Happy Gotcha Day, Mr. MooseDrool!

Wow! Only one year ago, I found you on CL...a tiny little orange kitty. I had no clue what I was getting myself into. I headed to the store to pick up a few supplies, and then I picked you up. You little stinker, I loved you from the second I saw you!

This was your very first day home.


All tuckered out from the excitement!


You were soooo tiny!!


You quickly became the object of my affection, and such a good photography model!


OH. MY. WORD. you were the very definition of cuteness!




You were so scared of your big brother for a while...and this is as close as you would let him get.


But only a few weeks later, I found you two like this...


and then there was this....


Now you two are inseparable!!!


What a handsome man you turned out to be!



And I'm so sorry for the times you get put on the back burner...and I'm sorry for those times when we have to shut you up in your kitty man fortress b/c people are allergic to you, or the kids are running in and out of the doors. I just love you too much to let you get outside and hurt yourself! But I know you always forgive me. People said that as you got older, you wouldn't knead and suck on my shirts, but I love that you still do it! Even if I don't love the wet spots on my shirts that follow, I love that you love me so much! You are an amazing cat! Happy Gotcha Day, Mr. MooseDrool!




Oh, and a picture of your names sake!

Sick as a Dog

Judah and I are staying home from church today. I can't remember the last time that we have done that. A bad cough is one of those things that no other mother wants to hear coming from the inside of the Sunday School classroom as they drop off their perfectly healthy child. Plus, it seems to have migrated from croup to something.....else....I'm not sure what, but it's starting to sound less 'seal barking' -ish, and more chesty. I'm not sure what that means, but if he is still running a fever tomorrow, we're heading back to the doctors for a re-check. I have this weird feeling that in the hysteria and rush of the last visit to his Doctor (when she sent us running to the E.R.) she forgot something. She didn't have time to look him all over and do the normal stuff, like, looking in his EARS, for example. Last time he got sick, there was an infection AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE TUBES, for crying out loud.....not much you can do about that. We've been trying to keep medicine in him, but the darn cough medicine is so nasty, it makes him throw up, so I had to make a mad dash to the pharmacy last night to try and find some cough & cold medicine that had a fever reducer in it that didn't taste like nasty old Robitussin or Triaminic. Thank the Lord for Tylenol products. After much deliberation, I came home with this, which seemed to have done the trick for last night. He slept much better than the night before.


I also picked up some cough and cold suckers! A treat for taking the medicine with out throwing a fit (or throwing up)! And he doesn't have to know that they are medicine suckers! Heck, they taste pretty good!

Anyway, I'm bored and tired. Wish I could go to church. Sometimes just the hour break when Judah is in his class is really nice, especially after a week like ours. Today was supposed to be our Kids Fall Festival thing after church, but we nave postponed it due to the really cruddy air quality. So at least we're not missing out on that. But I'm not sure how much more I can take of trying to keep Judah calm and quiet. A grown up can only take so many cartoons....

Maybe someday soon we'll be doing this again.....I have a little bit of cabin fever, can you tell??

House Guest

Lincoln is our house guest for the weekend. Now I remember why I always tell people to adopt an adult dog. It's just good to have a reminder. He sure is cute, though. Here's the proof.

Playing with Moose

Jäger pulls out the Mad Teeth™

I really didn't think he had it in him! I'm proud of my little pansy!


So, we all spent the bulk of yesterday afternoon and last night in the hospital. Judah woke up from his nap with that all too familiar barking cough....croup. But this time, he couldn't really catch his breath. I called his doctor, and got him there in under 5 minutes. She gave him motrin right away, and put some cold packs on him...which made him cry so hard he threw up. Then she gave him a shot of something...steroids or something, gave him a breathing treatment. After that, he still couldn't breathe very well, so she sent us across the street to the hospital where he got another, stronger breathing treatment. Brent came straight from work, and we were all a little frazzled. Brady and Adam and family kindly brought us dinner---thanks so much to them! And Christy and John kindly asked if they could go to our house and feed the animals---thanks so much, you guys! It is really hard to be away from family when stuff like this happens, but it is so encouraging to know that we have a super strong support system down here as well!

Anyway, Judah slept really well all night long, thank you God! He's feeling better today. Only coughing after naps, and not really a fever to speak of. We're hoping we're on the tail end of this already. All of the smoke in the air isn't really helping either. I'm sure that asthmatics are really suffering. Tomorrow is the weekend, so I get to have Brent's help with him tonight and tomorrow.

Have a great weekend, all. Stay safe and healthy.

Getting ready to make a project with Daddy

Judah at the hospital making silly faces (sorry, crappy cell phone pictures)

Relaxing

Thumbs up!

Fires

Here is a link to a map of the fires in California.

We aren't being directly threatened by a fire as of now. Just wanted to post an entry so that no one was worried. But there are hundreds of people in San Diego that are losing their houses as we speak. Some of them are families of friends. John and Christy's families are being evacuated right now from San Diego and Escondido. They are headed up here to stay with them, and we will be taking in (any guesses??) some of their animals. I think a couple adult dogs and maybe some puppies. I offered our hide-a-bed, but it looks like, as of now, a place for the dogs in needed more. So, we will do what we can do.

Please just say a prayer for those are in strange places, those that are currently racing away from a fire, and those that have already lost their homes and all of their possessions. As I understand it, there have only been 1 or 2 deaths, which is sad, but I'm so glad there aren't more. Most people are getting out in time. There just aren't alot of places for them to go, especially with their dogs and cats.

I'll try to keep updating, please feel free to stop by as often as you need to.

Before I forget...

I have to post this. This afternoon in the car on our way home from Church, Judah made up a story. But I don't think he was telling it to me. I think he was just talking to himself, b/c after it was over, I told him it was a good story, and he acted like he had no clue what I was talking about....it was weird. It went something like this. (and I swear, I am not making any of this up. He said every word!)

Once upon a time there was a boy in a room. But the room was dark, and there was a scary monster in the room. So the boy turned into a monster to scare that other monster away. And it worked, and then the boy turned back into a boy again. And then he was happy. The end.

I was in awe. It took me a few minutes to respond back to him because I was trying not to giggle out loud! So I said, "Judah, where did you hear that story?" and he says, "What story?" Me: "That story you just said. Where did you hear it before? Did you just make that story up?" Judah: "What?" and so on.....

anyway....it made me laugh!


And a couple pictures of Jäger at our Golden Retriever Costume contest meetup...

If one is good,

Then two are better!

Gracie came over for a nice walk and play day today. Just wanted to share some cute pics of the pups.

Walking like champs! (sorry, crappy cell phone picture)


Gracie decided that going on a walk isn't that bad if she can do it with Jäger!


Sniffing hounds...


Yeah, Jäger decided Gracie must be mounted today....grrrrr.....


Posing for me on the couch!


"Sniff Sniff, you smell like my sister!!!"


She just has the most beautiful face!!

no title

I can't think of a title for this post. It will be short. I'm too emotionally exhausted to write much.

I got a call from my sister this morning. It came through the prayer chain at church this morning that Mason Jenkins had passed away early this morning. I'm stunned, sad, overwhelmed with grief for my friends. I have joy that Mason is now in the arms of out Lord and Savior, he is perfectly healed by our Master. But I have such a great sorrow for Eddie and Becky. My heart is aching for them.

I also feel this guilt. A guilt from not being the friend I know that I should have been. I prayed for Mason almost daily, but I avoided taking the time to have a long distance relationship with Becky. I was always afraid that I would somehow make her feel sad by having a healthy child.

Short back story---Becky and I were pregnant together. We spent alot of time together as friends, as couples, and then, as moms to 2 cute little baby boys! Judah and Mason are only about 2 1/2 weeks apart in age. Mason was diagnosed with Hurler's syndrome at about 7 months, and the rest is all documented here.

I can't believe how amazing Eddie and Becky have been through all of this. I do know that they are closer to God because of this. They are stronger and more mature in the Lord than I can ever hope to be. I know that God equips us to deal with what is brought before us, and he has truly given them grace and understanding, patience and joy.

Tonight, please say a prayer for them. I know that I will be.

A Crisp Fall Evening

Dare I speak the word that California does not know? F-A-L-L?? I think think it's here!

For over a month last year at this time, we drove past this cute little pumpkin patch at a busy street corner without ever stopping. This year, my curiosity got the best of me, and tonight, we stopped in to see what all of the lights, pumpkins and jumpies were all about. And we had fun! It is a pumpkin patch but also a mini carnival with a few rides for kiddos, a small petting zoo, and a couple different jumpies. One was a giant jumpie, one was a giant super slide, and one was an obstacle course. What a blast Judah had. He climbed the endless ramp up to the slide, he went down in feet first a few times, but the second someone in front of him went down it headfirst, well, there was no stopping him. Then he tested out the jumping onto the slide method. I swear. This child is going to have more broken bones, more sprained ankles, more injuries than I ever had. I know, it will be a big feat. But I am positive that if anyone has the propensity to get hurt more often and be more accident prone than I was, it is going to be Judah!

Anyway, there was a little crisp chill in the air, and with the rain that we got this morning, it is finally starting to feel like fall. I laugh at myself and what I've become after spending only 1 1/2 years as a Californian. When I woke up to rain, I was really excited to put on a warm pair or corduroys, my favorite green sweater, and don my low top converse. Yes, I am a giant nerd. But at least I'm not pulling out my winter jacket like some of my friends that are native Californians. But if it drops another 10 degrees, you can be assured I will be joining them.

Last night I got to go out with some girls to the new Elizabeth movie. It was just amazing. I'm not really that into history, and I can't even remember which year in High School I took World History. This movies climax is the war between England and Spain in the late 16th century following the execution of Mary Queen of Scots. At one point I found myself questioning who was going to win. And then I realized, "there's probably a reason we, in America don't speak Spanish." And I was ashamed at my lack of Historical knowledge. Anyway, I think I need to head to the library.

Speaking of which, Judah and I made our first ever trip to the Murrieta Library this week. I know. It's sad. We've been here over a year and a half, and never gotten a library card. The problem is, right after we moved here, they shut down the library in lieu of building a new one. I guess the new one has been there for a while, but we didn't really know where. So this week, we found it, and got a library card. And Judah checked out 4 books of his choosing! He is very excited to get all of them out and read them over and over again, even though a couple of them are kind of weird!

All right. 12:30 on a Saturday night. I should try to get some sleep before church tomorrow....er today.

Where does he come up with this stuff?

Judah is completely cracking me up today! He was just going potty, and I asked him my usual question, are you going poop or pee....you know, so I know what to expect. An he replies, "I'm going both. Both means I'm going pee and poop. Pee......CHECK! Poop......CHECK!" At this point I am laughing uncontrollably, where did he learn to make a verbal checklist?!?! He also knows how to take cues from my laughing, and often continues on with it. "Play with my toys......CHECK! Watch some toons.......CHECK!" He is destined to be a comedian. He just takes too much pleasure out of cracking people up!

Another silly thing today, he was watching Scooby Doo in an episode with Pirates, and I asked him what he would like for lunch. He looks at me with a wrinkled brow and one eye and says in a gruff piratey voice, "I want a pirate sandwich, with pirate honey and pirate peanut butter! Arrrrrrrrr!"

goofball.

We had a great weekend. Friday night Brent and I got to go out on a date, Cassie came over to babysit. But before she got here, Brent sent me out to get a pedicure! Oh how I love my pedicures. I'm pretty convinced that if I didn't periodically get them done, my legs would end in bloody stumps. It's all this warm sunny California weather....My name is Alicia, and I'm a flip flop addict.

After the pedi, and some lengthy bedtime instructions for Cassie, we headed out on out mystery date! Brent planned this date without any input from me. It was really fun to have no idea what we were going to do! He took me to Killarney's, a little Irish Pub in Temecula. They have insanely good Irish/comfort food and even better drinks. It was delicious! Brent had 3 bangers and mash, a Guinness--then an Irish car bomb, and I had Irish Potato Chowder in a bread boule with a dry apple cider.

Then we headed over to the cheap theater and saw The Simpsons Movie, that had somehow escaped us at the big theater. It was so funny! And way better than I expected, I think because some friends didn't like it, so I wasn't expecting to, but I loved it! All in all, we had a fantastic night!

Saturday included alot of bumming around, doing nothing. By about 11 am, I was sick of it, and got us all dressed and headed out to the dog park! Jäger had a wonderful time, and got rid of some pent up energy. After nap time, Brent and Judah cleaned up his work truck. I love that it was nice enough on an October afternoon to be out in the front yard in shorts and barefoot...





Sunday we had a baptism after church. It was so great to see how out church is growing, and to see some of our new friends get baptized together. Ron and Danyell have started coming to our iGroup the past month, and they got baptized on Sunday with their oldest son. It was very exciting!

All in all, a wonderful family weekend!

And just because I love him so much, a couple new pictures of Jäger!