March Madness

Let the craziness begin....a busy month is in the forecast. I just got back from a girls' weekend at the beach. We went to run the Seaside 5K on Sunday morning, but our husbands let us slip away on Friday afternoon to make a weekend out of it. The weather was gorgeous. A nice break from all the cold that we've had the last several weeks. Also a nice change from last year's race day weather...which was MISERABLY cold. (Remember the Sunday, March 1st SNOW of 2009??) So cold that we ran the race, got in the car, and left. This year we were able to stick around and enjoy the fun Seaside atmosphere. We missed some of our friends from last year but are counting on them to be back in it next year. You got that C and D??


Steve sent these pictures to my phone while I was away to let me know what they were up to...art anyone?



We've got a few trips coming up...one involving a continuing education conference for me, and another (much more exciting) involving airplanes and a big boat. A BIG SURPRISE for the girls. I can't wait. Flying with two small children makes me a little nervous, so I would LOVE your prayers for safe travel. And finally, near the end of the month, back to back birthdays. The big 35 for me, and Anna Clare turns 7 the next day.

My parents and sister are returning home tonight from a mission trip in Costa Rica. We can't wait to have them home and hear all about it. Happy March! Spring is in the air!

P.S. Furball's name is Ollie...taken from a line in the movie "Annie." He's doing great!

It's a ZOO around here!

Thursday night Steve walked in with this...

Yep. A 9-week-old Maltese puppy. It was a complete surprise! We had looked at a couple online and had talked about getting one maybe in the summer. So I was not at all expecting this little Valentine (from my Valentine:)

Are we crazy? Probably. Is he adorable? Definitely. Steve and I both grew up with dogs, and I am certain he was just as excited as I was. Now, I must say, it has been 10 years since we had a puppy. They are not low maintenance. Taking them out constantly, a little whining, lovely puppy breath, and so on. The first night I was out with him in the middle of the night (2:48am to be exact)in the rain. Since then, he has been sleeping in a kennel upstairs and has really done fine. He is just precious, and we are all crazy about him.

This is where I must give props to Stella, the cat, for being the most low maintenance pet we have ever owned (coming from someone who didn't particularly care for cats and surely didn't want to own one)! She prefers mostly to be outside and breezes in from time to time as she pleases. And she OWNS Wilson. He went after her a time or two and that was a time too many. It is truly amazing that the two of them get along so well, considering Wilson is an 11-year-old-set-in-his-ways Jack Russell and she is a spunky, feisty, newcomer feline. And she thinks the new guy is pretty cool, too.

Rest assured that with a dog, a cat, a puppy, and three fish, we are DONE!


And this little fellow still needs a name...(Owen calls him "the boy"...HELP:)

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!

Christmas Happenings

My sweet sister, pictured above, was kind enough to let me borrow her computer again today. So while I have internet at my fingertips, I am going to share just a few pictures.

Owen despises Santa for the 2nd year in a row. Anna Clare only went through one year of Santa fear so I thought Owen might enjoy him this year. Hmmmm......no.

Anna Clare is a fan.

We've been eating LOTS of satsumas...they are wonderful! (The cat is not ours. He/She jumped in the picture. We prefer dogs:)



Anna Clare had her first piano recital. She did great!



She played "Up on the Housetop" and "O Come All Ye Faithful." We were so very proud of her.

Steve surprised her with an early Christmas gift. Meet Stella.

Did I mention we are dog people? She has wanted a cat for quite some time but because we have 2 (outside) dogs, we held her off. She did not ask for one for Christmas so she was VERY surprised and VERY excited. Stella is a rescue cat and is the sweetest thing! The girls are crazy about her. She makes me actually like cats. Our dogs are sweet, so we are hoping we can all coexist peacefully.

AND last but not least....



My brother is engaged!!! Scott and Laura are getting married July 24, 2010. We LOVE Laura (and Scott too:) and are super excited!


Enjoy this wonderful season as we celebrate the birth of our Savior! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

What I Want For Christmas

Meet Vivi.



Isn't she adorable? Vivi is the child we sponsor through Compassion International . We found Vivi through their website and began sponsoring her Christmas 2006. She is Anna Clare's age and lives in Indonesia with her parents and younger brother. I have mentioned Vivi before in this post. It has been such a blessing to our family to read her letters, enjoy her artwork, and watch her grow. Her mother calls us "Uncle Steve and Family"...how cute is that?

This Christmas Compassion put together the "What I Want For Christmas" program to help the children on their waiting list find a sponsor family. Anna Clare wanted to participate so we requested an information kit.

Meet James




*I am having computer issues yet again-completely my fault this time- and am posting from my sister's Mac that I know nothing about. Please tilt head to get a better look at James:)


James is our "Christmas Child." Another cutie. He lives in The Philippines with his parents. His duties at home include helping in the kitchen, running errands and cleaning. His father is sometimes employed and his mother is sometimes employed (the packet doesn't say what type of employment...Vivi's father is a farmer). As part of Compassion's ministry, James participates in church activities and Vacation Bible School. He is also in primary school, and his favorite activities are singing, art, and walking. James is 11 years old. We would love to find him a sponsor in time for Christmas. He has been uniquely assigned to our family through December 31. If not, we will just keep praying because God most definitely has a plan for this child. For more information visit this link.

Would you please pray for James and children like him to find a sponsor, to be surrounded by God's love, to be safe, and to come to know Jesus? It sure would make Anna Clare a happy little girl to know you are praying:)

Merry Christmas!