Sunday Snapshot - Lucky Dog

This is how we "do sick" around here...

and this is how we "do" home school...

 

and nap time...

and bedtime...

 

See a reoccurring theme?

Yep, sweet Chewy has weaved his way into our hearts and into our lives!

You may remember this post when we first met sweet Chewy, who was "Charlie" at the time and, this post when we decided to keep Chewy and I admitted to the world that I am a "foster failure"!  hehe!

And I know I posted this post just the other day but wanted to make it my Sunday Snapshot as well. 

So here goes, upon the request of the wonderful rescue, Gimme Shelter, who pulled our Chewy one day before he was scheduled to be killed, we have entered sweet Chewy in Pet Finders, Luckiest Pet Contest but...

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

WE NEED YOUR VOTES!

We are not even in the top ten yet!

Just go here, watch our video...

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

 
type in Chewy in the search bar and vote:) 

And as you may imagine, trying to make a video with dogs and kids, can create some um, outtakes!  Even though you can't vote for this particular video, I just had to post it...

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

just cuz it's fun!

So, you can only vote once a day but you can vote everyday until march 18th.

If we win, Gimme Shelter will win a $5000 donation which will help them save so many other "Chewies" and we will win a $500 gift card from P*tco - that's $100 per dog around here!

So, we would really love your vote and please feel free to share so that our sweet Chewy can be named the Luckiest Pet, even though we know who the lucky ones really are...

We love you sweet Chewy!

To read more wonderful Sunday Snapshots, please go here

So... Remember Charlie/Chewy... Well....

Is he the "Luckiest Pet"??

Chewy at the shelter with one day left

We are hoping so!

Chewy's first day with us

The wonderful rescue that pulled our sweet Chewy from the shelter ONE DAY before he was scheduled to be killed emailed me about a month ago and asked us to enter our sweet Chewy in Petfinder's Luckiest Pet Contest 

Michelle told me that if he were to win, we would win a $500 gift card to Pet*o (that is $100 per dog - hehe) and....

that their rescue, Gimme Shelter would win $5000!!!!

Whoa!  Can you imagine how many doggies they could save with that kind of donation?!  

That was enough to motivate us to enter with this video.

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

I tell ya, every time I look at Chewy's sweet face and watch as his tail just starts to immediately wag the moment he hears my voice...

every time I go into one of the kid's rooms and see him already snuggled down, giving and receiving such contentment...

every time he helps whomever is not feeling well - to feel better by just being near them.

I wonder just who is the "luckiest"...

Chewy or...

US!

Now, here is how you can help!

Starting today, you can go here, Luckiest Pet Contest and vote for our "lucky" dog!

Just type in Chewy in the search bar and vote for our video!

You can only vote once a day but you can vote EVERY day from now until March 18th.

Thanks Y'all!

The Corner Drug Store

Sadly, not many of them around any longer.

We had one growing up.

I have really fond memories of Hiott's Drug Store.

It was right next to my Dad's office and was actually, on the corner.

It had a counter where you could order food and milkshakes and everybody knew everybody.

With the coming of Wal*art, C*S and the like, many of the corner drugstores slowly disappeared as did the comfortableness of knowing everyone behind the counter and around the counter.

We have a Kang*roo gas station/convenience store right around the corner from us.

Not really a corner drug store but something happened there the other day that reminded me of the "good ole days".

First some history...

Ever since the older boys were big enough, they have been walking/biking to the Kang*roo to get a snack and a drink.  As the girls got older and could keep up, they began to tag along.

It has been something that my kids look forward to on the weekends and during the summer, partly because they get a snack and a drink but also because they get some independence.

Their "Roo" cups were a life saver this summer as we really could not afford to do much of anything but being able to walk to the corner and get a .25 cent Icee was such a treat - and a cheap treat at that!

So, one day not too long ago, right around Charlie's birthday, the kids headed for the "Roo".  Charlie was armed with birthday money and in true Charlie style was gonna treat his siblings.

Upon their return, the kiddos ran up to me all out of breath and excited about something that had happened on their favorite excursion.

They got free stuff!

Yep, one of the very nice ladies that works at our "corner" store had treated the kids to free drink's and because it was Charlie's birthday, she gave him ALL of his purchase free of charge!

Now, I don't know this lady as I am not a frequent Icee drinker but the kids had gotten to know her and apparently she had gotten to know them.

I was very touched by her kindness as were the kids and as the kids began to talk, I began to see that there had been a relationship developing, a "corner drug store" kind of relationship.  I told the kids that we would have to tell her good bye before we moved and maybe do something nice for her.

A few weeks went by and then I found myself taking the 3 younger kiddos in to let them buy a snack with the Valentine's money they had gotten from their JuJu.

Sure enough a sweet lady comes walking out from the back and greeted my kiddos with a familiar-ness and a warm hello.

She introduced herself as Lizzie whispered in my ear that this was indeed the nice lady who had given them free stuff!

I thanked her for her kindess and she began to tell my why she had been so generous.

She told me that she was just so impressed with the kids, that they always had such good manners and were always very respectful.  She told me that on that particular day, she had been watching them as they filled their Icee cups and that one of them had spilled some on the counter.  She said that she was so impressed because they took it upon themselves to clean up the small mess that they had made and that she just really wanted to treat them and thank them for their sweet manners and respectfulness. 

WOW!

We talked for a while and told me that she was a single mom and that she just loved it when my kids came in "to see her."

I was instantly transported back to Hiott's Drug Store and the familiar-ness I would feel there, something I had not felt too often in this Wal*art world.

I thanked this sweet lady and told her that her generosity had made quite an impression on my children and as we left, I thanked the Lord for bringing us a slice of  "small town" and for the opportunity to praise my kids and really show them how doing the right thing, living the way the Lord wants us to, shines through us and causes others to take notice and not just to get "free stuff" but to treat others as you want to be treated, to witness to others through the way in which we live our lives.

 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 

When we have Jesus in our hearts, we have that responsibility and I think that, often times, this is something lacking in today's anonymous, Wal*art world.

So, any ideas of something, some way to show this sweet lady how much we appreciate her kindness?  I would so love to do something for her before we move and am open to suggestions.

To read more fabulous Sunday Snapshots go to Stefanie's wonderful blog here,

Happy Birthday Sweet Caleb

So today is my sweet baby boy's birthday and...

he is finally in double digits! 

Oh my!

I have 3 years left until he turns into one of these...

ACK!

Caleb decided he wanted to have a few of his friends over for partay and pizza!

These guys have known each other ever since they were 2 years old.

They don't get to see each other much anymore but if you ask them, they will tell you that they are all each other's best friend.

No matter how long it has been, they just seem to be able to pick up right where they left off and that is such a sweet gift.

Big brother Charlie even offered to take them to the convenience store right around the corner...

and PAY!

That Charlie, really sweet and 

really brave!

So my sweet Caleb is 10 years old. 

 

This child is truly a mix of his momma and his daddy

He surely has my heart for those in need...

and his dad's sense of humor.

They "get" each other.

Sorry sweetie but you do - hehe.

My sweet Caleb who floats so effortlessly between his 2 older brothers and his 2 younger sisters has a spirit that is wise and kind and unassuming.

When I showed Caleb a story about a little boy in a Chinese orphanage who needed surgery, Yong's Story , my sweet baby boy told me that he wanted to ask his friends to donate to precious Yong for his birthday, instead of bringing him gifts...

everyone except his Grandmothers, of course!

"wink"

On another day not too long ago, when Lizzie was sad about school and telling us that she was not "popular", Caleb told his littlest sister that not being popular at school was ok and that she was "under cool."  When Lizzie asked what "under cool" meant, he told her that even though she didn't think she was popular at school, her family knows how cool she is and that is WAY better!

Love this kid! 

My precious, funny, sweet, wise Caleb, you will forever be my baby boy...

even when you are taller than me, which is coming way too soon for my liking, however...

I still get a few more years of this!  Ha!

Happy birthday to my sweet baby boy!

We love you!

Sunday Snapshot - Happy Anniversary

Has it really been 17 years?

I mean there are times when this day...

feels so close

like it was just yesterday...

and then when I begin to add up dogs....

11, not counting fosters....

and kids...

5 going on 6...

this day....

seems SO looooooong ago!

hehe

One thing that has remained timeless however, is the love that was placed in our hearts so long ago.

 

It has been a beautiful, wonderful, sometimes difficult but always steadfast 17 years

and it seems as if we are now moving into a more mature yet more exciting phase in our lives and I just cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for our next 17 years and beyond!

Happy Anniversary my love!

To read more fabulous Sunday Snapshots, go to Stefanie's wonderful blog here