Caramel the pupper dog

Most people come over to our house, see our dog and say "I did not know you had a dog". Okay so we don't talk and brag about or dog usually. But lately Caramel has been showing her age and after watching to movie "Marley and Me", I have thought more about what a blessing our dog is. So I thought I would take a moment and "blog" a little about her. We got Caramel when Jaron was 10 months old (that is Nathan in the picture). Our neighbor found her with her mother and 3 siblings in a vacant lot. Greg had been wanting a dog for awhile, but I (never having owned a dog before) was wary of the idea. Plus I wanted to wait until I was home full time. Well, just weeks after being home full time Caramel entered our life. She was a beautiful puppy with caramel brown short fur. We used to take her on walks and people would comment on how pretty she was. We are also often asked what kind of dog she is. Having been found in a vacant lot we could only go by what she looked liked and what the vet told us. Our best guess is she is a chocolate lab with doberman in her. But frankly she is a Heinz 57 mut.

Just like in the movie (Marley and Me) when Caramel was a puppy she chewed on everything. We quickly learned not to leave shoes in the backyard. Of course that did not stop her from chewing on the fence! She also did her fair share of knocking the boys down when they were trying to learn to walk. But Caramel always knew her main job was to protect us. We always knew if someone was nearby that she did not know. Our UPS man used to throw packages at our front door and run. Little did he know that her bark was much bigger than her.

Today, she is looking old. No one stops us to tell us how pretty she is. In fact, last summer I took her to a pet parade and a dear friend asked if I was entering her in the old and ugly dog category! She would not win any beauty category and she really does not do many tricks, but she would win in the loyal protector category. She has become the nicest dog. Although kids are a little afraid of her she has NEVER bit or hurt anyone. She obeys us and loves us wholeheartedly.

For never being a dog person or having owned a dog before. I am glad Caramel was my first (okay she really belongs to Greg but I claim her has mine as well).

Jelly Bellys and the Pres

So in February we had an opportunity to join the senior ladies at our church on a trip to the Ronald Reagan museum. Perfect opportunity for me to sneak in another school day. Greg and I went to the museum pre-kids and we were pleasantly pleased that it has become a much better museum. Of course Air Force One was awesome. But I think the thing our boys remember the best is how much Ronny liked to eat Jelly Bellys. They were especially amazed at this portrait made entirely out of Jelly Bellys. The other thing they remember is how Ronny always had to have a chocolate cake onboard Air Force One. A small thing only those with the kids notes learn as they go through the plane. Great Day!

Indiana Jones

Jaron turned 10 in February and Indiana Jones was the choosen theme. Problem for me was I was totally uninspired for an Indiana Jones cake. I looked online for ideas, but all I found was rolling balls and running Indys. So I went to Toys R us and found these cute Indy Legos. Put them on a round cake....perfect!