My Golden Birthday

Yesterday was my golden birthday!! I turned 23 on the 23rd. It was a quiet day. I didn't have to work, so I bummed around the house to get some "light cleaning" done & then I went to the gym to get a good workout in. After coming home from the gym, we got ready to go out to dinner. I chose PF Chang's, which never fails! Aaron & I went with our dear friends Connie & Ben. They were celebrating a 5 year wedding anniversary. We thought it would be fun to celebrate together, since we get along well. I had so much fun yesterday evening! Ben & Aaron each had a bouquet of flowers waiting for us at our table. I can't believe I'm already 23, when did that happen?!? I'm so grateful for all things I am blessed with. I have a loving husband and alot of good friends. How did I get to be such a lucky girl? I think this will be a good year for me. After all it is "Golden"

Just One of Those Days...

Aaron had taken the dogs over to a family's home. They too had a dog & I think Elvis & Max were pretty exhausted from playing. When he came back to our house, Max just stayed in his crate & Elvis crawled into his. They didn't move an inch. I think this means they had a good time.

Suggestions??

I bought this shelf to use over my couch. However, I came home & this shelf is too small for the scale of the wall the sofa is up against. Then I decided to mount it in our dining area. I don't know what to decorate with!!! I feel like I should have something on each side (where the additional wall space is) to anchor it, but I can't come up with anything I like. Plus, I don't know what to place/rest on top of the shelf either. So I'm asking you for your suggestions. What do you think will look really good?

Our apartment is sparsley decorated 1. Because it's an apt. & since it's not permanant I don't want to invest in alot of decor just yet (but wait, being a military spouse, anywhere i go isn't permanant....oh well) and 2. I'm kinda picky. I want to absolutely L-O-V-E something before I put it on my wall or out for everyone to see. I like original unique things. I also would like for our home to have a warm & cozy feeling. After all, "There's no place like home."

I'd like to Introduce....

MAX! A week ago, Aaron came home to surprise me & Elvis. He wanted to cheer us up since I lost my little shadow & Elvis didn't have a playmate anymore. Max is a Blue & Tan Dapple Miniature Dachshund. He looks like he's been splattered with paint. I love his markings, they make him so unique. Elvis has enjoyed having someone to wrestle with, and Max isn't afraid to back down either. I've tried to get a few cute shots, but he doesn't stay still for long unless he's asleep. It's fun getting to know his personality. He's so cute he'll bark at me when he needs my attention & likes to play his with teddy bear. Here's a cute video of Max using the couch as refuge as him & Elvis play together.

Christmas 2008

I can't believe another Christmas has passed. We had a nice one in Alabama visiting my family & seeing good friends. It was a long drive there & back, but fortunately it went quickly. The both of us received gifts, but the best part was spending time with those we don't see often. I think Aaron got quite the taste of my extended family. On one side we are loud & laugh alot. On the other side low key, but still just as much love to go around. I really appreciate them & their love for us. Here are a few pictures to enjoy. I can't believe how big my little sister & brothers are getting. Everyone is growing up so fast & it's these special moments that mean more to me the older I get.

Sadie Bug

Our Christmas was spent in Alabama this year with my side of the family. We had a nice Christmas & I will post about that later once I upload pictures. Unfortunately we had a sad ending. This past Sunday Aaron & I had to put Sadie down. She wasn't acting herself & we could tell something was terribly wrong. At first we thought she ate something to make her feel bad. Then we thought maybe she was car sick from traveling all day on Saturday. Sunday morning we saw no improvements & as the day went on she was in more pain. That afternoon Aaron was checking her again & he saw 3 big spots of blood underneath her skin on her belly. We took her to the ER vet. Aaron spent several hours there with our little girl & finally they got around to her. Bloodwork came back & it showed she had poison in her blood stream. We called my parents & there was rat poison behind their frig. We had no idea she had eaten some, but Aaron said he recalled her sniffing back there & eating something (which we assumed was crumbs) throughout our visit. When he took her to the vet deep down I knew she prob wouldn't return, but I was praying for the best. We couldn't afford all the medical care she would need & still there was no guarantee Sadie would live. We decided the best thing was to put her down so she wouldn't suffer anymore. The poison had eaten 3 holes thru her intestinal wall, causing the internal bleeding. Aaron came home late that night & my heart sank. He told me the nurses fell in love with my little Sadie Bug & asked him to read over some information. It was a waiver to sign all of our rights over Sadie to the hospital. If we were to do that, they would proceed with the blood transfusions & any surgery needed. If Sadie made it, they would find a family that would adopt her. I called the hospital once & they told us they couldn't give any information since we signed over rights. It broke my heart. I cried for 2 days & I still choke up talking about it. So we actually don't know if she lived, but our feeling is that she didn't make it. Sadie had been eating on it all week & she had to have had alot in her system. It seemed too severe & too late for her to survive. But then I struggle with "What if she did?" If she did, she didn't come home to us, her "pack" as we would say. I loved that little dog, she was my shadow. Sadie always had to be where I was & she would get so excited to see me. I know she'll make a good dog for someone else, but she'll always be mine. The hard part for me is to see her face & her sad eyes that last day. She was in alot of pain & those images are burned into my mind. I'm just trying to have faith that Heavenly Father did the best thing for her. Whether it was passing away or if another family needed her more. We miss her sweetness in our home. She made us laugh many times & was a great playmate for Elvis. I think the movie "All Dogs Go to Heaven" is true, I always have believed it since I was little. I love Sadie alot & she'll always have a soft spot in my heart. I'm so grateful for Aaron. He's been so senstive & understanding this week. We've been able to spend alot of time together & he's helped take my mind off it. He was sad too, but I always told him if anything happened to either of our dogs I'd be heartbroken. I'm really lucky to have this sweet guy.