Gone Girl

Hi Friends!  It's been a long time since I've sat to write a blog post. I just published a blog entry that was sitting in my "Drafts" folder from last year! A summer has come and gone and with it my daughter's graduation and entry into college life. We've weathered the first departure and feathered her little dorm room nest~all with not so much ease as with the dutiful diligence and loving care that a huge, life altering phase, such as this, demands. We've shed tears and made lots of phone calls and FaceTime sessions the norm but, I have to admit, I miss her terribly.  She's not too far away, a blessing, I know, but still a bitter pill when I pass her bedroom and all the lights are out or I prepare to go to sleep and realize she's not just still out at her youth group meetings about to be home at any moment.  She's gone.  Off on her own, handling the highs and lows of a huge college life and all that comes with it.  It's hard to wrap my brain around how time flew so quickly and sprouted wings carrying my little girl away from me.  But I too must grow up and learn to let her go!  I know it's the natural course of things!  I'm learning to trust more that God puts her on the perfect path for her life to unfold just as it should.  And while I not so patiently wait to hear any little detail of how she's doing or what's going on w her daily life, I turn my focus to my littlest blessing, Chloe.  I've still got my little one and that's such a huge comfort.  Letting go is hard to do but Im learning that the key to successful detachment is this~~Baby steps!

Almost Gone Girl

I've been a bad little blogger.  I've become so wrapped up in my own little universe that I became too busy to share.  Bad, bad blogger! 
But recently I've been thinking more and more about the content that I'd want to share in this blog with you guys.  The honest truth of my daily goings on have been so immersed in the caring for my children.  Children is a relative word as my eldest is a senior in High School this year, preparing to spread her wings and leave the safety net of our little nest in about 7 months time.  WOW.  Those few little words just sent my heart skyward into my throat.  7 months time.
My children are my everything.  They are my joy, my frustrations, my hope, my heart.  It's hard to think of her not being here, in her room, playing her music too loud for my taste, leaving trails of dirty clothes on the floor for me to trip over.  Dare I say, her room will be too clean.  Without my girl here it will be lonely but I take heart in the fact that we have Apple iChat technology which I plan to take advantage of ad nauseam!    
When it's time for little ones to go off out into big bad world on their own, you start to hope and pray that you've adequately prepared them for any toil or trouble that may cross their paths!  You look for signs that lessons have been learned; for reassurance that you've done your job as a parent and that they'll be OK when they are no longer under your protective wing. 
I truly think she's ready. It will be an adventure, for sure, but my girl is a good girl (thank goodness) with a steely moral compass.  She's learned to appreciate the fruits of hard work~IE good grades, college acceptance letters, etc.  So please keep her in your prayers, my friends!! As they say, it takes a village! And I'll be sending love and light your way for God's grace over your brightest blessings as well!! Big Kiss~~~~~

K9 Angels ~ Fostering Our Furry Friends

I mentioned in a recent post that our family has taken on a new charity of love by fostering homeless dogs through a local no kill adoption center in our hometown. K9 Angels Dog Rescue saves dogs from being euthanized at county shelters and cares for them until their forever families show up. My youngest daughter and I began working as dog walkers for the adoption center a few months ago and quickly fell in love with each little sweet, stinky, stray dog in the place. Each one has a story, most of which we may never know. Some have been abused, some abandoned because their humans moved or had a baby and no longer wanted them. They were found on the sides of roads hungry and desperate. K9 gives them a second chance at finding humans who will take them in and love them as they should be.
The adoption center is open on Saturdays and Sundays but Mon -Fri the animals need a home to hang at or they go to a kennel. This is where fostering comes in. Foster families take home a dog just for the week and love on them, play with them, get to know their mannerisms, and try to restore their faith in humans so they will show well on the weekends.
We were blessed this summer with 3 precious dogs~~none of which would ever had been a breed we would have looked at for adopting but ultimately fell in love with as we cared for them.
The first was Brenda the Pit Bull Puppy. I've always heard scary hings about Pits but this little brindle girl was an angel. All kisses and goofy frolicking in the monkey grass. She found a family and is happily now with them and we hope to visit her soon!!
Next came little fragile Karrie. Karrie is two years old and came to us so depressed and sick that it took several days of love and nurturing to get her to eat. Within a week she sounded off her first bark as she played with my daughter in the backyard. We got it on video!
Then there was Smudge. Smudge is a Sharpei/German Shepherd mix who breaks hearts everywhere he goes. Smudge is now the family pet of some of our friends who adopted him after losing their own beloved family dog a few weeks before they responded to my outcry for a home for Smudge on my Facebook page. We're going to visit him later today!
And just this morning Karrie found her forever family! A sweet family saw that video we took of her running in our yard on Petfinder and fell in love with her. They'll be getting her on Monday!!
So on goes the story of how fostering can be such a gift~~not only to the dogs in need of shelter but also to the people who are able to open their homes to them.
If you're interested in fostering, I'm sure there are many dog adoption centers near you. Call them and see if they have any dogs who need a place to hang their collars while they wait.

Karrie

Brenda

Brenda with my daughter

Brenda with my daughter in our backyard

I Love You So Much

Recently I was on a road trip with my girls to Austin, Texas and we stopped for a photo op at this famous graffiti wall. I realize lately that the clock is ticking faster and faster as this is my baby's senior year in high school. So I guess I just want to say to stop and grab those photo ops. Take the time to make those memories. Hug your kids and make today fabulous!!! xoxo

Truffle Mania

Since my days in Paris, I've had a long love affair with truffles! They have such a distinct, rich flavor but I've never had much of a chance to indulge in them until recently. They're historically the fare you find at a more lofty eatery than I usually go to on a daily basis.  But I'm about to let you in on a secret love I've discovered popping up on local menus.  Have you tried~~drum roll~~Truffle Mac n Cheese?! Honey...HUSH!! It's crazy good.  Here's how it all began~~I was at Eddy V's with my husband the first time I noticed it on the menu, and let me just say, I fell HARD! It's not something I can have often~It's creamy and gooey and oh so buttery~QUITE the carb loading experience, actually, I've only allowed myself to order it 3 times and each time I split it with a friend at the table but I'm just telling you, you NEED to check your local Eddy V's or Yard House. (They have it as well.) The other night, my daughter and I were both sick with some evil virus. (The kind that gives you those mean body aches) We'd been locked up in the house all day, were stir crazy and decided to make a break for it and go out for some fro-yo. (Frozen yogurt~love) We saw The Yard House, which I've heard has AWESOME truffle Mac n Cheese, so we stopped in for a quick snack. It must of been HEAVEN because I swear I heard angels sing!!! (Insert music with angels singing here :)  Its super rich and creamy, quite a lot of butter so go slow. And to add Dangerousness to the Deliciousness, we also ordered the Truffle fries and DUMPED them in WITH the mac n cheese!  I know!! I'm a wild and crazy kinda gal!!  It was insane and JUST the comfort food that the Doctor didn't order.  We shared half of the plate and took the rest home for a snack the next day.  Perfection.  So go ahead~~Hit the Elliptical first but Live A Little!!  Order up some Truffle Mac n Cheese!!  You'll hate me!
I'll add photos for you!
So spill it~~What's your favorite indulgence these day? Do you know of something SO delish that we're missing out on?? Do tell! Enquiring minds want to know!!  XOXO

Smudge Love

I haven't blogged in way too long! I'm sorry you guys! It's been a roller coaster of events around here including the culmination of my eldests junior year in high school and the new found interest and work at a local dog shelter for my youngest daughter and I. For the past few months we've been volunteering every weekend and fostering dogs during the weekdays. It's been very rewarding. Our first dog was a Pit puppy named Brenda. She was adorable and we had her for 2 week until she found a loving family and was adopted. Next we took in Karrie, a chihuahua mix, who we still have today. But in the midst of those two precious pooches we also too in an adorable Sharpei/German Shepherd puppy named Smudge. Smudge captured our hearts very fast with his goofy clumsiness and beautiful puppy ways. I could not part with him but I also knew I couldn't keep him. We already have 5 pets and I want to stand firm as my oldest daughter is about to graduate next year and it feels like time to simplify our lives. So I was blessed to find Smudge a home with friends who live nearby so we can go visit him!
It really is the best of the situation!! Although we miss Smudge, we're so happy he's still in our lives!! I hope you're all having a great summer so far! I'll try to start posting more for you guys!

Books~~Hunger Games

I'm not sure if you've heard all the hoopla surrounding these books by Suzanne Collins, but I have a teenager that keeps me up to par on all the hot books and movies, so I just had to read these books so I would know what all the excitement is about! The books have been made into a movie, which is being released in just a few weeks, and there seems to be Twilight~like anticipation revolving the release of this movie! The premise of the story is super disturbing, but I decided to dive in anyway and would love to know what you all think of this series. Not to give too much away, the story revolves around a young girl named Katniss Everdeen. She lives in a futuristic Dystopian society, where the earth's population has been divided into "Districts" following a huge uprising against a cruel and unusual government. (SUPER CRUEL and UNUSUAL) To punish the people of the Districts for the uprising, the government holds yearly "Hunger Games" where each District has to choose a boy and girl, starting at the age of 12, to fight the other district's children to the death. It's really sick. But let me tell you, these books are white HOT. Teens and kids are reading them like crazy. Even my 12 year old wants to read them because everyone in her 6th grade class is carrying around the books like some badge of honor. I've so far been able to steer her away from them because, in my opinion, these books are NOT for middle schoolers. They are graphic and the content is just so sad and disturbing. I've just finished book two, Catching Fire, which ends with a HUGE cliffhanger. I have to say, I do like that the lead character is a super strong, smart female! That part rocks. And I will go see the movie, as I don't want to be the only one not able to talk about the hottest movie to pass through in months! It should be good but I'm sure as heck going to take along some Kleenex! (I'm a crier.) So have you all read these books? What do you think? Let me know your thoughts. Or what you're reading now. I need my next book to get me through my insomniac nights~~~ XOXO