Messy Jessy the Duchess of Proulxville

Somewhere in my crazy mind I'd like to think there is a place in this world where it would be perfectly normal to have a proper coming out for our dog princesses. I may be little loco...but I'm going to pretend for a moment.

At the Puppy Debutant Ball, all the new puppies are freshly groomed and perfumed, nails perfectly filed and painted. They wear beautiful, couture dresses and....wait, your dogs don't wear dresses???

This is the moment that my dear husband is sitting in his 6x8 plywood box in the sand saying, "NO, NO, NO! That's my dog!!! No dresses!" Don't stress, honey, I only gave her a bow. She's just so darn cute I couldn't help myself.

I would like to formally introduce you to our new addition. She is a 4 month old Great Pyrenees, and we love her. She is Mike's dog and thus, he named her so graciously after her Aunt Jessy. Really, we just call her The Duchess, but I insisted that all duchesses have first names. He said no the don't. To which I responded. Hello...Kate. So he picked Messy Jessy, a nickname my sister acquired at a very young age. Like many small children, she just had a hard time staying clean. I rolled with it.

"Why on earth How did you get her?" you might ask.

When our dear friend, the blue heeler, came to stay with us, I searched all over craigslist for his mommy and/or daddy. With no success I should add. Meanwhile, Mike was slightly disappointed we couldn't keep him. Blue Heelers are great dogs, but not always the best with small children. They tend to nip as they try to herd kids around the yard. I did, however, stumble upon this little jewel. A pure Great Pyr can be hard to find in some areas. Around here, there are breeders who mostly sell to farmers. There are waiting lists and females are pricey. Also, very important note, Mike has wanted a Great Pyrenees for a really long time. Duchess had been adopted by another military family new to the area who just were not quite ready for a giant dog. So they kindly gave her to me. Blue ended up going to the shelter to find a forever family.

We are now 3 weeks into puppy school and have only suffered minor casualties in our home. Last Thursday, I came home from the gym to find she had unplugged the kitchen TV, and, well, mangled it. Oops! So she likes to chew...a little. At least she knows better than to touch my designer boots.

We are working on getting her a fence in the backyard and a job. More on the job later. For now we are focusing on her training, making sure she doesn't play Dis-A-Pyr, and ....Oh no don't lick the outlet! Oh goodness. Her fault at the moment is her disgusting, audible farts. I didn't know a dog could do that. She'll be able to hang with the guys when they get home.

She may be sounding slightly very much like a Messy Jessy, but soon enough she'll be just like her aunt and be the best princess ever. After all, she is The Duchess and her Aunt Jessy really is a princess.

All You Ever Do Is Clean

Today, I'm cleaning house. According to Mike, that is all I ever do...Mmm, he could be right.  But there is an important reason that I do.

In honor of that, I want to share a previous post that I really enjoyed writing and fits the theme for this busy Saturday.  Follow the link below to continue reading.

A Ranger and His Love: Week 7

 
4th Training Brigade, Attempt #2

The Ranger wrote letters during this second attempt, but his letters were never delivered.

March 6th, 2012

His Love

Hey Babe-

So while I'm writing right now there are still two previous letters in the mailbox. I missed the mailman yesterday, oops! I'm getting ready to go vote! But I had such a good day yesterday I wanted to write you. First, I started grooming the pups at 7:30AM. That was  a chore. I finished in 3 hours and your little Ellie has the most downy soft fur right now. She is so cute. I ran some errands...boring. I found some cute fabric on clearance at Wal-Mart! And then I came home and made a tote bag complete with applique and monogram and a Kleenex pouch to match (it covers those little travel Kleenex packs.) I'm very proud of myself. I think you would be impressed. Joe came over for dinner. I made BBQ Nachos and they were pretty good. Joe and I are going to probably stay at your parents April 20-22 so he can go to the Mountain Man March. Should be fun. I haven't asked them yet though. I'm hoping you graduate the next week. Okay- going to go vote for ______. I love you and miss you like crazy.

<3 SJ

March 13th, 2012

His love

Hey Babe-
I just got back from Dr. Lisa's office. Just had more blood drawn for all the genetic tests. I still don't have any test results. The first ones are in but not signed off to be release to me. I did make an appointment for 3/23 (Friday) to get all the results at once. This is going to be a major day. Please mark your calendar to be praying and thinking about me that morning. I got a list of all the test being run so I can research and be educated for that appointment. I wish so badly you could be there with me.....
I love you to the moon and miss you all the way back.

<3 SJ

Mike ended up failing his second attempt at Ranger school and was sent home just in time to go to the appointment with me on March 23rd, 2012. This was when we were given my infertility diagnosis, and we learned that our journey to parenthood would be long and hard. It was difficult for Mike to fail. What man wants that blow to his ego? But God's timing was beautiful. I needed my husband in that hour more than he needed a Ranger tab.

But don't worry, he returned to Ranger school and our letters continued.

For further reading:

A Ranger and His Love Series:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4  

Week 5 

Week 6

These letters are very candid, and through sharing them, you can take a deep look at our life in 2012. You can read about the behind the scenes emotions and discussions that we have had regarding our biggest revelations and announcements. These letters were our main communications, something not so common anymore. From this unique perspective, you will see how a love can grow deeper and lives can change despite the time spent apart.

Just a warning, Mike's letters were, at times, written under extreme sleep and food deprivation. Some of the things he says are a little...off. He rambles, gets repetitive at times, and sometimes doesn't use eloquent word choices. Please forgive him and find the humor in his misery.

Dear Birth Mother

I have been AWOL for nearly two weeks...oops. I certainly didn't intend for that, but other matters became more pressing. A lot has been happening around here, and a certain writing assignment I've been given in this adoption process was way past due. This item needed to be priority over any other writing I did, and this is how long it took for me to complete. In actuality, I completed it about a dozen times, but only once to my satisfaction. Alas, it is done, I can talk about it, and I can move on to other things. 

The item I had to write was a "Dear Birth Mother" letter. This is a piece of a families puzzle that a birth mom receives when trying to choose the perfect couple to parent her child. It usually tells about the family, how much they look forward to parenting, and what they have to offer all packaged into a one to two page personal note. 

Needless to say it is the hardest writing assignment a person can receive. I would say right up there with writing a eulogy for a person dear to you. (Not that I have experienced that, but I could imagine.) What do you say to the person who changes your life forever, but will not be a permanent physical fixture in your daily living?

If I had the answer, this would not have taken me months to complete. When I started to try to write this in September I sat at my computer and stared at a blank screen. Then I cried. Good first attempt. But the following dozen attempts over the next few months followed the exact same pattern. Sit down, open file, cry, go get tissue (eventually I just brought it with me), compose myself, decide to try again tomorrow. Over those months, I wrote about two sentences that made it to the final draft. 

Recently, I spent extra time in scripture and an amazing thing happened. The words that needed to be said in this letter just started to flow. With only a couple tears this time, I sat down to write, and it came. I believe those words came straight from God and that they will strike the heart of the mom who will choose us. They are written only for her. 

Now, the approach I took for writing this letter may be different than most. First, my letter was from me only, not from Mike. Most couples write together. I don't want to discount Mike's input or desire to become a dad, but the letter is written to a mom. Sorry men, you just don't fully get our world. I should also say that Mike doesn't mind. He gets plenty of coverage in our profile.

Second, this letter is very personal so I'm treating it as such. As much as I would love to share it on the blog and have it passed around the internet for many moms to see, I will not. If a mom is interested then I will make sure she receives it, but it is special and private. I guess it could have the label, "serious applicants need only apply."   

Last, I wrote what was true in my heart and what I believed she needed to know. I don't believe a mom really cares about how many cars you have or how big your house is. Though, those factors might show your ability to provide for a child, it is not love. I don't think a mom wants to hear about your struggle to conceive, but rather about the depth of your desire to parent in a loving matter. I think she wants to know that you will tell her child about her, that her child will be taught to love her, that her child will not think he or she was abandoned but loved very deeply. I spoke to the fears a mom faces and how those fears would be cast out. It's a real and raw message of a beautiful future for her and her child, and I meant every word that was written. I spoke of love and truth.

When I finally was able to hand the words over to God, when I allowed him to lead, it was so easy. The letter is written. It is waiting and ready to be read. It was the last item that needed completing before we could be presented to moms. Now the only task left is one of perseverance and patience.

We pray.

A Ranger and His Love: Week 6

4th Training Brigade, Attempt #2

The Ranger wrote letters during this second attempt, but his letters were never delivered.

March 4, 2012

His Love

Hey Babe-

I hope you are still healthy and warm. It was kinda cold out today. Mostly because I have gotten used to the warm weather. How was your day? The calendar for today says "Ambush PE"...not sure what that means. I had a pretty good day. Woke up to Ellie crying to go out (kinda weird for her.) I went to church. The sermon was on Daniel 2 and was kind of confusing. It was a deep scripture, but I like that our pastor isn't afraid to tackle tough scripture. When I got home I cleaned a little in the kitchen and sat down to ear some veggies and flan (I'll make it for you-super yummy). Then M texted that J was coming over to cookout and I should come too. A minute later J called to tell me he was coming to pick me up. Haha. Like I had a choice. We got to try G's homemade beer. It was surprisingly delicious, kinda like Yuengling. I was impressed. We had fun. Now I'm just cleaning a bit and waiting for the season premier of Army Wives at 8pm!!! CANNOT WAIT! 

Okay I found a good quote for you last night online. "The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph." -Thomas Paine I thought that might be encouraging.

I found on for me too. "To hope means to be ready at every moment for that which is not yet born, and yet not become desperate if there is no birth in our lifetime." -Emily Dickenson Almost sounds like something that could have been found in the Old Testament referring to Jesus, but also can be applied in Operation Baby :)

I also ran across something in a blog talking about how we wish so hard for something God hasn't blessed us with yet (i.e. a child), but we can forget to be thankful for all the blessing we have. My goal today was to make a lists of all the blessings in my life. I actually cried tears of joy as I wrote it and really saw clearly how rich our life is. We have far more than we deserve. I'm including 2 index cards with my top blessings. I thought you could write yours on the flip side. When you feel down it might just pick you back up. Send one copy back to me. I hope you have a good week. I'm still praying for you. 

I love you and miss you.

<3SJ

CLICK HERE to find my list of blessings written that day.

For further reading:

A Ranger and His Love Series:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4  

Week 5

These letters are very candid, and through sharing them, you can take a deep look at our life in 2012. You can read about the behind the scenes emotions and discussions that we have had regarding our biggest revelations and announcements. These letters were our main communications, something not so common anymore. From this unique perspective, you will see how a love can grow deeper and lives can change despite the time spent apart.

Just a warning, Mike's letters were, at times, written under extreme sleep and food deprivation. Some of the things he says are a little...off. He rambles, gets repetitive at times, and sometimes doesn't use eloquent word choices. Please forgive him and find the humor in his misery.

The Dog Lady

Our little friend from last week is still with us. He really is sweet and lovable. I'm currently waiting on the shelter to give their okay to take him to the vet and get him on their adoption list. He needs all his vaccinations updated and his leg looked at. Poor guy, its not better. We are thinking it could be a heredity hip displasia. So in the meantime, he is camped out in my garage and in the backyard as long as its sunny.

I should fess up and say I almost failed at this project. A couple of days ago my Chloe growled at him, and he ran away with his tail tucked. I couldn't find him. I shrugged my shoulders and said, "I tried." He was running around loose to begin with so maybe that's what he prefers. I went about my chores. An hour later I looked out the window, and he was back on the leash in the yard. I guess I have kind and concerned neighbors. Thank you neighbors.

I can't say if I was more disappointed that he ran away or that he magically appeared back. Don't get  me wrong. He's cute and sweet and deserving of a good home. Its just not this home. He doesn't fit. Chloe doesn't like him.

Mike, who loves anything furry, wanted to keep him. Of course, the guy clear on the other side of the world will advocate for the wild Blue. When I said no way, I know he was disappointed. He has wanted a big dog, a dog of his own for a long, long time. Back when we were poor college apartment dwellers it wasn't too hard to reason against a big dog and thus is why we have little, bitty Ellie. Nowadays, I don't have those excuses. Oh wait, yes I do. We want to start a family. We can't have a dog like Blue around a baby.

So I proceeded to try to find owners. No luck. I didn't get a single response. Total bummer. But what I did find is going to probably shock you...

She is a beautiful, 3 month old Great Pyrenees. I should mention she is also Mike's dream dog. Big, loving, pretty, and quite wonderful with children. I called and got her immediately. Mike couldn't be happier. I couldn't be more exhausted....okay, its not a baby so maybe I could get less sleep.

She has been really good. Only a couple of accidents, and I've had her almost a week. Not too bad for potty training. She is a quick learner and already has the sit command down. We are working on waiting for permission to eat and come. I told Mike we were going to have to go to puppy school. A dog that will be bigger than me has to behave.

A little funny quirk about her. I was looking for training pointers online and read about how they kind of yodel when they cry. Its a pitiful sound.  The writer recommended playing a little old school country music to help calm the dog when they are going in the car or in a crate. So the first night in her crate she starts yodeling. I reached over to my ipad and started playing music. She didn't like the Temptations, she isn't wild about Taylor Swift. Then I played some pickin banjo and she was out in 30 seconds. This dog likes blue grass. Every time she cries I play that song and she's out. Dog after my heart.

So I know that I'm crazy with a house full of dogs, but just to make it a little worse, we are prepping for visitors tonight. My parents and brother are coming here for the night and flying out to Colorado Friday morning. They are bringing Tucker, my brother's Jack Russell. He will be our house guest for the week while my family enjoys their ski vaca.

That brings the grand total to FIVE dogs. So I'm a dog lady. It's going to be interesting around here. If I'm AWOL and you don't hear from me, pray for my sanity. I just opened a can of worms.....no make that a kennel.

This Chair's Got Some New Shoes On

I spent most of the Summer and Fall traveling back and forth between my home and my parents home. Its a little over a four hour drive so its not too bad. My projects were affected by so much travel and Mike's brief return home, but I have a special project that deserves mentioning.

I stopped by my grandmother's office in downtown Sevierville one afternoon as I was arriving into town. As I was walking in, I looked across the street and saw something wonderful in the window of the Salvation Army.

This gorgeous wingback chair was just calling to me. "Sarah....take me home. Sarah....make me cute again. Sarah....I'm only $60." I love when furniture talks, but I was busy. I continued on with my day and kept thinking about that lonely, lost puppy of a chair. It needed a good home. The next day I suckered my dad into driving me over and helping me get it. We pulled up and there it was so happy to me coming back for it.

As we walked in, my dad said offer $40 for it. "What? It's only $60." My dad convinced me to try and bargain. Just a side note....I love a good sale, but I don't barter. I thought $60 was an amazing price, but there I was asking, "would you take 40?" "mmm....I could take 45." DEAL! I walked out of that Salvation Army with they chair and $15 still in my pocket.

I couldn't wait to get home to work on my new project. I went to Lowe's first and bought some lovely blue spray paint for the legs. I had to sand and use some wood filler to fix a chew mark on one of the legs. I'd have to kill my cute puppies if they tried to eat my furniture like that even if it was an easy fix. Then, I went shopping for fabric. I found a great grey chevron duck at Hobby Lobby. Woohoo! I went back home and printed a 40% off coupon and figured how much I would need. I bought 6 yards and later ended up going back for two more. In the end I only used 7 yards so I still have a little to make pillows. The fabric in all was about $60 because I forgot the coupon the second time.

As I got working on this I ended up needing a few more supplies. I had a staple gun and enough staples amazingly at home already. I had to buy some Ply-grip, tack-strip, upholstery thread, and a new zipper. This totaled another $35. I reused as much as I could from the chair like the dust cover and the cotton. In the end I spent about $140 and now have this beautiful chair in my living room.
My overall costs could have been smaller, but now I have materials for the next re-upholster project. I just need a great deal on fabric!

A Ranger and His love: Week 5

Last week, we left off with Valentine's day notes. Very sweet. February 17th, 2012 Mike learned that he had failed his first attempt at Ranger school because he was too caring for his fellow soldiers. That is apparently a sign of weakness to the Ranger Training Brigade. In the real Army, it is important to keep your soldiers well-being in check. Soldiers will perform better if they are in good health and are well prepared. Oh well, here goes his second attempt...

4th Training Brigade, Attempt #2

The Ranger wrote letters during this second attempt, but his letters were never delivered. Very, very sad.

March 2, 2012

His Love

Hey Babe-

I love you and miss you so much. I hope that you have received the wet weather top. I didn't include a note cause I had to hurry to get it mailed. Sorry for that, but it was more important that a note. How has the weather been? At our house we have had a mix of beautiful mid-70s days and sunshine and tornados. Quite the combo. Right now we are expecting to have long tornado storms all afternoon. I'm getting ready by gathering what I need in the pantry. Hopefully, the hail won't destroy your Jeep. The wind is blowing the dogs around the backyard, and Chloe is a mess. 4 people in TN died this week already. There were 11 tornadoes in KY. There have been a couple in AL this morning. I'm keeping the TV on and planning on canceling Op Hero today. It's sad because my kids won't get their pizza party, but oh well.

In other news, Davy Jones of the Monkees died, a politician (age 42) died but I didn't catch his name, and a kid in OH brought a gun and knife to a school he didn't go to and killed 3 kids. Phil Valentine says the grim reaper is on the loose.

Anyway, I'm having a pretty good week. Mission Baby has commenced! I'll keep you updated on all the test results. Please keep praying for me, and I'll do the same for you. I hope you are learning new tid bits that will help you pass. I love you so much, and I'm sooo proud of you!!

<3 SJ

March 3, 2012

His love

Hey Babe-

I hope you are doing well. I've been wondering about the weather there. I hope you got my package in time. I wrote TA-50 really big on it. Not a lot to report to you today. My kids graduated Op Hero this morning. They were cute. None of the bad kids came. That speaks a lot to the parenting they are receiving. It is sad. I have all next week off. M and I are going to hang out. I'm glad. I miss her. Oh President Obama visited Nick yesterday. It was a surprise. When they mentioned a surprise visitor on Facebook I was hoping for Taylor [Swift]. She did send him a T-shirt, CD and signed pic that said I <3 Nick. That's pretty cool. You can tell R that Nick is winning. :) 

I also wanted to share a verse that meant a lot to me this evening. Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." A very common verse, but that last part really spoke to me for us. God does have a plan for us. We will be parents someday in his time. I called the doc office and our results are in, but they couldn't give them to me until Dr. Lisa signs off on it.  Hopefully we'll have those next week, and I'll get the genetic tests done too! I don't really know if I should give you results through the mail. How do you feel about that? What if its bad? I don't want to distract you or worry you. I'm staying strong, and I have lots of support with all the girls. I also started reading others stories online. God makes people parents in so many different ways. Have you gotten to Samuel yet? "And she made a vow, saying, 'O Lord Almighty, if you will only look upon your servants misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life.'" 1 Samuel 1:11 My current prayer. I love you to the moon and miss you all the way back. 

 <3 SJ                 

For further reading:

These letters are very candid, and through sharing them, you can take a deep look at our life in 2012. You can read about the behind the scenes emotions and discussions that we have had regarding our biggest revelations and announcements. These letters were our main communications, something not so common anymore. From this unique perspective, you will see how a love can grow deeper and lives can change despite the time spent apart.

Just a warning, Mike's letters were, at times, written under extreme sleep and food deprivation. Some of the things he says are a little...off. He rambles, gets repetitive at times, and sometimes doesn't use eloquent word choices. Please forgive him and find the humor in his misery.

A Ranger and His Love Series:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4

Unusually Answered Prayers

Its an interesting thing the way you pray for something and God answers. Now his reply may not be exactly what we had in mind, but it is clear a request has been met with an appropriate response. Last month, I expressed how I had been praying about fostering. I was researching and seeking an answer from God if this was somehing we could do.

Well, about ten minutes after I finished my last blog and was, as I said then, headed to the commissary, my answered prayer found his way into my garage. I had started the car to warm it up and walked out to throw something in the trash can. When I turn around there he was, like he had just appeared from no where. I brought him into our home and have been fostering him for the past two days.

Now the twist to this story is that he is not a child as I had thought I was praying for. Instead, he is a dog. We have big hearts for puppies in this house. It is no secret. Our furbabies get the royal treatment, and everyone knows how important they are to us. So this dog sure found the right house. On top of my soft spot for furry creatures, he was limping badly. I took him to the vet immediately to see if he had a microchip that would locate his parents owners. He did not have one. I can't get upset. Mine don't have that either. It was worth a shot though. To avoid unneccessary costs they adviced I make him rest and watch his leg for a day or two. He may have been hit by a car, but it could heal on its own.

Fostering babies had been a clear "no" from God last month, but it seems he has given me an alternative this week. A little moment to nurture a puppy who needed love. I did post an ad on craigslist and called every vet and animal shelter trying to find his family with no luck so far. I am currently awaiting a final answer from a family who want to take him. They have land where he can roam and another dog just like him so he has a companion.

When I spoke to Mike about fostering last month. His first response was "no way, you have to give them back." Naturally, I showed him this sweet pup (We've been calling him Blue), and he wanted him immediately.

Mike: Let's keep him
Me: Let's? You aren't here for this rodeo.

I emailed Mike an update, and he said, "I miss him already." Maybe the reason we don't need to foster is to protect Mike from heartache. Okay, me too. I love Blue and it is clear that he loves our home. But I know that his forever home will be his own little slice of heaven. I hope I can help prepare him to get there soon.

First things first though, this dog needs a bath! And I guess I've been tasked with the chore...On second thought, I've got a groomer on speeddial.

January 1 Redo

Good morning! I hope everyone had a fantastic start to their 2013!! I have been trying to get this post and the tasks invovled up for two days now. I was interupted by being sick and then having a friend emergency. It was good to know I can be their for my friends at a moments notice though. So now I'm calling today a redo because what I do today was suppose to happen yesterday.

The first thing I had to do was empty my cabinets of everything on the Paleo no, no list. Here are picks of my before. It wasn't so bad because I don't have much to begin with. I've been out of town so I didn't even take a pic of the before fridge. It was mostly condiments.

And now the after....

So I rearranged the pantry a bit and threw in a big pack of towels that take up quite a bit of space. The white bin houses all my vitamins and supplements. Oh, all those cans, they are from Mike's grandad in Alabama. There are still a few non-paleo items in the pantry, but they have a purpose. Don't worry I will NOT be the one eating them. You do get to keep most of your spices so that is awesome. You'll see I discarded the chocolate and sugar...very sad. I filled two big paper bags with groceries from my kitchen and gave them to my neighbor. I couldn't bare throwing it all away.

Oh and now I have the cleanest fridge on the block. The door was previously full of condiments none of which could be saved from the trash. There are a few items I picked up from Trader Joe's in there ready to be Paleotized. The freezer I didn't show because it basically looks like the fridge, but has some organic meats from Trader Joe's. Yum!

Now I'm off to the commissary (civi-talk: the grocery store on the military post)!!! Happy New Year!