Growing

Everett got his school pictures back today.  It's hard for me to imagine in less than a year he'll be taking his kindergarten photos.  It seems like he was a baby only a few months ago.  I couldn't be more proud of the little boy he's turning into these days.  He's smart. He's sweet. He's hilarious.  He's all I could ask for in a son and certainly more than I deserve. 

Grip

The poor handles on this motion ride probably never recovered from the death grips of these little girls.  Somehow, they both found a way to survive its light vibrations and 6 inch drops...

Shredding

When Ev is shredding on an axe, he takes it very seriously...

Dr. Visit

Teddy has his first visit to the vet tomorrow.  He doesn't seem too stressed about it...

Step One

There are 11 people headed to my house tomorrow for Thanksgiving.  It's always great to be around my family during the holidays.  However, tomorrow will be different. While I'll be surrounded by loved ones, there will be a huge missing piece to the puzzle.  Tomorrow marks the first family holiday since my mom's passing.  It's been almost 2 months, but in many ways it feels like it was just yesterday.  Here's to hoping tomorrow is filled with enough love, laughter, and memories to fill at least a tiny portion of the void.

Two Views

Despite the fact that Teddy absolutely bites anything that moves, he's actually not nearly as tough as he thinks. The big dog next door, Sadie, came outside.  He and Sophie took two very different approaches...


Sophie decided to jump up and down while barking and giving Sadie the business...

Teddy decided to run halfway across the yard and watch the action from the other side of the deck...

Two of a kind

Looks like Amelia isn't the only one who likes to sleep surrounded by some of her favorite things...

More the Merrier

Some people like to sleep alone, other people are named Amelia and prefer to have 100 stuffed animals...

Lesson Learned

Don't be fooled by the picture, this sweet looking little guy sports a feisty streak.  That streak got him into his first scuffle today.  He decided he'd try to bark and jump and dominate Sophie....she decided she'd bite him.  He decided he'd go lay down. 

 

Home Again

I'm finally home from traveling to a training seminar. I'm pretty sure nobody has ever been more excited to get back to their wife, daughter, son, dog, and crazy puppy before.

Warning

With the new puppy coming home tomorrow, we have started Sophie on puppy anti-anxiety meds.  We're hoping this takes her from absolutely freaking out and pooping everywhere down to simply losing her mind and pooping here and there.  That said, I checked out the medicine today while giving it to her and found out I've been ignoring very important warnings this whole time....


...Sophie's been operating all kinds of vehicles, vessels, and machines while under the influence....

It's Simple

I've seen every kind of reaction possible to last night's election.  Some were funny. Some were sad.  However, the one that really annoys me is people asking "What do I tell my children?".  First of all, don't ask social media what you should tell your children. They're your children.  You should probably go ahead and manage all important conversations with them on your own.  Secondly, what do you tell your children the morning after last night's election? You tell them the same thing parents have told their children after the last 44 elections. You tell them good morning. You tell them you love them and you hope they slept well.  You tell them to eat their breakfast and brush their teeth. You remind them to say please and thank you. You show them the value of a hug.  You teach them to be a good family member so they can be a good neighbor so they can be a good citizen.  You remind them that God, not a person, is in control.  That said, you explain to them that for the 45th time, we have a new president.  You let them know that just like the 44 before him, he will make some good decisions and some not so good decisions.  You tell them you're excited to see what happens over the next four years regardless of your actual opinion.  You are the adult.  It is not your job to enlighten your kids about the dark side of politics.  There is nothing to gain from sharing your fears, your concerns, or your wild guess on what the future holds.  Your job today, just like every other day of their lives, is to make them feel loved, safe, and hopeful.  Instead of stressing over what to tell your kids about this president, focus on raising them to be people you'd want to be president.  

In the Books

Well, season 1 of Amelia's soccer career is in the books.  She didn't come away with any wins, but she played hard and got better each game.  Most importantly, she had fun every time on the field...

Thinker

Compared to his sister, Everett isn't much of a talker. However, don't let that fool you. The man is always paying attention and always knows what's going on....

Decade

This happened 10 years ago today....

......3,650+ days down, happily ever after still remaining...

Neighborly Relief

As we learned tonight, there are few things in life that bring you more relief than seeing this post on your neighborhood Facebook page while you're out frantically looking for your dog who went roaming the streets when your lawn guy left your gate open......

"I found this dog walking down the street. Does anyone know who it belongs to?"

Multipurpose

In today's update on puppy supplies showing up at our house, we now have a new huge crate.  The best news is we've actually already been able to put it to good use....