First's in Life

You know you have many first in life. Some you remember, some only others remember. Some you remember with fond memories, while others you would like to forget.

• There is your first tooth
• first steps
• first birthday
• first pet
• first job
• first vacation
• first day of school
• first car
• first surgery
• first kiss
• first child

Today I can add another first to my list. My first trip to petsmart. I believe this is a first that I will remember for pretty much the rest of my life. The first tip that this was going to be an interesting experience, was the sight of random strangers and their dogs talking to each other in the parking lot. Strangers that form a kind of bond I've only seen before once. And that was when a Duck & Ducklings chose to cross Main Street in downtown Ephrata. The second thing about Petsmart, is that you can take your pet along into the store with you. Yes, it is a store to buy things for your pet, but is your pet really going to help you pick it out? Inside the store, it was no different than outside. Aisle's were full of Dogs with their people on their leashes...wait, wrong way. Aisle's were full of People with their dogs on their leashes. Everyone exclaimed over each others dog. It was like second grade show & tell, only it was for adults. Extreme amazement at the difference in size between a Chihuahua and a Labradoodle like it was the first day that a labradoodle was bigger than a chihuahua in the history of dogs. And then came the all too answered question of the shopping trip. "So what kind of dog do you have?" After several times I was tempted to tell a half truth and tell them we have a miniature lab, but...we would politely reply in such a sweet tone, "we have a Black Lab/Jack Russel mix." Next came the all too familiar look of shock & surprise on the face of the all to friendly questioner. Followed by the familier response - "That's got to be an interesting mix", and our reply of "Actually he just looks like a miniature lab." Next in line of questioning came how old is he, how long have you had him, house dog I assume?, how is training going? and finally, the favorite part of the conversation - "Well, it was nice meeting you!" ... Oh Yes, we have officially met, I'll be sure to wave when I see you on the road. So, we made it out of petsmart without being accosted by to many friendly pet owners. While I do admit, I am beginning to like our dog to the point of loving it, it is by far not considered to be an official part of the family, and we do not consider spending $200 dollars on him at petsmart to be a necessary part of our existence. Below you can find a picture of our beloved PET "Jack"

*Note to the Reader: At the time of publishing, the writer was in a slightly sarcastic and exaggerated mood. The writer will not be held liable for any exageration of the facts in the post.

State of Mind

My mind is flying into various corners today... I think it must be trying to hide from all it knows it has to get done... We have been thoroughly enjoying our little dog. His official name has been deemed "Jack". I feel it is a very strong name, and one that has so many predecessors. Jack Black Captian Jack Sparrow Jack Ingram Jack Daniels Jack the Ripper -although he's not a killer, he does tend to terrorize my family room at times... Jack be nimble Jack be quick Jack London - on that note perhaps his name should have been "Buck" Jack Nicholson Apple Jacks Cracker Jacks ..... but i like to call him "Sir Jackson Jimmy Jabbers". When I do call him that he normally just sits and looks at me with that cute little head tilt thing that dogs do. He's getting pretty good about going into his pen at night and being silent. But he still hasnt grasped the concept of doing his business outsided. It's more like go outside, run, romp, play, bark at stones for 20 minutes then go inside and promptly go to the bathroom. Oh well, this too shall pass. If not, I'd like to introduce you to "Jack the no longer house dog".

He really is adorable...

soft black hair with white on his toes and chest

cute little voice (although we haven't heard too much yet)

playful & cuddly

adorable floppy ears

he likes to take naps next to my creative memories box

and he has this annoying penchant for early mornings.

he loves kisses - much to my dismay

7 1/2 weeks old & he's feeling a little lonely

1/2 black lab, 1/2 jack russel - he looks like a miniature lab

he likes to see himself in the mirror & pee on my kitchen floor

and he has no name yet

we could use some help in that department

we are kinda thinking of naming him "Jack"

but we are open to other possibilities

if you want to help us out, just leave a comment!

God cried today..

at least thats what I think. This evening about 15 minutes from where I am, there is a family whose world has been torn apart. Earlier this week, a man from our church was killed in a tree cutting accident. He left behind his wife, and 5 adopted children. The veiwing is tonight, the funeral is tomorrow morning. When I woke up this morning, the rain was pounding against the window and making trails down the glass. The image I got was one of God crying. Crying for the children who dont understand why daddy never came home from work. Crying for his wife who tries to grasp it all, and hold tight to her children. Crying, because His children are crying. Crying because His children's hearts are breaking. As I watched in awe at God's tears running down my bedroom window, I cried too. For my sister in Christ, who is expiriencing pain in the loss of her husband, and for her children, who at one point in their lives lost a father, and are now losing another - one who loved them so much. God cried today...I'm pretty sure of that.