A Dogs Life

As you all know I have two dogs, well more like moose.. moose's?, meese? lol.. whatever, they are large dogs. They are my furry babies. I love them and adore their stubborn independant spirits. I couldnt live without their fur everywhere and their slobber on my nicest clothing. They are precious to me, and the day they pass away it will break my heart. That being said I got this in an email. It was a forward so I dont know who actually wrote it originally, but I really was touched so thought I would share it. Even though its talking about a dogs life, it can easily be transitioned over to all aspects of your life. enjoy..

A Dog's Purpose? (from a 6-year-old).....

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named, Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's
family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ''I know why they are.''
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me!
I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try to live.
He said, "People are born so they can learn how to live a good life.....like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?
TheSix-year-old continued, ''Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to live as long.''

Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.

Remember, if a dog were the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.

There comes a time in life, when you walk away from all the drama and people who create it. You surround yourself with people who make you laugh, forget the bad, and focus on the good.

So, love the people who treat you right. Think good thoughts for the ones who don't. Life is too short to be anything but happy.

Falling down is part of LIFE...Getting back up is LIVING...

Have a great life.

Beach Photo's

Two in one evening??? I know, you are beside yourself with excitement. Anyhoo, here are a couple of my favorite pictures taken of my family last October at the beach. We had a friend take them Samantha Denney Photography she is just amazing. Super laid back (you have to be with two kids and two dogs, lol) and she has a great eye for getting the perfect shot.

 This is the girls with the pup's. We had only had Sophie for a few weeks by then, but she fits so well with our family we couldn't imagine it without her!

This competes for the best shot of the day. I love the girls expressions and the dogs in profile, heaven forbid they look at the camera, lol.

My babies... what more can I say??

Finally one with everyone looking the same way. You would be amazed at how hard Sam had to work to get this shot. I simply LOVE it!

This was a request of mine.. I have seen it done before, and liked the idea. I actually have, somewhere, this shot when Rosie was a few weeks old.. minus the dogs too of course. But I love how she included the dogs, they are such a big part of our lives, they should be there too!

And lastly a great shot, great pose, great background but the sun is in all of our eyes, lol... There was no convincing the kids to not grimace in this photo.

I have more, again she did an amazing job and gave us a disc with the rights to the photos. If you are ever in the area and want a great photographer check her out!! I hope to have her take our pictures again before we head out of the state. Thanks again Sam for all your hard work!!

On the Road Again

It is a theme of our lives... Can you hear our theme song playing in the background... "on the road again..." ya that would be it.
We are moving again. Hopefully this will be the last big move for us. We hope to purchase/build once we are in the town, but across the country? ya.. this will be the last one, hopefully.
Jim is getting out of the military, well active duty.. but thats another long story. And we will be heading from Virginia to Montana! We are really excited about finally being settled, being near family and friends, and meeting new people we wont have to say goodbye to in a year! We will also be settled enough to get the girls into a good school that will be their last. All good things going on here.
We will be moving near my brother and sister-in-law and their little bun (in the oven). We met some great people while visiting for their wedding and hope to continue those relationships.
We wont move till this summer, but have already started the process of getting out of the military as well as the process for the move.
Im not excited to go through another move, but excited that this will be our last!

tooth aches

The past few days I have been getting the girls into the dentists to get their check ups. They both are cavity free!! Go Girls! But dealing with the riff raff of the people who live in this area of the USA, well, sucks!! People here are so extremely rude and self absorbed that its amazing anyone gets anything accomplished.
I fear for the children of this generation, they are out of control and no adults seem to be willing to take time from their electronic devices to parent them. We spent over an hour last night surrounded by heathen children and oblivious parents. It is just amazing, and not in a good way. The children were yelling that they were going to kill each other and running around the waiting room. I was flabbergasted! That would never fly in my house, much less a public area. Coming from Germany, where every child is respectful and under control to this part of over populated United States has been the largest culture shock of my life. Moving to Germany was simple compared to the people I have had to deal with since we have returned.
The dentist and staff of this particular clinic were nice, but over worked. They didnt get Carmen back for an hour, and then she sat in an exam chair for 30 minutes before they started to work on her. I realise running late isnt in their control, and there was a string of unruly children that were seen right before us (surprising yes, kids out of control??? never). I dont hold it against the clinic but I wont be going back. I am a very patient person and try to give most people the benefit of the doubt when it comes to situations like this. But I cant deal with their clientele, its not the staff, but who they see that is going to lose their business for me. Thank goodness we are moving in a few months and wont be needing to do their next check ups in this town.
But that aside, both girls rocked their appointments and both were responsive, respectful and patient. I was so proud of them both.