Job 1:21

"....The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away....."





After the loss of our 14 year old Lab, Bailey, in February, God gave us a very special gift in March:







And on Sunday, He took part of it away:





As the result of a tragic accident in our backyard, Allie has gone on to the Rainbow Bridge.


Her time with us was WAY too brief.



Our house and hearts are now filled with grief.



She made the most of her short dog life in so many ways.



She lived her life to the fullest each and every day.




Her sister, Sophie, adored her; while the squirrels loathed her.




She was loved deeply and she gave MUCH love.




We will dearly miss those dark brown eyes and her Labrador "smile".




Our hearts are so heavy and our eyes filled with tears.




Time heals all wounds, or so they say......I don't know why God gave and then took away?!

Labrador Diaries -- Volume 5

This post is not for the weak.

There will be no pictures. You are welcome.

Because the horrid images are seared into my brain, as well as my kid's.

We last left our villains dog wonders on the hunt for fresh meat. Squirrel meat.

The hunt was over last weekend when they captured victim #1, an unsuspecting young squirrel who was obviously not paying attention while coming down the tree.

With the details spared........suffice it to say we had our first and hopefully last squirrel funeral in the GRITS backyard.

After the private ceremony, the Princess declared, "I think all those other squirrels up in that tree probably learned a very important lesson today!"


Not so much......fast forward to this morning as we rushed around getting ready for church.

I gazed out the kitchen window only to find Sophie with "something" in the yard. As I stepped out on the patio, I realized she had victim #2 between her jaws.

Again, I will spare you the details, but when I hollered for LegoMan to come help me.....I almost had to resuscitate him! He will probably never come when I call him again. Ever.


I suspect the Princess was wrong......there were NO lessons learned from the squirrel viewing deck in that tree. And I'm sure today's burial will probably not be the last. There will be plenty more squirrels unknowingly making that final trip down the tree trunk. For it is natures way.


WARNING TO ALL SQUIRRELS, these deceivingly, sweet, smiling faces may be the last ones you see:

School Daze

As you may know, we've been back in school for about a month.

What a L-O-N-G month it's been!!


We weren't even in school two weeks before I got the dreaded "Your son's had an accident and I think he might need stitches" phone call. And he did, four of them. Thankfully, the wound was right in his eyebrow line and the scar is barely visible.





Our afternoons are now filled with homework and swim practice. And did I mention the homework?!

I must say this has been a turning point in our household for the dreaded post-school work. Don't get me wrong....I am NOT complaining much. We have just had to get used to hitting the books a little bit harder now.

And staying awake during studying is important, too:






At what age do kids realize if they would just sit down and do their work, without dilly-dallying, they would be done sooner?? *shrug*

We are all hanging in there, so far.


The Princess is hoping she can just get by on her good looks and fashion sense alone:



I'd give her an "A"......wouldn't you?!