Friday, July 10, 2009
Toe Jam
If you want to see an amazing musician, check out Tony Melendez! He is coming to North Canton in a few weeks and we are excited to see him live. It's the "Faith and Family Fest" listed on the right of the page of this website. This is a rough recording but I think it still conveys the incredible ability he has, plus it's one of my favorite songs of all time so I am partial.:) Enjoy!>
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Awesome Aquarium!
Here are the pictures of our trip to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. It exceeded expectations, wow! The website says it's the "The World's Largest Aquarium" and it truly delivered. Seeing everything from the tiniest organisms (like garden eels) to a giant squid makes me just marvel at God's creation. It is truly amazing to see the detail and some of the millions of living, breathing things under the water! If you are ever in Atlanta I highly recommend visiting, it was a hit!:) Here is the really slick website. Here is our little slide show. :)
Vacation Time!
We returned this week from our summer vacation!:) About halfway through we got the news about Molly (below this post) which was unexpected and sad. We ended up coming home a day early and I'm actually glad we did. It's been nice to just lounge at home and enjoy no schedule or immediate commitments. When we walked through the door you could smell Molly (we turned the air off so it had that lovely, stuffy smell).:) Normally it would be like "eww" but this time it was a sad reminder that she isn't there. We are leaning towards getting a puppy but still have not decided for sure.
Anyway for our vacation we went to the Biltmore in Asheville, NC and then spent time in Georgia with Jim's family. On the way back we stopped in Atlanta at the Georgia Aquarium and that was incredible!
The Biltmore was just awe-inspiring, from the vast square footage to the scenery and
the peaceful grounds. The home was built by George Vanderbilt in the late 1800's and it's a fascinating place, Jim and I could've stayed in the home all day just marveling at the detail and history. The boys on the other hand...not so much.:) They did great but I think it's a place more for couples. There is so much to do, from biking to horseback riding, a winery, vast gardens, a petting farm, spa, etc. Here is the website. MercyMe is playing a concert there in August. That is going to be amazing!! Anyway, Jim and I had wanted to go there for years (since we lived in NC) so it's nice to finally say we have been there!:) Asheville itself was less than exciting but that is just my opinion, I guess it depends what you are there for. Here is a slide show of the visit:
I have another slide show to post (from the rest of our trip) but I have to run and make supper. Hopefully I'll get it up tonight or tomorrow. Thanks so much for all of your condolences and comments about Molly.
Anyway for our vacation we went to the Biltmore in Asheville, NC and then spent time in Georgia with Jim's family. On the way back we stopped in Atlanta at the Georgia Aquarium and that was incredible!
The Biltmore was just awe-inspiring, from the vast square footage to the scenery and
the peaceful grounds. The home was built by George Vanderbilt in the late 1800's and it's a fascinating place, Jim and I could've stayed in the home all day just marveling at the detail and history. The boys on the other hand...not so much.:) They did great but I think it's a place more for couples. There is so much to do, from biking to horseback riding, a winery, vast gardens, a petting farm, spa, etc. Here is the website. MercyMe is playing a concert there in August. That is going to be amazing!! Anyway, Jim and I had wanted to go there for years (since we lived in NC) so it's nice to finally say we have been there!:) Asheville itself was less than exciting but that is just my opinion, I guess it depends what you are there for. Here is a slide show of the visit:
I have another slide show to post (from the rest of our trip) but I have to run and make supper. Hopefully I'll get it up tonight or tomorrow. Thanks so much for all of your condolences and comments about Molly.
Monday, July 06, 2009
The Circle of Life
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Well, yesterday was quite a roller coaster. Our breeder picked up Molly last week in preparation of her upcoming birth. If you are new to the blog, we fostered Molly (an English Bulldog) and although she is our dog, the breeder retains rights to her puppies and the whole process before/after. So she was due, via c-section on Sunday. We received the text message and photo, the babies arrived! 3 girls and 1 boy. We spread the word and shared the news and the boys were so excited. Then, last night we received a call that something awful had happened. Molly died! What?! We are still trying to put the pieces together but from what I understand, the trach collapsed her breathing tube and she suffocated. I don't have the full story but I assume it was a delayed reaction because she was obviously okay after the procedure because in the photo (above) she is conscious and nursing. I guess our breeder looked over and her tongue and mouth were blue and she had just stopped breathing. We are all so upset! We didn't even have Molly for a year. She was hands down the best dog we ever owned.
Jim and I told the boys this morning and it was tough.
Gabriel and Garrett seemed to be okay but Grant had a hard time.
When you consider getting a pet, it's part of the process to think ahead and know that at some point, the dog will die. Jim and I talked about that and how the boys would react when that day came and death comes to all of us, we just didn't expect it would happen so soon.
Anyway, the breeder offered us one of Molly's puppies but I just can't go there yet. We are still missing OUR dog and trying to adjust to the news. Grant actually asked if we could have one of her babies but that is a big question. Puppies are a totally different ball game. We got Molly after she passed the chewing, potty-training stage and she was already calm and obedient. We'll have to stew on that for a while. Well, I have much more to update but my time is short, I'll be back to update soon.
Well, yesterday was quite a roller coaster. Our breeder picked up Molly last week in preparation of her upcoming birth. If you are new to the blog, we fostered Molly (an English Bulldog) and although she is our dog, the breeder retains rights to her puppies and the whole process before/after. So she was due, via c-section on Sunday. We received the text message and photo, the babies arrived! 3 girls and 1 boy. We spread the word and shared the news and the boys were so excited. Then, last night we received a call that something awful had happened. Molly died! What?! We are still trying to put the pieces together but from what I understand, the trach collapsed her breathing tube and she suffocated. I don't have the full story but I assume it was a delayed reaction because she was obviously okay after the procedure because in the photo (above) she is conscious and nursing. I guess our breeder looked over and her tongue and mouth were blue and she had just stopped breathing. We are all so upset! We didn't even have Molly for a year. She was hands down the best dog we ever owned.
Jim and I told the boys this morning and it was tough.
Gabriel and Garrett seemed to be okay but Grant had a hard time.
When you consider getting a pet, it's part of the process to think ahead and know that at some point, the dog will die. Jim and I talked about that and how the boys would react when that day came and death comes to all of us, we just didn't expect it would happen so soon.
Anyway, the breeder offered us one of Molly's puppies but I just can't go there yet. We are still missing OUR dog and trying to adjust to the news. Grant actually asked if we could have one of her babies but that is a big question. Puppies are a totally different ball game. We got Molly after she passed the chewing, potty-training stage and she was already calm and obedient. We'll have to stew on that for a while. Well, I have much more to update but my time is short, I'll be back to update soon.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Good Books, Good Weekend
We are back from "roughing it" over the weekend! Our theme last week was camping, survival, and explorers. We really found some great books. If you want an incredible true story, check out "Down the Colorado, John Wesley Powell, the one-armed Explorer". Wow! That's a good one. Also, we learned a lot from "Follow the Trail".
In fact we even brought the book with us, despite my apprehension that it would get damaged...but it didn't, whew!
Anyway, here are just a few pictures from the weekend. We did have fun BUT I don't think I could do more than a few days. Maybe a cabin or something but I admit my wimpiness, I need access to running water!:)
Here we are snuggling by the campfire with full bellies (mmmmmmm s'mores!)
Our visitor. Cute in pictures, not so much when he's trying to take your food!
Hiking near Beaver Creek, what a beautiful day!
In fact we even brought the book with us, despite my apprehension that it would get damaged...but it didn't, whew!
Anyway, here are just a few pictures from the weekend. We did have fun BUT I don't think I could do more than a few days. Maybe a cabin or something but I admit my wimpiness, I need access to running water!:)
Here we are snuggling by the campfire with full bellies (mmmmmmm s'mores!)
Our visitor. Cute in pictures, not so much when he's trying to take your food!
Hiking near Beaver Creek, what a beautiful day!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Gear Gouging
I've learned something. When it comes to looking for outdoor apparel, it pays to shop around! We have several outdoor trips planned and we want to make sure everyone is prepared with the right gear but I wasn't prepared for the sticker shock on the performance pants, shirts, and boots! I guess if you are just buying one thing at a time it might not be bad but when you have to outfit the family it gets pretty pricey. Take for instance these pants.
They are from Athleta and are just what I was looking for. Price tag? $79! Ouch. No-can-do. I did get good advice from our friend Chad who is an expert backpacker (and fashion finder). Lol. He said to check out: Campmor, Sierra Trading Post, and REI. I was encouraged to see MUCH better prices there.:) Dick's also has a pretty good section for women/men hiking clothes but these websites will be good sources for the boys especially.
These are the same kind of pants (but convertible...even better) for $26 from Sierra Trading Post. MUCH better!
I think part of the appeal is that I wore my hiking shorts over the weekend and realized it's a good way to go! Comfortable and versatile. I recently read an article about how bad flip-flops are for your feet and although I denied it my whole life, I know it's true! Lol. They are just so comfortable (and cheap) though I live in my flips during the summer. If I wear sports hiking shorts though, my tennis shoes are a good pairing and I know that is so much better on the feet. I guess like anything, the more you probably shop around, the better deals you can turn up. Just be careful if you are looking too, don't get priced gouged on the gear!:)
They are from Athleta and are just what I was looking for. Price tag? $79! Ouch. No-can-do. I did get good advice from our friend Chad who is an expert backpacker (and fashion finder). Lol. He said to check out: Campmor, Sierra Trading Post, and REI. I was encouraged to see MUCH better prices there.:) Dick's also has a pretty good section for women/men hiking clothes but these websites will be good sources for the boys especially.
These are the same kind of pants (but convertible...even better) for $26 from Sierra Trading Post. MUCH better!
I think part of the appeal is that I wore my hiking shorts over the weekend and realized it's a good way to go! Comfortable and versatile. I recently read an article about how bad flip-flops are for your feet and although I denied it my whole life, I know it's true! Lol. They are just so comfortable (and cheap) though I live in my flips during the summer. If I wear sports hiking shorts though, my tennis shoes are a good pairing and I know that is so much better on the feet. I guess like anything, the more you probably shop around, the better deals you can turn up. Just be careful if you are looking too, don't get priced gouged on the gear!:)
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Rockin' Music Week
We just wrapped up our second week of "Reading and Road Trips". The theme was music. Although I have to admit, I did not do as good this time as we did with farm week. I am hoping this isn't a sign of things to come, mama needs to step it up!:) What I realized is that the theme of music is so hard to condense in a week and we kind of jumped all over. We talked about different instruments, everything from the trombone to the timpani and then took it to You Tube to see them in action. I also tried to teach them different types of music from jazz (Dizzie Gillespie and Louis Armstrong) to oldies (Elvis and The Beatles) to country and Christian of course.:) Our field trip was the Alive music festival on Saturday. The Fish has partnered with Alive for the past several years and it was a blessing to introduce the kids to music that up close and personal. Gabe and Jim were away for a "man's" backpacking weekend at Allegheny National Forest (a Father's Day gift) but we held the fort down and had a great time. Here are some snapshots!
Snacks=happiness
Grant backstage with mom!
My solo performance at Alive. Just kidding. Getting ready to intro The Afters
Grant got to see what goes on behind-the-scenes. It was cool and LOUD!
This week our theme is survival and camping. Okay, gotta go spend some time my with favorite husband and one of the best dad's I know.:) Happy Father's Day!
Snacks=happiness
Grant backstage with mom!
My solo performance at Alive. Just kidding. Getting ready to intro The Afters
Grant got to see what goes on behind-the-scenes. It was cool and LOUD!
This week our theme is survival and camping. Okay, gotta go spend some time my with favorite husband and one of the best dad's I know.:) Happy Father's Day!
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