What happens in Canton...

Stays in Canton!

I'm taking SJ to Dallas to fly home to her sweet family in the morning. We have had a fun four days together. We shopped north Dallas, Canton, and even Corsicana, Texas! We walked to much, spent too much, ate too much, got too lost in Tyler,Texas and laughed until we needed Depends! My legs hurt from walking, my back hurts from pushing that Canton cart all over, and my sides hurt from laughing. But my heart is so happy to have had these days with my dear friend! I wish she lived closer!

I have now been bitten by the Canton bug! Anyone want to go in November? December? (I have rules though. Only on Thursday or Friday and NO KIDS ALLOWED! Sorry but I've done it with kids and it's just not fun. for. anyone. )

Must go get some sleep so I will be able to get SJ to her plane on time! Hope you all had a great weekend! Hope to tell you more later but I can't tell much because that my new rule... What happens in Canton, stays in Canton!

Just wondering... Have you ever been to Canton? If so, what did you think? What was your favorite buy? vendor? food? tip? place to park? Etc? I will answer in comments when I get back!

Halloween Preview

Rhett decided he wanted to be a cowboy this year and the girls went along. YES, I KNOW, THEY WILL NOT ALWAYS WANT TO DRESS ALIKE OR IN A THEME... but I will enjoy it as long as it lasts! And no, it really was their idea. I just ordered the costumes which were pretty cheap considering the boots, jean shirts and hats were already part of their wardrobes.

Now getting a good picture of all three of them dressed up may be next to impossible.

Especially with the littlest tooty boots in the mix!

But great pictures or not, it looks to be a rootin' tootin' Halloween! Di I ever mention how much I love this time of year? Thought so.

They may even wear these outfits again for Christmas pictures...We are from Texas after all!

No justice on Earth

If you have read this blog for a long time, you might remember me blogging about a third grade teacher from our little Elementary school who died of an intentional overdose in April 2006. Her name was Kari Baker. (You can read those post here and again here.) Our little school was broken hearted at the loss of this young mother and teacher. But what I remember most (that I did not dare blog about at the time) were the immediate whispers of many who suspected that Kari did not take her own life. I mean it was in the first 24 hours after her death that people started suspecting her husband. Those whispers grew to groans as people saw her husband dating just weeks after Kari's death. But he was a minister, and no one wants to think a minister.... I can't even finish the sentence.

Though I do not think it is good to listen to gossip, it was really hard to believe that Kari Baker would abandon her kids. She was not he happiest person I ever met, but she loved her girls and her family dearly. The weekend of her death she had planned a family gathering to celebrate her Grandmothers good report from MD Anderson. Third grade was busy getting ready for the TAKS test that was just a week and a half away. Kari decided that she wanted to teach older kids and had a great job interview the very afternoon before the night she died. She told friends the interview went great and was very excited. Kari had made plans to meet people on Saturday and had volunteered to watch other peoples kids the following week. It just didn't add up.

Over the last year and a half the the suspicions and doubts have turned into accusations, evidence, and cries for justice. The local police department really botched the investigation from the beginning by letting Kari be embalmed and buried without an autopsy, and by not treating her house as a crime scene. Kari's parents had to hire their own investigators and experts to plea for their daughters case to be reexamined. It has been very hard on them. But they have never given up and have remained steadfast in their belief that their daughter would not and did not take her own life. Kari's husband took the girls and moved away. The girls have not had a much relationship with their grandparents since because of their Dad.

Today this was the lead news story in our town. The headline says it all...Preacher Arrested for Murdering Wife (I'll post the whole article in the post prior to this one in case the link does not work.)

As happy as I am that Matt Baker, a man who may have robbed two little girls of their mother, two parents of their beloved daughter and 20 third graders of their teacher, might finally be brought to justice, it just seems a little too little a little too late. Maybe Kari's girls will know she did not leave them on purpose. Kari's name will have the awful stigma of suicide removed from it. Maybe justice will be served.

But no matter what the courts decide about Matt Baker's role in Kari's death, two little girls will not be getting their Mommy back. Two loving parents will carry the aching whole in their heart left by the death of their beloved daughter with them to their graves. Our little school, and more importantly the 20 kids who had Kari as a teacher, will never be the same. Her friends still miss her. Nothing the courts do to Matt Baker will change that. Is there really any true justice in this world?

It makes me really happy to know that this life, while wonderful at times and full of blessings, is not all there is. It makes me smile to think of Kari and her daughter Kassidi (who died from cancer in 2001) someday waiting at the gates of Heaven to hug her parents and thank them for never giving up on her. And then someday I pray she will be able to welcome her two girls, who she loved so much, to heaven with open arms. I hope she will be able to tell them how much she has always loved them and never wanted to leave them. I get a little teary eyed thinking of that sweet reunion that seems so very far away.

The case against Matt Baker is not all that strong when it comes to physical evidence, or so it seems thus far. I pray for everyone involved, that if he killed Kari, he will just confess and get this whole ordeal over with as soon as possible. It seems the end of all this is still very far off. But today was a victory for Kari, and no matter what the courts say, the people who knew and loved her know that she did not kill herself. Please pray for this family and this situation. God bless them all!

Preacher Arrested for Murdering Wife

From the KXXV website. (There are also articles on KWTX.com and in the Waco Trib)

Preacher Arrested for Murdering Wife
Sep 21, 2007 11:40 PM CDT
by Mark Kurtz
WACO - A former Central Texas preacher accused of murdering his wife has been arrested.
Matt Baker was arrested late Friday afternoon in Kerrville. He was booked into the Kerr County Jail around 5:00 p.m. Friday.
It was originally believed that 31-year-old Kari Lynn Baker killed herself by overdosing on sleeping pills at the couple's Hewitt home in April of 2006. Three months after the teacher's death, toxicology tests found sleeping and diet pills in her system. Kari's family never believed she took her own life and have said Matt killed her all along.
Just this week, the same Justice of the Peace who originally ruled Kari's death a suicide, changed his ruling and listed her death as undetermined.
Friday morning, an arrest warrant was issued for Baker. Police documents obtained by News Channel 25, show Matt Baker used prescription and over-the-counter medication and alcohol to render his wife defenseless. He then used a pillow to suffocate her to death.
The documents also say he researched "overdose by sleeping pill" on his work computer at the Waco Center for Youth and tried to make Kari's death look like a suicide. The documents also say Baker was seeking a romantic relationship with another woman before Kari died. Several days after her death, Baker was seen at Richland Mall in Waco looking at engagement rings with a woman.
Kari's mother told News Channel 25 on Friday she believes justice will be done and Matt will be convicted in a court of law.
Baker has been living in Kerrville, which is about 60 miles northwest of San Antonio, and working as a youth pastor and a substitute teacher. He was teaching Friday at Tivy High School in Kerrville before he was taken into custody.
Baker is expected to be brought back to McLennan County to face charges.
For a complete look at the three page arrest documents click on the links provided.
Matt Baker Arrested for Murder
Matthew Baker Arrest Affidavit pg1
Matthew Baker Arrest Affidavit pg2
Matthew Baker Arrest Affidavit pg3

Hospitals and brain burps

Last Sunday the guest preacher had a great illustration comparing churches to hospitals. I can not say it as well as he did but he started out asking when you are sick what do you look for in a hospital? Good coffee? Good food? Nice decor? Great parking?Comfortable chairs? Doctors who are really funny and know how to wow a crowd? Of course not. You go to a hospital looking for a cure. You want doctors who know what they are doing. Decor is nice, but you want from a hospital is medicine, treatment, therapy, a plan to beat your illness and hope that you will be OK. He said people come to churches for the same things...answers, help, a plan to get better, salvation, hope, someone who cares. We live in a fallen world where all have sinned and fallen short. We all need a cure for this world and Jesus is the only cure. As he was speaking his illustration it made perfect sense to me. I thought he had great points. His sermon inspired the following brain burp...read at your own risk.

As I thought the hospital illustration and the church it did not seem to fit if you take it beyond a life or death crisis.. And the more I think about it, the more I wonder if this is why churches struggle to be relevant to people at times. Yes, the church is here to be Jesus. Yes, Jesus is the cure for the world. Churches are here to bring people to the cure. But does the world really know it is sick? Do I really think I am sick? Do people realize they need Jesus? Do I? Have churches accidentally conformed to some type of religious country club because people don't like hospitals. They don't want to be told they are sick, they just want fellowship and nice place to live. Who would want to live in a hospital? Who really wants to conform to a regimented lifestyle of medication , therapy, diet and health restrictions? Who wants to live like they are sick? Can churches be hospitals for the soul? People don't want to live in a hospital state. They want to get well and leave.. And not all of them will desire to become doctors, no matter how grateful they are to be cured. In fact most don't. They leave the doctoring to the doctors. We only go to the hospital when we have to... and we leave as soon as we can.

So I was thinking... what in life can illustrate the relationship of people to the church? I instantly thought of grocery stores. You have to go to the grocery store to get food to nourish your body. Everyone needs groceries. Everyone has to eat. But the grocery store illustration puts churches in a position to cater to a consumer mind set. That just isn't what Jesus intended for his church...at least in my mind.

So then I thought about people needing Churches as they do employment. You have to earn a living. You need to work as a team and use your talents. Everyone has to get money from somewhere. But I have problems thinking of the blood of Christ as a paycheck since we could never earn it on our own so that doesn't work.

The thing is the our relationships to churches and to Jesus just don't conform to the examples of our world. They are unique and upside down in relation to our culture. If you think I am going somewhere with this, sorry! Just thinking on-line. Not sure I have any answers. In fact it seems to me that the older I get, the less I feel I know. The questions are multiplying by the day but the answers are harder and harder to come by. Sometimes in life I feel like I am back in preschool Bible class where every kid knows that the right answer to every question asked is Jesus, even though they don't understand the reasoning or the whys. Anyone else feel this way? Just wondering...

Blog, What blog?

Sorry. I have been out for a while. Since school stated almost three weeks ago life has been going by so fast. I thought it would slow down. It hasn't. If anything it is going faster and faster. There have been many days when the computer hasn't even been turned on. Keeping up with e-mail has been a challenge. But I think things are going to wind down a bit now that we are in the "school routine."

I haven't blogged much about my little EK lately. She is growing like a weed! If I were to pick one word to describe her it would be BUSY!

Do I look like trouble or what?
The girl never stops moving! At 14 months some are surprised to find her walking...WALKING!? That was old news four months ago! This girl is running, climbing, jumping, and dancing her way into everything! She can out run kids twice her age and may be able to out climb a few of them. I have found her on top of the kitchen table, the counter top, and the washer.. and that's just today! She has no fear. She loves to explore. Her favorite thing to do is to take the lid off a box and dump all its contents out. She is also fond of scribbling on anything she can with a pen, pencil, crayon or close facsimile. Pictures. Everyone tells me they want pictures of Ella Kate.

Yes I am wearing an apron, brown capris and cowboy boots.
Well I do too! Good luck getting any! We went through two photo sessions with a local photographer in the last month. After an hour of trying to get Ella Kate to just sit or stand still and smile long enough to get a picture each time... we gave up! It doesn't happen. She is never still. And if she is still she will not even glance towards the camera. It's a side view or an action shot of her running the other way. I think EK is adorable and has the sweetest little smile, but in pictures she is just a blur. You need video to capture this girl!

I don't want to smile!
Although this week a video might even be a stretch. Ella Kate fell outside on the patio (trying to climb a folding chair) and banged her mouth and nose up pretty badly. She is pretty pathetic looking. There was a lot of blood. CSI might convict me of murder with the splatters Ella Kate sneezed through out my kitchen during the ordeal. She seems OK though. I called to see if we needed to take her in to see if her nose was broken, but the nurse said it is very rare for a 14 month old to break their nose as the nose bones are still pretty pliable at this age. Besides there is not much they can do.
It's not easy being 14 months old!
The nurses at Dr K's office recognize me by my voice. Last week when I called to see if we could come in for an X-ray when she saw my name on caller ID the nurse answered the phone asking "What has Ella Kate done now?" That time EK needed to have an x-ray to see if she had swallowed some spiral shaped paper clips. She was choking when I pulled three out of her throat and I didn't know if more had been swallowed. The X-ray did not show paper clips or any other foreign substances in her tummy, which was such a huge relief! But it was relief laced with the fear of what she will find her way into next. This little girl keeps me on my toes! You can not leave her alone for a minute...which also explains my recent absence from blog world. An active 14 month old and blogging do not mix.

Which reminds me that I need to go. You can bet if I'm not blogging, I'm just trying my best to keep up with Ella Kate and our family's full schedule. Gotta run! Happy Thursday blog world!

Six years ago today...

God blessed us with the birth of this little guy. I have much more I want to say about this but this old malfunctioning computer, a stressful PTA deadline and Miss Ella Kate are not going to give me much time to reflect or blog today. However, I couldn't let the day slip away without saying how special this boy and this day are to us! Happy Birthday Rhett!

11 Years ago today....

And I still do!

Let the magic begin

Kindergarten is "the magic year" when ...
Little kids turn into students.
There is still a nap or rest time.
The first day is spent chasing the gingerbread men your class colored all over the school only to find the papers have transformed into cookies and are waiting for you in your own new classroom.
Everybody is the new kid.
It's a thrill to eat the first few trays of cafeteria food.
There is story time after lunch and snack time after recess.
Everyday you start with your clip on white, no matter how many color changes you received the day before.
There are no spelling tests, math tests, or graded readings test.
The grades are either S's for satisfactory or N's for needs improvement, no F's for failure.
Kindergarten.
The magic year.
For Rhett it began today.
It was everything he hoped for...
Except that he didn't get to ride a school bus home because we live too close to the school.
But he loved it.
Said he made 19 new friends today and thinks he wants to go back tomorrow!
It has begun.

Rhett getting his Kindergarten Bible at church Sunday.

Look at that Kindergartner!

The first day of school!

With Mrs H. Mrs H. may look familiar as she was Kolby's K teacher and is Mom to our "first third child" McKenna (who I kept for a year when Rhett was 2 and she was Ella Kate's current age.) Mrs H and her family are some of our favorite people!

Miss Kolby also started a magical year...4TH GRADE!

In our school, 4th grade is the senior class. They are the top dogs! Fourth graders have lots of fun as this is their last Elementary year. Next year it is on to the Intermediate School! (Doesn't that just sound so intimidating! INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL!)

Kolby's teacher is also named Mrs. H! Kolby really likes her and so do I. This year will be a test for Kolby in some ways because for the first time she ended up in a different class from every one of her good girl friends. I hate that for her ! But I know my social butterfly will find some new friends very soon. She also is not going to let a few walls keep her from her old friends. I can't believe Kolby is already in the 4th grade! Seems like just a year or so ago that we were dropping her off in Kindergarten! It goes so fast! How do I slow this ride down???? :)

This will be the only year Kolby and Rhett ever share a school if we stay in this school district. I wish they could share a campus a few more years. They are both excited to be in school together, but neither would readily admit to that!

I am excited that both my kids love school, have great teachers and the have same drop off and pick up schedule! It looks to be a great year! I also am glad to have some one on one time with Miss Ella Kate ( who I have not blogged about in a while) Guess that gives me something to blog about later!

Happy New School Year!

Waterslide/Transfomer/ Blast-off Birthday Party

Last Night was Rhett's "Water slide Transformer K Blast-off Birthday party." With a theme like that I did not have any choice but to do the cake myself! I actually bought an undecorated cake from Sam's and then built the slide from frozen pound cake I bought at the grocery. A few straws, wooden skewer, one recipe each of royal and stiff buttercream icing, a few action figures and a couple of mid-night hours and WA-Lah We had a WATER SLIDE,TRANSFORMER, BLAST-OFF, BIRTHDAY CAKE! Rob thinks I am crazy to spend so much time on a cake...But when my 5 (almost 6) year old son tells me I am "the best Mom in the world for making that awesome cake"...Well, I think it is time well spent!

Revised on 8-26
This was a really fun party that we have been looking forward to all summer! Rhett was barely able to contain his excitement in the days and hours leading up to his "Blast-off Birthday" as he usually calls it. It was hard work getting it all set up, but once the party started, it was a breeze!

Te water slide was the main attraction.

Water balloon baseball was also a hit.

We graduated to a "hit" pinata this year. No more pull string pinatas for this guy! The "light saber" noodle fights on the trampoline and the water cannons were also a hit. We had a great group of kids. Three or four of these kids have been at every one of Rhett's parties starting when he was 1! The fact that they are all off to school in a few days... I am not ready to think about it! There were no injuries, no fights, no fits and no tears. I was amazed how well all the kids shared and got along!

Afterwards Rhett got to do something he has wanted to do all summer... He had his cousins spend the night! These three are a hoot! They were so funny, all wanting to sleep in the same trundle bed.

Rhett has told me over and over it was the best party of his life.... though I'm not convinced he remembers the first three! It was a really good night. and a great way to end our long summer.

Last days of Summer

We have been pretty busy these last two weeks. You know about the air conditioner, but before that we took a few days off to do some fun things and meet with friends.

We started off with a trip to Six Flags. Well actually I dropped Rob and the kids off at Six Flags and Ella Kate and I went shopping and checked into the hotel. We met up with everyone for dinner. I thought going to Six Flags after the sun went down would be OK with a 13 month old.

I was wrong. It was still too hot. But w had a good time and were very excited to get back to the hotel!
The next day we met up with the Jenkins and went to The Star Wars Exhibit at the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History.
Knowing our families love of all things Star Wars, you can imagine how fun that was! Then after lunch at Joe T's we all headed over to Frisco to stay with some other friends.

If you have read this blog before you may remember we talking about the "Fort Worth Friends" which is a group of four families that all used to live in Fort Worth together when our first babies were born. These four families were not original to the area and had no family there, so we became a little family. Anyway with in a few years we had all moved away, but have gotten together four times in the last five years for a reunion. Sadly our Houston family had a sick child and could not make it. But we had a great, relaxing two days visiting and letting the kids play.

As you read in the previous post, we came home from this weekend at 10:30pm on Sunday night to find our air conditioner had gone out , probably the day after we left. Our house was so hot! And then through some weird turns and twists, we ended up featured on the local 10 o'clock news!

These are pictures from the live remote broadcast from my aunt's lawn. (where we were staying)

We got home late Wednesday. Our house finally reached the 70's by late Wednesday night. Thursday night we had a t-ball swim party at a friends house. By this point I had lost track of the camera. Elizabeth was there so I hope she will send me some pics (hint, hint) Friday Kolby had a few school friends over to water slide and watch High School Musical 2.
WOW was it a loud night! (Does anyone else have "Hey batter batter, hey batter batter swing" stuck in their head?) It was fun to see some girls we hadn't seen all summer and HSM2 did not disappoint... Well, except for the fact that they cut Kolby's favorite song from the soundtrack out of the movie. Something tells me the song will come out in the movie eventually though...maybe as a bonus feature on the DVD? :) One more HSM2 thing to look forward to! :)

Early Saturday Rob went back to the metro-plex for the Church State Softball Tournament. He and the team were home by dinner...but they had fun! Sunday I worked nursery, we went to lunch with the fam and I spent some quality time in Target celebrating Tax Free Weekend while Rhett and Kolby entertained cousins Justin and Whitney with their Daddy at home.

Today is Rhett's "Special day" with Aunt Sari. They left around 9am and are not due back until tonight. Tomorrow is Kolby's turn. Wednesday I have some major dental work scheduled. Thursday is Rhett and Kolby's BLAST-OFF at school where we meet their teachers and put all their school supplies in their desk. Friday we are having Rhett's birthday party with the water slide in the back yard. Saturday is Rhett's first Soccer game. Then we will try to rest and gear up for the start of school next Tuesday!

So that is our plan for the last days of summer! It's a busy time... especially when you throw in the fact that Rob is starting back to grad school this week. I think I am ready for school to start so that maybe life will slow down! Yeah right! I know! The crazy Fall rush has begun! Now if we could only get some Fall like weather....

Home Sweat Home

Yeah. That wasn't a typo! We are home.
The air conditioner has been repaired thanks to the resourcefulness and stick-to-it-ness of my husband! Well, sorta repaired. It's still in the 80's in here, but it is slowly cooling off. The AC guy (who was great!) is coming in the morning to finish the job. We could have stayed away another night but we were all really ready to come home. Just last week I was telling someone how we never go anywhere and how I wanted break from my house....Be careful what you wish for! The last week has been quite an adventure.

I hope to tell more of the story when I have had some sleep, a shower, and the temperature of my house is in the 70's! But as crazy and exhausting as the past week has been, it has also been lots of fun! I'm thankful for so much right now! Here's a short list for starters

I'm thankful for...
Old friends who make you feel so comfortable and cherished when you are with them that you are able to pick up right where you left off. And the fact that our kids got along so well and played together with very little input from us... It was just a great week end!

My kids who have kept the perspective positive by viewing every night away from home as a vacation, even if we were just across the street. Kolby and Rhett were little troopers and I am so proud of them. EllaKate has had her issues, but for a 13 month old on antibiotics with nasty sinus infection who hasn't slept in her own bed in a week AND managed to fall on her head at least once a day... she did pretty good!

My parents and sister who at first welcomed us and then helped us with every thing when they became fellow broken air-conditioner refugees! They are probably really tired of us, but they still keep offering to keep us until the AC is back to 100%. They must really love us!

My aunt and cousins who took us in and let us hang out, eat their food and visit like we used to in the old times before we all lived here. All the kids made it challenging at times, but I would not take for any of them! Some of my fondest chidhood memories are of summer days and nights spent with my cousins. It's fun to do that again all these years later with our kids! I am so glad my kids are making great memories with their cousins. It was a fun two nights!

My husband who refused to give up when we were told it might be another week before the special order parts were in. Rob truly saved the day by calling parts dealers all over the state directly and searching until the parts were found...and right here in Waco! Rob even endured the 105+attic to get all the numbers off our AC unit! It's sort of a long story but, if he hadn't done what he did, we might still have been across the street wearing out our welcome! (Mom and Dad's air conditioner was repaired this morning.)

I'm thankful that I live in Texas in 2007 instead of 1907. Truly. How do those with out AC survive? I get so cranky and flustered in the heat. Why do we live in Texas? I ask myself this every August.

I'm grateful that God has provided for us as always. It looked like this week was going to be the worst, but it wasn't. We are home. And we were taken care of when we couldn't be home. I'm overwhelmed at the ways God chooses to teach us and bless our lives. Even on hot, crazy, unbelievable days!

Thanks for all the prayers and fond wishes. It's nice to have the blog family when I need to vent my frustrations, ask for prayers or just share the up and downs of this life. I always feel I have a blog family rooting for me! Thanks!

It's SSSSSOOOOOO good to be home!

No place like home

We just returned from a four day trip very happy to be home. When I opened the door from the garage I realized the house was just as hot as the garage. Not a good sign. It appears that our air conditioner has gone ca-put! It was 90 degrees in our living room at 10:30PM. Not what you want to come home to. So I'm going to be calling air conditioner repair guys in the AM! Pray for us! Really! It's supposed to be over 100 again tomorrow. I think I want to go back on vacation! 

Updated 4:30pm on Monday

In a very cruel twist of fate, minutes after the repairman called to tell me they probably can't get the part in for our air conditioner until Wednesday, my parents air conditioner went out. No really. I'm not kidding. I couldn't make this up. But some one please tell me... what are the odds?  AND the bad news is BUSH is in town and all the hotels are booked.  UUUGGGHHH!!!!!

Updated Monday 10:00pm

And believe it or not... somehow I ended up on the ten o'clock news tonight. The lead story was on all the air conditioners going out around town and I was the interview. They did a live remote from my Aunt's lawn.  No, I'm not kidding! I could not make this stuff up! After sweating it out all day I looked so bad! But I'm so happy to be in a cool place that I don't even care! 

The kids and I are staying in our forth place in 5 nights that is not our home. I'm just happy to have lots of family here! We have not spent the night at my Aunts since we moved here. Before we moved here I used to visit everyother month or so. It's kinda fun to all be out here. The kids think this is the best week ever! The privledge of youth I guess! Hoping to be home by Thursday at the latest and trying to stay cool in the mean time!

For the first time in 15 years

I am not a dog owner.

In mid-August 1992 I returned from my second summer in Kenya to finish out one more year at ACU. My fifth year. All my room mates and most of my friends had graduated the year before. I was coming back to ACU to live in a one bedroom apartment by myself. A week before school started I was in Waco visiting my cousins and saw an ad for Shit-zu puppies. My cousin and I went "just to look." I wanted a "roommate."

The puppies I went to see were too small to leave their Mom. I would have to come back in 3 weeks. But there was one little puppy from a different litter in this not so nice home kennel. The owner explained that he was a stud fee puppy and she was going to keep him. But he pawed and pawed at his cage so she let me hold him. He was a flirt! He was 6 weeks old but was so little that his hind legs barely draped over my wrist when I held him in the palm of my hand. He weighed less than two pounds. I had already agreed to come back and get one of the other puppies in a few weeks when the owner said that she would let me take that puppy today, for the right price. My cousins and I thanked her and left, but we didn't get far. The thought of leaving that cute puppy there in that yucky cage was just too much for me. I turned the car around and went right back and bought him (writing three post dated checks and getting some $$ help from my cousin.)

I named him Berkley after Berkley Hackett, the missionary I had worked with in Kenya. (Thus fulfilling my obligation to name my first "child" after BH!:) I have had Berkley ever since. He was great company through out the remainder of my days at ACU. He lived with me and my family during my car show years based in San Angelo. Berkley met Rob before my parents did. He was there through out our short dating period and our long engagement.  When Rob married me, he got Berkley too. We were a package deal. Berkley was our first "child" with us in our apartments in Midland, Euless and Hurst. He was there when we moved into our first home and then this our second home. Through bringing three babies home...Berkley has just always been here.

There were two times I tried to give him away. The first was after he snapped at and bit a sweet 9 month old Kolby. He didn't seem to like babies much, though he was protective in the way that he would sleep by their crib or bedroom door. The second was when he snapped at Rhett. But both times when it came time to say goodbye, I couldn't bear the thought of him wondering where we were or the thought that someone might hurt him if he snapped at them. We just kept him away from the kids and vice-versa. He hadn't really snapped at anyone in a long time, but we didn't give him much chance. I don't think he has been with in a foot of Ella Kate in the last 13 months. He was happy to just find a corner and sleep.

There were only two nights during those 15 years when I did not know where Berkley was. The first was when a repairman accidentally let Berkley out of our Hurst apartment. Rob and I searched the streets in a panic like two parents searching for their missing child. We did not rest until Animal Control opened the next morning at 9AM and confirmed that he was there. We had quite a homecoming celebration after I bailed Berk out of puppy prison! The second night was this year during Kolby's slumber party. He somehow got out and was taken in by a neighbor. It had been in the 20s that night and I feared the worst. We had started making signs and combing the neighborhood when we found him safe and sound. I know where his body is tonight, but I'm not at all sure where Berkley is. I just know he is not here. Berkley is gone.

Rob took him to the vet this morning. I couldn't. I am so grateful Rob did it. I know it was hard for him. Berkley needed to go. He had lost his hearing. He was blind in one eye and almost blind in the other. All his teeth were going bad. He had pain in his back legs and hips. He had lost control so I had to keep him outside before he ruined every carpet in the house. He was too old to become an outside dog, and it is too hot in Texas to do that to an old dog who has lived indoors his whole life. It was time.

I cried for the better part of last night and this morning but didn't let the kids know. They just thought he was going to the vet. We told them this afternoon when Rob came home. Kolby had been expecting it. Rhett cried. I joined him. We left Ella Kate with my Mom and drove out to my uncle's land. We buried Berkley under an oak tree by a pond where many family dogs have been buried. We placed a rock on his grave on which we had written these words with a sharpie:

Berkley Elliot Grosz

1992-2007

He was a good dog.

We each shared a favorite memory of Berkley. Rob said a prayer. Kolby planted a single white rose in the ground. Then we left.  As we drove home Rhett matter-of-factly said "I don't have a dog anymore." For the first time in 15 years, I don't either.

Thanks for being our dog Berkley! We're going to miss you. We are certain that if if there is a Doggie Heaven, you are there. And you aren't shaking, scared or hurting anymore. For that I am so glad. Rest in peace sweet puppy dog!

I have tons of Berkley pictures, but these are all that I can find on my computer tonight...

Kolby & Berkley in 1999.

Berkley and Rhett last Fall posing for Rhett's first show-n-tell pictures.

This morning. Snuggling in the brown chair before Dad took Berk to the vet.

Aside added 8-7-07

The last year or two with Berkley have not been so good. It wasn't until we buried him last night that all the great memories I have of him started coming back. I think we waited too long. I think we let him suffer. He has not been the Berkley we knew for a long time. I mourn the Berkley who sat on his hind legs and begged for food, the Berkley who buzzed circles in the house, the Berkley who made any ole brown paper sack into a hilarious attack tent. The sad old puppy who slept all the time, peed on the carpet every other hour, and scared me every time a baby was near...well it is not so hard to let that Berkley go. If anyone reading this is facing a similar situation please do not wait too long like we did! Yesterday was hard, but honestly it has been harder to watch Berkley go down hill and loose his happy curled tail love of life. Yesterday Berkley didn't feel a thing. And I hope where ever he is, he is buzzing and running circles today!

Don't Tickle Elmo!

Until you check this website.

http://www.service.mattel.com/us/recall/39054_IVR.asp?prod=

The above link should lead you to a list and pictures of Fisher Price Toys that were recalled this week do to unsafe levels of lead in their paint.

If that link does not work, you can access the recall list from the Mattel Consumer Answer site. http://www.service.mattel.com/us/default.asp

Many Sesame Street, Dora and Deigo toys were recalled.
I had actually just bought one of them as a Birthday present a week or two ago.

Hum dinger

Well a Hummer anyways...
While in College Station I saw this sweet little grandma-esque lady climb into this big ole Hummer...

I don't know why it amazed me so but I grabbed my camera and took some pictures.

I guess it's not every day you see a little ole granny driving a Hummer...but I was close to Aggie land! :)

Speaking of AGGIES... Suzanne and Joe had the quads yesterday! Can I get four big WHOOPS! Scoot on over to her blog and tell her congrats! Can you imagine 4 babies! At the same time! It boggles my mind.

And for those of you wondering if I have become an insomniac... sort of. Sometimes during Robs paper route I can't sleep so I go to blog world. If you see me commenting in the middle of the night...well now you know why.

And lastly I want you to meet Charlie.

I don't know if Charlie is long for this world because I have no idea how long spiders live. We met him about two months ago. Almost every night since, come rain or moon beams, we have seen him spin the most incredible web between a little fir tree and the side of our house.

He is quite amazing to watch. No he hasn't written "Some Pig" or anything miraculous, but he is quite the acrobat and he is also lightening fast and very macho!

He has to be a guy because he is so territorial. He drove another spider away by cutting it's web! Really! Kolby and I watched him do it one night! And if you blow toward his web he gets right int he middle and shakes and does this dance that makes his web look like a trampoline!

It's like he is saying "Come on! You want a piece of me!" I saw him take out and wrap a June Bug three times his size one night. It almost tore his web to shreds, but that was one big bug so he probably had his fill for the night. Never thought I would be a spider watcher, but Charlie is hard to miss.

Yeah not much to blog about around here... So what's up with you?

Galveston Get A Way

Kolby finally got to see the beach last week. Yes. I know it's sad. Nine years old and had never been to the beach. But now she has.

Mother nature did not want to cooperate however so our beach day was a bit cloudy and rainy with some rough waves. But don't tell Kolby and Rhett, because they had no idea that it wasn't perfect beach weather. There is an advantage to seeing something for the first time!

Did I mention it was a little windy? I can still taste the sand just looking at this picture.

The kids had a great time in the hotel pool and staying as "ocean front" as possible in Galveston.

We also enjoyed getting to travel with Mama K and Sari.

We spent a few hours at Moody Gardens on the way home.

But MOST IMPORTANTLY, I fulfilled my promise to take Kolby to the beach this summer!

My grandmother used to say if you leave a place wanting to come back, then it's been a great trip. So it was a great trip because I am already planning to go back next year when Rob can come and the weather is better! (back to a beach that is,but it may not necessarily be in Galveston)

School starts in less than a month. Where did our long summer go?

T-Ball...a photo blog

Tonight was most likely Rhett's last T-ball game. We may miss the last two games because of an impromptu trip to the coast. Next year he may play coach pitch. Hard to believe his T-ball days may have come to an end. Sadly, this is the only game my camera made it to this summer.
Here is a little salute to t-ball in pictures...
Just happy to be here.

The cousins.

Waiting to run to 2ND.

Gearing up to bat.

Swing!

Sweet girls!

Giving coach/Dad knuckle!Atta' boy!

I've got it!

Scramble

Waiting for that grounder

The team (minus our friend Thomas who is in Disney world and Kayson)

Good game.
And so ends Rhett's two season T-ball career. Maybe. Next Fall he is already signed up for Soccer.