happy anniversary, baby!

today i have been married officially, more than half my life...21 years! can you believe it!!! AND, i actually still like him...huh...how 'bout that?? he is still my goofy best friend with whom we have had many adventures & 3 amazing children!!! he is a fantastic daddy & awesome husband!!! i thank God for the wonderful man he is!!! i am soooo blessed!!!!!!!! here's to 70 more anniversaries!!!

the boys are back!

whew...just squeaking an entry in under the wire! at least i can say that i've blogged 3 days in a row.

the girls and i finished up our girls weekend with movies, movies, & more movies until the boys returned home. they were stinky, dirty, exhausted, & so excited that they went. i love to hear all the stories...especially the scary dangerous ones...once they're back & i know the outcome!!! the girls were very excited to share their weekend festivities with the boys, as well. they couldn't wait to show their daddy their new build-a-critters!! they also told him that we painted pottery, but would not divulge what we painted...remember, they painted some father's day stuff. so, if you see michael, don't tell him...it's a surprise!!!! now, everyone is tucked nicely in bed while i wait for my 3am sugar check(s). i'm so thankful to have us all back under the same roof again.

See, I told ya!

I really am back...see, 2 posts in 2 days!!! I'll try not to hurt myself! :0) I'm sitting here blogging by the pool. How great is that?

Having a wonderful day with my girls. We've had a great girls weekend, so far!! We have gone to Build-a-Bear & built a bunny & flamingo (they hardly ever actually build bears), we've painted pottery...some just for fun & some as a surprise for Father's Day. Today we are swimming, playing with friends, baking cookies, watching movies, & painting our nails. I'd say a pretty successful girls weekend, indeed! Our boys left us on Thursday to go backpacking with some other guys for the weekend and will be back tomorrow. I know they are having a blast, too!!!! I'm hoping the weather is behaving for them!

ok, ok, okaaaaayyy!!

i'm back! cindy, if you missed me blogging all you had to do was say something! :0)

after a very long hiatus, i am back to my little blogger world. did you miss me? anyone? anyone? bueller?

as you can imagine, many things have happened in our lives since i was last here in march. is that right? has it really been 3 months? how did that happen? i will give you a brief rundown in a very handy list form (thanks, cindy) & hit the highlights!

- tate's bday blowout was a huge success!!! we are officially the coolest parents ever!

- we decided that goliath actually was not the dog for our family! he is an amazing dog, but our family is a rare one (insert your own cute comments here) that was going to need a very specifically special dog. do we even need a dog?

- haley was in another amazing ballet (coppelia) & did so well! we are so very proud!

- went to texas for easter & had such a great time with family & friends!! with a few minor exceptions: my childhood best friend was in an extremely serious car wreck (the morning after we spent the day before together) which has left her, still to this day, in a wheelchair, but improving all the time. and my beloved oma had a pretty severe stroke the day before my scheduled visit with her! i told her "if you didn't want us to come, all you had to do is say so"...she thought that was pretty funny! it was hard to see my otherwise sharp as a tack oma not quite up to snuff!!!!

- 2 weeks later i got word that my oma was not doing so well & that she was calling for me & asking for me!!!! i hopped on a plane in a mad dash to see her & let her see me. when i arrived at 12:15, i was told she had passed away just 15 minutes earlier!!! i missed her by a matter of minutes & how i still miss her! i have a continual ache...that woman was sooooo amazing!!! i did, however, get to spend some incredible time with my brother as we made preparations to say our final goodbyes to our oma & our papa (passed away in '97) & to my childhood home away from home, smithville, tx!!

- in the midst of the madness, God still moves & speaks!!!!!!!!

- i returned from the funeral in texas the evening before my girl's end of the year ballet performances. i wouldn't have missed them for the moon, however, the airlines tried their darndest to keep me from them.

- upon the completion of the recital, our family then hopped into a rented rv & headed for mississippi that very night. for what, you might ask? remember how i said God still moves & speaks? well, i had given up the idea of actually getting a diabetes alert dog (aka DAD). many things had transpired & one night around midnight or 1, i began to pray that God would just show me once & for all what to do about the whole DAD situation. should we get one or not? the very next morning while getting ready for church (around 8:30a), i received a phone call from wildrose kennels in mississippi...they had a puppy for us (a DAD for the training). He answered my prayers in less than 8 hours...wow, i wish every prayer was answered so quickly!!!

- we now have a new addition to the family...his name is emmett & as of today, he is 12 weeks old. he joined our family when he was 7 weeks old & hasn't looked back. he has been camping at the beach & the mountains & is headed for lake camping next week. he is extremely smart & very eager to learn!!! he has already begun to alert to the low blood sugars (not consistently, but moving forward just the same). he is precious & absolutely 100% puppy!! he loves us & is going to be the perfect fit for our family! God is sooooo big!!!

well, that pretty much sums things up...believe it or not, that was the short version. ok, stand up & move around. hopefully, not too many body parts have fallen asleep in the reading of this update!! i'll try not to stay away so long & therefore save you from a 3 month catch-up version.

All in a Day's Work

SO, my lovely sister-in-law seems to be missing in action somewhere in the upstate of south carolina. in an effort to show her "i've got her back" i will post on our long neglected blog.

two of my favorite bloggers (pioneer woman and beth moore - their blogs are highly recommended)sometimes post in the form of a list. so, here's my version: the list form of my day:

-stumble out of bed at 6:15 - why doesn't that get easier over the years?

-drink coffee, check my email, facebook, and blogs (of course)

-feed my sleepy daughters cinnamon toast and my grumpy teenage son coffee

-watch/PRAY as they all three drive out of our driveway - such a blessing to have a son who drives. such a terror, fearful test of my faith to have a son who drives.

-shower, get ready, and head to the kids' school to watch my 5th grade daughter sing her very first solo in front of the whole school. grandmothers cry, my heart melts.

-race home to get in a few hours of work: graphic design, emails to musicians, service orders, research for cool easter videos, and other creative churchy stuff

-pick up the girls from school after a detour to the grocery store to pick up the 4 things i forgot yesterday - dontcha hate that?

-snack and chat with girls until teenage son drives up and i realize that he had no after school activities today and could have brought them home, saving me a trip - grrr

-pile on the couch with all three kids and watch Sonny With a Chance. some may say this was a wasted half hour. i beg to differ...

-get a little more work done in my home office while kids watch tv/play video games and finally (after at least 3 "NOW!"'s) start their homework

-call out science questions to my sweet 3rd grader about not so sweet insects - yuck

-cook healthy supper of ginger steak salad - teenage son will only eat the steak, but hey...

-watch american idol with the kids while the patriarch sits all alone and sad in the other room because of his hatred of american idol. ok, that hasn't happened yet, but unless Jesus comes back within the next 2 hours, this will be our evening.

-try to stay awake to watch something with the patriarch that he actually likes. you know, like How It's Made or Mega Structures.

-asleep by 11, hoping that 6:15 wake up time will be easier to face tomorrow.

that was a wonderful exercise. i suggest that all our readers make a list of their day. and i hope you are left with the same sentiment as me: I LOVE MY LIFE!!

gag!!!! i think i'm gonna hurl!!!

ewww!!!! i need to turn off my gag reflex!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! what is she looking at?????????? did you notice the black cloud (an actual cloud) above his head when he proposed to her?? bachelor hubba hubba has officially turned into bachelor bonehead... he should know there is a difference between love & lust! what does he mean by one 1st time????? one 1st engagement? will there be more???? i sure hope so...hey, if bachelor jason can become engaged to two on one season, why can't jake? i know that is only wishful thinking!!!

oh well, onto bigger & brighter things! for instance, my little big man's 1st official boy/girl party coming up. there will be boys, there will be girls, there will be a limo, there will be food & there will be lot's of craziness on the docket!!! i can't wait!!!!

i thought i would at least add a picture from the aforementioned party since i haven't posted in so long...sorry...i will be back!

MRI

Well, I had my MRI today for my wrist. Thankfully, it was a baby MRI...I only had to put my arm in it vs my whole body!!!! Yippee! I do not like regular MRIs...I've had several in the past & I could be a bit claustrophobic. :0) Hopefully, I'll have pictures from the MRI to post soon!!! Now, I'm waiting to hear whether or not I need surgery or if I just need to wear a more permanent cast for what seems like forever!

Happy Birthday, Baby!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my TATER!!!!

Had a great time in the mountains with the frousins!!! Came home w/3 of 5 of us sick & to celebrate Tate's birthday!!! At least we got to spend some quality time with the frousins, et al. Unfortunately, most of us are feeling kinda yucky...ok, REALLY yucky!! Silver Lining...my little big man's 14th bday!!!!! I swear I just gave birth last week!!! How is it that he is now taller than me? He's super excited, we will be having a boy/girl party for him next week & he is super pumped. I just hope we all feel better by then! One thing he's not super happy about...now he has to go get ready for his last cotillion of the season. Hmmm, maybe it does pay to be sick!

Snowed in

we totally enjoyed our family time at great wolf lodge in charlotte. the little squirt overcame her fear of so many things & i am so proud of her. i, on the other hand, not normally prone to cautiousness (those who know me, know just how true that is) was extremely cautious with my injured wrist. i had a great time, but boy, do i think i could've had a better time if i weren't wo worried about this goofy wrist injury. make no mistake, i still did EVERYTHING, but probably not to the same intensity as would be considered normal (not that i've ever been accused of being normal).

now, we're snowed in in the mountains with the frousins! who better than to be snowed in with? the adventures of getting us all safely up the mountain, unloaded, & tucked away safe & sound in the house was quite humorous/frightening!!! i believe there is now at least 14 inches of snow on the ground. wow!!!! and totally cool! the wind has been quite impressive...i sure hope this house has a nice sturdy foundation!!! the girls are actually going to try to get in the hot tub today...yikes!!!! the wind alone is going to keep me tucked away nicely indoors!! you know we will all have a great time!! that's why i love my family (even the extended ones)! cindy & alan are always fun to hang out with and as just about everyone knows, our kids kinda like each other!!! on a side note, it will be kinda cool watching the "winter" olympics with snow on the ground...well, at least we have snow on the ground...the olympians are having to make their own. can't wait to see how this trip plays out!

Ready, set, go!!!

OK...went back to the Dr. today for my wrist. I am 4 weeks out & still having symptoms, soooo I will be having an MRI next Monday (it was supposed to be this week, but we leave for NC tomorrow), then the decision will be made on whether to do surgery (no, no, no) or a permanent cast.

This weekend was busy & fun!!!! The Daddy/Daughter dance was, again, a HUGE hit. The day is treated almost like a wedding day. Daddy is not allowed to see the dresses until it is time to go! We got their hair done, I painted their nails & got them all gussied up before I left for Tate's last basketball game of the season. As I left the house for the game, it had begun to snow. Worry, worry, worry..."Will they cancel the dance?" Thank Heaven, the answer was "no"...party on!!!! Emma became quite famous for her "Egyptian Break Dancing"...not sure what that is, but she was amazing!!!

pay no attention to Michael's allergic reaction around his eyes!!

this must be some of that Egyptian Break dancing

After Tate's game, he & I left for Charlotte in almost white out conditions to pick up Crystal & Goliath!! Woo Hoo!!! Emma loved her "baby"!! He was, however, gone too quickly...we would've loved for he & Crystal to stay longer. But, for some reason, Crystal has a life...without us?!

Valentine's day brought on Goliath & Crystal's departure, jewelry, & Wicked (the musical...not my attitude). Wicked was wicked awesome (I'm all of a sudden from Boston)!!!

Now, I'm gearing up for our trip to NC tomorrow. "Heading to the Lodge...Great Wolf Lodge" for a night, then onto Black Mountain to spend time with the FROUSINS!!!!!! But, of course, 1st things 1st...before packing, need to watch me some Hubba Hubba! I'll let you know what I think about it soon...I know you're waiting on the edge of your seat!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I'm wishing everyone an amazing Valentine's Day...whether you have an earthly Valentine or not...remember there is ONE who is dying to be your Valentine...He already has!!

Where have I been????

Once again, I did not fall off the face of the earth. Life has been exceptionally crazy & is only getting busier as I type!

On my return trip from Texas, I was delayed & cancelled...always fun! Got home & jumped back into the swing of things. Next morning brought about co-op & I got to go back to the Dr. for my wrist & was told to wear my cast for another 2 weeks & then come back in for ANOTHER x-ray & possible MRI. If things still look iffy, they mentioned surgery...really??? Just for wrastlin' gators (aka tripping over Otis)??? We'll see!!

Then, onto Totally Tubular 2010 with the middle school youth group from church. We got to go snow tubing (yes, of course I tubed with a cast) & had an amazing Spiritual weekend. These kids are too much fun. Just think, I was certified to teach Middle School, but never liked middle schoolers...now I do!!!! Who'da thunk it?

Then we had 60 + people over to our house for the Super Bowl!!!! I love having people over!!!! It makes me happy! Monday brought about a sick child & shopping for dresses for the upcoming Father/Daughter dance. Tuesday...co-op & basketball game. Wednesday...guitar lessons, ballet, & I got my top 2 wisdom teeth pulled...unfortunately, I've got no more wisdom!!!! Which brings me to today...Thursday...we had a Dr's appointment for both girls, in which, blood was drawn & we tweaked the pumping for Haley & Emma continues to make the Dr. scratch his head & remind me that she is one of his most "difficult patients ever"!! Then, straight to ballet & basketball. Whew...I'm exhausted just re-typing it. NOW, we get to get ready for tomorrow, which will bring Tate's last basketball game of the season, the beloved Father/Daughter dance, & GOLIATH & Crystal are coming to visit. We are so excited for their visit & can't wait to see how much we can learn this weekend!!!!

Bring on next week!!!!

Eww! Yuck! Ugh! No!!!!!

OK, here are my initial notes from the Bachelor. Ali said she would say yes if he asked her on the hometown date to marry him...they had a true connection!! Did you see the way he bounded out of the car & ran to her? He didn't do that for any of the others...he sooo would've picked her. Didn't Ed do the same thing & leave for a lame job? If she really was into him, her job could've waited...there are other jobs! Gia is too kiddish & I don't think he is as into her. Tenley is adorable & absolutely precious. Vienna...what a joke!!! She grew up on the river, but she is amazed to see a gator??? I don't feel the connections with any of them. Hubba Hubba seemed to try too hard with Vienna's dad. Vienna's competitive...is Jake a game or prize? They did too short of Vienna's hometown...trying to throw people off. Please, this isn't my 1st season! I fell for that ploy once upon a time!! Hubba Hubba to Ali "Which one will be your biggest regret"? Seriously, would 2 more weeks be that difficult? Isn't she just an advertising person? She's not curing cancer!!! If he really loved her, he could've whispered something to her. So far, all the predictions/spoilers have been 100% (ok, 98%)...when they have let the cat out of the bag this early, things usually have been shaken up atfr (after the final rose). On the up side...cute dress, Ali. She definitely wanted him to fight for her. Was it a ploy to make him choose sooner? Did you see he was crying? Poor Hubba Hubba, he can't win! Who would've been cut? How does it feel to be 2nd choice? (for him or the girl he chooses) So many questions!!! Next week's promo...Ali is pulling an Ed, but I don't think Hubba Hubba will be as forgiving as Jillian!!! We're just gonna have to wait for the "most dramatic season finale in bachelor history". I am beginning to get leary...are they just doing this for ratings???? Say it ain't so!!! Stay tuned!!!

I'm back!!!

I'm back from my incredible time with family in Texas...boy, do I miss them & Texas!!! My Oma was just as feisty as ever & she made us laugh so much! We went there to lift her spirits, but I believe it was the other way around. Well, at least I know where some of my feistiness (so I've been told) comes from. We were also able to spiff up my brother's new apartment & make it look like a "big boy" place (his words, not mine). Mom & I had a great time fixing things up for him & he was such a great sport & played nicely. Upon my arrival at Bo's apartment, my daughter, Haley, was sadly disappointed to find out that her Uncle Bo's apartment was NEAT!!!! I'm not sure what she had in mind, but she assumed all bachelor pads are dumps & filthy. I had to bring pictures back to convince her!!!

Speaking of Bachelors...Eww!!! Are you kidding me????? Can you say desperate? Yucky? What is she looking at? Why can't Bachelor Hubba Hubba get rid of a particular person, who will remain nameless, but is a city in Austria??????? Arrrrgggghhhhh!!!!

My sweet Oma

I'm leaving for Texas in the am...gonna go love on my Oma!!! Oma??? No, it's not a disease!!! Oma means Grandmother in German...which she is...my grandmother & German!!! She is an amazing woman & still sharp as a tack at her tender age of 93!!! I can't wait to hear her spunk & see her sweet face!! She will amaze you with her mind & feistiness!!! Hmmm? I know she didn't pass that down to me! This woman is a big part of who I am today!!! My brother & I used to spend a great deal of time with her & my Papa, in their sweet little town of Smithville, TX (where Hope Floats was filmed, plus a new movie with Brad Pitt that hasn't been released). My grandparents have loved this town & this town has loved them back. They were quite the movers & shakers in their day and everyone knew/knows them!!!! I am proud to call them my grandparents & so thankful for the many incredible memories that I have for them & this adorable little town. You know the kind...one stop light...maybe. I always found it funny that they had a "Dairy King" & a "Burger Queen". My Oma, however, does not know that I am coming & I hope that she is just as excited by the surprise as I am!!! Plus, I have the bonus of seeing my Mom & brother. My brother just moved to Austin from a multi-year stint in San Diego & now he wants mine & my mom's help decorating his new pad. This should be fun!!!! We 3 Musketeers haven't been together, just the 3 of us in way too many years. I have a feeling there will be plenty of laughter & plenty of movies!!! Can't wait!!!! See ya'll when I get back!!!!!

Oma entered me into their local Jamboree each year & made some amazing costumes! We usually won!!!

Bachelor, baby

Exciting!!!!! How fun was this week? More girls go & fewer stay! I just wish that Jake would've listened to the girl with the green eye shadow (who knew they still made that color)...she knows what she's talking about!!! It was pretty wild to watch so many go home unexpected this week. Maybe he is there for the right reasons!? I'm beginning to say "hmmm?" Is this for ratings? Is it really scripted? I sure hope not!! Say it ain't so!!! I sure hope the spoilers are wrong...however, so far, everything has happened just as predicted. We'll just have to keep watching & see what exciting things happen next at the "most dramatic rose ceremony ever"!!!

Birthin' babies

Today started out with a phone call...the kind of phone call I live for!! Kristi was in labor & I was on my way!!!! Woo Hoo!!

For those of you who know me, know that I am somewhat of a pregnancy stalker. I loved pregnancy & I love pregnant women & their families. I was very thankful that Kristi had removed the restraining order just in time for me to help with the baby. I LOVE birthin' babies!!!! For me, it is such a blessing & an absolute treat that couples allow me to share in this most special of days! I thoroughly enjoy myself!!! The day passes in a flash (for me)...shhh, don't tell the mom in labor I said that!

This day was especially special, as this was one of our very 1st babysitters having her 1st baby! Now my kids can babysit for her...how bizarre is that? Kristi has been in our lives as long as I can remember & she is absolutely precious...we LOVE her!!! Andrew's not too bad either! :0) I love this sweet couple & know they are going to be amazing parents together!!!

Baby Adelaide (Addy) Grace was born today!!!! She weighed 7 lbs & 7 ozs!! And, if you know Kristi...you wonder where in the world did Addy fit??? Congratulations, Kristi & Andrew!!! Thanks for allowing me to be a part of this joyous occasion!! Love ya'll!!!

JDRF awards

This past Tuesday we were invited to the JDRF Awards banquet where we received 2 awards...Best t-shirt & Gold Achievement Award (teams that raised over $5000). We were very excited as this is only our 2nd year to participate & we have won these 2 awards both years. The t-shirt award really belongs to our friend Marian Gilbert, who takes my ideas & turns them into perfection!!! Thank you, Marian!!! We only get braggin' rights...but, hey...braggin' rights is braggin' rights!!! For this competitive girl, I'll take it!!!!

the winning t-shirts on the day of the walk

Why I'm not posting

I know that you have been lying awake at night wondering..."Why hasn't Missy been posting?" "What did she think about this week's Bachelor? American Idol? Chuck?" "Where is she?" Don't fret! Have no fear...I'm here!!! However, a bit banged up!

Last Saturday I was "wrastlin" gators & just before the death roll.....OR, I tripped over one of our ankle height dogs. Whichever you believe is fine! I put the pain off for several days & finally went in for an x-ray on Tuesday. I have what they believe to be a snuff-box fracture. The only bad thing about this particular injury is that the break usually takes 2 weeks to show up on x-ray. My x-ray looked fine initially, but with all the symptoms & the way in which it was injured led them to believe it is, in fact, broken. I will go back in 2 weeks & have it re-evaluated...in the mean time, I get to wear this fun temporary cast. It is hard & molded to my arm, however, I can remove it to take showers & stuff. Don't cry...I'll be fine!

This injury, of course, did not keep me from partaking in my usual television indulgences! I loved Chuck...that show makes me giggle...I LOVE Chuck!!! American Idol made me scratch my head at some of the people who show up for this show...are you kidding me? No more tiptoeing through the tulips for me & I will most definitely not be wearing my pants on the ground!!!! Now, onto Bachelor Hubba Hubba...I applaud you, Jake!!!! You killed 2 birds with one stone...you got rid of the gamer/tease & the bunny boiler all in one fell swoop!!! Yeehaw! Well done!!! I can't wait to see the upcoming weeks...even though I read a spoiler of who wins. I sure hope the spoilers are wrong!!!! This past week has also seen the return of Project Runway...see I told ya, if it's a reality show, I'm probably watching it!!! I have DVR'd 24 & haven't had the chance to watch it yet, but I'm pretty sure Jack Bauer is in some impossible situation in which he only has 24 hours to solve. All this while being disavowed & having to save the world secretly & out of the eyes of the law. Or, something like that! And, I absolutely can't wait for the return of Burn Notice tonight!!! I can't wait to ride along with Michael, Fi, & Sam this season...another show that's cool & makes me giggle!

Just FYI...I don't ignore my family to watch these shows. As most of you know, I am unable to go to bed before 3am (due to diabetes stuff) every night...so, I DVR everything & watch it all after my peeps are in bed. Once again, don't fret!

trouble posting comments

apparently people are having difficulties posting to the blog...1st you need a google account (username, etc) & for some reason you need to submit the comment a 2nd time. for some reason it never takes it the first time, but if you click it again, it takes it. don't ask me...i dunno?!

Frousins

ok, so here goes my first "guest blogger" post on Home Sweet Home! i am cindy, missy's sister-in-law. so, yes, that means i grew up as the little sister of the famous michael avant - the weirdest, funniest brother a girl could have (have you seen his dance moves??). clearly, missy and i are uniquely linked through this guy. sometime i'll tell the story, complete with pictures, about my first impressions of missy and how we became more than family, but friends.

however, today's post started with an after school conversation between me and my 3 kiddos last week. we were talking about friends. my 10 year old daughter tori said, "my very first friend in the whole world was haley". and i got to thinking, she's right!



as you can see by the pic above, tori and haley hit it off right from the start. as they got older, they started calling each other on the phone for long talks, and every visit was filled with LOTs of girl fun. missy and i love it when our families get together because it's so easy for us. the girls disappear and we don't hear from them again until they're hungry! here is a precious shot of T and H reading with papa.



lest we leave out the boys, let me be sure and mention that tate and lee have their own history. an adventure filled history of father/son campouts and many, many games - those are two gamer boys for sure. here is a cute little boy pic of those two. my how they've changed since then!



interestingly, my family and michael and missy's family consists of an oldest boy, followed by 2 daughters. and with their ages close enough to foster friendship, over the years, we have named them The Frousins. more than cousins, more than friends...frousins! it has been so fun to watch the group dynamic change, especially with the girls. first it was just haley and tori. then came julia. you might think the older girls would exclude the newcomer, but i have always been so impressed with the way haley and tori generously include the younger girls.



and the Frousins live on...now completed by emma, who has been welcomed with open arms by H, T, and J. i have heard talk that one day we will eat in a restaurant named Frousins. i've also heard that one day we'll go see a great chick band in concert: The Frousins. for now, i think we'll stick with frousin princess parties, frousin barbie marathons, frousin swimming, frousin mountain trips, frousin beach trips, and so on....but i for one am secretly hoping that the chick band thing works out too!

didn't think cindy would mind, but i just thought i'd add a couple of my favorite frousin pics, too! m

look carefully...how many girls do you see asleep in this bed? hint...4

Our DAD in training!

Our sweet Goliath has been in training these past couple of weeks & can't wait for him to come next month for our trial run!!! He will be joining us for the Valentine's weekend! In the mean time, he has been training away in various locations, circumstances, & scents. We have been storing Emma's scent & are now shipping them to California for Goliath & his trainer Crystal to be working with her particular scent. How do we send scent, you ask? Whenever Emma is "low" (blood sugar below 70...normal is 70-120), she gets to chew on a piece of gauze to get her saliva all over it...then we place it in a container, then a ziploc freezer bag, & then freeze it. After we have gathered many samples, we then overnight to Cali. Pretty cool, huh? Goliath will know Emma's scent before he has ever actually laid nose on her! Have I mentioned lately how AMAZING these dogs are?

Goliath with Ashley (Crystal's daughter) at a street fair in Palm Springs.

Crystal has been so great with his training, even though we may have freaked her out a little bit after she saw one of my family pictures on Facebook. Goliath LOVES toys...any & all kinds of toys. Well, Crystal happened to see a picture of Emma on her bed surrounded by stuffed animals (those are just the ones she sleeps with). However, Goliath LOVES stuffed animals!! How will Goliath, Emma, & the stuffed animals be able to co-exist in the same bed? Crystal to the rescue!! Unfortunately for poor Goliath, he is having to endure some doggie torture!! She says he is doing great!

OK, now for your daily dose of "Missy crazy". I have been praying diligently about our DAD & asking for wisdom in our choices. I have waffled between Goliath, or a puppy to be trained by us, or a puppy to be trained by someone qualified. I have felt good about all options & really don't want to mess this up. (Wait for it...the crazy is coming!) I have often wished that God would just skywrite the answers to my prayers so that I won't miss His answers (I can be a bit thick). Of course, He hasn't quite done that. But... (here it comes) It's no secret that I watch a little show called the Bachelor...well...on last weeks episode, Bachelor Hubba Hubba took some girls on a group date to Six Flags in California & there all the way across my screen (the entire screen) of my tv said GOLIATH. Big as day!!! Maybe He didn't skywrite my answer, but maybe He put it on the screen? Michael, my husband, said that "there is no way God speaks through the Bachelor!!!" But, hey, if He can speak through a donkey...why not the Bachelor? Whatcha think? I thought it sounded reasonable! :0) Tune in later for another dose of crazy!!!