Backyard Bambi

I was getting ready to leave for work yesterday and I heard Jackson barking like crazy at the back door. If you know Jack, you know this is not unusual. I went to shut the blinds so he would stop and I caught a glimpse of what he saw. Take a look...Two tiny white tail deer. Little bambis in the peanut field behind our house. So Cute!

There are some benefits to living in the middle of nowhere!

The Rainbow Bridge

It occured to me that some of you may not know about the Rainbow Bridge. Allow me to share...

The Rainbow Bridge

inspired by a Norse legend

By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

Paw Prints on my Heart

I have waited to write this post for two reasons: one, I knew it would make me sad and two, I struggled to find the words to express what I am feeling. So, since it's always going to make me sad no matter when I do it, I might as well try to find my words. I apologize in advance as I am sure this will be long.

Tuesday I lost my sweet Harley. We went to the vet and as I look back now, that was the one and only time I took him to the vet that he wasn't scared to go. There was a strange calm about him, maybe he knew what was to come. The vet examined him and then asked to take him to do some x-rays. When they finally took us back to see him and we came into the room, my first thought was he looked healthier than he had in years. His eyes were bright, head up high, ears perked up, he looked so handsome. I started to cry when the vet told us what he had found, cancer all through his body, a large mass in his lungs, and cancer in his bones. The vet said he had a few days to a few weeks. After the previous night we had I knew it was true. I looked at Harley and there was a voice inside my head, it was so loud and clear, two simple words...
"it's time" I don't know if it was Harley or God but I knew I had to listen to it. The decision was made. We said our good-byes and Harley seemed so peaceful looking into my eyes as if to say "it's ok mom, I'm ready, I've been ready, I was just waiting on you" I held his sweet face until he took his last breath. I am thankful I didn't know of this cancer until then. Our moments were happy and carefree right up until that moment and for that I am thankful. We wrapped him up and took him home, right where he would want to be. We plan to plant a cherry tree there soon, he would have liked that.

My furbaby is gone and I feel like part of me is missing, like there is a hole in my heart. I have lost loved ones and friends before but no of them have left me feeling this way. Harley was a huge part of who I was. I feel like now I am struggling to find out who I am without him. I know this may sound silly to some but Harley had been with me for 11 years, through some of the hardest times in my life. I had come to rely on him for strength and security. He had grown to be part of my identity. He came into my life at the exact moment I needed him the most. As soon as our eyes met I knew we were meant to be together. He was an amazing dog, just ask anyone who ever met him. The most gentle creature ever.

When I was talking to mom and crying she said this to me. "He was there when you needed him the most, he has been everything you needed to get you through those difficult times. You are stronger now and at a new chapter in your life where you will be ok without him. He knew that and so it was time for him to go." She was right. God sent him to me to help get me through, to be there for me. I think he was my little guardian angel all wrapped up in fur sent to watch over me. Now he has gone home, his job here is done.

I found this poem, I couldn't say it any better

The Loan Of An Angel
by James Karas

My cute little boy, who meant the world to me,

Was the life of my home, so most would agree.
This Message to him, I will write with my love,

To my one Sweet little buddy, sent from above.
God showed me his Love, he really did care.

So I wouldn't be lonely and full of despair,
Sending this Spirit that was given to me

,He helped me live in this life, until eternity.
This Loan Of An Angel, who had no deceit,

Made my life so happy, now feeling complete.
I wasn't alone now, and no longer was scared

,A heart fill with joy, with a life to be shared.
My furry friend, filled my heart with emotion

,An Angel who showed, pure love and devotion?
The life that he lived was but for a short while,

He changed my life in his angel like smile.

To My Sweet Harley,

Oh, how I will miss you. You are my sweet furbaby You never ceased to make me smile. Thank you for being everything I ever needed you to be. Thank you for being my strength when I had none, for giving me courage when I was scared, for comforting me when I was sad, for cheering me up when I was depressed, for staying be my side when I was sick and for all the things in between. I will miss you trying to sit in my lap, eating my pizza crust, showing the other dogs who is boss, pawing at my leg when you need a rub, and snuggling next to me in bed. I will even miss your snoring. Neither of us will miss the grooming though, I am certain. I love you more than you will ever know and I thank God every day for sending you to me. You helped make me who I am today.The times we shared will always be close to my heart. Things won't be the same without you. You will never be forgotten, for you left your paw prints on my heart! One day we will meet again and cross that Rainbow Bridge together!
All my love now and FURever!
your mama

*A special note to my sweet husband, Thank you for being there to load and unload and tote around my 70lb ball of fur for the last few months! I couldn't have done it without you, Literally! I love you!*

Always, Sometimes, Never...

I Always...

have my toenails painted

take my make-up off before going to bed

want to try new recipes, but rarely do

love anything coconut

think I am going to get pulled over ever time I pass a cop

see room for improvement in everything

plan I can do more than I really have time for

want a dessert

think the book was better than the movie

save the cork from any bottle of wine we drink

want to crawl back into bed with Heath in the morning and say "screw work"

I Sometimes...

don't get out of my pajamas until 3 or 4 in the afternoon on my day off

wish I had more girl friends

miss Texas like crazy

want to drink beer, even though I don't really like it

think what was I doing this time...last week, last month, last year

hope my husband has a surprise for me

am so tired all I can do is cry

get grouchy when I am hungry

feel guilty for not going to church

wish brides will trip going down the aisle (if they have been really mean to me)

I Never...

want to see my ex-husband again

back down if I know I am right

throw up from drinking to much

have a day pass that I don't think about being a mommy

send birthday cards or gifts out on time

can seem to keep plants alive, even though I really want too

get tired of dancing with Heath

have the laundry caught up

watch that sad commercial about animal abuse

want to be without my husband

How About You?

(inspired by Cassie)

Take Me Out to the Ball game!

It only took 7 years for us to cross this to do off our list....

Go to a Braves Game

Take me out to the ball game,

Take me out with the crowd.

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jack,

I don't care if I never get back,


Let me root, root, root for the home team,


If they don't win it's a shame.

For it's one, two, three strikes, you're out,













At The Old Ball Game!

See Jack Fish!

Whenever we are in Nashville we always go out on Tom's boat. Last year was Jackson's first year to go and we found out he LOVES to fish! So this year I was armed with my video camera. It is too funny. The first video is Heath reeling in a fish and this happens every time he catches one. Jackson whines until he catches one and then this....

*please excuse my husbands language, he didn't know I was filming*

Look at that little tail waggin'!

Once we catch a fish, we put it in a bucket. We have to watch Jack constantly or he will wind up in the bucket too! Take a look!

This could go on for hours. Your always good for a laugh Jack!

Cupcake Heaven!

I have alot of catching up to do, but I was so excited about this post I had to go ahead and do it. I will play catch up later!

Sooo, with that said. This past weekend we were in Nashville visiting Heath's dad. On Sunday, we were driving around downtown, Heath was showing me around. We stopped at a red light and simultaneously looked to our left. I think light was shinning down from heaven onto this cute little building... Gigi's Cup Cakes! Heath immediately pulled across two lanes of traffic into their parking lot. (What can I say? He knows how much I love desserts!) We are ready to jump out of the car only to see the closed sign on the door. We stood there looking in the window drooling over their cupcakes menu. Ahh, such disappointment.

We spent the rest of the day debating on whether we should drive back 20 minutes in the opposite direction before heading out of town the next morning. We finally decided we could possible be missing out on the best cupcakes of our lives! So the next day we headed back downtown before we left Nashville. Thank goodness we did!

When we got there it was even better than I had imagined! Plus, it smelled so good. I was so excited. Yes, people I get very excited over food, just ask Heath! Here is what we saw when we walked in....

How cute are these cupcakes!?!

Their flavors were, to say the least, AMAZING!!! They had approximately 15 flavors made but, there were about 30 different ones you could order. I could not decide what I wanted. Then after some debate with Heath, I finally got two because I couldn't decide and Heath got one. They came in a cute little Gigi's Box. I wanted to to eat them right then but it was 10 AM after all!

Our final selections were...

Red Raspberry Chocolate - a rich dark chocolate with raspberry filling, raspberry flavored icing with chocolate drizzle and a cute chocolate heart.

Texas Chocolate Milkshake - milk chocolate cake with milk chocolate frosting, chocolate sprinkles and a lone star on top. and last but not least...

Margarita Madness - I don't know what flavor this cake is...lime maybe? with a margarita flavored icing, a sugared edge and a tiny sugared lime on top. This one is pure brilliance...cupcakes and margarita's who would have thought! (I loved this one, Heath did not)

From the left to right: Red Raspberry Chocolate, Texas Chocolate Milkshake, Margarita Madness

We have spent the last three nights eating cupcakes. They are so sweet we have to split them. I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing they taste. They are out of this world! I am a little sad I don't have one to eat tonight. Next time we are in Nashville we WILL be stopping!