I came home late on Monday evening (the reason is the subject of another blog post - to come later). It was dark and the house was relatively quiet, so I assumed everyone had gone on to bed. However, when I walked onto the back porch, I saw something that doesn't belong there - our hamster cage, sans hamster.
Immediately, I knew that this wasn't good news. I had passed Mr. Ham's cage several times on Monday morning, in my attempts to do laundry and get ready for my day. He was moving around and appeared fine (for a hamster who made it a whole year past the average 2-year lifespan of a hamster).
Mr. Ham died a quick and painless death. Unfortunately, it was Gracie who discovered him - when she went up to bed. (She stops every evening to visit with him and Jackson (her guinea pig).) I had a very distraught little girl on my hands. It's hard to lose something that's been a constant part of your life for the past 3 years (we went to buy Mr. Ham for her about a week after Ian came home to our family).
So, I just wanted to take a moment to say Rest in Peace, Mr. Ham - thanks for 3 great years! We'll miss you, but we will not replace you!
In the past, I've shared on my blog how we're not really "dog people". I love dogs, but they just don't seem to work out at our house. I've always liked big dogs; and the two we've had in the past were either too hyper or too hairy to have in a house with children.
Then, we started dog-sitting Eddiee and we just love that little guy! Having him around made me rethink my stance on small dogs - maybe they really are better for in the house (at least, OUR house).
We have neighbors up the street who raise pugs. My mom checked into buying one last year - the $450 price tag kinda turned her off (she ended up getting a dog at a shelter). About 6 weeks ago, at our yard sale, they told us that they had one 6-month-old pup left over from a previous litter - and that, if we were interested, we could have her for $50. I kinda shrugged the whole thing off. But Brian, who is usually the hardhearted, "we are NOT getting a dog" type, actually went and made the arrangements to get her!
So, now we have Sallie. She's been a bit of a challenge to get house-trained (as she was mostly living outside before). But, we're getting there - I'm not sure if SHE is trained, or if WE have trained ourselves! LOL She's a sweet, loving little dog (though a bit of a high-strung puppy at times). We all enjoy her.
My favorite times are when I'm on the couch, working on my laptop, and she's snuggled tight up against me. I think she's going to work out to be a good dog for us. We just might be dog people after all!
It's been over 5 years since we decided to cut off our cable television. Living in a valley means that we don't have access to ANY tv channels (not even the local stations). Some people have asked us if we could get them with an antenna - maybe so. But, the fact is, we don't want them. We're perfectly content to miss out on most of the current tv programming; and we enjoy watching movies from our own collection or from Netflix. (We recently discovered that, through Netflix, the girls can watch many of their Disney channel favorites right on the computer!)
Anyway, I just read that Hasbro (game company) has deemed TONIGHT as National Family Game Night. I must admit that we often don't take the time to play games - we all want to, but it seems like someone is always too busy - and you know how much more fun games are with a crowd. So, I think we'll pack up early for our trip to Williamsburg (leaving tomorrow morning) and take some time to play some of our favorite games. Why don't YOU do the same?
Leave a comment, telling me what your favorite family game is. We're currently enjoying Life Twists and Turns and an old game we recently acquired called This Game is Bonkers.
After our day in Lititz, we drove around and went in search of a new place to eat supper. We wanted something relaxing and different (not your typical chain restaurant) but we also weren't interested in one of the huge buffets that the Lancaster area is so famous for. We were driving through Intercourse (yes, we really have a town in PA by that name!), and came across this place:
I didn't get a picture of the restaurant/farm house,
but it was off to the right of this picture
Wow! We were glad that we decided to stop here. We ate dinner in an old farmhouse, which has been converted into a restaurant. (You actually had to go outside to the "outhouses" if you needed to use the restroom!) Anyway, the meal was served family style and was all-you-can-eat fried chicken (the best, I think, I've ever had), sausage, ham loaf, corn, green beans, mashed potato filling (a combination of mashed potatoes and bread filling - something I had never had before), sweet potatoes, apple sauce, cole slaw, and I'm sure I'm missing something! The atmosphere was just really neat, and we enjoyed being able to sit, relax, and enjoy this yummy supper.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant! But, prepare to be stuffed! We had to get our dessert to go! Ian and I selected cherry pie, mom and Ashley went for shoo fly pie, and Gracie had her usual - chocolate cake with peanut butter icing.
this is Gracie - after eating her fill of fried chicken
(notice her box - dessert to go!)
Thursday afternoon, we went to the pet store and added these two little cuties to our family:
After tossing various name ideas around (beforehand), the girls had decided on Lenny and Squiggy. However, once they actually saw these little guys, they said they were way too cute for those names! So, on the way home, we were in deep thought over some new names. Finally, one of the girls suggested Jackson and Oliver and it stuck.
Oliver is Ashley's
Jackson is Gracie's
(yes, he's sitting on top of a toilet paper tube-
filled with Timothy hay)
Yes, today is my birthday and when you've got any type of internet presence whatsoever, word sure does travel fast! I've gotten lots of birthday wishes on my facebook page, the ladies on the Homeschool Crew are posting birthday greetings (and sending e-mails and e-cards), and all my wonderful TOS friends/co-workers are writing me the traditional TOS birthday poems. I am blessed!
My birthday is always somewhat bittersweet, though. The sweet comes from the fact that it's the FIRST DAY OF SPRING, and I love the promise from God of warmer weather and new life. I love seeing the grass turning green, the leaves coming back on the trees, and the flowers starting to bloom. The bitter, though, is my missing my Pap and celebrating our shared birthday together. I post about this almost every year, so those of you who have been my bloggy friends for awhile probably think I sound like a broken record. I just wish that I would have known, as a child, what a treasure it was to share my birthday (instead, I always kinda resented that the day was not my own).
I thought that, this year, it might be fun to share a picture of my Pap. I could have raided my mom's photo albums for a picture of us blowing out a shared birthday cake, but I didn't have the time. So, I pulled from my own reserves - this picture was taken on Easter Sunday 1997. it's a 4 generation picture with my Pap, my Dad, me, and Ashley (she would have been 3 1/2).
This morning, Ashley was just listening to some music on You Tube when I heard this song playing. I'm not a huge Carrie Underwood fan (I think she's got amazing talent, but maybe doesn't use it in the best way all the time). Anyway, she sings this song beautifully, and it was my Pap's favorite hymn. So, here's to my Pap today!
Yesterday, the weather got warm enough for Brian and my dad to go to their first (dirt track) race of the year (or maybe they're just crazy enough to go in any weather - who knows?!) Anyway, Gracie's birthday isn't until June, but she's been expressing an interest in finally learning to ride a bike; so my mom decided it was time to head to Wal-mart and get her an (early) birthday gift. Here she is making her first attempts at riding her new bike:
This child does not usually have a high tolerance for pain, and I know I tend to baby her; but we did not rush to her every time the bike took a tumble, and were impressed that she continued to jump up and go back for me. She was able to steady herself for a few seconds on our own. We'll keep trying.
Ian on the other hand ... his birthday is next month (can you believe he will be 3?!) so Mom bought him a bike as well. Even with training wheels:
So, he decided maybe it was time to try a safer means of transportation:
FYI: We really need to start checking our supplies BEFORE we shop. Turns out we came home to find that we had a bike the exact same size as the one we got for Gracie. AND, we also had a helmet that would fit her. However, I bought her a new one, thinking we had one for Ian - which was not the case - hence the purple (girls') helmet). A bike helmet will be on his birthday wish list this year!
We love Mr. Potato Head around here!
We especially love all the Disney accessories you can buy for them
at Disney World.
Ian, Gracie, and I had fun dressing up our potatoes
and preparing them for a "pretend" trip to the World.
Don't they look cute?!
Once again, we waited patiently downstairs all day, while we listened to the hammering and sawing going on two floors above. The suspense kills us; but yet it's so exciting to see what all was accomplished while we were waiting. Today, we saw much progress -
Today they worked on insulation ...
... Wiring ...
... and the window seat ...
...and while the contractors were busy in the attic,
Ian was busily constructing an architectural masterpiece downstairs ...
Last Wednesday, we went on a field trip to an art museum. It just so happened to be in the same town that my aunt lives in, so we were able to stop by for a visit. Her daughters are all grown up, and it seems that she's been cleaning out. Needless to say, Gracie and Ian came home with 3 (large) bags full of "goodies". One of those treasures was a balloon kit - you know the ones I'm talking about - the kind clowns use to make balloon characters. We haven't mastered the animals yet, but here are a few pictures of Ian wearing a balloon hat:
I didn't get a picture of the restaurant/farm house,
this is Gracie - after eating her fill of fried chicken
Oliver is Ashley's
Jackson is Gracie's 
