Cheese

We got a short visit from Carolyn and her mom today. Carolyn says that everyone's birthday is in July. Seems like a great strategy to make sure no one is forgotten. She brought the girls their birthday gifts and they were thrilled and had to try them on right away. I've never seen them this excited about pajamas before!

I took the pictures below about 15 minutes apart. When I was looking at them later, I noticed that two of these smiles are just alike. Do you think it has anything to do with being two years old?

Maaaa!

We've lived in our nice, quiet neighborhood for 18 years. Nothing much happens here and we like it that way. Of course, there was the weird lady who wore a headlamp during her walks and shined it in my kids' windows every night. Oh, and once we watched as a (non-headlamp-wearing) neighbor was arrested and taken away in handcuffs. But really, these noteable incidents are few and far between.

Tonight we had another memorable moment. We were surprised to find a truck full of sheep and goats parked next to our house. This seemed like the perfect opportunity for a private petting zoo, especially since we are babysitting our granddaughters. All three little girls were already in bed though, so it was up to Evan to welcome the animals to the neighborhood. That big one really seemed to like him!

The Liberty Tree

Can you guess when this was written?

"We see many signs of weakness which we lament, and we would to God that our rulers would be men of righteousness, and that those who aspire to position would be guided by honorable feelings—to maintain inviolate the Constitution and operate in the interest, happiness, well-being, and protection of the whole community. But we see signs of weakness and vacillation. We see a policy being introduced to listen to the clamor of mobs and of unprincipled men who know not of what they speak, nor whereof they affirm, and when men begin to tear away with impunity one plank after another from our Constitution by and by we shall find that we are struggling with the wreck and ruin of the system which the forefathers of this nation sought to establish in the interests of humanity. But it is for us still to sustain these glorious principles of liberty bequeathed by the founders of this nation, still to rally round the flag of the Union, still to maintain all correct principles, granting the utmost extent of liberty to all people of all grades and of all nations."

This quotation above seems to describe the feelings of many Americans today, but these are the words of John Taylor from July 3, 1881

Here's a quote full of imagery from the prophet Joseph Smith.

"The Constitution of the United States is a glorious standard; it is founded in the wisdom of God. It is a heavenly banner; it is, to all those who are privileged with the sweets of liberty, like the cooling shades and refreshing waters of a great rock in a weary and thirsty land. It is like a great tree under whose branches men from every clime can be shielded from the burning rays of the sun."

Read more patriotic quotes at 

http://ldsmag.com/article/1/14573

Melanie

Roxy - part 3

The dog's yelping brought my family running immediately. To my horror, it was true. I had backed the car over Roxy. The kids had put her in the house like I asked, but she had escaped out the back door. Just like the other times she was hit by a car, she didn't seem to have any broken bones, but she was obviously in pain. We followed the practical advice my veterinarian brother-in-law always gave us. "See how she does overnight and then take her to the vet tomorrow."  The vet couldn't tell us much and took a "wait and see" attitude, but I knew Roxy would be okay the following morning.  I was getting ready to head out for my morning walk.  As usual I grabbed her leash. Sure enough, she staggered to her feet and took a few steps. She wasn't really up to a walk yet, but we knew she was on the road to recovery.

Roxy put a lot of miles on those short little legs of hers.  Besides her daily walks, she loved to chase the kids around the yard or run back and forth in the hallway between two kids (one of them likely being John) who yelled encouragingly, "Come on, Roxy."

Roxy really did love our family. During vacation we always left her with friends or family so that she wouldn't be alone or cooped up in her kennel. She seemed to have a hard time while we were gone and my dad suggested we look into a "doggie anti-depressant" for her.

By the time Aaron left on his mission in 2011, Roxy was slowing down a bit. She was especially close to him, usually sleeping on his bed, and we hoped she would be here to welcome him home. First she welcomed Lavender to the family and she adjusted very well to having a little one around. In fact, she was always gentle with our granddaughters too. When they got to be too much, she usually left the room or climbed under the coffee table where they couldn't reach her.

In 2012, Roxy couldn't make it for the whole 3 mile walk. We usually looped by the house after a mile and she seemed satisfied. Eventually, even that became too much for her.  She could no longer climb the stairs and started sleeping downstairs. Her walks became shorter and shorter until finally she ventured just a few yards out the door onto the grass. When Aaron arrived home in late 2013, he was really sad to see her decline.

It seemed fitting that he was the one to find her the morning she died. He got up around 5:00 AM to let her outside and at first he thought she was just sleeping. We were in Chicago, but Ryan came over to help bury her and say goodbye.

I am grateful we had Roxy in our home for 11 years.  She was a sweet dog and we will always remember her and miss her.  John won't miss the vet bills, but you notice that in the end, Roxy left so peacefully that we didn't need to take a trip to the vet.  I guess that was her way of saying thank you.

Roxy - part two

Francie's small car looked like PetCo on wheels. The car was packed full with a kennel, dog bed, leash, dog toys, a brush, pet shampoo, a 50 pound bag of food, dishes and Roxy's up-to-date vet record. She explained to John that she knew owning a dog could be expensive and she didn't want us to have to spend any money for quite awhile.

By now the kids were begging us and we finally relented. We would try it out and see how things went. Of course, there was no turning back. Roxy loved running and playing with the kids. She loved to be held and petted and yes, she really did seem excited about family scripture study.

She certainly was loveable, but as the months passed we found that she frequently needed attention of another type--medical. Roxy was hit by a car two different time and had to have Foxtails surgically removed from various body parts on several occasions. She even had a glandular issue, but I will spare you the details. Then she developed epilepsy and had frequent seizures. John claimed she was the most expensive "free" dog ever!

One summer day I was getting ready to leave for a reunion with my girlfriends from high school. I was rushing around taking care of everything and I noticed that Roxy was snoozing in the shade of the care. I cut that dangerous habit short by asking one of the kids to take her inside. A few minutes later I hopped in the car and began slowly backing out of the driveway. Then I heard a terrific squeal from a dog. I immediately slammed on the brake, not sure what to do. What had happened? Was it possible I had backed over a dog?

Her Latest Talent

She started out tearfully clinging onto mommy, but in the space of fifteen minutes she was splashing around the pool saying, "don't touch me."

Roxy - part one

"Deliberate" and "Intentional" seem to be big buzzwords today. I like the principles behind them and I want to live my life purposefully. But some of the best things in life are surprises or accidents that happen with little or no planning.

In 2002 we had a busy home filled with four children and a bird inherited from Grandma. One day my sister asked me if we were interested in getting a dog. I told her that I had my hands full and there was no room at the inn. Her friend Francie called me anyway.

Francie explained that her daughter had a sweet little dog who needed lots of attention. They were all away from home much of the day and the poor little dog spent hours in her kennel. I told Francie we weren't interested, but she persisted. She explained that she was calling me because we were an LDS homeschooling family. She wasn't going to give the dog to just anyone. They wanted a family who spent lots of time at home so the dog would get plenty of attention. Her daughter insisted that the family be LDS because Roxy "loved family scripture study." That was the silliest thing I'd ever heard and I thanked Francie for thinking of us, but told her we really weren't interested.

Then Francie asked if we would be willing to meet the dog, just so we could see what she was like. Francie was so earnest that I finally agreed. They showed up at our house the next day. Of course the kids were excited to have a visit from this little white pup. She ran circles around them and showed us her tricks. She could even jump up into your arms from the ground.

After everyone was thoroughly smitten, Francie asked if we wanted to keep the dog for a few days. Her daughter Lauren began to cry and told us how much she wanted Roxy to have a good home. Then Francie took us out to her car. We couldn't believe what we saw . . .