Getting to Know You

When Max was alive he wasn't good with the grandchildren and so they never got to go near the dogs. Now that he's no longer with us, things have changed. It took Danielle a little while to realize that Sophie dog was okay to be around. She was a little scared at first, but started off with a some help from Aunt Britney and then she got BRAVE and decided to go it alone.

The last photo scared me a little though. A little too close for comfort. I mean, I wouldn't want someone to hold my head tight and put their face right up to mine.

Just sayin'!

On a totally different note, I just couldn't resist posting this funny picture. I went outside and Daniel had washed his car in my drive way. Here he is "blow drying" it with the leaf blower! Too funny! Well, I suppose it's pretty similar to those big blowers you get at the car wash. Top marks for inspiration and adaptation! Also, it worked! His car looked great when he'd finished!

Post election thoughts

So the election is over. Yes, I'm very disappointed in the results. Actually, I feel deflated this morning, hollow.

One of the things I immediately appreciated when I moved to the States in 2000 was that it wasn't unusual if a person believed in God and practiced their faith by going to church. In fact, most of the people I came across did just that. I loved the fact that God was a part of everyday life and able to be spoken about freely rather than in whispers. 

In my life and in the people I associate with, that is still the case, but I have seen a definite decline in those values over the last few years in the actions of many throughout the country, as witnessed through the media and in my own observations of society. There is a feeling that God's values are okay as long as they coincide with man's values. 

When Obama ran for President in 2008, I was still a legal resident and therefore unable to vote. I was not particularly enthralled with President's Bush and his policies and was looking forward to some real change. I wasn't wholeheartedly enthusiastic about John McCain but Barack Obama wasn't exactly my cup of tea either. When the presidency was won though, and President Obama gave his speech, I thought it was magnificent. Hope and change. That's what we needed!

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to deliver, well not for me, at any rate. Maybe some people are better off, but in my life I have seen no pay raises, increased gas prices, increased food costs, increased utility costs, increased education costs, children struggling to find sustainable jobs and make ends meet. Well, I could go on. 

I have always felt that a country is like a business, even a home. You have to balance the books and if you don't have the money, you can't spend. Relying on credit is a risky business and should only be used in extreme emergencies. A businessman knows this. Heck, a housewife knows it too! When a household budget stays on track, the world is a happy place. Unfortunately for this country, we don't have a budget, we're not on track and the country is not a happy place.

In my work life, I frequently see leaders being let go if they're not able to reach operational targets, and in a lot less than four years too. President Obama gave it his best shot, but in my opinion, it was time for someone else to have a go. I wasn't too sure about Mitt Romney at first, I didn't really know him, but as I listened more and more to his policies and how he proposed to get this country back on track, and as I looked at his track record, I felt that he was the man to do the job. I liked his ideas but the more I saw him and listened to him, the more I liked Mitt the man. He seemed to me to be a man of faith. Yes, I know he's Mormon and I'm Mormon, but it had nothing to do with that. It's to do with integrity, honesty and trust. I have so many doubts about some of the issues that I've seen the President deal with that I feel he has lost some of those values that are so important to me. Mitt Romney comes across to me as having those values. 

Politics has always been a cut throat business, full of cruel jibes and negative ads about each candidate, but the character assassination slung predominantly from the left to right during this election process has saddened me. I don't feel it's Christian and I definitely see prejudices there. The race was tight and there are many, many people in this country who don't share Obama's political or moral beliefs. They should not be ignored or made to feel less than because the views they hold are not the same as those of the governing party. Name calling needs to stop. The mud slinging needs to stop. Disrespect needs to stop. President Obama has a lot to do to repair those hurts and heal those wounds. He has a lot to do to reunite this divided nation. He needs to forget himself and reach out to others. He needs to read the Bible and try to understand its concepts. He needs to reach out to God through prayer and  pray that God will grant him wisdom and knowledge to do what is right. As a people, we need to pray for him, he surely needs it now and will need it in the future.

While I feel saddened at the outcome, my heart can still rejoice. I do believe that times will get rougher, tougher and more difficult for us as a nation and for me individually, but I know that no matter who is president today, Jesus Christ is my King, my Savior and my Redeemer, not just today, but forever.

Moving Out

Daniel, Heather and Danielle moved out of their apartment last week into a different one.

Here's Daddy and Danielle enjoying some father-daughter time together.

Danielle had lots of fun helping out!

Sunday drivers

Last week after conference, Brent and I went for a ride out. We love doing that but haven't done it in sooooo long. We were well overdue. We had no particular plan in mind as to where to go, we just drove, and ended up at the Salt River near Saguaro Lake.
Here's some of the scenery we saw.

Typical Arizona scene...lots of different types of cactus.

Phoenix thatta way!

The Salt River was very pretty and there were lots of families there swimming and having fun.

I admit to being a naughty girl. See those small rocks? I collected several smaller flat ones for a future craft project I have in mind. They were lovely in lots of different shades of gray and brown.

Sand in a desert? Actually, you don't see sand like this very often. It was nice to walk in.

RIP Max

Today my beloved Max died. Words cannot express how sad I am right now. Pets have the ability to reach right into your heart and settle there.

Almost seven weeks ago, Max developed a large grapefruit sized lump on the right side of his neck. A couple of days later the vet told me it was lymphoma and that he had another smaller one on the left side. I tried, but I couldn't feel it. I knew that I wasn't going to do chemotherapy and so Brent and I decided to just take him home and love him.

It was hard to believe. In himself he was the same old Max...eating, drinking, peeing and pooping, barking and running around the garden just like always with his sister Sophie. When we've described Max to each other it was always that he was a character. So funny. We wanted to let him have a pampered last few weeks and so we gave him treats and gave him allowances that he's never had before. He very quickly took advantage! On my days off, he would go outside first thing in the morning and then he boldly tracked up the stairs into our bedroom where he settled until I'd watched some TV, read my book and done whatever else I needed to do for a couple of hours. He loved it!

I read all I could about doggie lymphoma and discovered that the average life expectancy was a mere 6-8 weeks. His cancer was pretty stable for about 4 of those weeks, but then it started growing rapidly and invading his body with lumps and skin sores everywhere: on his head, his mouth, his leg, his belly, but still he functioned as he always did and didn't seem to be in any pain. His appetite was good and he still moved pretty quickly when he heard the bread wrapper rustle.

On Sunday, I noticed him limping a little and when I looked, he had cancer sores developing on his back paws. I knew that the time was coming. The last thing Brent or I wanted was to see him in pain and selecting the "right" time for him to go to sleep was impossible, but I knew that I wanted him to have some dignity left at the end and essentially be the Max I knew.

When I came home from work today I could see he had deteriorated dramatically. The light was going out of his eyes. It was time. He enjoyed his last meal and finished it off with his favorite ice cream. He had the dignity I wanted for him.  He was able to walk into the vets, and he laid there so calm and brave. We loved on him and stroked him as he went to sleep.

He has been the best dog ever, not great with children or strangers, I know, but to me, he has been so loving. He will be sadly missed by all of us and I wonder how his sister will cope. I feel for her. How do you explain to a dog that her brother has died?

I'm thankful for my memories of him and the photos and videos. He'll always have an extra special place in my heart and doggie heaven will be lucky to have him there.

Sophie and Max on the day we brought them home, aged about 6 weeks. What cute little fluffballs!

Sophie and Max as puppies. Still so cute!

Max on the left with Jordan. He's not yet six months, but already has grown into the dog we knew.

Loving the outdoors!

One of my favorite photos! He'd just been digging!

He has always had a fascination for water. In the kids paddling pool, and later in the swimming pool.

Taken about a year ago, wearing his daddy's hat! Too funny!

As he got older, he liked his naps. Such a shaggy dog when he was shedding!

One of his favorite places to be...with his snout firmly down an ice cream container.

RIP MAX

13 Dec 2002 - 3 October 2012

Baby time

What a relief! There's only one in there! After my dream a few weeks ago that Olivia was expecting twins, we're all relieved to know that there's only one cooking.

Here's baby Guthrie at just over 10 weeks  gestation. Aaawww! I think he/she's waving!

Sudsy Pool

Last weekend, the kreepy krawly in the pool stopped working. I took it to pieces and couldn't see anything wrong with it, but it still wouldn't move around the pool. We sent it to get fixed on Tuesday, got it back on Wednesday and still it wouldn't work.

In the mean time, the water in the pool wasn't circulating properly and the pool was turning a beautiful shade of green. Yuck! I put tons of chemicals in it in the hope that there was some circulation and the pool did end up looking less green, but it was apparent that there was something wrong over by the pump and the filters.

It got a thorough cleaning today and did have tons of dirt and debris in there from all the storms we've had this summer. The kreepy krawly started its job of cleaning the dirt from the bottom of the pool and circulating the chemicals.

Michael and Cassie wanted to go in the pool this evening, but as it was a little cold, they jumped in the hot tub and I went to switch it on. When I did, all the chemicals I've put in over the last week started circulating through the hot tub and tons of thick frothy bubbles covered the hot tub and started spilling into the pool.

I've never seen it do this before and it was pretty yucky, but we should have a nice clean pool again in a couple of days. Needless to say, they didn't stay in long (but long enough for me to take pictures!) and made sure they showered off all that strong chlorine.

Some Randoms

 Christopher on his first day at Pre-K.

 Oh yes, he's definitely a cheeky monkey!

 Walking to school with his "girlfriend". LOL

 The gang! Katelynn and Christopher with their friends.

Danielle on her 5th birthday. She looked so cute, like a 1920s flapper! Loved her dress!

 Can you see him? Christopher is halfway up the tree!

 It was hard work! Time for a nap on the porch!

Gardening?

 Max taking a nap...

...and finishing off the ice cream!