Halle is TWO!

Halle celebrated her 2nd birthday on 2 days ago.  I meant to get her birthday blog posted then, but circumstances beyond my control prevented me.  The circumstances?  She was suffering from a bad diarrhea attack which lasted a few days.  After cleaning carpets and giving her 5 or six baths, I think we have it under control. 

Halle came to us from Shadagrace Finnish Lapphunds in Winnipeg, Canada.  Two years ago I flew there to get her and bring her home.

Halle was an adorable puppy!

 

 She did what puppies do...

 

 

For quite a while, Sami didn't care much for Halle's exuberance.

And Tigger maybe lost a few pounds (maybe ounces) trying to chase her away!

Sharing was an issue too!

But Halle continued to grow.

Soon getting almost too big for my lap.

Her coloring changed constantly and kept us wondering what she would finally look like!

But as time went on,  everybody made friends.

 

Halle is very smart and loyal. And she LOVES attention!

Over the past winter,  her fur has thickened a lot and she is absolutely beautiful!

 These pictures were taken just this morning so Grandma Gloria in Winnipeg can see what our girl looks like!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Halle! 

You are all grown up!

We love you!

Adam is 20 Today!

 Adam came into this world 20 years ago today.  He was such a handsome baby with a full head of black hair and dark eyes.

Adam was such a happy baby.  He didn't nap very much because I think he was too interested in the world around him.  He didn't want to miss anything and he loved to learn.

Barney was his favorite stuffed animal.  Barney went everywhere with him!

Adam collected matchbox cars.  Here he made a city with his "Woodtown" set and Lincoln Logs.  He had a great imagination and would play for hours at a time!

He was such a sweet little boy!  He was always willing to help me around the house!

He used to watch the old Gumby cartoons, so I made this costume for him for Halloween.

When he was little, he hated to be the center of attention.  On his third birthday, he covered his ears while we sang "Happy Birthday".

From a young age,  he had an appreciation for the beauty of nature.  And he always took his camera with him wherever he went.  Here he takes a picture of the Burlington waterfront (with Kerry).

 He has been such a sweet, thoughtful brother (most of the time!)

 He used to drive Kerry around in the little red jeep...

... and years later, in the Scion.

Adam was a cub scout.  His dad was one of his den leaders.

He was very creative and artistic.  His artwork was selected to be hung at the state capitol.  For a while, we thought he might want to be an architect.  He loved to draw detailed houses.

Adam was the videographer of the family.  Adam, Kerry, Annie, and our neighbor Jon used to spend a lot of time making very creative movies.  Adam would be behind the camera, and then edit the movie on the computer.  He was amazing at it!

Harry Potter was the perfect choice for Halloween!  He looked just like Harry!

 Adam has such a huge heart for animals.  I could always count on him to walk the dogs.

When he went away to college,  I think he missed Sami more than the rest of the family!

 Another love is music.  He began playing piano in 1st grade and then the sax in 5th grade.

 In 2007, we took a trip to Italy.  Adam loved it!  Now he plans to spend next semester studying in Italy.

Here is Adam on the beach in Italy with his good friend Maggie.

 Lake George is another one of Adam's favorite places in the world.

 Adam stands here with his grandmother and his two good friend, Jordan and Andrew.

In high school, Adam loved track and cross country.  It was the only sport that he was ever interested in.

With the exception of badminton, that is.  He loves badminton!

Happy 20th Birthday, Adam! 
I am very proud of all that you have done and all that your are.
I hope you know that you are very much loved by very many people!

Have a GREAT day! 

A Friendship is Born

Bringing another pet into the household, you hope the established animals (humans included) will bond with it and make it feel like part of the family. 

When Maddie came home,  the lives of our two dogs and two cats were turned upside down.  Maddie was so uninhibited!  They never could tell when she was going to pounce on them! 

Somehow, Momo and Sami must have let her know they werent' interested. They just didn't engage in her antics.

Maddie's main targets now are Tigger and Halle.  Tigger does engage in the game, and puts up a good fight.

Halle actually enjoys the game.  Every morning she and Maddie chase each other back and forth in the long hallway upstairs, tackling each other at times.  Maddie has been seen with her head in Halle's mouth!

Last night was the first time I witnessed real tenderness and friendship, and it was soooo adorable!

 Halle has a real gentleness about her and almost seems to "mother" Maddie.

Here Maddie was actually licking Halle's face.

 Our pets amaze us sometimes in their "human-ness".

 They teach us so much about life.

 Maddie is like the kid in school who teases you to get your attention...

because he really likes you but doesn't know how to let you know.

 

We ALL just want to be accepted and loved!

Why Do I BLog?

I faithfully read the blogs of people I know, but occasionally I branch out and read the blogs of total strangers - just for fun and to possibly get some ideas.  I am amazed at how many people are in the blog world! 

What do other people blog about? 

People blog about EVERYTHING!

I have read blogs about:

 - someone's journey through cancer treatment
 - an American woman who searches London for cupcakes
 - a writer who chronicles his book-writing experiences
  - someone who tells her life story through the eyes of her cat
  - a single dad tells of the things in life that make him laugh

The list could go on and on and on and on ..........

WHY do people blog? 

That list could be endless too. 

Why do I blog? 

I'll give you my top 10 reasons (in no specific order).

  1.  Blogging forces me to reflect on the important things in my life.

  2.  Being a quiet person,  it let's people get to know me.

  3.  It helps keep my kids in touch with home.

  4.  I love to write.

  5.  I love to take pictures.

  6.  It is fun.
 
  7.  Blogging makes me look at life in a different way.

  8.  I hope my readers can identify and be touched in a personal way by the things I write.

  9.  I plan to make my blog entries into a book so that my grandkids can read them.

10.  It is fun to look at the stat counter and see how many times each blog post was read by people all over the country (and the world).  It secretly makes me feel happy!

For whatever reason you read my blog....

thank you!