Must Love Dogs...

to "get" this post. Otherwise it might read like a foreign language. This is Bear, our Maltese. He was my Christmas present from Steve the year we got married (2000). He was anything BUT a BEAR! We named him that because he was like a tiny furry teddy bear. The sweetest dog ever...not a mean bone in his little body. It has been a very sad week at our house because Bear died in his sleep Sunday night.

He truly was like our first child. I could not wait to get home every day from work to play with him. We spoiled him rotten. He even went on our 1st year anniversary trip with us...yes, we are crazy. We found a pet-friendly Bed and Breakfast and didn't think twice about bringing him along. I even took his picture on the beach with sunglasses on for the Humane Society Calendar Contest while we were on that trip (remember...Must Love Dogs:)



Of course, he did take a backseat when Anna Clare came along...I think most dogs do(we affectionately called him Back Burner Bear). But he was definitely part of the family and his death was quite a shock. He had had a pretty bad cough for a few days last week but played, ate, and drank as usual. Steve was out of town and told me he would take him to the vet when he got back. I was sick much of last week and decided to let Steve do just that. Sunday night Steve told me to make him a note to remind him to drop him off at the vet in the morning before work. Monday morning, he found Bear curled up in his little bed with Wilson, our Jack Russell (who was a gift to me from Steve when we were dating) right beside him. He looked just like he was sleeping. So, not only was it incredibly sad, I had incredible guilt for not taking him to the vet while Steve was away. Steve and I both beat ourselves up pretty bad about it.

Anna Clare was awake (and in hysterics just as I was) so the three of us buried him early Monday morning. I did find some joy in seeing things through the eyes of an innocent child. Throughout the day, she begged me not to cry..."he lives in your heart," she told me. She also reminded me of Where the Red Fern Grows and told me if I didn't "quit being sad," I was going to die too of a broken heart. Bless her soul! I assured her I was not dying, just grieving. She wrote about him in her journal that night...

(click to enlarge and read at your own risk...it's a tear jerker:)
To quote from her..."I will always give him a treat but it will be in my heart"... Have mercy!




Bear and Peggy Sue, my parents' pug, who went on to Doggy Heaven last year

My apologies for all the gloom and doom, but we Do Love Dogs! :)

The Sun'll Come Out....Tomorrow

Tomorrow...I have a date with this beautiful little girl...

We are going here to see this....

My Christmas gift to her... I. Can't. Wait. :)

All Over the Place

That is not where we've been...but more like what this post is.

We had a wonderful Christmas. A bit different this year because my brothers could not come home. Dave, who is 31 and has never missed a Christmas at home, had us call him on Christmas Eve so he could listen in over the phone as we carried on our tradition of reading the Christmas story together. Anna Clare read it this year, and it was really special watching her read as my dad held the phone out for Dave and Jaime to hear. Everyone came home for New Year's and we celebrated Christmas together at the beach.

Steve and I set a $50 gift limit on each other for Christmas. I proudly came in at $50.45 on my purchases. When I opened my gift and found a pair of Ugg boots, I quickly commented that someone didn't hold up to their end of the deal. He informed me that when one has a job, one has a little leeway on the limit. Ha! After wearing them for about 5 minutes, I forgave him. They are not the prettiest things on the block, but they are the warmest, most comfortable shoes I have put on my feet in a long time. So if you see me wearing them ALL the time with ALL sorts of apparel, you will understand.:)

We have been in mourning over here because some dear friends have moved too far away.



Owen's friend, Mary Selwyn, and my friend Denise (and little sister Adeline) moved "up north" to reunite with their Daddy after being apart for 3 months because of work. Although we are very sad:( we know God has big blessings and a perfect plan for their family. And we look forward to lots of fun visits!

Update on Stella...she has REALLY come out of her shell! She is still a sweet cat but VERY playful. Anna Clare's hands have so many scratches I am surprised her school has not called to see if we are torturing her. She loves that cat, though, and rushes in from school every day to scoop her up. I am not used to cats, and when she pounces on my feet, I nearly jump out of my skin!

It is COLD around here! I don't mind it so much except that my lips are so chapped and my hands are so dry that even Blistex and Eucerine lotion are giving me little relief...any suggestions? Speaking of cold, Steve agreed to take AC to school during those bitterly cold mornings so I didn't have to get Owen out. His deadline for leaving is 7:30 so he can get to work on time. One morning I was especially rushing her..."Hurry Honey, Here's your backpack, Here's a cereal bar...eat it on the way...Daddy's waiting..." She replied, "Actually, he's in the backyard shooting his bow." Good grief. All I can say is all the neighborhood deer better fear.


Community Bible Study kicked back off this week, and I am so excited about continuing our study on Genesis. This week we examined the story of Abraham and Isaac. What a beautiful picture of submission, obedience, sacrifice, and God's amazing love!

This post is getting ridiculously long, so I'll end it with a pic of the closest we got to a Winter Wonderland....



A birthday party with "REAL" snow! (And she starts preschool in 2010...how is that possible?) Happy New Year!