Best Secret Santa Gift Ever

Growing up both Mike and I had dogs. I love dogs. I love big dogs. Infact, I would love to have a Great Dane but Mike, first, and then my little sister, Kris, have said no...no Great Danes....high maintenance, shorter life span, etc. So over the course of our almost 21 years of marriage we have had a few dogs, too. First, it was Bentley (Mike's choice in name). Bentley was an adorable cocker spaniel, but a HYPER cocker. He was NOTHING like my Sundance growing up, but I've quickly learned that no dog will ever compare to Sundance. Bentley went to Mike's older brother, Paul, and his wife, Maggie, until Maggie could not breathe anymore (terrible allergies from the dog)!! Then, after falling in love with Aunt Karen's found in the wild white WOLF Kane (75% wolf, 25% dog), we decided to adopt a dog from PetsMart...mix, but basically looked like a white lab...which Craig wanted to name "Kane" as well. Kane had MAJOR issues...like needing puppy proszac (sp?)...so he eventually went back to his adopted mother.

Ever since our failed attempts at being dog owners, Mike and I both wanted to try again. Well, one of the many benefits of being friends with the Snelsons is that you get to experience animal life-LIVE. Trey is passionate about animals, animal life, loves to hunt, fish, etc. So when Brittney and Trey made the decision to breed their beautiful yellow labrador (actually she is cinnamon colored...absolutely beautiful...and with her lazy eye, ahhh, you just fall in love with her!) they allowed us to journey with them. It was so fun learning about the breeding process, the pregnancy gestation for dogs, and then ultimately the birthing of her puppies. I remember, still today, the phone call I received from Brittney that Georgia was in labor!! All along Georgia's pregnancy I told Brittney that I wanted one of the puppies. We had promised Craig that when he turned 12 that we would get a dog. You know, Cole would be five and things would be much more managable. You see, we had no idea that God had plans of blessing us with little Reed 3 years after Cole!! :)

During the Christmas season at work we exchanged names for Secret Santa. It was Christmas 2006. We are given the opportunity to try to guess who had us at the party and I, like always, failed to guess who had me. So when BRITTNEY revealed herself to me, she handed me the cutest wrapped gift. In that bag was a gift that immediately brought tears to my eyes....all doggie stuff and a note that said we were being gifted the pick of the litter when Georgia delivered!!

Here was my greatest Secret Santa gift EVER....

Lady Girl!
Well, two and a half years later we finally get the opportunity to keep Georgia for a week!! While Brittney and Trey are vacationing in Colorado, we are giving Georgia the vacation of a lifetime! Constant wrestling and excercising, and then some cuddley time with her daughter!! Lady will NOT leave her alone, and every once in a while Georgia still shows her whose boss!! Rightly so!!! Georgia will retreat to her kennel every once in a while, as if tried from the constant nagging of her little one, with Lady laying outside the kennel whinning the entire time!

Georgia!
We are having the best time. The boys are so proud and make sure on our walks that the neighborhood knows that the "other" dog we have is Lady's mom! So cute. They have asked me numerous times, "Mom, do you think they know they are mom and daughter?" I don't know the answer to that, but I would like to think so.

Georgia and Lady!
Thanks Brittney and Trey, we have had the best time with "the girls!!"

LOA...July 21st

My little sister received her formal Letter of Acceptance yesterday and will soon be receiving the final travel documents in about 3-4 weeks!

China, here "we" come!!

By the way, Ellis, we celebrated this news at a fantastic Cold Play concert!!

We love you sweet girl,

Uncle Mike, Aunt Kimmy, Tod, Craig, Cole and Reed

Cheers to Brittney

POSITIVELY the funnest bunch!

Thoughts While Driving

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, “Another soulless atheist looking for harmony and world peace”. It got me thinking. Now, just because the guy thinks he’s soulless doesn’t mean he is. He has a soul just like everyone else in the world, he is just too egotistical or blind or whatever to know it. Just because he doesn’t acknowledge the truth doesn’t make it any less true.

Then I thought, Jesus died for all humanity whether “all humanity” believes it or not. He died for me, for Hitler, for Mother Teresa, for Attila the Hun, for Pope Benedict and for Saddam Hussein. The issue is not whether He did it, but whether or not you choose to acknowledge and accept it. Some in the list above did not accept it, but it is no less true because of that.

Then I thought about the Right to Life debate. I am pro-life. That means I believe in the sanctity of all human life. As such, I am anti-capital punishment. The way I see it, just because some murderer does not believe that life is God-given and sacred does not mean this it isn’t. You know? If I truly believe that life is sacred, I need to believe ALL human life in sacred, even if others don’t.

Then I thought about family. Cole talks a mile a minute… every minute. Now, you wouldn’t know it to see me now, but I was almost held back in first grade. My grades were fine, but the teacher had to put my desk right next to hers because I was talking to everyone all the time. I had forgotten about that until I started thinking about Cole.

Then I thought, I wish these idiots would speed up, we're on the freeway!

"Brace Face!"

Hard to tell, but the rubber bands are blue and gold...covers the Bruins and Rangers!
Baby boy #2!

Today Dr. Ohlenforst started Craig's braces. Tops today...bottoms in about 2-3 months.

Amazing part...OFF in 8-9 months!!

He was great about it TODAY...we'll see how he feels about them in a week! :)

2TH AYK

The title of this post is actually stolen from the best dentist in the metroplex, Dr. Pfaffenberger's (a.k.a. AUNT MaryLou), personalized license plate!! I could only think of one other title that I quickly decided was not appropriate for our family blog. Let me just say, next time (and YES, there will be a next time...infact, if you ask Reed he will bow his little head and hold up THREE fingers indicating how many more visits he has left with Aunt MaryLou) DADDY needs to go along!! We certainly owe Dr. Pfaffenberger a massage after all she went through with Reed. Cole was a champion...got in the chair opened his mouth...no big deal. He takes after his father and oldest brother who practically fall asleep (Mike actually DOES fall asleep) during dental treatments. Reed, on the other hand, is like his mother. He laid there clenched fisted and screaming for the majority of the time it took MaryLou to fill TWO of the EIGHT cavities in his mouth. And did I mention that we started out with a little children's benadryl...just to relax him a little and get him a wee bit sleepy?!? While Cole was being worked on, Reed and I waited in the waiting room...and he was really having to struggle to keep his eyes open. PERFECT. I thought. First hurdle, the numbing. Went VERY well. I was falsely lead to believe that this was going to go easily...afterall, he handled the numbing better than his mommy!! :) After getting him positioned for the fillings, she placed "Mr. Thirsty" in his mouth....didn't go well. He told her it hurt. Yes, just the tiny suction tube that she hung on one side of his mouth. We managed to distract him with Spongebob (never did I think I would EVER say, "Reed, watch Spongebob!") and the second the drill hit is tooth the tears started rolling with him screaming, "It's all scratchy in my mouth!!!!" He must have asked Aunt MaryLou fifty times, "Am I done now???"

Poor baby.

We ARE done, for today.

Next week, same time, same place, same procedure.

Here are some pictures of our time....these are not "celebration" picutures...just history, survival (for ALL involved) pictures!!! Trust me, and ask the boys, THEY WILL TELL YOU, our "celebration" is milk and water as drink choices for the rest of their lives!!!

Cole and Aunt MaryLou

Poor baby Reed! Poor Dr. Pfaffenberger!!

Our All Star!

Mike was a catcher, my dad was a catcher, my brother was a catcher, Tod was a catcher...
After the game Cole commented, "That coach pitching was only trying to hit me!"

2009 Coach Pitch All Stars

Only 2 Dodger All-Stars....Cole and Riler....with "Coach" Mike

Cole and his biggest fans!