summer dayz

The summer is already going by so fast, I can't believe it. I haven't spent near as much time at the pool, the one about 50 feet from my door, as I wanted to. The Pea family has so much going on right now, it seems like we never have a break!

Abby Pea is in driver's ed this month. Watch out, McKinney! I managed to get *most* of the blue and red out of her hair (Don't let your daughter use Kool-Aid for hair color; you will thank me later. Luckily, I think I have just the recipe for getting it out in case it's too late for you!). She and I have this weekend together, just the two of us. We went out for sushi together last night and then did a little shopping, only for necessities of course. I have a project list she gets to help me whittle down! :)  She is looking for her first job and *trying* to become the responsible teenager we all know she can be! Her summer is about to get busier with dance classes and camp coming up!

Anne Pea is on her way to Amarillo then HC with Daddy Pea this weekend. He is headed for a long overdue visit with his precious G.G. (I'll update in a minute.) She has been either at a friend's house or having a friend to visit all summer long! She's been babysitting and keeping herself busy too. She wanted to spend the entire summer lazing by the pool. Sh-yah! Right! Haha! I won't get to see her until Thursday and I am already missing that sweet pea!

Anne Pea is quite the comedienne, I think I have mentioned that before. The other night she and her pea pal, Hannah, pulled a prank on Abby Pea. They made fake dog poop with a wet toilet paper roll. They put it on Abby's bed. When she went to bed, she found it, and while she was trying to figure out what to do about it, Hannah picked it up with her bare hands and threw it at Abby! Haha!! This all happened at about 2:45 in the morning, waking the big peas up! It wasn't funny to us until after about 7:00 am!

King Pea is doing great! His job is going extremely well. He mentioned to me the other day what he told one of his coworkers:  "Isn't it great to actually look forward to coming to work every day?" I am really happy for him and think that he will be with Saltgrass for a long, long time. It is so "him" except for the country decor! :) Seeing that is the only issue he has with the restaurant, I think he'll be just fine!

So, G.G. update:  Not so great. She is home; but on hospice care. I think she was really glad to go home from the nursing home. She hasn't progressed in some time. We are all trying to make time to see her and love on her as much as possible. Abby Pea and I laughed about something cute she did at her 80th birthday party last year. Then I just broke down into tears. It's so hard to see such a vibrant *young* woman struggling after such a long, hard road. She is my grandmother, too, and I love her as such. King Pea and I have been through this too many times and it never gets easier. I hope he can bring her much joy this weekend during his visit! It will only be a fraction of the joy she has brought to our lives.

Back to something more uplifting! Us girlie peas are headed to Colorado with my parents next weekend and I can't wait! I need a vacay! I will not have my computer, but I will have my camera! I will post to my blog as soon as I can. We're going camping, hiking, whitewater rafting (I've wanted to do that my whole life! Eeeek!), and relaxing! It is so up my alley! I miss the mountains like crazy. I am definitely a mountain girl, and I hope I don't have to wait until I retire to move there and enjoy them full time! (Any one know of any one hiring in Taos? For two, please.) Maybe when I finally get to put King through culinary school, we can head that way.

Keep our family in your prayers, especially for G.G., Pat, and Brian. Pat needs extra blessings for sure!

teddy's time

I've been waiting a while to post this post. In fact, I've been dreading it. It's been a hard week. We lost our Sweet Teddy Boy on Tuesday. He may have been *just* a dog. But, he was my dog. The girls don't remember a time without Teddy. He's been through so much with me personally. Any time, good or bad, (and there have definitely been plenty of both), he was always there with his happy, funny personality. He could make me smile no matter what. He was bouncy and silly. 

I remember one particular time King Pea and I watched him trying to "get" this huge, red ball in the backyard. He was at it for what seemed like hours! He couldn't get it just right to bite it, so he would try to hold it down, but he was far too short. He was barking at it like crazy, like the ball was purposely trying to get away from him! If you're dreaming of catching a ball, it might as well be a giant red one, right? What a little dreamer!

I'm sure he hated me putting bows in his hair, picking at his gooky eyes, and treating him like a baby doll (just sometimes!). I know wasn't the perfect pup-parent. But, I will miss him greatly. I still ache to hold him just once more. He was a cuddle bug! He *allowed* me to hold him just about as much as I wanted. When the girlie peas got bigger and wouldn't let me hold them anymore, well, he was always a nice substitute.

The last few months we knew this time was coming. He was sick and old, and all around just not his happy, wonderful self. Knowing it's coming doesn't make it any easier. I thought it would, but as I type, I have tears streaming down my cheeks. I wasn't ready. I didn't want it to be time. Even as he was going to sleep, I wanted to scream out that I changed my mind. But, he wouldn't have wanted it. He was tired.

I don't know what happens to dogs after they're gone. I know Teddy had a great, sweet spirit. He had a soul. I hope all dogs go to heaven. I'm not sure I want to be there if they don't! When I need the comfort that all things happen for a reason in their own time, I reflect on Ecclesiastes, chapter 3.

A Time for Everything

 There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens:

     a time to be born and a time to die,
    a time to plant and a time to uproot, 
     a time to kill and a time to heal,
    a time to tear down and a time to build,
     a time to weep and a time to laugh,
    a time to mourn and a time to dance,
     a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
    a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
     a time to search and a time to give up,
    a time to keep and a time to throw away,
     a time to tear and a time to mend,
    a time to be silent and a time to speak,
     a time to love and a time to hate,
    a time for war and a time for peace.

What do workers gain from their toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

It was Teddy's time. I didn't want the time to come. I wanted one more of everything. One more lick, one more walk, one more playtime, one more, one more, one more.

Here are a couple of my favorite photos of Teddy. I miss you, little buddy! More than you know.

Teddy and momma. Shih Tzu's were considered royal and holy dogs in ancient Tibet. He was destined to be the dog of a Queen! :)

He was actually playing with me here. He would always crouch down with his rear up, wagging his tail. He would bark at me and try to *get* me! Such a sweet pea!