Life Goes On.....

First of all, let me say a big 'THANK YOU' for all of your kind comments; prayers and words of sympathy. They all mean so much. I am comforted most by knowing that it was time and that it was the best thing to do for Sumo.

I am also comforted by 3 pounds of gummy bears. That's right. 3 pounds. I didn't even know that they came in such large bags. Under normal circumstances, I would have resisted and bought the 2 ounce single serving size. But when one is shopping for 'comfort' food.. bigger is always better. I thought I would splurge on the 8 oz package. And then I saw the 3 pounder and in my emotional state I bought it. That's my story....




And, of course, there is Sophie.... She reminds us that life goes on. It's hard not to smile when she is around. I thought I would take you along on our walk this morning....

We head out behind the deck and in front of the treehouse....

















And under the evergreen, past the stone marking the final resting place of Nikko and Sumo.












Through the people gate on the west side of the barn....



















A mad dash though the small pasture to the gate that leads to the back field....












And then around and around a couple of times. Today the trees were covered in frost and when the sun hit them it looked like they were covered in diamonds. Absolutely beautiful! Quite a different landscape than where Steve and K will be in less than 24 hours. They are enroute as I write this to:












Haiti! They are embarking on a 10 day missions trip to a field hospital in Port au Prince. K has set up a blog and we are hoping that their 3G towers will be up and running so that she can blog and send pictures while they are there. Check it out at www.trinitytohaiti.com.




Off to have a few more gummy bears....

Until Next Time...

His Final Adventure...

It is with great sorrow that I write this post..... but I wanted to let you all know that at 9:30 this morning our precious Sumo took his final breath as we made that difficult decision that every pet owner has to make. I can honestly say, and I have never kept this a secret, that Sumo was by far my favorite. I was there when he was born 14 years ago and I knew right away we had to have him. (Even though it meant convincing Steve that 2 dogs really were better than one. It didn't take much convincing!!) And I was there this morning holding his sweet head and telling him how much we loved him as he took his final breath. Rest in peace my dear sweet Sumo.

And if you see Nikko, give her our love, and don't let her get you into too much trouble!!!

Until Next Time....

Haiti Bound...

A week from today, Steve and K will be bound for Haiti as part of a medical missions team from our church. It is an exciting opportunity to be a small part of bringing some relief to those who have been through so much. The needs are so great. One of the greatest challenges is trying to determine what to bring in the way of medical supplies.... K is going to photo journal the experience, and to be a general helper to the doctors and nurses.

As a 'filler' in the suitcases, the team is packing beanie babies to take to give to the children. I put a request out on Facebook, and the beanies have started to arrive in preparation for their one way trip to Haiti. This box arrived from my friend Karen!! Don't they look eager to continue their journey into the arms of a child.





I will keep you posted on the team's journey. K will be setting up a blog, and I will be sure and let you know how you can access it!

In the meantime, we continue to have one of the snowiest winters on record. I have to admit, there is a beauty to it, but I prefer the beauty of warm sunny skies and lush green grass. (This picture is taken looking over at our neighbors house...)







The snow has made it difficult for Sumo to get around. Every once in awhile he will still follow us out for a part of our walk. It is painful to watch him, but he has a determined spirit. Sophie, on the other hand, bounds effortlessly through the huge drifts. Aaah, youth!






Sumo is always up for a little pep talk and sometimes needs a little encouragement to finish the journey back home.









We had a wonderful weekend this past weekend, FULL of family and friends. All of the kids were home; Paul and Sheri were visiting from St. Louis and A's soon to be father in law was here. In the hustle and bustle the camera did not come out!!! (The one time I went to take a picture the batteries were completely dead!!) Suffice it to say we had a wonderful time!!

I have cast on a ballband bag as part of the Ravelympics on Ravelry. It is going to be a gray base with 3 colors of green gradually changing as they go up the bag. Never done it before, so we will see how it turns out. At this point the bag is going to be for me.. but I never seem to be able to hang on to something for long before it is 'perfect' for someone else....




Just finished a yummy lunch of Masaman curry.... K has introduced us to all kinds of different curry. I think this one is my favorite.... So simple. I do change the directions a bit on the can and use half coconut milk and half skim milk to keep the fat content down a bit...






A scoop of this over rice makes a very warm, yummy meal. My kind of 'comfort' food.










Off to work. A final glimpse of Sumo. He turns 14 in less than 2 weeks. He is feeling his age and ready for the winter to be over.









Until Next Time...

Not So Happy Toes....

When the kids were little, every time they were barefoot we would call their toes 'happy toes' because they didn't have to be cooped up in shoes and socks etc.. How they loved their happy toes!!

Two weeks ago, I had happy toes. Oh, they were so happy to be in the warmth of the sand and the sea.











Today it is a different story. My toes are about as cooped up as they can get! And they are not happy.... not happy Bob! A foot of snow in the last 24 hours has me donning the snowshoes to take out the one who DOES have happy toes.....








Sophie!!!! Oh how she LOVES the snow. She runs and leaps and buries her face and looks at me with such delight. Like I somehow provided this opportunity for her. If she only knew....









The past few weeks have been filled once again with 1040's; Schedules A; C; D etc.. Yes, tax season is upon us once again. I am only working part time this year (30 hours week) which is nice. Leaves some time for knitting and baking. (Still haven't figured out how to squeeze in cleaning and grocery shopping, but I'll get there!)

I made this tray of cookies and cake balls this past weekend for a Super Bowl Party. Wish my Vikings could have been playing, but it was not to be. These are K's recipes from her As You Wish baking business, which she has started up once again down at school. I miss having her at home, but am excited to see what this semester holds for her. Plus I am pretty good at coming up with reasons for going down to visit.....




Until Next Time....