Puppy!

Craig has always wanted a black lab but didn't want to get one until we had a house with a yard so the dog wouldn't have to be cooped up in a small apartment. Well, our pastor told us his friend's dog had 4 puppies (born March 13th) and he offered us a great deal so we decided to get one now. Hopefully, it will be potty trained by the time we move into a house in a few months.

We chose the smallest of the litter, a female, because we both took a liking to her right away and she was the most responsive when we called the puppies. The family that owns the dogs was really nice. The 3 daughters were always playing with the puppies (they even named them all) so they are used to being held. Before we had decided for sure that we wanted the one they named Kya they said they had to drop some horses off in Okmulgee. They left us with the puppies and gave us the gate code to get out. We played a bit with the puppies and then chose Kya and put the others back in the large pen with their momma and let the daddy dog loose, according their instructions. They called us about an hour later to find out which one we choose and how we were liking her (they hadn't gotten home yet to see who was left). The youngest daughter really liked Kya and we told her we were probably going to pick her so she had said goodbye to her before we left, just to be sure.

Oh, we named the puppy Minga. Craig was going to name a male (if we chose one) Mingus after the jazz musician Charles Mingus. Since we chose a female he created a female version of the name. :)

Our close friends and neighbors (Mark & Beth) got a puppy last year so they have been helping us buy the right supplies and have been giving us good advice on training the puppy. We'd be lost without them because this whole thing was pretty sudden--Craig talked to the pastor on Sunday and then confirmed on Tuesday that we could have one of the puppies and then we got it Thursday night!

Minga is gradually getting used to her new home and has been enjoying the chew toys we bought her. The first night she cried and howled all through the night because she misses her siblings and momma. I didn't get much sleep that night! Made me think of those with newborn babies and how they don't get much sleep due to the middle of the night feedings, etc. This should help prepare me for that in regards to losing sleep, puppy/baby-proofing a home, potty training, etc.

April Colorado Trip

I had the great pleasure of going to Colorado again to visit John & Lindsay and the kids and to go to my friend Mary's wedding. Fun fun! Craig couldn't get off work (busy spring season) so my sister Karen came with me. The ride down there was trouble-free.

When we arrived, there was about 3 feet of snow still piled up in John's yard and there was snow on the ski slopes & cross country trail but there wasn't any snow down in the town. It snowed both days we were there (5 inches one night/morning!) but it was sunny and in the 40's during the afternoons so the sun melted a lot of the snow each day.

Here are pictures of the kiddos, from youngest to oldest:

It is so easy to make Noah smile. He's such a good boy!





Ella is always on the move and enjoys playing by herself (this was the first trip I got some good pictures of her because she actually sat fairly still a few times) . She got distracted during this craft/story time and started playing a sort of peek-a-boo with me by looking at me above and under the table many times.





Lindsay makes up a craft for the kids to work on every day. Lately she has been taking some of their favorite stories and developing a craft from that. For this one, she cut out a sheep and its legs from this cool thin foamboard-type material, a grassy hill from construction paper and a night cap from some other material and then let them each glue on all the parts (including those googly eyes!) and stick flower & star stickers (also made from that thin foamy material) on their page. She is such a fun and loving mother!





Isaac wasn't feeling well during our visit (he had a bad cough, etc). He did perk up a bit each day though and was able to play with us. He has a really deep voice for a kid and it's adorable.





Gracie is a good artist and has been taking dance classes. Here she is all bundled up and ready to play in the snow:





Karen and I went cross country skiing and snowshoeing on a trail that starts near John's house. It snowed a bit at first but then the clouds rolled away and it was blue sky & sunny--I got so warm I took my gloves off (which I never do because my hands get cold so easily!). Here are some pics from that:





I was being silly and striking poses while wearing snowshoes and I fell down:





Some of the Breckenridge ski slopes:



We drove from Breckenridge to Colorado Springs for Mary's wedding on Saturday, April 8th. After the wedding we walked around the fancy Broadmoor Hotel before crashing at our aunt's house that night. A guy walking by offered to take our picture for us so here it is:

Favorite Smoothie RECIPE

Yes, I'm still making and loving smoothies! Here is my current favorite oh-so-creamy concoction:

Strawberry-Pineapple-Banana Smoothie

About 10 frozen whole strawberries
6 oz pineapple juice (I found Dole 100% Pineapple Juice in 6 oz cans)
6 oz banana creme pie yogurt (I like Yoplait Light Fat-Free "Banana Creme Pie" Yogurt)
1 banana

Throw everything in a blender and blend until the strawberries are crushed (it only takes 5-10 seconds on the Ice Crush setting on my blender).

Makes approximately 20 oz.