the dog...

chilling by the pool... yes, the dog thought my lap was a good place to hang!!

"what's up mom? why so many pics??" note the dog in the background, guarding her baby!!!

so, daddy and nora were in the pool... and i was in photoshoot mood!

there are at least ten more awesome pics of the boy!! he's so cute...

mind you, he has a low-grade temp and really runny nose. don't think he feels good!!! but he's still an ANGEL!!! and couldn't you eat that smile??

sweet girl saying "cheese"

in the pool with daddy!!

"run and run and run" around the yard! (not sure who loves it more???)

loving relaxing with daddy in the pool!

regress much???? (nora in jamey's carseat)

a vid of us at the pool with jeffrey and his mom! jeffrey's mom was told to lay by the pool, and watch james! (read- relax and let us watch her kid!!) we had a good time!!

so, today was a great day! and i realized that i haven't blogged much about my dog recently. she's still a dog... but she's no marley. and there are so many ways i love her! first of all, she barks when someone comes to the door. just once, but it's a good alarm system. and who would want to mess with a dog that sounds like that??

then, there was today... i had the BEST morning! got to be the photographer for a homecoming of a hero. we welcomed back jeffrey's dad today, and i got to tag along to just take some pics. so, after jamey and i hung out all morning on the airstrip, and took some pics, i beat david and nora home (from church). so, i figured, i would make a fabulous lunch. i made this awesome broiled halibut that david loves. and, everything came together perfectly. it was all ready about five minutes after they got home. i was pulling the halibut (with a nice cheesy topping) out of the oven, when it slid off the broiling pan and onto the tray in the oven with slats on it (shelf/tray...???). and then, through the slats and onto the bottom of the oven. i could have cried! so, david salvaged enough for us to eat. we had a great meal.

and, when i had let the oven cool sufficiently and went to clean it (by the way, the fish smell was as bad as you might imagine... ), there were still nice large chunks of fish. guess who got to come clean it up?? (oh, forgot to mention that most of it had fallen into the drawer beneath....)

so, then, i had less to clean up and could just really scrub what the fish had fallen onto and the dog had licked clean!!! yes, the number one reason i love my dog!! oh, and see previous pics... i love how she guards her babies! and how she loves me....

more on the hero. this group of guys has been gone for almost seven months. in various places (i could tell you, but i'd have to kill you) around the globe... sacrificing their time, and sometimes their lives to keep our freedom. thanks guys! i can't say enough how awesome you are. and i know, when you come back, more husbands and daddys leave. so thanks to you, too! home of the free, because of the brave! we don't say it enough.... we don't acknowledge it enough. what you do (my own husband included) is tough, demanding and you miss the comforts of home and family. you do it without complaining.

i can't even begin to describe what it was like for me to get to watch this plane come in and land... then to watch faces as their hubby and daddy gave them big hugs. i was near tears all morning. thanks for letting me be a part!!!