Everything is harder with three dogs

 

Jackie. There is picture is not bigger because I love her more

 We have two dogs. Jackie and Duke. A nine year old 80lb yellow lab and a seven year old 75lb black lab. We love them like children. And we fight over them like step-children.

Duke

Jake and I have talked many times about adding a third dog to the mix. We even went as far as taking our dogs to meet a potential third dog at the humane society last Spring. He was a beautiful and sweet two year old Great Dane, the type of dog both Jake and I have wanted to own since before we knew each other. We had agreed to build a taller fence and make the other appropriate changes to our lives to accommodate the beautiful beast. We'd even picked out a name. However, when we introduced our labs, Duke, my husband's thick headed, fully intact, alfa-male of the world 75lb black lab felt intimidated by the sheer size of the timid Dane and tried to pick a fight. We believe that they could have worked out their differences, but the worker who was "viewing the interaction" was not impressed and wouldn't give them a second chance. There were other things counted against us as well...we drove up with the dogs in the back of a pick-up truck, for one. They were tied in properly (able to move around and lay down but not on a long enough lead to jump over the side of the truck and hang themselves) but crazy animal people don't like pick ups. Also, Duke's aforementioned intact state was a big no-no in her book.

He looked like this.

Anyways, we haven't ever gotten a third dog. Which, as it turns out, is a good thing.

This week we are watching my parents' Labrador Georgia. She's a very sweet and very gentle three year old 40lb black lab. She gets along great with our dogs and our cat. We've watched her for a weekend here and there over the years and it's never really a huge problem. Duke has the hots for her, but we've been able to diffuse the situation. Except that she is so much younger and in need of way more exercise than our dogs, I wouldn't mind owning her. She's sweat as can be and would be a great dog for someone with lots of time to devote to her. But shhh, don't tell my parents. Life is considerably harder with three dogs.

Isn't she pretty?

It is said that three dogs makes a pack. This is likely true, but isn't an issue with these three dogs. Duke likes to be in charge, and Jackie and Georgia don't really care. Also, Georgia leaves Jackie, who is old and a little grouchy, alone for the most part. The three of them worked out whatever pack order they needed and have stuck with it since. No, the pack syndrome isn't the issue for us. Everything is just...more.

Usually our two dogs fit quite nicely on one large sized dog bed at night. No issues. No pacing. No whining. Simple math would lead one to believe that three dogs and two dog beds would also work. But no. Three dogs and two dog beds equals one insecure lab pacing around the bed all night. *sigh* So now the whole floor in our bedroom is covered in dog beds.

Then there is the fact that I don't have three arms. That means that someone has to wait for a treat. Someone gets antsy waiting for my to put their dinner down. Someone has to wait for me to throw their ball. Someone has to wait...all the time. It's not a big deal. It's really not even much of an inconvenience. It's just annoying. It's probably more annoying to me than it is to the dogs.

In any case, we're reminded once again why we'll wait to get another dog. three is just too many.


I say that now...but who knows who might fall into our lap. ;)

Not quite lavender...

I love the smell of fresh lavender. It's relaxing and makes a room feel fresh. There happens to be a lavender farm close to where I live. You pick your own lavender and the owners make all sorts of lavender products, including soaps, potpourri, bath oils and lavender lemonade. There are mazes and gardens and fountains...going to the lavender farm can be quite the event. If we had been married in June I would have wanted to be married there.

This is my field and mountain

 The problem is...they are only open for about five weeks every year. The last couple years I've intended to go, but the season comes and goes so quickly I haven't made it up the mountain. This year I'm not going to miss it. I've told Jake that he needs to take me. I have their brochure on my fridge. I have the dates set on an alarm in my phone calendar. I'm NOT going to miss the lavender farm this year.

A few weeks ago Jake and I were driving up to Oregon and saw on lavender on the side of the freeway. I made the comment that if he ever found any on the side of a road somewhere that he should feel free to bring me some home.

Fast forward to two days ago: Headed home from fishing Jake noticed some lovely purple flowering bushes on the side of the road. Remembering his wife's love for lavender he pulled over and cut a few handfuls for me. He came inside proudly displaying his prize. "They're beautiful," I explained, as he plopped them in my arms. "What are they?"

"Why, they're lavender, my love."

"Um...no they're not."

"Yes they are my dear. Just for you."

"They're really lovely, but they aren't lavender."

After a few minutes of google sleuthing, we discovered that they are actually lupine wild flowers.

The mighty wild lupine

They're beautiful, and they smell nice too, but he hasn't gotten out of spending some time at the lavender farm this summer. :)

Flowers for my table

My Big 12 Inch...Griddle

It's time for a product review! This is for no other reason than I just bought this product and feel like I could review it.

Anyways, this nifty Nordic Ware Pro Cast Flattop Reversible 12-Inch Round Grill Griddle looked like a great deal at Costco the other day. I don't usually do impulse buys at Costco because, as I so intelligently pointed out to my father who was with me, "Some things at Costco may only cost  $12 to $20, but $12 to $20 times 10 is $120 to $200!" There ya go folks, homeschooling worked for me.

Anyways, I saw this little number and just couldn't pass it up. I, for one, HATE bbqing in the snow, but love burgers and veggies that are grilled rather than sauteed. Both are good, but I like thinking that my food isn't quite as oily as it could be. When I saw that there was a grill side my heart just about melted. Then I was looking at the pictures on the package and noticed a lovely pizza on the griddle side. Yes, this 12 inch  Reversible Round Grill Griddle can also go in the oven. That's what sold me. Why? I don't know. I don't make pizza very often and when I do I just use a baking sheet. But I was feeling weak that day and had passed up tons of little goodies at Target, so I bought it.

The first thing I made was grilled chicken. It came out perfect! I immediately noticed a down side though: the whole pan gets really, really hot, and it sticks off the side of my stove ever so slightly because of it's size. And the handles aren't very big. However, I was able to stay inside while it was miserably cold and windy outside, and my chicken was awesome.


The next day I made pancakes. Now, in the past I've made pancakes on a pan that Jake and I got for our wedding. It's a great pan, except it has a bulge in the middle, so my pancakes always drip down and collect in the corners. It's not a big deal, the pancakes just aren't round. I decided to use my new 12 inch Reversible Round Grill Griddle to get those perfectly circular pancakes. I was stoked. My excitement was quickly muted as the griddle took much longer than expected to heat up, and then went from not hot to burning pancakes in six seconds. I don't blame the griddle though. I blame my electric stove. I hope someday to be able to provide you with a product review of a nice gas stove. A black one with a touch screen on the front so I wouldn't have to reach over hot food to set the timer.........wha? Oh yeah, back to the griddle.

Besides being burned, the pancakes also wanted to slide every which way when I tried to flip them. Not having a side on the griddle means chasing your food all over with the spatula. I eventually got them flipped and waited for the griddle to cool off a bit before I put the next batch on. I think I'll go back to my old pancake pan for pancakes, but I see the griddle coming in handy in some other ways. Like pizza. :) 

Anyways, I guess it's not a very thorough review since I've only used the pan twice, but there you go. My rather incomplete review of my new 12 inch Reversible Round Grill Griddle.

Oh, and here's a funny: when I posted this the title read Girdle, rather than Griddle. I do not wear a 12 inch girdle. Trust me. 

Profound

What is profound? Dictionary.com describes it as such: 

      PROFOUND -- adjective

      1. penetrating or entering deeply into subjects of thought or knowledge; having deep insight or  

      understanding:   a profound thinker.

      2. originating in or penetrating to the depths of one's being; profound grief.

      3. being or going far beneath what is superficial, external, or obvious: profound insight.

 

 

So what determines something as profound? Does it have to be something no one has ever thought of before, or does it depend on who's hearing it? How many people have to think something is profound for it to be profound?

Maybe it's just me but I feel the need for that majority, if not all, my posts to have some profound concept within them. Especially now that I've told some of my IRL friends (that's In-Real-Life, figured I'd explain for said friends) about my blog I no longer have the sense of detachment. As silly as it sounds I figured that if my blog ever become popular enough that my IRL friends actually found out about it I wouldn't care what they thought because I'd already have a "fan base." I wasn't planning on revealing my online self to people who knew my real life self. Not that they're that different. There is a freedom that comes from writing without having to see the people who read it. 

There, was that profound? 

 

Do I need something profound in every post? One blogger I follow is one of those who gets paid to blog. Maybe you get paid to blog. This blogger simply posts something, anything, five times a week. It isn't always something big. In fact mostly it's pictures of her kids or complaints about anything and everything. Occasionally she has something deep to talk about but mostly it's nothing of any real importance to the world. Is it important to her? Absolutely. Is it important to people she knows? Possibly. Is it important to me? Not really, other than I like the way she writes and I find her rather funny most of the time. Lots of other people do too, considering she has close to a thousand (possibly more, her page won't show me for some reason) followers.

I guess that's what blogging boils down to. Being interesting to someone. Or a couple someone's perhaps. Well, I'm interesting enough to 12 people to follow me. I'm encouraged by that. I will try to not be intimidated by the fact that two of my pastor's wives (two different pastors, two different wives. Don't worry, I'm not one of those Christians) might read this. I will try to not be worried that one of my pastors (remember, there are more than one) may read this. I'll try to keep being honest.

 

I also have a strong compulsion to conclude my posts in some succinct way. Too many five-paragraph essays in high school, I suspect. Well take this five-paragraph essays!

The Lazy Song

Yup.

Like jelly

Gracious me, I just can't seem to get a blog post completed! I've been feeling very unmotivated to do anything lately. Dishes, laundry, gardening, vacuuming. I don't feel like cooking. I also don't feel like going anywhere to eat. The alarm goes off in the morning and I just lie there away, unable to get up. I haven't even been interested in starting a new book, instead I've reached for something I've read before. How lazy is that?! I feel like my veins are filled with gelatin. I've tried writing a blog about anything, even being unmotivated...but I haven't been able to finish it. Go figure.

Anyways, I hope to work in my yard tomorrow, if it isn't raining that is. Today was gorgeous, if a little windy, but did I take advantage of it? No. Now the weather is calling for rain and maybe even SNOW tomorrow evening. I guess that means that I won't be planting anything tomorrow. No use killing the plants I've been struggling to keep alive the last couple weeks indoors.

So this is my post. I've been working on one about how Jake proposed, and maybe will get around to finishing it sooner or later.

If I ever get out of this fog.

Jake

Today, May 1st, is the 4 year anniversary of when Jake asked me to be his girlfriend and we went on our first real date. I've talked about some of the non-prince blokes...it's time for Jake to take the stage.

Jake and I met for the first time when I was 16. Like I've said before, my parents moved our family to a little town in Northern California at the end of 2004. It was fairly traumatic, but shortly after moving I started making friends and feeling more comfortable. I got involved with a church very quickly, as did my parents. So involved, in fact, that my parents hosted the staff meeting for 2005's youth summer camp at their house early that spring. That was the first time I met Jake. I thought he was cute, but quickly forgot about him. After all, he was obviously too old for me, considering he was at the staff meeting.

We ran into each other at youth camps over the next two years. He was going to college out of the area and was only home for during the summer and Christmas break. Coincidentally those were the times that youth camps were scheduled. At one winter camp I did develop a wee bit of a crush on him. However, very quickly after camp I moved on. He was not an option anyways, since he was five years older, and at 16, that is a huge difference. At the following summer camp I found myself flirting with Jake again during the car ride from camp to river rafting and back. Now that I had actually talked with him for some time, I thought he was a very nice guy. One who obviously loved the Lord. One who had some direction in life. One who was smart and funny. One who had gotten cuter since the last time I'd seen him. But, that summer I happened to be engrossed in my drama with The Frog, and when I returned to camp that evening The Frog was there for the camp fire and I once again forgot about Jake.

Fast forward to February, 2007. I was at a girls retreat. It was at this retreat that I really faced that fact that I had a bad habit of throwing my heart at guys. That is what I had done with The Crush. It was what I had done with The Frog. I had trusted my value, my self-esteem, and my whole life to these guys without even a shady promise of anything in return. I let myself become completely infatuated with these boys waaaaaaay to early and ended up getting really hurt. I made a commitment to God that weekend that I would stop doing that. I would stop trusting random guys with my heart so quickly. I also decided that I wouldn't assume that guys liked me. I had pretty high self-esteem and was rather full of myself because of it. I just *knew* that every guy wanted me. Heck, I even was flirting with Jake at that one summer camp when there was no way he and I would ever amount to anything. I was really a piece of work.

Rewind real quick to a month before. I had started going to a different church than the one my family had been attending. I had been invited by a friend and was really liking it. It just so happened that Jake's family went to this church. It just so happened that he had been coming home from college on the weekends and was going to that church. It just so happened that the friend who had invited me was also friends with Jake. It just so happened that we ended up sitting next to each other at church on more than one occasion. The week before this weekend in February we had been having a discussion about how to study the Bible properly.

Ok, back to February. So I made this commitment to guarding my heart. And I was serious about it. Never again would I assume a guy was interested in me and promptly give away my heart. I was going to be responsible.

The very next day at church I was sitting next to Jake and he gave me a piece of paper. It was Psalm 19 typed out and covered in hand written notes and an explanation on how they all worked together. Anyone else would have thought "That's nice of him." My mind immediately thought "Oh he likes me, look at all this effort. WAIT! Nope, I'm not going there." I thanked him for the paper and promptly tried to forget it ever happened. Do you see a pattern yet? Jake was the guy I kept trying to forget about. He was too good for me. I was destined to end up with a troubled guy. I just knew it. Jake seemed too...too...nice.

For the next few weeks at church it seemed like he sought me out to sit next to me. One week in March when we were seated a few people apart he passed me a note, just to say hello. I noticed my friend, the one who had invited me, and her husband sitting in between us giving each other an odd look. That afternoon Jake went to lunch with us (myself and that friend's family). By the end of March he started coming into my work. I could tell he didn't drink coffee regularly, but he was coming in anyways. We started emailing back and forth about various things. God, movies, music, work, life, even the future. He was very sly, working in the big questions with the less important ones. "What's your favorite movie? I like (blahblahblah). Also, where do you see yourself working in ministry in the future?" "Do you like to hike? How big of a family do you see yourself with?" Sneaky, right? Apparently, because I totally didn't catch on. I was trying so hard to ignore any hints that I missed them completely.

But I was beginning to like him. He was fun. He was funny. He and I had a lot of the same interests. I started trying to make ways for us to hang out. My car was making a funny noise, so I called him. He knew a lot about cars, so I thought he might be able to help. *innocent smile* We both had dogs, so maybe we could take them to the lake together. *innocent smile*

He was on to me, and there was a big problem: I was still technically in high school and he was working with youth ministry at our church. The rule was no youth worker may be involved with a youth. That didn't deter him too much. He planned a bbq for a bunch of people to go to. He offered to come check my car while I was at work. I invited friends over for movie nights just so we could hang out. I also started going to the college Bible study he had been going to for years. Someone very wise once told me "Don't chase guys...but don't be afraid to get in their way." Yes, I started going to this particular Bible study because Jake was there. And I'm not ashamed to say so.

So now it's the middle of April. One Sunday after church I told Jake that I was going to the lake with my dog. It was a beautiful day and she was in need of a walk.

He just so happened to show up. We sat on the shore and talked all afternoon. We talked about everything and nothing. That night we continued the conversation at Bible study. That was it. I liked him. I went home and cried at my mom. This wasn't supposed to happen. I wasn't supposed to fall for Jake. I was actually a little pissed about it.

He called me the next day. Apparently we were both thinking the same thing: enough tip toeing...we needed to talk about this. He called to ask if I would be interested in going to get dessert with him. He wanted to talk with me about "some stuff." Before I even had a chance to answer he asked me what my dad's cell number was because he wanted to ask him if it was ok if we went out. Sweet right? My dad must have said yes because I met Jake at the diner that night for milkshakes.

I drank mine in about a minute.

He didn't take a single sip of his.

Finally we got around to talking. Jake, very nervously, told me that he liked me, and wanted to court me. He told me flat out that he was looking for a woman who was marriage material. He explained that he didn't want to just date me...he was very interested in finding out if I was the woman who would become his wife.

Luckily for him, I liked him and I also wasn't interested in just dating either. Great, that was out of the way. But there still was one slight problem. I wasn't supposed to graduate until May 15th. Then, on May 18th, I was leaving the country for two and a half months. Yikes. Jake told me he didn't care, and that he'd wait for me. Until then we'd keep doing what we were doing. Hanging out with friends and not dating.

While we were sitting there talking, my mom happened to be pulling some strings behind the scenes and long story short, she ended up calling me and telling me that I actually would graduate May 1st. That was *counting fingers* only a week away! That also meant that we'd get to actually go on a date or two before I was out of the country for what would feel like forever.

As soon as Jake got to his car after that dessert he called my dad again and set up a meeting. You Sonlight laides likely remember that dinner. My dad asked Jake every question under the sun. He also had spent the two days prior interviewing people he knew who knew Jake. Luckily Jake had been working in youth ministry for so long that the youth pastors at both churches knew him well, as did their wives, as did the senior pastors. Even before the dinner Dad knew that Jake was a pretty great guy.

Jake passed "the test" with my dad and a couple days later, May 1st to be exact, he called me first thing in the morning and asked me out. We went on our first real date that night and he asked me to be his girlfriend.

 

our friend's wedding...our first public date

Next I'll tell you about how we made it through almost 3 months of living in different countries after only dating for 3 weeks and how he proposed. Very sweet. But this blog post is already super long, so you'll have to wait.