July, 2011

Wow, it has been a long time since I updated my life story via blog!  Part of the reason was that our internet provider wasn't doing a very good job... :-(  some of the problem was just busyness! 

Well, I guess I should start with the 4th of July.  It was a great day we spend with family!  We went to my hometown and watched the parade with my parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece and her husband, son, and cousin, and the rest of the Clarke County population.  It was a beautiful day and a good time together.  My niece, Jenny has been in the military since 2001 so we just haven't seen much of her in the last several years.  It has been nice to have her stationed relatively close to home. (Missouri)

Next was take the kids (Corah & Joseph) to camp.  This was Joe's first year, so I was excited to take them up there, with a few friends, too.  Joe was a little overwhelmed with being trapped in a minivan with 4 girls, but survived, none-the-less.  Next year there is potential for a couple of BOYS to go, too, so maybe it won't be such "torchure". ;-)

The next day, we had a family tragedy!  Our 13-year-old dog, Molly followed Dallas & Peter on a walk to the river -about one mile- on a very hot, humid, still day.  She happily tagged along WAY behind without them knowing.  They were at the river "checking it out" for a while when Molly came over the hill, barked once, as if to day, "Ok, you're safe." and headed back home.  Don't ask me how she made it home but she collapsed in front of the garage door and never got up again.  She died during the night.  It was a terrible feeling to go to bed that night knowing that she would be "gone" in the morning.  Here is her "Obituary":

Today we said good-bye to our very dear and faithful, ever-present

friend

companion

protector

entertainer

bumble-bee-chaser

playmate

After 13 years of love, devotion and service, we will sure miss her!

If we were gardening, mowing, plowing snow, playing, sledding, walking, sitting, whatever, werever, she was there.

Molly: January 1998 - July 12, 2011

I was truly amazed how hard it was to say goodbye to this dog!  It really made me sympathetic toward someone who lost a really special person.  I even was depressed for quite some time!  Sometimes I still think I hear her heavy breathing when I first walk out the back door.  She will truly be missed around here!