I “Heart” Jack Russell Terriers

I never thought I’d say that . . . or even consider that statement.

My first dog was a Rottweiler.  My second dog was a Neopolitan Mastiff.  My Neo died of old age/pneumonia.

Never buy a puppy when you’re 7 months pregnant.  With your first baby.

Take my word for it.

Pat those nurturing hormones down a little and save’em for baby.

Samuel loves to play with Byron . . . or taunt him, one.

Byron, the dog pictured above, lived through . . . not just one, but both my pregnancies.  He gets high marks for the amazing long-suffering and insufferable joy of life he seems to possess.

So, in this case . . . now Byron is leaning into his 5th year of life . . . it all worked out.  If it weren’t for Justin refusing to give Byron up, he would have found a new home about 123.5 times over that first two years.  Not because he was a bad dog but because I was overwhelmed and Justin was working a lot  . . . not good news for the attention-hog types that Jacks seem to be.

We’ve been told that Jack Russells, generally, do not take to water.  ”Hate” is the word we use regarding Jacks and water.

I have exactly 5000 shots of this dog swimming and fetching and just plain cooling off.  My favorite, which I do not have a photo of, is him cooling himself off in the water features at the park.  He plays fetch in the hot sun, for about 10 minutes . . . goes up to the sprinkler style feature, drops his ball, drinks a little water, drenches himself and then brings the ball back to me . . .  to the amusement (and I’m sure annoyance to some) of toddler-chasing parents.

Someday I’ll have a Mastiff again . . . Monti was so dear to me . . . but I wouldn’t trade Byron.

I Got a Bomb in Me Pants

Sorry, we’re watching Wallace and Gromit . . . A Matter of Loaf and Death.  Gromit says that about the bomb in his pants bit.

Um, now that I over-explained that.

Summer is almost over!!  What happened?? I was driving the other day, cuz I do that once in awhile, and noticed some of the loverly green trees turning colors . . . colors such as blood red, gross orange and death yellow.  Ok, very pretty to look at but its also the official announcement of summer’s end . . . death to sun and only cool, rainy and more cold in the near future.

I just thought I’d share some of my summertime photos.  The boys and I had such a great summer!  We made new friends and spent tons of time out of doors . . . even got to visit the zoo and the coast.  But mostly just a lot of time, locally, at the parks playing in the water.

Samuel at the downtown, Waterfront Park, playing in the water.  One of  three water-feature parks that we frequented this summer. Kept the hot hot days from being too hot.

Minto-Brown is another favorite . . . no water features . . . but a huge dog park, walking trails galore, and the coveted black berry bushes.  The boys, dog and mom and dad, all get worn out with this outing.

Riverfront Park.  Tobias tumbling.  If you look close enough at the dude sitting on the ground beyond Sam, you’ll see the python (or Boa, whichever) hanging out on his neck.  Uh, ok.

Picnicking at Riverfront . . . same day, same snake guy sitting behind us.

Waiting for the movie in the park to begin; Samuel.

Tob and Dad . . . watching the movie in the park.  

One of our squashes with the bloom still on.  The garden has been one of the highlights of this summer, for me!

Tobias starts preschool tomorrow and I’m a bit nervous about this new venture  . . . kind of another milestone and I feel like those milestones are whipping by at lightning speed.  Hey . . . at least I didn’t refer to the time flying bit.  Give me some credit.

Anyhoo . . . I’ll have new photos tomorrow evening of that event.

God bless your week!!

Sam and I

Sam and I at the zoo last Saturday . . . ridin' the train.

Ok, so I found a “scrapbooking” bit on my editing thingy that I use online and I’m going a bit crazy  . . .  so here’s another to add to the mix.

Happy Sunday!

Turning Into Little Boys

I had two baby boys . . . I think they are turning into little boys and not babies so much anymore.  I like to pretend Sam is still a little baby . . . I often get in trouble for coddling him . . . but, in reality, he is not.  Not gonna stop me from savoring every second left of his latter half of his second year of life! 

I am planning Tobias’ 4th birthday party.  4th!  When did that all happen.

I’m gonna say it . . .

You can’t stop me . . .

here I go . . .

Yep, thats right . . .

TIME FLIES!

Especially as I age.  A year seems so short now, when it used to seem like eternity.

I love these two hooligans and I’m so stinkin’ blessed to be home with them to be able to mother them . . . they’ll always be my babies!!

ps . . . so I’m thinking a toy train cake or a hotwheel cake . . . not sure which one.  or I might do something totally off the wall . . . like a polka dot cake.  Ok, maybe not.  Any ideas??

Seasons

My second favorite season . . . second only to Summer . . . is Spring.  Mostly for the gradual switch to better weather than cold winter, but also for the flowers in abundance.  Flowers are a major weakness for me . . . any kind, any color.

The trees are in full bloom . . . mmm, spring . . . prelude to summer and full of flowers.  Bonus!

Even the often overlooked Dandelion is prolific in all its orange-yellow glory.

I long for the day of flower beds and gardening once again . . . until then, photos will have to do.

God Bless!

Spring Break

As most people know, this past week was spring break.

Justin graduated the fire suppression program and took the week to relax and just hang at home . . . some much deserved rest and zone out time.

Also, just time to spend with each other and the boys.  Our 7th anniversary occurred Wednesday.  Pretty exciting stuff! We went to Laurelwood Cafe in Portlando . . . enjoying the family time for our 7th marked year. I honestly can say I’m completely in love with Justin . . . through thick and thin . . . as hard as it may be at times.  We are human but we serve and love a big God!! So, I thank God for my husband and the years we’ve had together and the years to come! 

The boys love having their daddy home!  Its like a miniature WWF . . . or maybe we should call WWTF for World Wrestling Toddler Federation . . . or whatever . . . its been like this everyday for the past week.  Play and play hard . . .   I love it . . . well, to watch and enjoy the laughter, I’m not much for wrestling myself.  Have I ever shared that I am quite the pansy?  Well, I am.

And they have someone that shares their fascination and complete obsession for cars and all things related.

The weather wasn’t the best but it was tolerable and little rain . . . so we headed outdoors.  This, again, is just funner when we’re all there.  There is definitely a different dynamic when the fam is all together and functioning properly.

Samuel takes the cake as our bit more daring one, of the two boys.  He is willing to try new things constantly and climbing is one of his favorites.  This one wasn’t exactly his favorite but as long as dad stood there and helped he was good to go.

I have been very fortunate not to have had any major accidents with my boys . . . regarding playgrounds and such . . . but Thursday we were at Minto-Brown Park and they have squiggly ladder climby thing that Samuel loves but it is obviously made for bigger kids.  He managed to slip through one of the loops near the top and land flat on his back . . . and this is with me standing right there . . . I know, I have reflexes like a cat, or a sloth, whatever.  Oh mercy . . . I thought I was going to go into cardiac arrest right there.  He cried a lot but little damage done . . . thank goodness for shavings and semi-soft landings!  He did manage to bite all around the edge of his poor tongue though!! Ouch! But nothing that won’t heal itself.  Thank you, Jesus!!

Tobias and Justin have a special bond.  So do Samuel and Justin but Tobias, in personality, resembles Justin quite a bit . . . in his independence and attitude . . . so two-peas-in-a-pod, as they say.

The playground at the park downtown . . . you know, the one with the carousel . . . well, the playground has these things, the thing Tobias is talking into.  It works like a telephone and it is a big hit  . . .

This game lasted quite awhile. 

We managed a couple of dog park runs . . . this is where I forget my camera.  Bummer.

Riverfront, that is the name of the park with the carousel and the playground with the fake telephones.  It also has an amphitheater . . . made of grass.  Fun stuff!

Oh yeah, the name of the park is Riverfront because . . .

. . . its on the river . . . doy!

So, we ran around, we played, I forgot my camera half the time and we have thoroughly enjoyed the presence of the man of the house for a change!  Back at it tomorrow . . . or Justin is anyway.   The week flew by in a flash . . . one more year, eh.

God Bless!

Loverly Sunday

My boys enjoying the great . . . and pretty cold . . . out of doors, the other day.  I’m sure glad we have several playgrounds around our complex!

I might completely bore you with photos now that I figured out a different way of uploading these pics . . . my computer wouldn’t do it with the flash uploader.  Crazy, old and diseased computer of mine.   This photo cracks me up . . . like a little old man and his dog, hanging out in some park . . . all ya need is some pigeons with Tobias throwing crumbs to the hords of  hungry birds.   Like the guy feeding the sea gulls in the middle of the grocery store parking lot yesterday.  Mass sea gull invasion . . . whilst people are trying to park and maneuvre around them.  Weird.

Such a cute dog, I will take the liberty to say . . . and he turned out to be such a great dog!  We had our moments of complete frustration . . . hint: puppy years . . . and he’s still very active but well behaved (with very little work from yours truly). I understand that not very many Jack Russells are like this.  Just to warn you.

Ah, here’s his favorite activity of all time.  Located at the expansive 25 acre dog park . . . Frisbee.  Yay!

Sorry for the grainy photo . . . his other favorite activity of all time.  Anything that can be chased, will be chased!

Oh yeah, another favorite activity . . . of course, this is after the chasing and the running and the frisbee fetch.  The boys look so solemn . . . not sure what had their attention at the time.

It was quite the sunset that day.  Last week sometime.  We’re all enjoying the dog park and the relatively warm evening.

I will end with this one.  I actually haven’t taken very many photos lately . . . as compared to normal. I love my little men . . . and my hubby!  So blessed, I am!  Not that we don’t have challenges and spats . . . but I know I’m cared for deeply and my boys are healthy and happy.  I’m grateful to God for this!!

God Bless!

ps . . . gotta go watch some tots.  Busy busy busy, they are! No wonder they need naps daily, plus a full nights sleep!

And I kinda like this statement . . . but I don’t have to go back again to do these things . . . perhaps I should attempt doing these things now, while they are still young.

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I’d build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I’d finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I’d take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I’d take more hikes and fly more kites.
I’d stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I’d do more hugging and less tugging.
– Diane Loomans, from “If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again”

messy but oh so cute!

Workin’ The 9 -5

My parents work still. They had a nice long weekend with us but they are back to their own grind, as of yesterday.  

So, today I had a bit of time to do a quick upload of photos taken so far and a bit of editing too . . . craaazzy!  Anyhoo, I’m gonna pass some along, if you don’t mind. 

Here are the Tucker boys watching Cars at the airport terminal.  Our plan was nearly 2 hours late.  Ugh!  The boys ended doing just fine . . . in the terminal and on the plane! Thank you, Jesus!

Granny’s christmas tree . . . so freaking gorgeous!  I was told my loverly designer sister, Amy, helped with this get up.  I’m hiring Amy next year.

My dad and I have walked every day, but one, since I’ve been here.  This is one of the regular trails we’ve visited, near their home in Henderson.  And, uh, thats my dad . . . if clarification was necessary.

 

My brother, Billy, and his wife, Megan.  They were pulling out, in their large moving truck, the very next day that this photo was taken, for Seattle, Washington.  Big move, but they seemed more than ready. Billy looks mighty annoyed here . . . he’s not, just not a great pic.

This is one of my other brothers, Jonathan (Seattle bound, as well) . . . then my dad and my mom, who’s snoozing and will probably skin me alive when she sees this blog post.

That was our first two days here.  Just reconnecting, opening Christmas presents, shopping and walking with my dad.  I’ll post more later. 

God Bless!

dog park

Since the purchase of our pooch, Byron, 3 years ago, dog parks have been an active part of our weekly . . . if not . . . daily lives.   He is, as you probably are already aware, a Parson Russell Terrier . . . also known as a Jack Russell (I’m not sure if “Russell” is spelled with 2 L’s or not, who cares).  Jacks are notoriously high energy, they were bred that way for fox hunting purposes.  We are the idiots that bought a high energy breed of dog but now he has wormed his spring-like self into the center of our hearts . . . so he’s stuck with us.

Since the big move to Salemland we had yet to find a loverly dog park to take our exercise deprived animal, to wear out him adequately.  No amount of walks or jogs can squelch the amazing resilience of his Jack energy. But dog parks take a little bit of it out of him, thankfully.

3 weeks ago we found one.  A dog park.  25 acres of leash-less abound! So many dogs, so many acres of green grass to romp, pee, and poop . . . but mostly romp.  And it is so spread out that I don’t mind the kiddos walking on the bark paths with us, instead of squashed in the stroller to watch the going ons.  So, in a fashion, its a dog and kid park.

And, thankfully, summer is slowing taking over, so the weather has been oh so nice!

Here are some pictures of the outing yesterday, late afternoon.  We’ve been multiple times but I managed to remember my camera . . . and I managed to remember to take pictures once we arrived.

Setting out for a walk around 25 acres of off-leash glory!!

Byron, Tobias and Samuel . . . in the lush scenery.

Tobias, growing up . . . so good looking. I’m not biased in any way though.

Samuel at the dog park. Didn’t have time to edit this one before the real live Samuel woke up from naptime.  And now that he’s sitting on me, fresh from a nap, I’m going. He’s good looking too, by the way.