Thanksgiving at the Beach

Meet Kiara

She's much smaller than Coda ~ he was about 90 pounds, she's not quite 40 pounds ~ so probably a better fit for the kids right now. Have to break her of some bad habits but nothing too awful. She seems like a great little girl! 10 months old. We're signed up for training in a couple weeks but I'm going to try to run with her and see how it goes.

Dogs Dogs Dogs

Taluka (almost the spitting image of Coda...not sure I could handle that)

Chance

Stetson

Bronson

Neha

Dogs, Dogs, Dogs. I've got the fever. I've been trying to get Steve open to the idea of a new dog almost since Coda died. I let it go for a couple of years and I'm hoping he's emotionally ready for it, so I started bringing it up again. I miss having a dog around - I miss the kind of love they add to a house. I REALLY want a running partner for trail running.

When I started talking about it a couple weeks ago Steve was pretty adamant: NO dogs. Then it changed to: NO puppies. Then when I wanted a yellow lab: NO labs. So now we're back to Siberian Huskies. He's actually acting like he would like another Husky. So I started looking into Husky Rescue Organizations and I spent the better part of Saturday just getting my heart crushed by all the sad stories of dogs that are just simply abandoned. Huskies are a pretty hard dog to bring into the family and I don't think people are prepared when they choose this breed. For me, it's been hard to find one who is 1) good with little kids, 2) won't eat my cat, 3) isn't an escape artist, 4) no medical conditions and 5) lives for running. It seems like most of the rescued huskies that are more inclined to be good with small kiddos and cats are the lovers that like to be your furry couch-potato type of 4-legged friend. I've come up with five in Washington and I've e-mailed the foster home to see if any would match me and I can't wait to get up there for a visit.

What a weekend. Sometimes I just want to smack myself in the face with my own fist - over and over. How can I go from being so committed to God, pouring out my soul to Him, my desire to live for Him and then in a nanosecond I am as far away from God as I could be? On Saturday I had the opportunity to get out on my own for awhile. Driving down the road, I turn off the radio and just take the opportunity to talk to God - just praying and praising and talking. In a flash I find myself flipping off some lady who was mad at me and giving her the stoniest unfriendly stare that I think actually scared her. WHAT THE...?? What is wrong with me? Then later that night I just lit into Steve - only about two sentences but so bad that I'm sure they'll stick with him for ...oh...probably our entire marriage.

Steve decided on his own to come with us to church as a family Sunday morning and it was nice to have someone sitting next to me. He even offered to go next Saturday and take the kids out to eat afterwards. Maybe he thinks if he gets me to church more consistently it will be better on him in the long run? Anyways, the sermon was Pastor's sex talk he gives every 2 or 3 years. He started it with a clip from "Meet the Parents" where De Niro has Ben Stiller hooked up to the lie detector. Steve always gets a kick out of Pastor Kip's video clips, so it went well for Steve I think.

I saw Steve Carell's Dan in Real Life on Sunday. Total chick flick and I loved it! Went by myself and just vegged out!!! Also watched Infamous about Truman Capote from the library and didn't think I would like it much, but it drew me in good!

Got the good news from Steve last night that we get to go down to Gold Beach for Thanksgiving!! I haven't seen my G'ma in so long. G'pa took a fall about two months ago and is in a fully assisted care home now. I don't think he'll recognize me...he doesn't always recognize G'ma or Mom lately, but I want to see him. Mom doesn't think he will hold on much longer. I'm scared to see him. I don't want to lose it in front of him.
I have gone to Gold Beach every year of my life but two. Last year it just didn't work out for everyone - too many new babies, young toddlers and pregnant peeps. I think everyone just kind of thought it would be too much work, but we all missed it horribly. I don't think the whole gang will be there, but a good bit, so I'm excited to see many of my Aunts and Uncles and Cousins and their kiddos. Knowing the Oregon coast in November, it will be dreary weather, but Mai is convinced it won't be so bad she shouldn't take all of her sand equipment... Either way, I know SHE will have fun. She's just that kind of a girl.

The Storm Trooper and the Carebear

We had a nice Halloween day. We started off with hitting the gym as usual. Rachel (the kids' very most favorite person at the gym - she even has pics of MY kids on her fridge at home) had worked very hard decorating the Kids Club and organizing Halloween activities. Mai wore her costume ALL day - hood and all - she was quite the sweaty mess. When we headed out to take them trick or treating I put the bowl of candy out on the front porch and figured that in our neighborhood it would be fine. We don't get too many kids. We went up our dead-end to visit about 5 houses and on the way back down stopped back at our house and the bowl was empty! About $10 in candy!! I was steaming mad. We had passed 3 older boys and I know they did it. Several neighbors saw them screaming down the hill like they had goblins on their tails. I hope they all got horrible tummy aches!!!
Well, it didn't really matter since our kids got SO much booty! We just recycled their candy for the few who showed up on our door. I think Steve was pretty disappointed. He REALLY worked on our front porch - it was even too scary for our two nieces to walk up to the front door in daylight last week. Now he's already thinking our our Griswold Christmas...

Check out Mai's vampire teeth...and her werewolf eyebrows. How young is too young to start beauty grooming???