Happy Birthday to Me!

Hi! Tired of my puppy yet? I'm not. He's a big baby as you can see:
Our last dog (Max) of similar mix would NOT let me hold him like this. Eiger is a mellow (for a Lab puppy), sweet dog who is very attached to his human mother (I did nothing on purpose to encourage this in spite of the photo op). This is good and bad - depends on who you ask and how many times I've tripped over him in the kitchen. We are working on staying "on the rug" while I'm in the kitchen. He prefers the mat under the kitchen sink. Go figure.

My birthday and our anniversary fall in the same week and this year we were able to get away for a night in Napa. I convinced my Dad to come stay with the girls. He asked if he had a choice. Hahahaaaa..... Thanks Dad! He chose to come a few days early to get started on a project we had talked about since we bought the house.

Long ago when we lived in San Ramon and had our first house, I focused my garden on flowers and a couple berry plants on the side. I wanted more of a veggie garden but working full time and then having new babies didn't really allow much time. Then we moved to Iowa and had to spend our limited budget on actual landscaping vs garden plots. There was a house I would drive by every couple of days that had beautiful garden plots in their backyard - easy to see as few houses have fenced yards in that part of the country. I finally had a garden bed made in Switzerland and enjoyed a couple years of corn, green beans and zucchini - weather took it's toll the last full summer we were there and we didn't have much of anything except the green beans which are pretty hardy with low sun/cool weather.

With the move, I had a summer off but in looking at the new backyard and surroundings, I knew I needed some veggie garden beds/boxes. My dad built his and I wasn't going to ask but then when he drew out such nice plans I said "you're hired! If you're willing to take the job?" He said he'd do it and his own sense of timing coincided with our weekend away. He showed up with tools and equipment and after some trips to Home Depot, we (he) went to work. May I quickly interject - Don't go to Home Depot shopping for lumber with my dad 1 hours before school pick-up. You will not get back in time. Deaf ears, deaf ears........ :) Fortunately I have big kids and a neighbor with a key!

He first had to dig around the rock-hard clay to find our where the water lines were. None were broken in the construction of these boxes - of which 14" of the posts are cemented below ground level. Checking a frame:

Rachel is stylishly working the post-hole digger:

Rachel helped Dad out quite a bit. She helped him move the frames, dig holes, level the boxes and how to use some very useful tools.

The boxes are finished and ready to be set in:

Taking a break with Eiger before the fun starts:

We (yes, we all helped move the finished product as they were a bit heavy) moved the boxes into the holes and dad and Rach worked on leveling them before the concrete was poured.

Kendra joined in on the concrete - she pretty much left the rest of the project alone!

The finished product!

THANK YOU DAD!

I just had them filled with dirt yesterday and look forward to seeing what veggie fun we'll have this summer. Are you wondering why they resemble covered wagons a bit? I'll put netting over the beds to keep the turkeys out! Steel mesh lines the bottoms to keep the ground squirrels and gophers out. We shall see, we shall see......

I'm looking forward to another good year.

Another Change....First Day of School ?

I suppose a "first day of school" isn't exactly what anyone was thinking when I mentioned we were making some adjustments in life. For this young lady, that's just what was in order:

There she is in her "pseudo" uniform. Today was her first day at a Christian school nearby. No - we had no problem with her current public school. Things were going along fine.

This change is an investment in her Middle School years - 6th through 8th grade. It's a result of her desire for a biblical education, smaller class sizes, a nurturing educational environment and some interesting experiences with the Middle School as we are experiencing through Rachel.

Rachel benefited from 2 good years at Middle School in Switzerland and while this year has certainly not been bad, it has been different. Not what we all expected and we've had a few "OMG" moments. And we have to launch Rachel off into the High School next year. I'm soooooooo NOT ready for that. I'll send her with prayers and the knowledge that she is God's first and entrusted to me - what a responsibility.

So Kendra had a good first day - complete with nice girls who came up right away to welcome her. She enjoyed the day and although it was hard to leave some friends behind, felt good about the decision. I dropped her off and stayed for the initial start of the day - pledge of allegiance and morning prayer - felt like I was back in school myself. It felt good.

I never did attend public school. I'm thankful for the sacrifices my parents made for my education. I'm willing to do the same as much as possible and as needed. I must say - it was great to pray for the kids before the start of their day.

The move mid-way through the year was a strategic move - if not now, there's a waiting list for Middle School at the new location. Kendra was willing to make a change to guarantee her place for next year. It's been a process and all I can say is that girl has a strength of character to be admired.

Talk about characters! Check out this "little guy":

He's kept me busy along with everything else but oh, worth it. He's keeping my feet warm right now. We had a good weekend with family in West Sacramento and he got to meet everyone! Short of a cousin who moved recently to Colorado. I was a bit concerned that all would go well and he's young enough that one worries still about the potty training but it went great.

All were in agreement that our breaking the "sleep in bed with the humans" habit is a good move for future dog sitters. He really would like to crawl right up in bed with me ( I admit it happened once in a moment of tired weakness) but the crate is the only place he should really be. There aren't many other bad habits we have to break although I should share the stomach obstruction issues we've had - or not! Needless to say - life has been full and while very, very Blog-able; little time to do so.

Enjoy your day! Take time to smell the daffodils - they're blooming in our neck of the woods already.

Mein Nase ist Sensitiv

Yes. I have a sensitive nose. A sensitivity that banned seafood from being cooked in our house for almost 3 years. It started when I was pregnant with Kendra and in the midst of cooking Salmon, I threw it out and that was the end of that until some point in Iowa when I thought "I'd like to cook fish tonight." My nose has never been the same since that pregnancy.

I have a pan dedicated to fish. I won't cook fish in my other pans because the smell will linger and I don't want to smell fish while I'm cooking beef/chicken/whatever! I wipe down everything around the stove as well (including exterior of exhaust filters) after cooking fish and yet I still smell it well into the next day.

Sensitive.

That is just ONE example of what bothers my nose. I also don't like to listen to people chew certain foods - it will send me out of my chair and out of the room. Too much information? Back to the nose.....

We have a dog again. He smells like a dog. My room smells like a dog. I smell like a dog. Actually, I think I smell like a dog who has Wild Rabbit treats in its pockets. I don't smell like Warm Vanilla lotion or Chanel Chance anymore. I try. But all I smell is dog.

When we had Max, I used my mom as my 'odor barometer.' She'd fly in and I'd always ask her to please let me know if the house smelled like canine when she walked in. It never did according to her. My dog (current and past) will receive regular baths at which point they don't really smell 'clean.' They smell like wet dog. But I know they're clean and besides which it leaves them very soft and shiny. They also smell somewhat better.

Is it worth the assault on my nose? Yes.

Off to explore the neighborhood with a little "eau de Salmon or Wild Rabbit" in my pocket. Hey - it's better than freeze dried liver!

It's a Boy!

I can't even be subtle about this post. It's a boy!

One of the fine-tuning adjustments we've made has been the addition of this little man to the household: Meet Eiger - a 3/4 Labrador Retriever 1/4 Rottweiler mix. He's 3 1/2 months old and already 30 lbs. We adopted him from a local shelter but he was cared for and loved - previous owner couldn't keep him due to medical issues. He had another name but we are working on the change and after only 3 days, he's responding well.

Talk about a challenge. Adopting from a shelter is not as easy as one might think. Certain breeds are hard to come by and there are adoption applications to fill out, visits to schedule if the animal is not already taken and then, for the agency we adopted with, a home visit. They came out to see how Eiger would be in our house, yard and with us. We were the lucky family and so far are very happy to have this warm bundle of fun.

He's pretty mellow, has a soft mouth and big paws. There are some things we've forgotten about over the years: toys lying underfoot, water drops across the floor, constant attention to the 'outdoor business' and being followed - everywhere. It's kind of like having a toddler again. It curtails my "freedom" a bit as I now need to keep his needs in mind as well (letting him out and mid-day feedings) but I LOVE having a dog around and I still miss our Max.

Speaking of Max:

This was Max at a similar age. A little resemblance don't you think? Eiger doesn't have the white on the chest and his front shoulders aren't quite as square. Max had a Lab head attached to a Rottweiler body. Eiger has the big bark though. We've already heard it. I think it's a good thing.

The girls are enjoying Eiger and helping to train him. The name was a family decision. A small tribute to a part of Switzerland that we all dearly loved. He may not be as menacing as the mountain but he'll be decent sized.

Maybe not as big as Max who at his heaviest hit 110lbs. Around this time frame:

I always loved this picture. Rachel was playing with these beads (under close supervision) and Max was so patient and just needed to be right there with us.

Considering Eiger's attention to us already - I think we'll be making some great, new memories!

What will NOT be in the new memories? The avocado green walls and brassy trimmed closet doors. Wow!

Life is like the Seasons

Life is full of constant change, isn't it? We may find ourselves in a comfortable moment or place but it doesn't last. Nor can it be recreated.

Being "experienced" at relocation, I can confirm that re-entry to a place you had previously lived can be as difficult or more so than an entirely new environment. Things seem familiar but they are definitely different. I often find myself starting to say "S-- R------" as the city I live in rather than "D---------" which is proper place. In taking a friend to the Oakland Airport, I went a 'different' way as my brain stepped back 12 years ago and thought I was heading to a clients place of business. Hello? Brain, are you working in there?

We live close to our old CA residence but just far enough and having been away long enough that much has changed. We are currently changing a few other things which will be revealed as the weeks go by. As we've been going through the mental exercises for these decisions (none of which are earth-shattering, just fine-tuning), I was reminded of the challenges we faced when we left for Switzerland over 5 years ago. And how God just took care of everything even when I didn't feel in control.

Most of those challenges are recorded in the early part of this Blog. The sorting, labeling, packing and disposing of things when you are leaving your home country for an unknown period of time AND selling one's residence is no light matter. Much of it done with the husband out of town and/or out of the country. I had wonderful help through friends at church - if you're reading this now, Thank You again!!!

We had to leave our beloved dog Max who passed away shortly thereafter and thus created challenges in decisions and feelings while we dealt with it from overseas. I was just telling my Mom how hard it was for me. I couldn't pack the suitcases until he was with J & S (new family) because he was already on my heels with the house in a crazy state and if I pulled out the suitcases, he would understand how big the change was = suitcases equaled his people leaving. I didn't go with Bart & the girls to give him a last goodbye either - couldn't do it.

Then there was the matter of Rachel which was not on the Blog. She was sick (antibiotics issue) and had lost considerable weight (for her size) before we left. We were still waiting for test results right before the movers came on Monday and had a "standby" appointment with a Pediatric Gastro....something specialist on that Tuesday and we were supposed to hand over our keys that Thursday and head off for California. Fortunately, we didn't need to see the Specialist as we got a diagnosis and a plan (still took 2 months for her to finish recovery). I've never written about the pharmacy mess-up that occurred as we tried to leave Urbandale headed for CA (visited family before heading to Switzerland) but let's put it this way: I cried in front of the pharmacist, I spoke harshly, they had messed up, I convinced them that "I will pay for the medicine in full" which I told them I would the previous day! as it was a compounded liquid (has to be prepared as it's not already in form and this is usually done overnight) AND I did this all in front of my dad who had flown out to help me with the girls and the drive. He was calm and quiet the whole time and let me drive and just work it all out. I was a challenge. Thank you Dad!

Then we arrived in Switzerland. This brought on another host of challenges and learning as a family to operate and exist in a new country. We were significantly blessed by it all.

When I look at all those old challenges, I see how God brought us through. How much I've learned and grown as a wife, mother and individual. I can apply the experience and lessons learned to new challenges. As overwhelmed as I've felt this Fall/Winter with some things, when put next to challenges in the past, they're quite small. They just feel big in this time that I'm in - the "right now." The Lord is reminding me, again!, that He's bigger than all of it.

I'm rejoicing in the discipline of the last couple of weeks. Obviously not disciplined on the computer but in other areas of life. I'm finding my routine. Taking care of things that matter and not leaving so much for later. My to-do list is still very, very long but reassessing priorities, especially priorities that matter to other people, has brought some great balance to life.

It is good.