Tuesday Travels

Hi all~I can't believe it is already mid-afternoon and I'm just now sitting down to blog.  This morning Hunter and I joined our friends at the doggy park for some play/off leash time before our walk.  Thankfully, no other dogs were there so I didn't need to worry about Hunter being intimidated by big dogs.  Shortly afterward, hubby and I went to watch one set of grands at their swimming lessons; it was fun to see the strengths of different strokes with our two oldest grandsons.  We came home, got drinks, camera & lenses and Hunter and took off for the high places.  You know how it makes me heart soar to be up in the Rockies and today was no different.  I think hubby took me up there because he spent the last four days golfing and I made a comment about wanting some time with him.  Hunter has never been up there before and seemed to do fine; of course there were times when I had to strongly suggest "walk on" because there was so much pee-mail. Not only from other dogs, but I'm sure from deer, elk and maybe even bighorn sheep.  We walked the river path in town and then hit Safe*ay for lunch goodies which we ate along side the road in the Park.  Our pup is tired out now, he is sleeping soundly on the couch next to hubby.
Tonight we'll be watching more Olympics and cheering on our team.  I also have a couple of other favorite teams-Ireland and South Africa, because I have two good friends that are from this country.
Hope you are having a good week so far; it is hard to believe tomorrow ushers in August-oh my!
Hugs, Noreen & one tired Hunter 

The Summer Olympics

Have you all been glued to the t.v. watching the Olympics?  The Opening Ceremonies were great as always, although I must admit we didn't watch all of the "show".  We've had the games on and off for the entire weekend and so far have really enjoyed the swimming events, women's synchronized diving, women's gymnastics.  Our friends party  was so nice and I enjoyed helping with the food; hubby has to burn a c.d. with all the photos.  Yesterday I spent a good portion of the day working on the quilt top; my quilts always develop along the way and this one is no different.  That's what's nice about having a design wall, you can play with the fabric until you get what you like.  This morning I'm going walking in a few minutes and then to my ladies study.  After lunch, I'm hoping a friend will come by with her pup; Hunter hasn't seen Winnie is a few weeks and if our lawn dries out, they can have some play time. The rest of the afternoon will be spent sewing. 
Do you watch the games?  If so, what are your favorite events?  I am also looking forward to the equestrian events as well as track & field.  Many, many years ago when the summer games were in Los Angeles, hubby and I were lucky enough to go to some track & field events.  It was such an amazing day, so patriotic but also showed I can get claustrophobic.
We had rain here last night and it is a bit cooler today, so walking should be nice this morning. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Happy Saturday to you. Last night I watched the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics, as always I love to see this event. What some of you don't know is that there is also a huge Olympic event going on in blogland-for animals. It is such fun and shows the creativity of so many. If you have the time, check out this smile box; it is sure to make you smile!

Slideshow created with Smilebox A big thank you to  http://justustexasdachsies.blogspot.com/2012/07/blogville-olympic-smilebox.html Happy Day to you.

Happy Friday to you~It sure has been a busy week and I find myself actually looking forward to the slower days of autumn.  Hunter and I started out the morning yesterday walking with Lexie, his best gal pal, and her mom Kam.  He thrives on these walks.  After we got back, I had chores to work on and later in the morning hubby and I went to Koh*'s to check out their sale; our good friends are having a huge 40th wedding anniversary party tomorrow and I was hoping to find something casual and summery to wear-no such luck.
Last night we went to our weekly concert in the park and this time took Hunter; with his being so shy I need to be getting him into crowds to help him adjust a bit.  I was fully prepared that it was going to be a long evening but he surprised me; he was glad when Kam arrived and when our youngest daughter Kim and her family showed up too.  He sat on the grass or in my lap the entire time and my concern about his barking at the other dogs was unfounded.  We rewarded him with a short walk when we got home, the evenings have been so perfect and it was a great way to end the day.  Today we are going on our usual walk and then hitting the garage sale circuit.  I'll be sewing the rest of the day; we were supposed to have one group of three grands over to spend the night but they all have summer colds so we'll have to postpone it.  Tomorrow is pretty open except for the party; hubby will be the photographer and I'll be helping keep the food out.
I hope you have a wonderful weekend, may your feet take you to new places and  your heart soar.
Hugs, Noreen & Hunter

Mom, Is it time for my walk yet? Where is Lexie? Come on mom, get ready!

I'm waiting.

Have a wonderful Thursday!
Noreen & Hunter

Wednesday Whatnot

Happy Wednesday Friends~I hope you have had a good week so far and are cherishing every day.
Yesterday was a busy day-Hunter and I went to the dog park but due to a very "in your face 4 mos old Husky"who terrified Hunter, we didn't stay long. Hunter's friend, Teddy, chased the pup off but Hunter was still pretty scared.  We went on our walk and he seemed fine. I spent the rest of the morning at my youngest girl's home, playing with granddaughters, dogs and just cherishing every minute with them.
The afternoon found me sewing and of course blogging and last night we had the other set of grands over.  After dinner the grands wanted to watch a movie and they choose "The Dog Who Saved Christmas"; it is one of our favorite movies but seems a bit early to be watching it. 
Today, hubby and I are going to watch swim lessons with the three oldest kiddos, it should be so fun.
Tonight we are going to watch our Peanut at swim lessons as well.  It has been a good week, lots of play time for Hunter and Lily and at least one walk per day, sometimes two. 
Hope your day is filled with rainbows and smiles.
Noreen

Good Morning Friends,  I hope you had a good rest last night and that today is looking sunny and pleasant for you.  I want to say Happy 13th Anniversary to my girl Carrie and her hubby Brent.  The years have flown by and we are all so blessed by your marriage and family.
Today I'm taking Hunter to the dog park with friends and then we will walk a bit after the pups play.  After that, I'm head to my youngest girl's home to play with her girls while she gets some paper work done. This evening Carrie's group come over so that they can go out to dinner; hopefully Lily will come too.
I have started sewing on the quilt, so I imagine that this afternoon will find me in front of the sewing machine.
Have a great day and remember to live life with all the gusto you've got.
Hugs, Noreen

So many of us have had heavy hearts this weekend, grieving for senseless loss and pain here in Colorado that followed the devastating fires.  The Lord still reigns and is still on the throne, regardless of how evil this world gets.  I think many are still trying to process this and I'm thankful that our country is praying for those who are numb with pain.  May His grace fall upon all who mourn and grieve, may His strength heal all those injured, whether physically or mentally.  May His mercy heal our great land and may His people turn to Him.
Praising Him still~Noreen

Lily, our daughter's family dog came for an overnight yesterday. One thing we love is being able to exchange dog sitting; it is so much better than having the pups kenneled. Last evening the two played continually; they'd stop occasionally but tag and wrestling lasted for hours.  Today, they were much calmer because I think they were just plum tuckered out.  Lily is three years old now but she sure can give Hunter a run for his money.

I love how they snuggle together!  Lily is just about an inch taller than Hunter but you wouldn't know it.
Our breeder did tell us that her males  are always small; it also could be that Lily has poodle in her as well. 
Have a restful Sunday!
Noreen , Hunter and Lily

My friend Diana posted this photo this morning and it says it all. Please remember to pray for those impacted by the tragedy in Aurora. It is a loss that impacts so many.

I'm innocent I tell you!

Good morning friends~I just got a phone call telling me about the tragedy down near Denver, at a movie theater, where a gunman shot a group of people and killed ten. I usually do not have the t.v. on during the day and I had no idea this had happened last night, when I published today's post. As I watched the news, it took me right back to the Columbine massacre when my daughters were in high school. Such a tragedy! My prayers go out to everyone impacted by this horrid event.


 Hunter here today, as my mom eats some stuff this morning.  Me, I'm writing because there is just something I have to share.  The last couple of days I've been blamed for one innocent act and I want to set the record straight.  Firstly, I've been listening to mom read my friends messages-you know Bert, Goose, Murphy & Stanley, Betty and many others and it seems to me that they get a lot of time here; what gives, I only get to say hi occasionally? Secondly, the other day  I just reading my moms emotions; you should have seen the gleam in her eye when she gave dad that talking machine. After all, she leaves toys down for me all over the house and then expects me to know what not to play with.  I'm just a young thing, how was I to know it was something important.  I sure didn't like mom sitting at the puter, after I'd been home alone, reading what all of you were doing.  Now, all she does is put everything up high and tells everyone that they shouldn't leave things down.  What fun is that?  I love to hear her come running when I'm playing; I especially love to hear her say "what does my little guy have?".  She keeps buying me more chewy toys to have around but I just want to have fun!  Oops, here she comes now, I better close the lid on this thing.

Have a weekend filled with giggles my friends!
Hunter & Noreen

High Park Fire's Destruction

Happy Thankful Thursday friends. As hubby and I gazed upon what remains of the trees that fueled the fire, we are amazed that only one life was lost. It was interesting to see the "fingers" of the fire-there would be a green section of trees right next to burnt areas. I am so very thankful for the firefighters and volunteers that spent their days containing this fire and putting it out.

We know that forest fires are actually good for the earth, but somehow you wonder if there couldn't have been a little less destruction.  I'm wondering how long it will take all the ash to break down in the rivers so that the water will be crystal clear again and not black.

Today I am thankful that Hunter only chewed up my cellphone and not a pair or two of glasses-which are much more expensive to replace.  I am thankful that this phase will pass! I am thankful that he is a wonderful young pup, who is doing what puppies do.  I am thankful that a cellphone is really an insignificant loss compared to what so many others have lost this summer in the Colorado fires. 
I am thankful today that I have the security of knowing I am watched over constantly and that nothing can touch me without first being filtered through His hands.
Hoping you have a day filled with gratitude.
Noreen & Hunter

 What happens when you have a wonderful cellphone but forget you also have a puppy and leave it on a table where your puppy can see it and get it? 

It quickly becomes a chew toy and dies.  Thankfully, I was within arms length of him when I heard the crunching and was able to get it away from him, without his eating anything.  Unfortunately he totally destroyed this phone; they no longer make this model, so I can't even put my card into a new model.  I'm not sure what I'm eligible for and will wait and see. I do not like being without a cellphone, but it was my fault for leaving it down where he could see it and grab it.  Note to self-never leave anything of value within his range. 

Wordless Wednesday

Almost wordless Wednesday. These photos were taken at one of the local lakes near our home,by my man on Monday morning.

Blessings on your day! Noreen & Hunter

Happy, Happy Birthday Boys

Today is a very special day in our family's life; firstly it is my sweet hubby's 60th birthday and it is also our second grandson's birthday. Mr. B turn 9 today; it was a pretty great birthday present to be born on the same day as my man. We celebrated the birthdays on Saturday evening with a big family party; there is nothing we like more than to be with our entire group.  Mr. B is quite a young man, full of fun and laughter as well as a very tender heart.  He loves animals, especially dogs(like his nana)and I can easily see him being a rancher or farmer when he is an adult.  There aren't enough words for me to describe my man, but hunk of burning love comes to mind loving, loyal, faithful, patient, fun are all words that sum up his character. I am so incredibly blessed by both these guys; well for that matter all the men in our family.

When I pondered what to get my man, it was an easy choice.  His cell phone was 4 1/2 yrs old and so outdated.  Several of our friends and family have Apple's newest & greatest, iphone and although my hubby isn't drawn to the newest electronics, this one caught his eye.  He loved how big the numbers/digits were and of course SIRI didn't hurt.  For those of you not familiar with this, it is a voice activated "assistant" that can send texts, get info, set calendar dates and reminders, and dial for you.  Typically, my hubby doesn't like me spending money on him and will often say things like "you spent too much or you shouldn't have" but when he opened his present-which was a pair of new shorts with the phone in the pocket, he was so excited.  I never heard a word about it and since he's had it, he's used the phone more than I've ever seen him.  Texts are no big deal now, and for this wife, it is wonderful to see how happy he is with his present.
Tonight we are going to see Jersey Boys with some close friends and it should be such fun.  Of course, I'm sworn to secrecy that it is his birthday but I think one other person knows.  My dear man has given me 34 wonderful years together and I'm thrilled to be able to celebrate him as well as Mr. B.
May we have many, many more together!
Noreen & Hunter

The Winner Is:

Happy Monday friends~As you all know today is the day that I announce the winner of my celebration giveaway. Without further adieu, the winner is:  Jeanne of Bichonpawz; you can find her @http://bermudabluez.blogspot.com/
Jeanne has become a wonderful friend and resource with owning  being owned by Hunter.  She has a delightful blog so stop by and say hi.  I am having trouble with the random number generator today but it truly picked her number. I only wish has had 30 other pairs so I could send them out to each of you.  Thank you all for entering and celebrating 1,000 posts with me.
Blessings, Noreen

Dog Safety

Good afternoon my friends~I had planned a lighthearted post this afternoon but I have a warning for all you dog owners.  Today, Hubby and I along with Hunter took a drive out in the country to see the destruction of the High Park fire and to support businesses that are trying to stay afloat amidst the devastation.  We were traveling behind a long line of cars when I noticed a older man on the side of the road taking photos. The next minute is one I won't forget for a very long time, a moment that still brings me to tears and makes me physically ill.  A beautiful black shepherd mix dog ran out into traffic and was hit by a van; we watched the horror of seeing the dog go underneath the van.  The lady driving immediately stopped and pulled of the road; the dog got up and hobbled crying towards the gentleman. I am still not sure if it was his dog or a local dog, but hubby said it if wasn't dying it would need to be put down.  Another car stopped too and leant a hand; the man who I presume was the owner looked so confused.  There were no doors open to his car so I'm just not sure who the beautiful dog belonged to.  Thankfully there is a vet nearby and hopefully they were able to get it emergency help.  I can tell you I was ill witnessing this and felt compelled not to post my original idea.  You may wonder why we didn't get actively involved-sometimes more people make a situation worse and it was clear that there were at least two other cars, directly involved, that were aiding the dog.  My caution is that no matter how well trained you beloved dog may be, please don't let them loose on roadways.  It truly broke my heart to see this and I can tell you I prayed for the pup, the owner and those involved the whole way home.   When it comes to dogs, my heart always breaks when I see one injured; today was no different.
Noreen

The Giveaway

Happy Saturday friends, Just a reminder that I am giving these pretty earrings away in celebration of my 1,000 post.  They are two sided and I believe the wires are silver.  The drawing ends tomorrow night at midnight and I will be announcing the winner on Monday. 
One chance for leaving a comment; two chances if you follow me and three chances if you link up to my blog.  Make sure I have a way of contacting you in case you win.
Have a great weekend!
Hugs, Noreen

Happy Thursday dear friends; As many of you know this book of devotions is my all time favorite. I have shared different passages here and have found that regardless of your age or season of life, this book will touch you; sometimes in a profound way and other times just in a thought provoking way.  Today I had the privilege of giving two away; one as a thank you for sending me an autographed copy of Maxdog, straight from the authors home town, and the other as an encouragement to a friend that is facing a very serious back surgery.  My hope and prayer is that both these ladies will be blessed by Sarah Young's writing.  If you haven't seen this little book, next time you are at Targ*t or Wal*m*rt, look for it there; it is reasonably priced and you will use it again and again. 
I was also able to visit with both gals today and it was such fun!  Of course, going out to lunch with the friend having surgery, had nothing to do with how fun my day has been 8-).  Today my sweet hubby was up playing the Wyoming Pro-Am tournament, I'm hoping he had a great round of golf.  Tonight we are going to our towns weekly concert with friends.  Tomorrow I will walk first thing and then go garage sailing with Kam.  The weekend is just as busy. 
I hope you have a joy filled day, remember the weekend is just about on us.  Don't forget to enter yesterday's give away and remember even if you don't have pierced ears, these would make a great gift.
TTFN~Noreen & Hunter

A Celebration and Giveaway

Good Morning Friends; Oh what a great day it is here in Colorado! Firstly, it is just great to be alive and secondly I love summer. Over a month ago, I mentioned that I was drawing close to my 1,000 post and I would be having a giveaway.  So today is my 1,000 post; who would have thought I'd get hooked by the blogging bug and find a creative outlet for my love of writing as well as finding a whole new group of friends-some international as well.  It truly amazes me of how quickly the years have flown by, how much I've learned from you all and how much fun I have here.  Initially, I started out just blogging for family members(especially our grands)so that they would have a journal of sorts as they grew older, to get to know hubby and me.  It has grown into a blog of  many loves-, my family, our dogs past and now our sweet Hunter, my quilting, my exercise and my faith. 

I found these earings at a local antique store, no they are not antiques; they are pretty and two sided-which is why they don't match, I wanted you to see both sides. I believe the wires are sterling silver so shouldn't bother you if you have allergies to nickle.

In order to enter a chance to win, there are several ways. 

1.  Leave me a comment with a way to contact you.

2.  If you are a follower or become one, leave me a second comment letting me know.

3.  Share this on your blog with a link and let me know-you will have three chances.

This drawing will be open until midnight Sunday, July 15th.  I will draw the name on Monday and send them off to you. 

You are the best and I am so blessed to have gotten to know each of you, even though it is in cyberspace. 

Joy to you~Noreen & Hunter

Our friend Goose at http://gospelofgoose.blogspot.com/  is hosting the individual/team stick carrying event.  Can you believe how big Hunter's stick is; he does enjoy chewing on them but these aren't the chewing kind, you see they came from the beaches of northern California.  We did have him playing with one last night, the bigger one was just too big for him to carry.  He is such a fun puppy!  Don't forget to go by and meet Hunter's friend Goose; he is such a awesome dude!
Hope you have a fun filled, crazy day, doing what makes you smile and giggle. 
Noreen & Hunter

Olympic Games

Hello Friends, The time is upon blogville and the Olympics have started . From my understanding, these games are open to creatures of all types-not just dogs. 

My friends, Murphy& Stanley are hosting Marathon Chewing and our little Hunter is representing Colorado and Bichons. 

You can check out our friends blog as well as a lot of other blogs participating too.  You can visit them here at http://murphyandstanley.blogspot.com/2012/06/olympic-events.html to check it out.  There are a lot of different events and your pet might even win.  I'm hoping to get Hunter to qualify in some other events, but we'll see if he cooperates.
Have a great evening.
Noreen & Hunter

A Bichon Wrestling Match

Happy Monday! On Saturday I decided I really needed to get some pics of Hunter playing with Lily, but every time I got down on their level they included me in their wrestling match or would attack me with kisses. So most of these are looking down on them; if you have a pup that won't leave you alone if you are on their level and have tips, I'd love them.

You can spot Lily because of her pink bows and also she is a bit bigger than Hunter.  He has all that puppy energy while Lily is a mature four years old.

Here Lily is shaking her head and reminds me of the Lion head Bichons are known for.

They had so much fun together but I think Hunter wore Lily out. 

I have learned, this weekend, that one of Hunter's behaviors has a specific name-when he goes crazy and runs around the house like a madman, it is called a Bichon Blitz.  It really is helpful to know this it a behavior of Bichons and not just our crazy puppy.  When Lily went home, I think Hunter crashed, he was one tired puppy. 
Have a day filled with fun.
Noreen & Hunter

Beach Time

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend! Last Thursday our oldest daughter and her family went camping so on Friday, hubby and I took a drive to check out the campground they were at. One draw is the lake and it had a wonderful beach and swimming area.

Mr. B and Miss A building sandcastles.

A little football with hubby and grandson J.

The kiddos told us the water was o.k.
They all had a fun time using their tent trailer; in fact Friday night it rained and they were quite dry, so unlike those in tents.
Hunter had a great time with their dog, Lily.  I do think Hunter's energy level was quite a bit higher than Lily's.  Our monsoon season is upon us, today is cloudy and cool and I imagine we will have lots of rain this afternoon.  Our grass certainly needs it!  I am so thankful that Hunter doesn't react negatively to the thunder, because heaven knows we get so much. 
Happy Day,
Noreen & Hunter

Best Buds

Happy Friday Friends~Yesterday our oldest daughter, Carrie, and her family went camping; when we got Hunter the plan was to trade dog sitting and so Lily is here with us for two days.  Let me tell you that they may be small, but when you get two little fluff balls chasing each other, size doesn't matter-it's just a lot of fun.
I think Hunter & Lily played for a solid two plus hours yesterday and I finally had to give Hunter a rest time in his crate.  Throughout the evening they would go outside and play tag, doing circle after circle.  It was fun but I had no idea how bedtime would go.  At home, Lily sleeps with her peeps too; my concern was that our Hunter would want to play all night.  Lily did give him a couple of "knock if off"growls but they settled and slept all night.  I am so refreshed after a good nights sleep.  I'm taking them for a walk in a minute or too and then later today they will have some quiet time while hubby and I go check out the camp site that the family are at.  Thankfully, it is only an hour away, makes a nice drive.
On another note, do you all remember back in January when our youngest granddaughter sported a purple cast?  It wasn't that she broke her arm but that her wrist was extremely weak; well come Saturday she will be sporting a cast for real-she has a buckle fracture that is very common in young children.  Hopefully, her bones will strengthen and there won't be any more troubles after this.
We are now off to the lake; hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Hugs, Noreen & Hunter

Thursday Tidbits

Happy Thursday friends~I hope you had a delightful and quiet 4th. We did, more about that in a minute. You may all remember how I've described myself as very visual when it comes to food; well on Monday, we ate our first "Missy" steaks and I wasn't bothered at all. In fact, the meat was so tender and flavorful I knew I needed to get a photo for you all.

The beans were farm fresh last summer and frozen; the flavor just as good as fresh.  I think we are going to really enjoy this meat.

As you know we had a sleepover Wednesday night with 7 out of 9 grands. Here is the tent hubby put up for them; what you can't see is the t.v. in front of them.  We had such fun, watched "Dolphin Tail" and loved it; they had all seen it before but hubby and I hadn't, it was well worth it!  The evening and night went really well except that my Peanut needed to cuddle with her nana all night-so we slept upstairs.  When the grands are here, I am a very light sleeper-anytime I hear a noise I jump up and check on them.  Yesterday morning we were awakened at 5:30 so we had an early breakfast too, chocolate chip pancakes.  We all went to the parade and that was fun.  In the evening hubby and I went to Carrie's house for their annual 4th party; we had dinner there and then went to our local, annual 4th town concert and fireworks.  Today I am very tired!
I think this weekend will be just as busy; we will be dogsitting Lily while Carrie & family go camping.  They recently got a  tent trailer and her kiddos have been so anxious to try it out.  I think we are planning on driving to the lake they'll be at(an hour away)and take the two dogs with us.  We will just have lunch and then head home.  I think I may just close my eyes a bit right now. 
Have a wonderful afternoon and evening.
Noreen & Hunter

Happy Fourth of July

To all our friends, near and far, we wish you a blessed and safe Fourth of July.
Today I will be scurrying around, getting things all set for the grands sleepover tonight.  There are tents to make,furniture to re-arrange and snacks to buy.  Having seven of them here is a huge deal for them;  I do want to have each group over several more times but tonight will be a big party.  It will be interesting to see what Hunter thinks about it all; I'm planning on having each them give him training treats throughout the time, so hopefully he will feel more relaxed with them.  We were over at one of the homes yesterday and he played like there was no tomorrow with Lily, maybe I should have her come along too. 
Our monsoon season started last night and I can tell you it was so nice to go outside and feel the mist.  The lawn even felt softer-if that is possible. 
One of the interesting things I've found with  having a small dog, even heard it is more a small dog trait(that may not be totally true)is that you can leave their food down and they just nibble on it throughout the day instead of wolfing it down, like all the big dogs we've ever had have done.  Hunter and I had a talk last night about accidents and although I do understand when you've got to go, you've got to go, but he was informed if he had one more at night Momma was going to buy another crate for our bedroom.  I know it was a big mistake not to have one in there from the get go, but hubby really didn't want one in our bedroom; however I don't want carpet ruined.  He had been doing so well and to be honest, I know that I just wasn't waking up and recognizing his signals, so I truly feel like this issue has been my fault.  I'm thinking that I really need to sign him up for a beginner training class as well, so that he gets more socialized and used to lots of different sights and sounds. 
We will be going to our daughter's party tomorrow afternoon and then go to our annual town concert and fireworks show. That is if I can stay awake for it after tonight.
What are your plans for tomorrow?  Have a great day today. 
Hugs and blessings,  Noreen & Hunter

From my bookshelf

It always surprises me that during the spring and early summer, I don't read too much; it surprises me because I love to read, especially at night.  I guess with the nice weather, I am much more active and thus tired by the evenings.  I did get this book this week and wasn't disappointed by Shelley's writing; again I find her an excellent author.  The Search is her second book in the series, The Secrets of Crittenden County.  This series is set in Marion, Kentucky(one of my all time favorite states) and is a suspenseful story about a murder of a young Amish man and the detective who is sent in to investigate it.  I especially appreciate the honesty behind the authors stories and the portrayal of the pull that the Amish face with outsiders.  It was a great book and I will be looking for the third in the series, Found.  I would recommend that you put this book on your reading  list.
Happy Monday to you. 
Noreen & Hunter

Happy July dear friends! It is hard to believe it is already here and that we celebrate the 4th this week. With so many wildfires all over our state and in many other states, I know that fireworks will be pretty small this year, if at all.  Our grands are asking for those little "snakes" that you put on the ground and they grow.
I am so happy that the High Park fire is almost contained; what a relief for those firefighters and also for the folks living in this area.  I'm hoping that the rain we have had this weekend, although light, helped the Waldo fire; I also think many of the firefighters from High Park will be going south.  I am thankful for the men and women who have worked tirelessly through all the fires here and in other states.  We salute you all.  I'm thankful for groups like the Red Cross who give aid and for the countless volunteers who have stepped forward.
Our weekend has been good; yesterday morning we spent time at our oldest daughter's house, hubby worked on the grands fort while the rest of the adults divided up the meat we just got back from the slaughterhouse.  Two racks in our freezer are now full of steaks and ground beef and the other 2/3 of our share is at daughter's house in their freezer.  We are going to bbq some steaks tonight. I just hope I can eat the meat without visualizing the cow. The children are all doing fine with the entire process and are even calling the steaks by the cows name.  It will be interesting to see if they are as good as friends who've raised beef cattle, tell us it is. This afternoon I am going to a baby shower for the daughter of one of my close friends.  It should be fun!
This week, we are having 7 of the grands over to spend the night.  We will build a big tent in the family room and it should be such fun!  The next day is the 4th and there is always a parade in our development, so we will take the kids to see it.  Our oldest and her hubby always host a pot-luck celebration for their church, so we will go to that as well.  I'm sure we will call it an early night, after all we will have had a full day with grands.  The good thing about no fireworks is that the dogs who are so fearful of the noise will not be scared this year.  In the past, all of our dogs were terrified of both fireworks and thunder; thankfully Hunter isn't fearful of thunder.  Although he will be 7 mos this week, he remains very shy and somewhat timid. He is getting socialized with both furfriends and people; I am hoping this helps him grow more secure and friendly as he gets older. 
I hope that your weather is cooling off and that you are staying safe.  I have heard that many blogging buddies have been dealing with fires and some dealing with flooding.  Stay Safe.
Blessings to you today, Noreen & Hunter
Happy Glory Day, Dee. It's hard to believe it's been seven years since you left us; we miss you every day!