SNOWY MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY

We decided to take Shelby for a walk Monday morning. The road was actually more treacherous than Sunday. There was new snow over ice, so we kept to walking on the edge of the road in the fresh snow where it wasn't quite so slippery.

Snow can make anything beautiful!

The neighbors pond is frozen and covered with snow.

Today we can actually see the beautiful view of snow covered Mt. Pisgah in the distance now that the clouds have lifted.

Shelby loves her walk. She doesn't care what the weather is!

DOWN THE HILL TO CHURCH WE GO

Thank you Lord for this beautiful snow! What a gift. I love it!!

As we get out on our road to go to church we wonder what the hill will be like.

We don't have 4 wheel drive or even snow tires, but going down should be fine. It's coming back up that's the problem!

Now for the fun part!

Here we go over the edge!

A little bit of slipping, but the DSC (Dynamic Stability Control) quickly corrects us. Dennis says it takes all the fun out of it!

Wow! We even made it back up the hill after church without having to walk up! That DSC is great! Now for a quick bowl of soup so we can build a snowman!!!

HURRY BEFORE THE SNOW MELTS!

I couldn't wait to get home from church to build a snowman. The only problem was that Josiah is the one who likes to help me, and he's in Virginia! (He went there to help Jessi out while Drew is gone, like shoveling the snow! So far they've only had a dusting! Ha, ha!)

Anyway, looks like the only help so far is going to be Moses!

"Honey, are you going to help or just take pictures?"

See that tail? (Moses' not Dennis'!) He (Moses) loves the snow!

Well, now I get some help after I already have the hardest part done!

Ta dah!

FIRST SNOWFALL OF THE WINTER!

It started snowing last night about 9:00. We were expecting maybe 1/2 inch or so by morning, but we woke up to at least 6" in places!!! I love it when the weatherman is wrong!

Somewhere under all that snow are some Nandina berries.

Believe it or not, but Rissa's car is under there, and to the right, the snow even makes the overflowing yard debris cart look pretty!!

BIRDS AND BLOOMS

Even though July has been mostly cool and cloudy, our rose, Midas Touch, and the crocosmia helped to fire it up. We're hoping we'll finally get some summer as we go into August!

The wetter and cooler weather has blessed us with green grass to go with the day lilies!

"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: and yet ...even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field...shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" Matthew 6:28-30

Mama Robin has built her nest in our pear tree. The eggs have since hatched and she has a couple of baby birds with mouths continually open!

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name sake." Psalms 23:1-3

IN LOVING MEMORY OF SAMSON

Last Tuesday we lost our beloved Samson suddenly to an infection. He was seven years old.

It's been hard on all of us. We lost not only a pet, but our business. He leaves us with many wonderful memories and a legacy of many happy families who bought his beautiful kittens. See our link to Siamese Cats Cradle.

JOSIAH IN A TUX!!!

Those of you who know the "Camo Kid" know what a miracle this was! We have his friends Jeremy Gigstad and Alicia White, who got married on July 16, to thank for this phenomenon.

The above picture was taken after the wedding in the receiving line with the bridesmaid he was partnered with. Below - we caught him long enough before the wedding for a quick photo, all be it with him hiding behind the shades which all the groomsmen sported when walking down the aisle.

Before the wedding we also had a family reunion in the city park, which we had to leave early in order to get to the wedding on time.

It was good to catch up with Marci's cousins Brenda and Twilla. Brenda, a missionary with Campus Crusade, was here visiting from Florida, and Twilla, her sister, from Idaho.

Since our visit at the park got cut short, we had them over for dinner and of course a German chocolate cake which is Brenda's favorite. After all it was her 60th birthday! We had a great time visiting and playing "Take 2".