ruled out so far, and she has been told that she's not in any immediate danger.

The second is for Autsin's Uncle Bill (on the Bibler side), who has been diagnosed with Esophageal Cancer. Please keep him and his wife Patty (Charlie's sister) in your thoughts and prayers.

The third is for Tom Willey, a very good friend of ours. He just got home from a 48 hour hospital stay for several blood clots, and found out through testing that he is genitically prone to them, so he is not out of the woods yet. His case was very much like my dad's last summer, meaning Tom is very lucky to be alive today.

Thank you all for these thoughts and prayers...they are needed.

Animal Festival 2008

There are very few things that I would wake up at 7am for on a Saturday morning...and the Animal Festival is definitely one of them. This is the Humane Society's biggest fundraiser of the year, and we had a tremendous turnout!! There were SO MANY DOGS!! From a 265lb. Mastiff named Mudge (picture above) to a 1lb. Chiuhuahua puppy, all dogs were happy as clams to be there. I recruited my wonderful sister Kellie to volunteer with me. :) We ran the Doggie Treat Toss had a blast. I also got a surprise visit from nieces Maddie and Gracie, my mom, Austin and Chester. Chester was supposed to take his Canine Good Citizen test today, but was too overwhelemed, so his certification is postponed for a little while. :)

From a Blessing of the Pets from a priest, to a Waggin-walk-a-Thon in memory/honor of pets, to a Bobbin' for Hotdogs game, to a pet fashion show....today was such a fun and memorable day.

A lot of animals are going to benefit from this event. :D

We all had fun, and I cannot wait until Animal Festival 2009!

194 Days...

...until Austin and I fly to sunny Gulf Shores! I know it's a bit premature, but when I first started this countdown, it was at 275 days! So for us, it's not that far away...:)

Rams Beat Davison

The final score was 20-19. It was a close but a very exciting game. Here's our bragging bit for the game...Brogan scored a 79 yard touchdown return on the opening kickoff!! Also, Peter, Jessica and Matt were all in from out of town (Chicago and Ft. Wayne, respectively) to see the big game!! And on top of most of the Biblers being there, the whole Hosford clan was there too (hence the pic of myself and the Madster...Gracie and Livvy were home and snoozing at that point!). :)

Way to go Rams (and of course Brogan!) :D

P.S. HUGE props to Lauren for the pics!!!

??????

This is what happens when all the Biblers get together at the lake for Labor Day weekend...

Game 1

Rockford vs. Lake Orion. We traveled across the state to Eastern Michigan University to watch Brogan (and the rest of the team) play the first game of the season. Of course, the Rams pulled off the win 17-7. Go Rams!

So Proud of You, Brogan...

When you get a chance, please read this article about Brogan (click on the link below). It simply validates what a phenomonal person he is!! Austin and I are so proud. :D



http://www.mlive.com/grandrapids/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-2/1219842949306120.xml&coll=6

Hots and Brats 2008

We came, we saw...we ate! This years Hots and Brats was the biggest in Coach Munger's coaching history...almost 1,000 people were there! We cannot wait for Brogan's final high school football season!! :) GO RAMS!

LuLu's First Time at the Cottage

She....loved....it!! She is a natural swimmer in the water (we "threw" her and prepared to jump in after her if she sank, but didn't need to!), and ran circles around the boat the whole day! She made herself at home at the cottage, and loved absolutely everything about the lake. Can't wait to bring her back this weekend!! :)

DON'T SHOP WHEN YOU CAN ADOPT!!!

I have learned so much over the past few months about Puppy Mills, and I am on a mission to do whatever I can to STOP THEM!! If you are in the market for a new pet, PLEASE consider adopting as opposed to buying from a breeder/pet store! I know puppies are so cute, but unfortunately, 99% of all puppies for sale come from these horrendous mills. The motto I live by- "DON'T BREED OR BUY WHILE ANIMALS IN SHELTERS DIE!" If you simply click on the link below, you hopefully will NEVER BUY a puppy again after seeing these images...

http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=puppy+mills&fr=yfp-t-501&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8

10 Ways You Can Help Fight Puppy Mills (compliments of the wonderful ASPCA):
1. Do Not Buy Your Puppy From a Pet Store That puppy who charmed you through the pet shop window has most likely come from a large-scale, substandard commercial breeding facility, commonly known as a puppy mill. In these facilities, parent dogs are caged and bred as often as possible, and give birth to puppies who could have costly medical problems you might not become aware of until after you bring your new pet home.
2. Make Adoption Your First Option If you’re looking to make a puppy part of your family, check your local shelters first. Not only will you be saving a life, but you will ensure that your money is not going to support a puppy mill. There are many dogs waiting for homes in shelters all across the country―and an estimated one in four is a purebred! Your second option is breed rescue. If your heart is set on a specific breed you haven’t been able to find in a shelter, you can do an Internet search for a breed-specific rescue organization.
3. Know How to Recognize a Responsible Breeder If you’ve exhausted your options for adopting and are choosing to buy from a breeder, remember that responsible breeders have their dogs’ interests in mind. They are not simply interested in making a sale, but in placing their pups in good homes. A responsible breeder should screen you as thoroughly as you screen them! Read the ASPCA’s responsible breeding statement to find out more about how a responsible breeder behaves.
4. See Where Your Puppy Was Born and Bred One sign that you are speaking to an unscrupulous breeder is that they will not let you see the facility in which your puppy was born. Always ask to see the breeding premises and to meet both parents (or at least the mother) of the puppy you want to take home. You should also ask for an adoption contract that explains―in terms you understand―the breeder’s responsibilities, health guarantee and return policy.
5. Internet Buyers, Beware! Buying a puppy from the Internet is as risky as buying from a pet store. If you buy a puppy based on a picture and a phone call, you have no way of seeing the puppy’s breeding premises or meeting his parents. And those who sell animals on the Internet are not held to the Animal Welfare Act regulations―and so are not inspected by the USDA.
6. Share Your Puppy Mill Story with the ASPCA If you have—or think you have—purchased a puppy-mill puppy, please tell us your story. Every bit of evidence gives us more power to get legislation passed that will ban puppy mills.
7. Speak Out! Inform your state and federal legislators that you are disturbed by the inhumane treatment of dogs in puppy mills, and would like to see legislation passed that ensures that all animals bred to be pets are raised in healthy conditions. You can keep up-to-date about current legislation to ban puppy mills by joining the ASPCA Advocacy Brigade.
8. Tell Your Friends If someone you know is planning on buying a puppy, please direct them to our puppy mill information at ASPCA.org. Let them know that there are perfectly healthy dogs in shelters waiting to be adopted.
9. Think Globally Have a webpage, a MySpace page or a blog? Use these powerful tools to inform people about puppy mill cruelty by adding a link to our puppy mill information at ASPCA.org.
10. Act Locally! When people are looking to buy or adopt a pet, they will often ask the advice of their veterinarian, groomer or pet supply store. Download and print our flyers and ask to leave them in the offices of your local practitioners.

If you want to learn more about these terrible places and/or how you can help, please take a look at this link...

http://www.stoppuppymills.org/

LuLu Buffett Bibler Update

LuLu is completely settled in....and a completely different dog than we adopted! Since she has recovered from pnemonia, kennel cough, conjunctivitis in both eyes and ear infections in both ears, LuLu is nothing short of a pistol. She loves to run, bark, and lay in the sun. She loves us all, but is definitely like Hoonis in that she always has to be right by Mom. :) She doesn't looked at all loved in these pics, does she?? Welcome to the clan, LuLu!!

Happy Birthday to...ME!!

On Wednesday I turned the big 2-6. I got to spend Wednesday with the wonderful Bibler clan! We went out to eat at Applebee's (thanks again for dinner!) and then back to Mom B's for delicious ice cream cake! On Thursday I got to spend the evening with the Hosford clan, as we celebrated both my dad and I's birthdays together with a very fancy dinner homemade by Uncle Jim! Both nights made more memories that I'll never forget!! Thanks to everyone for everything!! :D

Meet the Newest Bibler :)

This is LuLu Buffett Bibler, or LuLu for short. We named her after our second favorite Buffett, who is Jimmy's sister Lucy (aka LuLu). She is (obviously) a Chihuahua, and we adopted her from (where else?), the Humane Society. LuLu came home tonight, and she's getting along great with the other three! :)

She doesn't know it yet, but she's about to be a very spoiled little girl!! I have already enrolled her in obedience classes, and she will eventually become a trained therapy dog, as she is very sweet and loves all kids and dogs! Can't wait for you all to meet her!