And Without Further Adieu

Yesterday was the day.  The officer called me and told me he was going to take half a day off to take our daughter to get a puppy.  I didn't tell her what he was going to do.  The officer came home, changed clothes  and asked daughter if she wanted to go get a puppy.  The answer was a resounding YES!  The day had finally arrived. 

First, we went to Petsmart.  Petsmart was having an adoption event.  They only had a few dogs and none of them where what daughter was looking for. 

We headed to a local shelter, Pets and People.  They had several dogs, but when we told them the dog we adopted would be an "outside" dog, we got bad news.  They told us they do not adopt to families who would keep the dogs outside.  So we left with no new pet.

We went to the Oklahoma Humane Society.  The officer had seen several possible dogs to adopt on the website.  When walked in, the officer and I both immediately noticed Jetta.  She is an almost four month old hound mix puppy.  My daughter got into the pen with Jetta and then with another puppy, Leila.  We took each dog into a room to get a better feel for them.  

Leila was all puppy and very, very active.  Jetta was playful, but not as active as Leila.  My daughter liked her calm demeanor and her willingness to play.  She made her choice.  Jetta. 

My daughter loaded Jetta up in the back of the officer's car.  As we were driving home, my daughter pinched her arm.  I asked her, "What are you doing?"  She replied, "I'm pinching myself to make sure this isn't a dream."  My daughter, the officer and Jetta went to Petsmart to get some puppy supplies.  Jetta was allowed to sleep in her crate in my daughter's room.  Daughter had to get up a couple of times through the night to take her out to use the restroom.  

On our way home from church this morning, she told me her heart was beating very fast because she was so excited to get home and see Jetta. Finally, the wait over.  She doesn't have to settle for this.

Jetta loves tennis balls, squeaky toys, her own tail, and unfortunately our toes.  We'll have to work on that. 

Walgging, Mom's Meatloaf, and Daddy's Day

Two weeks ago, I did something I never thought I could do.  It's not a big deal, but I started jogging.  Well actually, I am not sure if "jogging" is the correct description for what I am doing.  It is just one or two steps quicker than my fast walking.  I just call it "walgging".  Last year I tried jogging.  I made it 1/2 mile in all.  I believe I would jog the distance of three houses and then walk three or four houses.  It was not pretty.  As I said before, there was jiggling.  There was heavy, not attractive panting and I thought my heart was going to burst from my chest.  It was not fun either.  I didn't understand why anyone enjoys this activity.  I think that was pretty much the extent of my jogging for the year.  

Fast forward a year.  Sometimes, I just decide to try something.  I have worked up to walking 5 1/2 miles a day (except Sundays).  I had plateaued on my weight loss.  I had lost 40 pounds, but kept messing around with the same five pounds.  I wanted to change things up and incorporate something new.  I wondered if jogging would still be as difficult as it had been last year.  

So I just did it.  The first day I jogged almost 1/2 mile without stopping.  I couldn't believe it.  I wasn't panting.  My heart wasn't bursting out of my chest.  There was still jiggle.  :)  However, I couldn't believe I had made it so far on my first attempt.  

So I did it again and again with breaks in between laps.  This is where I am at now:  walk 1/2 mile warm-up, jog 1 mile with no breaks, walk 1/2 mile, jog 1 mile, walk 1/2 mile, jog 1 mile, then walk 1 mile.  I keeping my time, but not really trying to beat a certain time.  Right now my goal is to make the walks between the jogs shorter and the jogs longer.  After I can get that down, I will focus on jogging faster.  I am having to get up earlier and earlier though because although it's still beautiful outside for June it's getting warmer and warmer.  I am not sure how much I'll enjoy running when it's really hot.  

My goal is to run a 5k in the fall.  I know some people can do a 5k in their sleep.  However back when I started walking, I secretly wanted to run a 5k, but when I tried running and despised, I put that out of my mind.  I didn't think there was any way I could do it.  But I see a light at the end of the tunnel.  I think I can do it.  I'm putting it out there on my blog to voice my goal and make it real.  So there is it.  Another goal for my 40s.  Rocking these 40s.  :)

Last Friday, my nieces turned 15.  I can't believe they are that old already.  My mom surprised my niece, Abbie, with a tea party at Inspirations Tea Room.  My mom, my sister, Abbie, me and my daughter came along to celebrate.  I didn't get a picture on my phone of my niece, but it was a nice luncheon. 

 

Friday evening, the officer and I were going to a Sunday School mystery dinner.  I had to sign up to bring a food item without knowing what I was bringing before I signed up.  I signed the officer up for a non-cooked vegetable.  There was no one signed up for meat.  I was hoping I would get "roast".  I could flip a roast in a pan and cook it for four hours.  No problem.  Nope.  I got "meatloaf". 

Surely you know what I did.  I called my mom.  She's my meatloaf guru.  I asked her if she could "help" me out.  Of course, she said "yes".  I purchased all the ingredients.  She took me through step-by-step on how to make it.  Of course, my mom is one of those people who say, "Just use a little of this and a little of that until you get it the way you like it."  I'm not one of those people.  I like it exactly how my mom makes it.  So I was exact measurements of exactly what she uses.  She used a very big fork to mix it.  She even had a smile on her face while she did it.  I thought, "Okay I can probably try use a fork to stir the meat too."  The squishy sound was still there.....

And then she put it in the pan.  With her hands.  Thank you for making the meatloaf mom!  It was so good! 

 

While the officer and I were at the mystery dinner, my friend, Mrs. Courtney took my kids to a baseball game with her family.  There's a reason why Courtney and I get along so well.  She sent me this text during dinner.

That is a $1 bill sticking out of the garage door holder.  In the end all four kids were quiet so they were all given .25.

The officer had to work on Father's Day.  I thought he may be able to get off of work a couple hours early.  The kids and I wen to Sunday School and then came home.  We worked like madmen finishing cleaning the house, cleaning up the backyard and decorating for the officer.  Right in the middle of cleaning, the officer walks through the door.  We were all surprised.  We didn't expect the officer for another hour and the officer didn't expect us to be home. 

The officer changed clothes and did what he enjoys doing.  He washed his police motorcycle and both our cars.  :)  Tonight he and the kids put together his Father Day's gift.  A LEGO Back To The Future set. 

The officer has worked tirelessly these past three weeks on our backyard fence.  His dad and brother-in-law have both come down to help him but the majority of it was done by the officer.  My daughter did get outside and help the officer stir and shovel concrete.  And now it's finished.  Of course, our daughter is very excited because the next step is a p-u-p-p-y.  

I asked my daughter to take a picture on my phone of the fence.  When I look though my pictures, this is what I saw.

I had to clarify exactly what kind of picture I needed.  Ta-da!  Our new fence. 

Our daughter has already figured out when adoption day is at PetSmart.  The puppy wall has grown.  She is ready.  We'll have a new K-9 family member in about three weeks.