They all grow up...

I'm FINALLY finished with school for the summer (we missed so much school with snow and then tornadoes this year it was a VERY long school year) and I am going to try AGAIN to blog, as well as catch up on reading some of my favorite blogs! So usually my bi-annual posts are about my children.. around their birthdays. And tomorrow just happens to be Jeremy's 23rd (with Jordan's 20th coming quickly) but today I'm going to talk about Nzuri.

My husband likes telling everyone that Nzuri is my "empty nest" dog - but I jumped the gun because the kids are still at home : ).

Nzuri is now a little over a year old and I can't imagine life without her. She's sweet, playful and has very soulful eyes - that seem to understand, or at least have compassion when I'm tired or down. She's been staying with me at Mom's lately while they are at Sager Brown and loves playing in the sprinklers. And she's terribly offended when you ask her to sleep on the floor (at 75 pounds she's just getting hard to share a bed with)! The first dog-love of my life was named Tessa (officially, Dutchess Katessa after her Dam). Tessa was a long-haired, solid black German Shepard bred by a gentleman in Pine Bluff who's name I've forgotten but had beautiful, fabulously smart dogs. She died at 12-years-old and has been gone almost 15 years now, and I miss her still. She was with me through some wonderful and some AWFUL times in my life.

As I think about how fast the year has gone since we brought Nzuri home from Missouri (thanks so much to Doran, aka Connell Lion Hounds), it's not surprising compared to how fast my sweet children have become adults.. it's sad and wonderful at the same time - this growing up!

Snow, and more snow...

Snow days for those of us that live in a perpetual state of high school are usually AMAZING things- I get so excited I hardly sleep, checking outside every time I wake hoping for even a tiny glimpse of those little, white flakes. The particularly glorious snow days are the ones when school is cancelled early the night before - giving me plenty of time to turn off my alarm clock, settle in with a good book my Kindle, and read until hours of the night I haven't seen since my 20's.

Then, the day begins with NO ALARM! Oh, I don’t usually sleep late (see: too excited to sleep because it’s snowing) – but it just FEELS better, waking when your body tells you it’s ready – not when the horrid, screeching electronic device scares you out of a previously restful state.

There is a tie for “next on my snow day” list: What movies to watch? and… What to cook/bake? More food is prepared in this house on any given snow day than the entire holiday season. I think it is the joy of knowing that were it not for the snow gods, we would be eating leftovers or sandwiches. And movies? Sometimes I catch up on those that have been on my list since school started - and sometimes I re-watch old favorites… Gone with the Wind, Look Who’s Coming to Dinner, Point Break (hey, don’t knock it – Keanu Reeves at his hottest).

This year - we've had a few more “days off” than I really wish for… make-up days in June are Yuk, at best. But we’ve been given a beautiful, white canvas one more time this year and I for one, am going to enjoy it while it’s here. So, I’m off to the last – but not least important number on my snow day list this year: playing in the snow with Nzuri!