Pretty Puppy!

Sophie at 16 weeks old.

More Visitors

My father and his wife, Gene, drove up from NC for a visit this past weekend. The last time Dad was at our house wa in January 2009, so a lot of changes have happened since that visit! My father has renovated many houses in his lifetime, so he truly appreciated all the work that we've poured into our home.


A visit from my father isn't complete without him offering to help with a project, and this weekend was no different. Less than 24 hours after he arrived, David had bought sheetrock and they were working on our new laundry room.

Of course, we also took time to play card games, look at pictures and talk.
Thanks for visiting, Dad & Gene!

I Still Miss You

Summer 1980 -

me and my sister with our mom, Ermalee Crosby

(a few months before our brother was born)

It's been 11 years, 9 months and 23 days since I saw you alive. Yet there are still moments (or days) when I'm struggling with life and the only person I want to talk to is you. The older I get, the more I wish I could hear your opinions and find out how you dealt with the rough patches in life. There are so many things I never thought to ask you... and now it's too late.


Mom, I miss you.

Labor Day Weekend

Look at my dirty feet, Aunt Alvana!

Seth and Aiden with Uncle David

Time for some swinging

Dan and Alenna with Cora

My sister and her husband came to visit this past weekend. Our tiny house was full... but mostly filled with fun! Saturday afternoon we spent some time at the nearby state park. The kids enjoyed the playground and the lake, while the adults appreciated spending time together. We love having the Loucks visit us!!

Doubtful No More

So I have to admit I was a little doubtful about how all the money we spent on new windows and siding could save us money. Sure I knew that we would be losing less heat in the winter and AC in the summer, but I imagined that we wouldn't notice much of a difference in the bills.

I WAS WRONG!

This summer was officially recorded as the hottest summer Philadelphia has ever seen (along with much of the East Coast), so we're really not being fair to compare it to the mild summer we had last year. However, despite a much hotter summer we've still saved over $160 in 4 months of electric bills!

David was right. These home renovations will pay for themselves in a few years!

New View

I've got a different view of the world since this past weekend, and it happens to be clearer.

I'd like to write that the change in perspective has occurred after growing emotionally in leaps and bounds... but it's really due to these new glasses.


It's been 7 1/2 years since I bought new frames. It definitely was time for a change!

4 Weeks

It's been 4 weeks since we brought Sophie into our home! It's incredible to look back at pictures and see how much she's grown since then. According to our scale at home (which may not be completely accurate) she weighed 15.5 pounds at 9 weeks, and she now weighs 24 pounds! She only occasionally has an accident in the house (in the kitchen, on our old ugly floors, in her "room" until she's housebroken), and usually the accidents happen when we aren't paying attention to her signals that she needs to go. Sophie's met more than 30 friends/family of ours, along with numerous adults and children during our trips to PetSmart and on walks around town... and she loves everybody that she meets. She's learned to enjoy riding in the car/truck. She's met/played with the dogs of 3 of our friends. She can be a bit rambunctious with other dogs, but she plays nicely. We've worked with her almost every day on training, and she knows a few commands. Here's a video of David training her this past Sunday:



If this is how far she's come in the first 4 weeks, it's exciting to think what she can learn in the next month!

A Walk in the Park

A wooded path at Longwood Gardens, PA

My good friend, Karen, drove up from her home in Maryland for a weekend visit. We spent Saturday walking around the 1,000+ acre Longwood Gardens. We talked, we soaked up the sunshine, we enjoyed the beauty around us, we learned more about nature, and we talked, and we talked, and we talked.

I felt my soul renewed by both my surroundings and my company.

Motorcycle Date

David and I went on a date this morning. We left Sophie at home for a few hours and went out on the motorcycle to a diner for breakfast... then toured around the south Jersey area on country roads.

The word that comes to mind is refreshing.

The smells of the country surrounded me... hay, fresh cut grass, nature. The sun kept me warm, the wind kept me cool. The roar of the Harley dimmed the other noises of the world...

... and I was alone with my thoughts and David.

Lessons From Sophie

Ok, I'll admit it... it's been a rough week getting used to Sophie! I've never had a puppy before and was only slightly prepared for the change we were making in our lifestyle. I'd read so many books before we brought her home, but somehow the challenge of it all didn't penetrate my brain.

But... things are getting better!

Some of the lessons I've learned since buying Sophie include:

* whining usually means she needs to go potty (in approximately 2.3 seconds)

* it is possible for her to go potty 3 times in 10 minutes

* to her, everything looks like a tempting chew toy (including my kitchen cabinets)

* there are no strangers, only friends she hasn't yet met

* mushrooms (growing beneath her favorite tree) can be a scary enough thing to cause her to bark

AND

* even though she can be frustrating, she brings laughter into every day!

It seems as though Sophie's goal in life is to become a lap dog.