A Dog and a Daughter

Oscar is heading to a new and wonderful home soon. I will miss him. But I realized that I can't give him what he needs. Every time I have had to leave him, especially for an extended time, he becomes stressed and anxious and all kinds of bad behaviors ensue. But I'm past feeling sorry for him now. He's been staying with Chantel and getting all kinds of loving and consistent attention, even sleeping in Owen's bed every night. Chantel has been managing Oscar, along with her already busy life as a wife and mother and the owner of a 7 month-old lab. She's taken numerous calls about Oscar and thinks she's found the perfect home for him. I'm waiting to hear.

Chantel has been and continues to be a mother's dream of a daughter. She treats me with nothing but love and compassion no matter how stressed her life is, and she always agrees cheerfully to run any errands, bring me anything I need, visit with me at the hospital, or talk with me on the phone. She radiates love and beauty to a depth that never ceases to amaze me. I'm in awe that Heavenly Father sent her, and she agreed, to come to earth and be my girl.

Blowing Out the Candles

Posing with the birthday boy.

Strawberry shortcake, one of his favorites.

Make a wish!

Happy Birthday, Owen

Just what he wanted.

What's this?

I think he liked it!!

Buzz, buzz, buzz

Once upon a time, again

my hair began to shed
just like cats in summertime
the mess I made, oh dread!
I flew that week from East to West
to Mama's house I went
No brush or comb I used at all
and silk scarves was I lent

When I got home I couldn't wait
to have the mess removed.
My daughter turned the clippers on;
my sanity improved.

Owen helped; his little face
it bore such concentration.
When he stopped Chantel resumed.
His look of consternation
disappeared, he laughed and shrieked,

"You look like Uncle Clayton!"

I thought I did, and maybe do
look like my youngest child,

But John and I look so alike,
as he would say, "That's wild!"
(I love ya, Bo!)
And family, thanks for the buzz party!

Swingin' with Imagination

Last week Chantel and I took the boys and drove to Oak Ridge, Tennessee to visit my nieces and nephews. The first day Owen and I sat outside on the glider swing and played his favorite game--imagination. Right now we're on a story about a boy named Owen who has a pet rat, Scabbers, (he does in real life) but this rat can talk. Sometimes Owen objects to his picture being taken, but this time he didn't, probably because I held the camera at arm's length and kept snapping away, while playing imagination the whole time. That's why most of the pictures aren't centered, but they capture the expressions on his sweet face.

Owen demonstrating how his rat eats corn on the cob.

Demonstrating how Scabbers 'smells' danger.

My favorite picture.

Beach Camping at Assateague Island Nat'l Seashore

Bought myself a new tent and sleeping bag. Owen shared my tent both nights. Below, Chantel talking to Owen through the tent window.Getting settled in.

Grammy, are you awake?

Owen, how did you sleep?

The beach was beautiful but it was strange to see the horizon without the setting sun. Chantel got pictures of the sunrise on the beach the next morning.

Owen running back to join me for a morning walk. "My mom loves beautiful things, so I'm going to give this [shell] to her and I'll be right back!" Notice the absence of people. Lovely.

Owen found the shell of a horseshoe crab.

Chantel and Soren later in the day.

Soren running from the waves.

Owen playing in the water.

Soren loves to climb, especially on his mama.

My view from the chair beneath the umbrella.

The boys loved being buried in the sand. Owen posed for dramatic effect.

A picture of the marsh not far from our camp. The first afternoon I saw two does and two fawns here happily munching away. The downside to the beauty of this was the mosquitoes that also live here. Thank goodness for insect repellent.

A view of the dune that separated the camping area from the beach.

A view of the camping area from the top of the dune. We had neighbors but plenty of space among us.

This island is known for its herd of wild horses. Strict rules apply regarding them which include keeping your food locked up and not feeding, touching or approaching the horses. However, no mention was made of what to do when they approached us! The last morning two stallions came into camp. Our food was all put away and our tents were down, but we still had a bag of garbage to pack out...

Hey come on, I think it's this way...

Helping himself and finding some string cheese to munch...

Oops, I guess I made a mess...

Heading to the next camp while the Calders look on. Unfortunately, the people at the next site left all their food in bags right out in the open. The horses had a feast while the unfortunate couple watched their food being gobbled up right outside their tent. They took it with good humor and it made a fun end to our stay on the island.

Backyard Fun

April 25, 2008