Sunday Afternoon

After yesterday's rain, today was sunny, breezy, and warm - a perfect day for a walk along the path. Teddy didn't like the leash. He cried and refused to walk. We removed the leash and he followed Kady the entire time. Kady has become Teddy's surrogate mother - he adores her and will follow her anywhere. Dianora, our salt 'n pepper Scottie always lags behind choosing instead to walk at HER pace. Never mind everyone else.

Teddy came to an abrupt stop and refused to leave the safety of Pete's feet.

The long walk proved tiresome for everyone. You know what is said about sleeping dogs...let them lie :)

Look at this adorable face! It rates a 10 on the cuteness scale.

When God Closes A Door, He Opens A Window

Anyone who views a pet as a cherished family member knows the depth of pain that comes from their loss. Leo passed away unexpectedly on Monday, July 13th at one month short of his 8th birthday. Pete and I sobbed for days, wondering what could have been done and if we had we done enough. Questions, doubt, aching pain. Leo's death ripped the heart from my chest in ways I never thought possible. He was my constant companion. My shadow. My friend.

I awoke Saturday morning to a gray day. As I laid in bed listening to the steady rain, I felt a heaviness in my chest as I remembered Leo. He would have been snuggled under my chin. Pete and I dressed and began our Saturday morning routine - breakfast, taking Kady and Dee to their grooming appointment, and other miscellaneous errands. After a visit to schedule our pool closing, I led Pete next door to Yorkie & Friends. I had never been to this shop, and my goal was not to buy a puppy. I wasn't over losing Leo and didn't know if I would ever be ready for another puppy. Yet, I was curious. The owner explained that all her puppies are either her own or come from local contacts whom she trusts. We looked around at a few cute puppies...but none tugged my heart strings. Perhaps I was expecting too much, too soon.

"Do you have any more puppies?" She led us to the back of the small room where I saw a brown ball of fluff. He is a Shorkie - half Shi Tzu, half Yorkie - and the offspring of the owner's own dog. His 8-week old sister was adopted the previous day. I fell in love immediately.

I looked at Pete with pleading eyes. He knew we wouldn't be going home alone.

He looks like a minature bear...so we named him Teddy.

Teddy enjoys watching television with his dad. They discuss football strategy.


Leo will always hold a specialy place in my heart. But there's plenty of room for Teddy, Kady and Dianora. It is a three dog night once again :)

Fall Soccer Begins

With summer winding down, fall soccer is in full swing. Ayden's participation in soccer last spring was to learn the basics and practice drills. This fall puts those skills to use by playing actual games. I was incredibly proud of Ayden at his first game this past Saturday. He was the highest scoring player on his team, making 3 goals. Go Ayden!


Ayden gets a high five from his coach after scoring a goal.

Jameson amuses himself with Bumpa. He adores Pete!

Mimi - stop taking pictures!

A rare opportunity to catch Jameson sitting still.

Princess Patty Cake Ava.

Labor Day and the End of Summer

Nearly 3 months has passed since I last blogged. Much has happened during that time…some events have been sad, mostly happy, and some have changed our lives in bittersweet ways. You may have wondered why I stopped blogging. The main reason is time, or rather the lack of it. Summer is a busy time of year for us. Days spent outdoors, playing in the pool, family field trips, enjoying life. Another reason is one that no longer seems important. However, nothing in the world is as important to me as family. Blogging about our grandchildren is the highlight of my day. I’ll make no apologies for the relationship I/we have with my daughter and her family. That’s all I’m going to say about that.

Labor Day signals the end of summer. Days become shorter, nights are cooler, and kids are back in school. We had no specific plans for the holiday weekend but it exceeded my expectations in the fun factor. Saturday morning started with a family breakfast at Waffle House and a dose of friendly abuse between Pete and our favorite waitress, LD. You know you have “arrived” when your photo is displayed on the WH bulletin board. Yes, we’re weekend regulars and proud of it.

We and the entire Payne clan – Jamie, Jason, Ayden, Jameson, Ava – attended Powers Crossroads Arts and Crafts Festival. It has become a Labor Day tradition; however, we probably won’t attend next year. Sadly attendance and crafters have diminished in numbers over recent years. My only purchase was lovely handmade clothing for Ava and suckers for Ayden and Jameson. Click the photo below to view a slideshow of our day at Powers Crossroads Arts and Crafts Festival.



After meeting the Payne’s for dinner, we enjoyed an impromptu overnight sleepover with the boys. They rode their battery-powered RazR on the cart path followed by a bath and movie. Ayden loves playing games on the computer and he thoroughly enjoyed the one-on-one attention from Bumpa on Sunday morning. Jameson snuck into a corner to hide…and fill his pants. Ewwwww!!! Click the photo below to view a slideshow of the boy's sleepover.



Being too old for naps, Ayden was allowed to come for a swim after church while his siblings stayed with Mommy. We literally wore him out! We babysat the kids in the evening so that Jamie and Jason could enjoy date night at the movies. None of the kids lasted long before going to sleep. Even Ayden didn’t put up much of a fuss when he was helped into bed. I think he was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow, with Jameson soon after.

While it was a fairly uneventful weekend, we spent a lot of quality time with the kids. They are such fun to be around and Ayden amazes me with how grown-up he has become. Sometimes naughty, mostly good, always unpredictable – they mean the world to me!