Vacuum...

One of the reasons why we decided on getting an English Mastiff and not another great day was because they are not big shedders. Well, I don't know who it is that determines what is shedding and what is not, but Moose sheds.
The other day we had the brilliant idea to try and vacuum Moose to help with his non-shedding- shedding problem. We had heard of other people who had tried this with their dogs and it was successful- so why not Moose?
Here is Brad showing Moose that it's ok, see, Dad does it too!!! Moose still didn't buy it. Can you blame him?

4th of July

I know that it a little late, but here is about the only pitiful picture we have of us on July 4th. Actually, it was July 3rd, but the fireworks were on the 3rd. We were sitting on top of the Jeep waiting for the fireworks to start. Yes, I AM wearing a jacket. It was chilly outside that night...at least I thought so.
And here is the little dessert that I made for us before we went out to watch the fireworks. This was also before I knew that my husband doesn't like BERRIES! Only strawberries! You may not be able to tell, but there are blackberries, blueberries and raspberries in this delicious little dessert. So mine was GONE when I was finished and his had a pile of beautiful berries still remaining. You live and you learn :)

Moose's Play Date

Meet Sawyer, Moose's new friend from down the street. Sawyer is also doing the training with Sit Means Sit.
They were so cute playing together. I wasn't able to capture a great picture of them together since I only had my phone camera, but these should give you a little taste of how well they played together.
Even though Sawyer is a 25 lb Jack Russell mix, he allowed Moose some time to rest. I think that he was secretly grateful for the time off too. It was HOT outside.
Sawyer was the perfect fit for Moose- Literally! He fit right underneath Moose. They would walk around together, Sawyer's head under Moose's chest, and his body right under Moose's belly. It was hilarious! Unfortunately I wasn't able to capture that on camera, but hopefully soon I will. Sawyer's mom promised that we could have another play date soon.



Here is a very small resolution video of the two of them playing. You may have to get out the magnifying glass in order to see it, but they really are there. Look hard!!

Vine Ripen Tomatos!

Drum roll please.... Our FIRST tomato from our garden!! So, we HAD to have BLT sandwiches for dinner (or supper depending on where you are in the world).

Here I am making the bacon for the sandwiches... And of course I had my 'helper' with me at my feet the entire time. This is his 'spot' in the kitchen when I'm cooking. He is always hoping that there will be a crumb of cheese, bacon, carrots or even a tomato that will fall to the floor for him to clean up. This morning we dropped a spoon that had eggs on it and Moose cleaned it all up for us :)

And here is the sacrificial tomato...
And Brad cutting into it...And the wonderful slices that made our delicious BLT sandwiches!!! Yay!!! We love having a little garden :)

Voice of the Martyrs'

A few weeks ago a good friend mentioned a book she was reading by Voice of the Martyrs'. My ears and heart immediately perked up. I don't actually remember the name of the book, but it has stuck with me.
Back when I was a teenager this was a topic that was part of my normal, every day conversation. It was something that I thought about, prayed about and talked about frequently.
For those of you who are not yet familiar with such an organization here is a brief overview, taken from their website, www.be-a-voice.net, about who they are.

The Voice of the Martyrs is a non-profit, inter-denominational organization dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide. VOM was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned in Communist Romania for 14 years for his faith in Christ. His wife, Sabina, was imprisoned for three years. In the 60s, Richard, Sabina, and their son, Mihai, were ransomed out of Romania and came to the United States. Through their travels, the Wurmbrands spread the message of the atrocities that Christians face in restricted nations, while establishing a network of offices dedicated to assisting the persecuted church. The Voice of the Martyrs continues in this mission around the world today through the following main purposes:
1. To encourage and empower Christians to fulfill the Great Commission in areas of the world where they are persecuted for their involvement in propagating the gospel of Jesus Christ. We accomplish this by providing Bibles, literature, radio broadcasts, medical assistance, and other forms of aid.
2. To give relief to the families of Christian martyrs in these areas of the world.
3. To equip local Christians to love and win to Christ their enemies who are opposed to the gospel in countries where believers are actively persecuted for their Christian witness.
4. To undertake projects of encouragement, helping believers rebuild their lives and Christian witness in countries that have formerly suffered Communist oppression.
5. To emphasize the fellowship of all believers by informing the world of atrocities committed against Christians and by remembering their courage and faith.

It really convicted me about my lack of praying for those in the world who have given everything for the call that God has placed on their lives. How easily I get caught up in my world, with my issues, my concerns and forget about those whose lives are at risk solely because they love God.

Here is a quote from their website from a man who has been repeatedly arrested because of his faith in God. - In 2007, he was arrested and spent over 50 days behind bars where he was tortured. “I was beaten so badly that my whole body began shaking uncontrollably on the floor,” Gao Zhisheng. - He was abducted again this past February and is still in custody.

It served to remind me that we live in a self absorbed world and that I must work hard to not fall victim to it. Remember to pray for those who are being persecuted today for their faith.

Adventure to PetCo

On my birthday Moose was surprised with a gift too!!! Granny B and Aunt Alicia sent him a gift card to go SHOPPING at PetCo! We've been waiting for the perfect time to go and last night was the night! Enjoy our little adventure with us.

Here we are getting ready to leave. Moose was so eager to go shopping that he nearly missed the ramp on his way in the Jeep. Luckily, he made it in just fine. Close call though :)

Can't you just see the EXCITEMENT on his face!! Look at how that tongue hangs out?! That is a sure sign that Moose is excited for what is about the happen. Here is our classic picture of Brad walking Moose. This one is a little harder to tell if he has grown or not... but that was the original idea. I think that the photograph did a bad job. Maybe we should hire a new one?? Again, notice that the tongue is hanging out... pure excitement!!

We found a winner!! He LOVED this ball. It is basically a giant tennis ball that barely fits in his mouth. He was playing with it while we were still in the store. We figured that was a good sign. The silly photographer was struggling to get a good action shot in the store- I blame the store lighting. Not quite a studio setting.

I don't have a good picture of the delicious treats Moose also got yesterday, but you can see them online by clicking here- Old Mother Hubbard Dog Treats. He loves these and was running low. He was really concerned that his parents were going to let him run out. So he decided that a new bag would be YUM-O!



We stopped to take a quick look at the creepy reptiles... I didn't stay around long. Moose was anxious to keep moving too. We did see a little Boa there- they aren't even cute to me when they are tiny. We found a friend to play with and practice our manners. Moose did great! He sat there and let the other dog sniff and get to know him. I think that they would have loved to played ball together. But the slick floor made it a little difficult. Yes, I know that this pictures is VERY blurry.

And here is our very happy dog on he way home. He couldn't wait to get home and play with his new toy. It barely fits in his mouth and he struggles picking it up at times. It is very entertaining for us to watch and it keeps him occupied because it bounces off in different directions. I think that this one will be around for awhile.

Thanks Granny B & Aunt Alicia!!!

Green, Green, Green!!!

No, I'm not talking about money, I'm talking about GREEN, LIVING plants! I know that most of our plants are still very new and probably expected to still be in good living condition, but we are excited that ours our :) Recently we have not had great success at keeping plants alive inside the house, but I think that times are changing :) Yahoo!!!

Check out these pictures of our fabulous plants!

Here is the main tomato plant we have. If it keeps growing like this we are going to have to raise the hook where it hangs. The vines are about to touch the ground.

See the RED tomato!! This was taken a few days ago... it is almost entirely red now. I think that we will be enjoying a fresh BLT sandwich this week.

This is one of the ferns from our wedding. After few near death experiences we have finally figured out what it needs. I know that these plants are very difficult to kill, but please understand... we already had to let one of them go. :( That is why there is reason to celebrate with this one. haha!

Here are the newest additions- recent birthday gifts. They are both still doing very well in my opinion. They are green and that has to be good! We are hoping that they both will last and continue to grow. The one on the left is much larger in real life. I think that Moose is throwing off the size in this picture. But isn't he CUTE?!

Good Samaritan

On our way to church on Sunday morning, a church Brad was working at, our check engine light came on. Our Jeep Cherokee was over heating and we found ourselves about 5 miles from our house on the side of the road. The day was overcast and the skies were threatening to open up and flood the roads with rain. As we stood there, collecting all of the half full bottles of water in the jeep, we realized that we didn't have near enough water on hand to make a difference in the temperature of the jeep.

About that time an old Bronco pulled over and two guys offered to help. They pulled out a few bottles of water they had, but quickly determined that it would be wiser to go to the nearest gas station to load up. Brad took off with the guys while I waited patiently for them to return.

While I stood there, trying to think of something clever to do, ANOTHER car pulled over and another kind man appeared. He wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything that he could do and that I had a phone to call for help if needed. After telling him that my husband and some guys had already gone for help he looked everything over and then waited for Brad's return. The lady in the driver's seat-I'm assuming was his wife- rolled down the window and asked if the oncoming Bronco was with me. I smiled and told her yes, and thanked them for stopping.

It turns out that the guys who stopped first were on their way to do homeless ministry in Atlanta. We were very appreciative for their help and enjoyed our conversation with them. What a HUGE blessing they were. Because of their help, we were able to get the Jeep back home and to the church before the service started.

I didn't know that there were still people in this world who would stop to help a stranger on the side of the road! I sure glad that there are a few. We felt blessed and were reminded how great it feels to have someone step out and lend a helping hand.

Moose's New Trick!

Well, here is Moose's new 'trick'. I was folding laundry one morning when I had a guest join me. I think that he was looking for a sock to chew on. But he got up on the bed all by himself. I'm not sure what has just begun with this new 'trick' or if I will still think that it is funny when he comes jumping in our bed during the night. But for now, it made me laugh and I realized that he IS growing!!!
Here is another one, I thought this one gave a better perspective of his size. He's such a cutie!
And one more. Here he is 'sitting' on the chair. Basically he backs up to it, tries to bite his tail, and then falls into the chair and looks like he is sitting there. However, he's never too eager to get up after he has 'fallen' there. :)