This is Creigh and Bella, our new furever friends. They were adopted on December 1, 2009, from the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter.

Not many people understand the connection you can have with a dog. People can be animal lovers without really "getting" animals, without really connecting with them, without really seeing their souls and seeing them for the individuals that God created them to be. Most people love to 'love' animals from a distance without the responsibilities of taking care of them, thus in my opinion, missing out on one of the most amazing things this life has to offer.

I was blessed to be raised by two parents who are animals lovers, who welcomed animal after animal, including a pot-bellied pig, into our home. I watched my dad, as he hated cats, look for my outside cat in the blistering cold and carry him to the basement to stay warm, only to be woke up at 2 a.m. so the cat could go out to pee. I watched him cry when he ran over one in the garage. I watched my mom sit with her dog after he was run over by a truck and everyone had given up on him, including the vets. I watched her go to see him on a daily basis and take him eggs because he would only eat if she was there to feed him. I watched her determination in making him better, and that is what he did. He got better and lived for many more years, even surviving a second hit from the very same truck that ran him over the first time.

I watched both of my parents be patient with me as I house-trained a pig and we watched him grow and he became part of the family. I watched my mom insert medicine into Jamie's ears month after month because they were deformed and she could no longer hear. I was blessed to have my dearest Dusti, a blond cocker spaniel like Tanner, lay on my bed and keep my feet warm for 16 years. I have always been blessed to have had dogs for longer than 10 years. I have watched no dollar sign be too large to take care of our beloved pets because they are one of us when they enter our family. If they suffered, we suffered.

And so it continues with Chip and I and our pets. Our dogs all know each other. We visit with our animals in tow. Mom's dogs, Chase and Bo, are delighted when we show up with our furry friends, just as excited as our dogs are to visit them. Nigel loved Chase and Bo and Nigel loved Tanner. He knew when he was at Tanner's house and loved to run right in.

I know most of you don't know my brother, and if I had pictures of his dog I would probably blog about it but I don't think it's my place to anyhow. This is Chip's day of sadness. Visit his blog today and think of him please...

http://jfbarnes.blogspot.com/2009/11/one-black-friday.html

Thank you, and God Bless.

For the sake of filling up space, I'm blogging tonight. I know there are people who check my blog regularly, I know there are people who wait for the email updates, and there are those who check periodically, and yet I feel terribly guilty as if I'm letting somebody down by not posting all of our business online. The Internet has made it terribly easy for us to keep in touch with relatives who do not live close or even those who live close by but we don't get to see too often considering how busy life can get, so I love blogging. I really hate talking on the telephone, I really hate telling everyone my business, but for some reason, posting it on here is sort of my way of releasing it, inconspicuously letting you all know about our life and what's going on.

I haven't felt like my normal sarcastic, witty self lately; as a matter of fact, I've been pretty boring and ho-hum so blogging is the last thing on my mind. Remember the really pretty pictures of my kids? Yeah, I still haven't gotten them printed yet or sent off to our relatives because I just am not sure I really care right now.

So tonight I turned on "Good Morning, Vietnam" (which by the way I cannot believe my mother took me to the theater to see this considering the language, but yet it's so cool too) and I figured I would blog. I have some funny and cute pictures of Halloween still saved on my camera, but I have no desire to download them into my computer right at the moment. Since we moved in town and could walk (whose freaking idea was that anyway?!), we decided to celebrate the holiday by dressing up and having some fun. After losing Nigel, it was just the fun we needed.

I have to say I can pull of a Chubby Clown quite well; however, duct-taping two bed pillows around your waist and stuffing oneself into clothing can be quite difficult, let alone walking around town for two hours. Let's not even mention that those pillows were Ty and I's bed pillows and I was sweating profusely, so it was... well... pretty gross if you can imagine. Thank God I am not that fat in real life. I was waddling like a duck, waving at people on the street, and Chip says, "So, are you walking that way on purpose or can't you help that?"

Hmmm... why don't you duct tape some pillows around your body and see how funny you look trying to huff and puff your way around town in clothing ten times too small???

My husband was one hot rock star with make-up...shew... Drey was a nerd, which he did quite well. Sage was a vampire and Zoe was Sleeping Beauty while Rylee pulled off Snow White like nobody's business. You will love the pictures, I promise, but I'm not getting off my rear end to get the camera right now.

Chip was a hunter, Faith pulled off the tooth fairy quite well; Tyler thought he was too cool to go trick-or-treating (insert eye roll here - why do we think we need to grow up so much when we are teens and yet want to act like kids again once we are adults?) so we did talk him into the funny eye glasses/slash mustache look, Kaitlyn was a genie, MaKayla was Little Red Riding Hood and David made a great dinosaur. My mom completed the evening as Frenchie, from "Grease"; however, she was acting a bit too much like Rizzo if you get my drift.

So, as I sit here reflecting on all of that and going on little sleep thanks to anxiety and panic attacks at 3 a.m. until 5:30 a.m. because of the damn dog I loved so much, I wanted to update you on our day.

As you know, Drey and Sage wear glasses, and much to my relief, it has nothing to do with my genetics. They just grew a little faster than their eyes could keep up; therefore, they needed glasses. Zoe and Rylee, on the other hand, have inherited their Mommy's genes, much to my dismay.

I realize this is not my fault. I realize this is just life, and I don't believe for a second that having to wear glasses or contact lenses is a curse. As a parent I feel responsible for everything my children go through whether I can help it or not. God is perfect; therefore, He cannot make mistakes in creating us and He creates us to be the person He wants us to be throughout life, and I have taught my kids that no matter what challenges they face in life. Some of us wear glasses, some of us have disabilities, some of us are born with diseases, and while God is not capable of creating anything bad, He is capable of allowing us to be who He wants us to be for the reasons He wants. Maybe it's because I have had eye surgeries, worn patches, and had glasses all my life that I do not see this as abnormal, but the truth of the matter is, I don't see it as a problem or a curse. I see it as something that makes us different and causes us to stand out above the rest.

Zoe and Rylee now get to stand out above the rest. I have known for awhile that Zoe has seen things blurry and has probably needed glasses. I have known for awhile that Rylee's right eye turns in. For whatever reason I have put it off. Maybe because I know that as a child you don't want to be different, you want to fit in and be a part of the crowd. As an adult I have enjoyed standing out and being different, but it was a lesson learned as a child that taught me to appreciate that.

Today we had our eye doctor's appointment for both of the girls. It appears Zoe is near-sighted and her eyes turn slightly outward, and Rylee is far-sighted while her right eye turns inward. You can't get much more opposite than that. Both of the girls went to the appointment with the hope of getting glasses. They were excited and could not wait. They wanted glasses, and as we left Rylee expressed, "Maybe I can wear a patch too and be a pirate!"

As I walked into the appointment and browsed the section of children's frames while waiting for the doctor to call us back, little did I know I already knew the very ones both of my daughters would pick if they needed glasses. I'm sure most of you can guess too, and thanks to some kick-azz vision insurance, I was able to let them pick the frames of their choice.

****Special note to Tanzan before I forget: Ty has informed me of the discount you are able to get family members. We pay very little for vision insurance and have 100% of it covered. Since we have five out of our six family members now wearing glasses, I consider that a huge blessing. However, I would be more than happy to accept your gracious offer if we need it in the future for some more frames. Since the girls now consider them a cool fashion statement, they may need more than one pair. ;)

As you can guess, Zoe picked out a pair of pink Disney frames with sparkles on the side, and Rylee picked out a pair of purple Disney frames with sparkles on the side, along with a Princess Jasmine charm. They were both sorely disappointed that we had to leave without them today and are now counting down the days until they arrive.

...enough about the glasses, let's see what else I have not shared...

Oh, yes, let's not forget the bleeping IRS and how they are screwing us the bleep around with this home owner's tax credit that new homeowners are supposed to get. This is the reason we have not rescued another dog. I need a dog. My kids need a dog. My husband needs a dog. We have waited 15 years to have a dog. That's a long time only to have it blow up in your face 12 weeks later. You can't explain that to your kids in any way to make them understand. You can't make them sleep better at night, and you can't explain to them that the dog's smell will not last forever in his blanket so they wrap themselves up in it at night to sleep, hoping they can hold onto it as long as they can. You can't explain that we need to put his toys away for now because it won't bring him back if they are left out. And you don't know how to answer your four-year old when she says, "Since Jesus has made Nigel better, can he come back now?"

We need to have a fence in order for us to rescue a dog. I'm not sure I can put the time and energy into another puppy. I consumed myself with training Nigel. I spent day after day finding new things to teach him while reinforcing the stuff he already knew. I had just found out a superb way for him to greet people at the door that was such a positive experience for him (which involved really smelly treats for the people visiting but I didn't hear any complaints), only for it to end so abruptly. I was exhausted, but he was my best friend. He was Rylee's best friend for sure. He was everybody's best friend.

I had just told Ty that I forgot he was still a puppy because he was so obedient and loyal and loving. He knew where he stood in this family. He knew what his responsibilities were and he did so without rebellion, he did it with excitement. Shoot, even my own children don't do things so willingly and I don't think they have ever wanted to please me so much. So true for the Doberman breed. I was warned by several Dobie owners/breeders that if I ever owned a Doberman I would not want another breed, and I now know they are right.

And yet we still need a fence. We had amended our taxes and were anticipating the check by now, only to get a letter from the ^*%#%! IRS asking us to prove we bought the house. WTH?! Are you kidding me? Geeeeez.... So we find out that several people sent the forms in and actually received $8,000 checks that didn't deserve them and now they are red-taping and putting every honest person through the ringer. We aren't even sure now if they will consider the trailer to be a home, thus, denying us the money.

It's no wonder people go postal. Try explaining the government to your kids. Try explaining that getting another dog relies on a fence which needs to come from a check because most rescues will not allow you to adopt a dog without a fence in your yard no matter where you live.

Yeah.

So, I'm really pissed off at the *^%^$! government at the moment and so here we sit, waiting patiently for either a check, a denial, or another letter requesting yet more information in the mail.

Sigh.

And that's about it. That pretty much catches you up on our life. There is more to come... and I promise I won't forget the Halloween pictures. Oh, and let's not forget the much anticipated release of "New Moon". Heavens to Betsy, they should not allow that much hotness in one movie. How on earth will I survive?

Yes, that title would be referring to my Bratty Bunch. I can't say I'm entirely pleased with the way their photos came out this year, but I'm satisfied enough that I'm not redoing them. The portrait of all four of them is not necessarily the one you will be receiving. I was serious when I posted the last black and white photo of all four of them being silly. That is what they are like on a daily basis, so I think it's important to capture that image rather than the image of them all having a rod stuck up their rear so they are sitting straight enough coupled with fake smiles that would make any mother cringe.

I am not a fan of still photos that do not represent who you are as a person. If you see me with my camera at any gatherings, PLEASE do not stop what you are doing to smile at the camera and pose. The reason I am approaching you is because I want to capture the moment, not capture the ram rod/fake smile look. An occasional smile at the camera is great, I will admit, but not when you have every stinking picture that way.

I will not be taking personal requests regarding the kids' pictures either, you will get what you get and be happy. Look at it this way, if I send you the black and white silly photo, you will have something to make you smile every single day. I just really haven't made up my mind yet. That being said, please enjoy the following ram rod poses and fake smiles from my own children:

After the last few weeks of life being one big fail around here, we thought it would be fun to get all of the animals out and place them on Drey's bed. Play and take pictures, laugh and enjoy the evening. I get so wrapped up in life and I forget if I've posted pictures of the guinea girls or the boy birds, so I'll introduce them as if I never did.

Leroy was thrilled to get out of his cage and hang out with civilization. Over the last several weeks, he's been what he would consider "neglected". He was fed, given fresh water daily, fresh greens, fresh timothy hay and kept in a clean cage, but he wasn't left out to roam around and claim the upstairs as his own like he usually did.

Let me tell you something, people, or anyone ever considering a bunny for a pet: a neglected bunny is sooooo much worse than a pissed off cat. Bad, bad Leroy Brown is very capable of jumping up onto the girls' bed all by himself and hanging out. The gift he left for all of us was found by Ty one night as he went to tuck the girls into bed. Not only did he poop about fifty turds on the bed, but he drenched them all with pee. Yeah. Nice.

I was about ready to enjoy some sauerkraut-stuffed bunny rabbit and then I looked into those sweet eyes on that pudgy, soft face, with those loppy ears, one of which is forever retarded, and I melted. Ah, yes....Bad, bad Leroy Brown is just that. He's bad. Baddest bunny in the whole darn house. Good thing for him is that bunny urine does not stick around like cat pee and does not destroy a house so we were able to clean it up.

I think he does miss the interaction with the cats and the dog though. He seems so lonely anymore. His whole demeanor changed the second we put him on the bed with the guinea girls. Let me introduce the guinea girls: Reese's is on the left, the smaller of the guinea pigs, cleverly named for her obvious colors of chocolate and peanut butter. She's not that sweet though, she'll take the end of your finger off in a heartbeat. Just rub her chin once.

Nibbles is the bigger one in the middle. She is an absolute sweetheart and will let anyone hold her and love on her for as long as they want. Unfortunately, we found a growth on her foot and a lump the size of a golf ball under her chin. I'm thinking it's an abscess that needs lanced and drained. I'm hoping it's an abscess that needs only that. Surgery is just too dangerous for these little critters and I really, really, REALLY don't want to lose a fourth animal in a month. Of course, Mr. Fluffy, all white and puffy, is "The" Leroy I often talk about. He behaves himself fairly well nowadays. I was really thrilled when the girls curled up on his sides and he didn't try any of his Bow-chicka-bow-wow moves on them. We added Sage's parakeets into the mix and left them on the bed for a bit. I don't have many pictures of the birds because they absolutely hated the flash on the camera. As soon as they would see me coming with it, they would fly.
Here is the parakeet boy himself, with Siren, the white parakeet, and Pary, the multi-colored parakeet. It is quite cute how the birds will do anything with Sage and are so skeptical of the rest of us. They will sit on our fingers and check us out, but they will flock to Sage like he's the man.
Here's Zoe doing a little cuddling with Nibbles while Reese's hangs out on the bed in the back.
Rylee is obviously struggling with Nibbles' size here, but it's just too cute for words. But then again, all my kids and fur babies are.

In the midst of downloading pictures from my camera so that I could blog about the cutest animals in the world that are ours (and I promise I will do that tonight or tomorrow), I came across several pictures of Nigel that I had forgotten were taken. Even though it pains me so, I wanted to share just a few with you because they are so stinking adorable and he is just too beautiful to forget...

Still wasn't down far enough, sorry. Sending it to the archives.

Just filling in the space to bump the last blog down a little so everytime I click on my blog, that first sentence doesn't send me into hysterics.

Nigel died today.

There's no easy way to put it, nor is there an easy way to deal with it. He was only 19 weeks old, but he dealt with more health issues in the 12 weeks that we had him than I have seen most 12 year old dogs go through in a lifetime.

I haven't blogged at all in the last months because I have been extremely busy taking care of him. We aren't sure what all was wrong with him, but it was apparent that he was getting worse as he got bigger. After approximately two weeks of chronic diarrhea, he became irritable. He wouldn't let anyone touch his hip area, especially the kids, without growling and trying to bite. He was only 40 pounds. He had about 60 pounds left to gain. If he had continued to grow and put wait on his hips, I cannot imagine how much pain he would have endured and how miserable life would've become for him.

And yet he was loving. Loyal. Obedient. Gentle. Funny. All the things that dogs are and then some. He was extraordinary, acting so grown up at only four months old.

The decision to have to euthanize him did not come easily. Saying goodbye was gut-wrenching. Explaining to the kids that there was nothing else we could do and that we were very sorry their first dog could only be with us for a very short time was agonizing.

Sure, kids, sure, we'll get another dog. But he won't be like Nigel. Nothing will ever be Nigel. No one can live up to that, and it is only Dobie owners that can truly understand that.

So I sit here trying to figure out a way to blog about this. I sit here trying to hold it together once again. The endless flow of tears and the breaking of my heart does not seem to have an end. Ty is off work today and tomorrow, unable to function. It is he that held Nigel's sweet face while he fell into his deep eternal sleep.


My dearest Nigel,

I am so sorry your life was so short lived here on earth, but we have been blessed to have owned you. We have been blessed to love you immensely and to have that love returned in volumes unmeasurable.

Go and run, Nigel. Run and play with your new hips and healed insides. Run in the land of superb Kong toys that are filled with many more marvelous things than just peanut butter and cheese, for God is good. He does no thing in a small way and He will take care of you and love you until we meet again.

Mommy and Daddy

I promise there are more than just pictures of my dog on this blog. I managed to throw one kid in there too. Or maybe it was because she throws herself in the pictures. Either way, both of them are so absolutely cute, it's just not even funny!

Are you sitting down? I'm blogging twice in one day! Heck, I might just go for three times if I continue to be this bored today. Actually, I'm not really bored, I'm just avoiding going to Walmart on a Saturday during Labor Day weekend like it's the plague.

Couldn't resist taking this while Rylee was bonding with Nigel on the kitchen floor one morning.
Nigel is in complete denial of his size. He constantly lays down on our lap, however, Rylee's is just a little too little. This picture was taken about a week ago. Yesterday morning he weighed in at 25lbs at 13 weeks. He gained a whopping 4.5lbs in the last week.
He loves being used as a pillow and using us as a pillow as well.

How can you not want to kiss all over that face?! He is giving us such a hassle about taping his ears, which is rather frustrating, considering that if we don't, they will not stand right. And if they aren't standing right, then that just completely defeats the entire purpose for putting him through the whole ear cropping process. Sigh...

Mama's boy...

Little FYI: I have not forgotten about my other children. I have even taken pictures of them as well; however, a mother has to have priorities.

I will upload pictures of my non-fur babies later.

Learning to read can be so much fun for kids and parents. I have to confess here, as much as I love to read, I'm not big on keeping the little ones caught up on their reading skills throughout the summer. So, every year it's the same thing, the first two weeks of school are a little groggy because we are trying to remember what sound this letter makes and that letter makes and what's that word there?

Zoe was reading a book tonight about itchy, itchy chicken pox. She just happened to come upon the word shirt. Shirt. And she had to look at it for awhile so I asked her if she wanted to sound it out.

That is exactly what she did.

Shiiiii....ert....
Shii..errt....
Shit hurts!

Nobody told me when my kid entered high school, I would feel 100 times worse than I did the day he left for Kindergarten. For the last week I have been dreading today. Today Drey and Tyler headed into the high school for the first time while Sage and Kaitlyn headed into the middle school for the first time.

As I walked out the door when Tyler and Kaitlyn arrived to walk with the boys to school, I received a huge teenage eye roll coupled with a loud sigh from Tyler. I couldn't exactly figure out why until Tyler informed that his dad had already been taking pictures and now they had to pose for more. Tee hee....

Don't they look so grown up????
And they're off....
I think they wanted to melt into thin air when they realized I was going to stand in the front of my house on the main street in Greencastle with my camera and snap pictures as they walked by. I promised them I wouldn't do it anymore after today. At least not first thing in the morning.

Well, this isn't really a before picture because you already know what Nigel looked like before his ears were cropped yesterday; however, I had to post it because it never fails to make me giggle when he thinks he is a lap dog. I think he's in complete denial of how big he is or how big he is going to get because he just tip-toes across your lap and plops down for a nice snooze.

God works in mysterious ways.

That saying seems quite cliché to me and is often used by people who don’t serve him at all or tend to use him as a god of convenience. You could say that’s a pet peeve of mine, hearing someone say that. I mean, if you really think about it, God doesn’t work in mysterious ways. He works in HIS ways. His ways might be mysterious to us because our tiny human mind cannot wrap itself around His greatness, but those ways are not mysterious to Him. It’s just what He does. He is God.

This has been weighing on my mind for quite some time as I have walked through life lately. The last year or so have brought on trials that were more amazing than I could ever dream up. Who on earth can send their husband into a war zone and remain at complete peace the entire time, but suffer from complete anxiety and panic attacks because I miss him? That would be me. I can honestly say my heart felt like it was breaking in two pieces every single day because my other half wasn’t next to me; however, I never once gave it a thought that something might happen to him.

That sacrifice is probably the largest one we have made to get us where we wanted to be and it wasn’t an easy one to make on Ty, me or the kids. Our marriage is a testimony in and of itself that we are still together, and I can only hope and pray that it is a huge form of inspiration for those who know us. Marriage isn’t an easy thing, but neither is life. Even though things in life aren’t easy, I have been taught that things are well worth it in the end if we follow the Lord and remain obedient to His ways.

I’ve done my best to be obedient. I have my hang-ups and I’ve certainly screwed up royally over the years, but I’m thankful I serve a forgiving God. I didn’t write this blog to get into all of that, what I want to blog about is what the Lord has shown me in the past few months in the time we have been searching for homes.

As long as I can remember, I have always wanted an old house. An old colonial-style farm house with the plank baseboards and door and window frames, the wooden beam ceilings, the charm that surrounds a home like this, and make it my own. I’m not sure how long ago I gave up on this dream, even though I prayed fervently for it for years, but I do know why I gave up on this personal dream.

The first reason would be because an old house in this area usually holds a lot of historical value, therefore, the price reflects it. Secondly, if we could afford the asking price on an old house, it would be all we could afford and we wouldn’t be able to renovate it to make it energy efficient and modernize it.

Modernizing it would entail making sure it has the necessary amenities of a dishwasher (among other things). I hate washing dishes with a passion and would rather scrub the toilet with my own toothbrush before doing dishes, and that’s pretty bad. I’m more than happy to know my boys are old enough to load and unload the dishwasher now because I’m not even really a fan of that either.

After making an offer on a house in West Virginia, I prayed that if it wasn’t the Lord’s will and Ty’s job was not secure, that the Lord would let us know as soon as possible. One week later Ty lost his job. That wasn’t exactly the answer I was looking for, but it was an answer nonetheless.

We eventually decided to stay in the area of Greencastle because we are so family oriented. We had an offer accepted on a second house, but that house needed a lot of work and they wouldn’t allow us to go through VA. As frustrating as it was, we knew that it wasn’t the Lord’s will for us to have that house.

Then out of the blue, our realtor sends me a listing that is $25,000 more than what we were approved at. We set up an appointment to look at the house and fell in love with it. But the house was in a short sale status and those could be a pain in the butt since the bank didn’t own the house just yet. We decided to put an offer in asking for 5% back of our asking price. The seller accepted our offer within two weeks.

Shortly after, the bank accepted our offer as well. To make a long story short, they had accepted our offer earlier but needed someone to pay $15,000 in back mortgage premium insurance payments. We didn’t have it, neither did the seller. Somehow, by the grace of God, the bank settled for $5,000 from the seller’s daughter and once again, our offer was good.

This house is a colonial house, completely renovated with the modern amenities. The heating and cooling has been refinished to operate separately on two floors. The summer kitchen is a historical part of the house left in tact and closed in to make a room that will become my scrap room, with wood beam ceilings. Above it is a loft. It has four bedrooms and two bathrooms. The banister on the staircase is the original one from 1930. The windows have been replaced completely with updated versions but the plank baseboards and door and window frames are still there. The attic and basement are just what I wanted. Everything is the color I would make it. The kitchen cabinets are what I would pick out. The flooring is what I would have picked out.

I gave up on my dream a long time ago because I put a limit on God, basically saying we couldn’t do this because God wasn‘t big enough. What I seemed to have forgotten in the hussle and bussle of this busy life is even though I may have limits, God doesn’t. He doesn’t play like that.
I forgot about my dream until I saw this house. God never forgot my dream and just held onto it until the right time.

Not only did He give us the house I’ve always wanted, He made sure all the work was taken care of for us. He sat it in a place where life is convenient with four kids. We are across the street from the library, walking distance from the schools, only a few blocks from my brother’s house, the playground and everything else in town.

I’ve watched this all fall together without a hitch, just like things do when it’s the Lord’s will and I’m humbled. I’m humbled and forever grateful to be His child that He looks out for even when I don’t deserve it. He took care of all the details and to top it off, we got the house for approximately $33,000 less than what they were asking for because they ending up paying for our closing costs as well, and He saw to it that the $15,000 hang-up was taken care of quickly without us doing a thing.


His ways are not mysterious. They are His ways, and He is more than happy to show us when the time is right. His blessings are not small, because He is not small. He is limitless and His blessings reflect that. Our current blessing is a reflection of that and I want to praise Him for it. It is more than I could’ve ever asked for and a dream come true. Thank you, Lord, for loving and forgiving me when I wasn’t worthy of being loved or forgiven, and for always remembering what my heart’s desires were when I decided to give up. I couldn’t do this life without You.

Honestly, I have no clue what to title anything anymore. I think it's due to my lack of sleep, lack of energy and lack of patience. When the heck did a puppy get so tiring????? Must be the over-30-syndrome hitting me again.

So, Nigel has doubled in size AGAIN. I'm telling you, I think this pup grows right before my eyes. He gets bigger overnight. Geesh. Here he is laying out on the deck this morning... This is what he does when you give him a ball to play with...
This is what my mother does when you give her the puppy's balls to play with... Wait. That didn't sound right, puppy's balls. Hmm.... you know what I mean...

I'm going to take a small break from my shameless posts about our new puppy to address something, and I doubt half of you will appreciate it, especially if you are white. Something was said to me last night regarding "the Mexicans" and when I didn't laugh about it, the other person did and said, "Oh well, that's just the way things are."

No, that's not the way things are. When something comes out of a child's mouth that involves specifically pointing out another race, it's racist. Children don't know how to be racist in anyway until they are taught, and last time I checked white people don't teach their children to point out "white people", but they sure do point out "the blacks" or "the Mexicans" or "insert any type of person that doesn't look like them here" and think it is okay.

When you are speaking about different cultures and using things as a teaching tool, it may be necessary to apply where people are from. When you are the victim of a crime, it is necessary when giving the police a description to be specific in someone's looks from the color of their skin to their height, weight and gender. I'm pretty sure most of you understand that.

However, what I don't understand is how we think it is our natural born right to separate someone else from us because of the color of their skin. What does it matter, really, when you think about it? People are people, plain and simple (thanks, Anne). We all stem from the same two people who were created in the beginning by a God who NEVER mentions color in His Word. Ever. He mentions where people come from so we can understand the history of the world, He uses it as a teaching tool, but has not once ever mentioned it was okay to separate ourselves from each other due to the colors of our skin.

I'm sure "the Mexican" comment was harmless coming from the child's mouth because he/she would not have known there was anything wrong with it, especially if he/she heard it from an adult's mouth. We teach our children how to treat people by our actions and our words. Everything they say and do toward another race is reflected on us as parents. If they say or do something wrong (and I'll be the first to admit my children have picked up things and have said the wrong things) then it is our job to stop it and explain why it is wrong.

I'm astounded to hear white people say this is their country and nobody else should be here. Um, NO, it is not. Learn the history of this country, people. Unless you are a pure-blooded Indian, you DO NOT belong here anymore than anyone else. Just because you were born here doesn't give you a right to say this is YOUR country. In case you have forgotten, your ancestors who were NOT born here, came over on their boats to live here for the same reason anyone else comes to this country today. You have your ancestors to thank for your freedom and your country.

I lost a baby almost 16 years ago and the father of that baby was black. You may have or may not have known that. It's not because I'm ashamed of the fact that I've had black boyfriends in the past that I don't talk about it. It is because I have never seen a point in mentioning that I dated black guys anymore than I should mention that I dated white guys. To me, I just dated guys.

My point in mentioning it now is this, if that child was here with me today, most white people would do one of two things. 1) They would avoid me altogether because God forbid my child was half black or 2) They would make sure not to say anything to offend me or my child and wait until I left. Tell me this, if I wouldn't want to hear it because I have a child mixed with another race, what on earth makes you think I want to hear it when that child is not here?! Just because I am white does not automatically make me a candidate to joke around with when comes to people of other skin colors. Period.

As a matter of fact, it makes me wish I wasn't white. It makes me wish my husband wasn't white and it makes me wish my own kids were not white. Does that make me prejudice against my own race? It sure does.

And I will say this. If I am out in public and hear someone saying something I do not want to hear, I will take my kids and leave the area. If I am at your house and a conversation takes place that is offensive to me and I do not want my kids around it, I will take my kids and leave your house. However, if you are in my house or on my property and you say something offensive toward other people, then you will be asked to leave. People are people, plain and simple. That is the way I live my life and choose to raise my kids. If you choose to live differently, that is your business, but do not mix it with my company.

And that is all I have to say.

I have to say that Nigel is settling down and fitting in rather nicely with his family. His first night here he slept soundly in his kennel for about 7 hours. I woke up the following morning at around 7:30am and hopped out of bed quick because all was quiet in our house and I was afraid the puppy needed to pee.

As I came downstairs and walked into the kitchen, this is what I saw. Apparently Nigel woke up Drey up at 6am whining so Drey got up and left him out to pee. By the time I got up 90 minutes later, Drey and Sage had taken him out to pee twice and poop once, plus give him food. He had already nestled in Sage's crotch to take another nap by the time I even opened my eyes that morning.

Sage was sleepy from getting up so early so he just took a nap with him. I'm assuming his arms were cold and that's why he had them tucked in his shirt, but he wouldn't dare move and disturb the puppy.


Nigel is a big baby. He loves to be held, he prefers being held while he sleeps as you can see from the following pictures.

And because he is so darn cute and prefers to sleep with someone, he didn't want to sleep in his kennel last night. Instead, he ended up being curled up against my neck all night. In bed. With Ty and I. Smack dab in the middle.