Emily Turns 5!

Emily has turned 5 years old (Sept. 16th). We can't believe she has grown up so much. She had a wonderful birthday, and especially enjoyed being the center of attention for once. She decided (at the last minute) to have a Care Bear cake, which was accomplished by mom. Emily was surprised with a new big wheel, lots of Hello Kitty stuff (purses, clothes, etc.), stickers, books and Barbie dolls (what little girl doesn't need more Barbie dolls). What a little blessing Emily is to our family. She is such a fun little girl to have running around, ready for any adventure.

Anna Joins Girl Scouts

Anna decided that she would join Girl Scouts since a bunch of her friends were in it. So, on Thursday she went to the first meeting, and on Friday, she was in the Dunlap Homecoming Parade with her troup. She had a blast walking and throwing candy, and we had fun watching her in the parade. Then, off she went to a sleepover. I guess tha means she is growing up!!!

Labor Day Visit to Wildlife Prairie State Park

A beautiful Labor day in Peoria ... so off we went to Wildlife Prairie State Park. We had a great lunch, and then went for a walk to see the buffalo, elk, bears, wolves, etc. And, no good day is finished without ice cream. What a great day.

Our Buddy Zeus

Our sweet, big bear-cub Zeus (almost 11 yrs old) was laid to rest last night. The first thing I said to Aaron this morning was, "It can't be true, can it?" But, there was no thumping tail to greet me as I walked down the stairs, no eager eyes begging for a little tidbit as I fixed the lunches, no lapping noisily from the water bowl before heading out for the morning sniff, no one to clip to the empty leash. The gap is so big and so wide that it feels that it cannot be filled.

If you would like a play-by-play, I would be glad to talk to you individually. But in a nutshell: cancer had likely riddled his spleen and eaten away intestinal lining, but it was severe internal hemorrhaging after a morning biopsy that signaled the end. He showed no outward signs of internal distress until this last week, so we pray that any suffering was minimal and short-lived.

After a morning of testing, I was able to bring him home for a peaceful afternoon yesterday. So very thankful. He waited on the front doormat for Anna's bus, and she greeted him with the biggest smile I've seen in a long time and an exclamation of "Zeus, you're home!" Shortly thereafter, he went around to the back yard and settled into his favorite spot, overlooking the creek and with a great view of trees, squirrels, and birds. He began labored breathing and could no longer get up, so the girls and I collapsed in the grass around him. We set up a fan to blow away the swarming bugs he no longer noticed, stroked him, talked to him, prayed over him, reminisced about many happy things, loved him, and cried buckets (all four of us). When Aaron came home, he drove his Jeep around the back and gently lifted our sweet boy into the back. We all escorted him to the vet. We were all able to talk to him, to stroke him, to love him, and to offer final farewells. He never moaned or cried out, but quietly endured to the end. Maybe for the first time in their lives, the girls saw both of their parents weep openly and unashamedly.

Thank you to all of those who loved him and who cared for him in different ways over the course of his life. He was the best dog we could have ever asked for and so solidly enmeshed in the fabric of our lives. Come see a photo album of the memories next time you're in town. The pictures below were all taken yesterday-- w/ me in the morning and w/ the girls just an hour before he died.

Jenna's Trip to ER

Kristin took Jenna to the ER after a small accident at church. Jenna jumped off of a retaining wall and landed hard on her knees. After not putting any weight on her one leg for 24 hours, off they went to the ER for xrays. No broken bones ... and she is now walking normally again. Oh the fun!!!

Anna's Off To Second Grade

Here are a couple of pictures we took this morning as Anna waited for the bus......to go to second grade! Where, oh where, does the time go? I've been emotional for a couple of days, but no tears this morning. A cup of coffee enjoyed in the peace of a quiet house isn't all bad. Maybe I'll survive. We reminded Anna that next "1st day of school," she will be escorting a little sister on the bus! She got a big, happy smile on her face at that. Without further ado, here's our "grownup girl"......

Mall of America fun

On our way back from the cabin, we stopped at the Mall of America. The girls love the amusement park and Anna loves the American Girl store. We finished off our short visit to the mall by eating at the Rainforest Cafe. We sat by the dancing apes, which was a little worrisome for them for a while (see picture of Jenna below). They loved the restaurant ... and talk about it often.