A Dogs Purpose

 I received this story below in an email recently. It has touched my heart and I want to share it with as many people as possible.
I'm not a Mommy. I may never be a Mommy. But, I am a Mama, to my sweet puppy. He loves me, he needs me, he knows who will always protect him and care for him and I'd like to think that if he could, he would call me Mama. Ha! And I don't even care that some people think I'm crazy or that I take it too far. You can't help who you love or who holds a special place in your heart. Love knows no color, race, religion, or even species. We love who we love, not matter what, with no rhyme or reason and that is precious, that is love.

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker ‘s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker’s Death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ”I know why.”
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation. It has changed the way I try and live.
He said,”People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life — like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?” The Six-year-old continued,
”Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.”

Are you crying yet? 

*****************************
Live simply.
Love generously.
Care deeply.
Speak kindly.


Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure Ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you’re happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you’re not.
If what you want lies buried, dig until you find it.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by, and nuzzle them gently.
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!

Make the Most of Your Time

 *Warning - this post contains no pictures and its long, but I hope you'll appreciate its meaning and purpose as much as I do.

I won't sugar coat it or lie about it - being a coach's wife is hard. There are long hours to deal with. Multiple games each week. Out of town tournaments. Two hour phone conversations with upset parents crying because their son didn't get to play the entire game. Uniforms that have to be washed. And at the end of the day he still has to come home and be a husband or a "family man." Yes, those are just some of the things that THE COACH has to deal with in addition to actually conducting practices and coaching games.

As for the coach's wife - well she has to deal with everything above, and then some. Most husbands change light bulbs, walk dogs, take out the trash, tighten the screws on the bar stools, un-clog the kitchen sink, etc. Most husbands work jobs with regular hours and are home at relatively the same time each day. Please note - I said MOST. I realize other husbands have crazy schedules too. Just speaking for majority on this one. My husband isn't home to do those things.  If he pulls into our drive way before 8pm on a practice night, it usually means something is wrong. On game nights, he might as well be non-existent (to me) because he is never home before 11:30pm and I'm never up that late. I pick up a lot of the slack around our house and I do a lot of the chores or tasks that husbands usually do. I don't resent him for it. I just do it, and move on.

 Its a small price to pay to have my love do something each and every day that makes his soul shine and his heart race. Baseball is in his blood and coaching gives him a connection with the game you can't get from any other position on the field. He loves what he does and you can see it in his eyes. I am forever jealous that he found his calling in life so early and that he gets to earn a living fulfilling his dreams. I love him and I support him - together, we make the best team there will ever be, in ANY game. I'm sure he'd agree to that too.

So, now with this blah, blah, blah out of the way I can get to my point;  The most important part of being The Coach's Wife. Its not the extra chores, late nights, weather conditions, etc. The most important thing, is time and using it wisely. Time is a precious thing, because you can never get it back and it passes so quickly. When your time is limited with the special people in your life, you learn quickly to make the most of the time you are allowed. For whatever reason we have all dealt with the issue of using our time wisely. The time Dave and I share is precious to the both of us for so many reasons. His coaching keeps him away from home more than he likes, so we soak up the minutes we get to spend together. My Father in law passed at a young age due to cancer and its always a reminder that we are not promised tomorrow no matter what our age or health status.

How we make the most of our time is different to each of us. It greatly depends on our loves in life, desires, past experiences, hobbies, etc. Here are some of the things the Coach and I like to do to make the most of the time we have together.

• We eat dinner TOGETHER, when possible. No matter how late it is we like to share our meal beside one another. Sometimes we have a conversation over dinner and sometimes we share the nice silence or play music.
• We take long walks - alone or with Bronx. Sometimes its down our street and sometimes we stop and walk down town after an errand trip or dinner. 
• We cook together, clean together, and play with Bronx together. If we are both home we try to both be included in the activity at hand. You'd be surprised at the laughs you'll have cleaning the bathroom together. 
• We go to bed together. I'll admit this is a new one, because usually we have different bed times. Lately, I've needed that extra cuddle time so Dave has been trying to hit the hay with me. 
• We plan things. Sometimes we plan together and sometimes we each plan a little something for the other one. Its as simple as a spur of the moment wine and cheese picnic in our back yard on Sunday evenings or as detailed as a Friday night dinner by the lake followed by a movie!
• We're spontaneous. We have responsibilities so we can't just up and fly the coop for a weekend getaway without a little planning. But, when the idea comes up for some last minute fishing at the pond with a full cooler and good friends - we jump at the chance! We go to the grocery store on Saturday nights at 11pm and we make trips to Wal-mart for ice cream at 2am when we wake up on the couch after falling asleep to some rented movie. 
• We get in lots of cuddles, hugs and kisses when we're together - so I'll have extra stored up when he's gone! :) I'm not a big fan of PDA - so don't worry, these are at home cuddles, hugs and kisses! 

You have to be open to try new things and spend undivided attention on each other. Make the most of those moments you have together by doing your favorite activities together or sharing an activity together that the other usually does not participate in. You've got to go for it. No one else is going to stop time and tell you what to do and how to use your time together wisely, you've got to figure it out. I made my mind up a long time ago I was not going to let something so petty as time stand in my way of making lasting memories with my husband, and having a hell of a time doing it! I hope you feel the same! 

Thursday's Thoughts

Last Sunday I woke up at my normal 7:30am and did my routine with Bronx. After he ate and laid back down I climbed into bed with Dave to wake him up to get ready for church. I woke up at 1pm with Bronx standing over us barking. I must have been exhausted because I never sleep that late! Total I got over 14 hours of sleep between Saturday night and Sunday at 1pm!

I've managed to cook dinner ONE night this week. If you know me personally, you know this is NOT normal for me or our house hold. I enjoy eating at home much more than going out and usually cook 5-6 nights each week!

Bronx has some sort of stomach issues going on and if it continues - I'm moving out. I have a super weak stomach and I've cleaned up more dog vomit this week than Emeril says "Bam." All I can say is, thank you Jesus for wooden floors and paper towels! Oh, and wine. (A glass of wine before cleaning up vomit from the floor will make the task slightly less disgusting. If you need more than slightly, may I suggest the entire bottle.

We just got a new insurance provider at work. They are giving us a hard time about covering pre-existing conditions even though at the initial meeting the rep said they would since it was a company policy and we had 100% enrollment. Do you know how many pre-existing conditions I have? Geez!
I was on injection #1 of a 3 step vaccine when we changed and now the new provider doesn't want to cover the vaccine because I'm over 18. Go figure. The best part, if they don't cover the last 2 injections then I'll be paying around $320 out of pocket to finish the vaccine. I hope you can read past the thick as fog sarcasm in this paragraph.

I begged for weeks to have two shelves hung on our living room wall. I purchased them months ago on an Ikea trip and I've been dying to put them up. Dave finally got around to it this weekend. The result - they are now hung on the wall in the living room AND I hate them :( I spent so much time nagging about putting them up that I'm to chicken to ask him to take them back down now! Ha!

Within the past two months I've spent over $150 in copays for all these stupid appointments I've had to go to. At this rate, I'll have no problem meeting the 10% of our gross adjusted income to write off medical bills on our taxes!

We have our annual party the first weekend in May each year to get all our friends together for some good times together. I don't have one single thing purchased this year. I'm so behind.

After having a few days off and the Easter holiday off it has been super hard to get back into the swing of the work week. Working some crazy overtime and bringing stacks of work home with me doesn't help, but I'm loving that overtime! Thank goodness they haven't decided to make me salary yet!

Its almost Friday!

The Husband Manual

I had such a hard time titling this post. I just couldn't come up with a good one to save my life!
I listen to a local radio station on my morning commutes. Several days each week I drive over and hour to work - so a good morning show is crucial in making sure my morning doesn't turn sour over horrible drivers, wreck on the interstate, etc.

Since I was a freshman in high school - age 14 to be exact I have been listening to a morning radio show called - The Ace and TJ Show. Last year they went on a slight hiatus and were only available via Internet or their app until recently when they signed with a new station and are now being broad casted back in our area. Any who, long story short - this week the members of the show are having their spouses write a manual about them to give to their "new" future spouse, should they ever be out of the picture.

I thought it was neat, funny, and a pretty darn good idea for a blog post too! My husband doesn't read my blog but you can bet I'll be showing him this post!

Dear Future Mrs.,

Please let me start with a quick reminder that it was over 6 years into our relationship before we were married. Not because we weren't ready but because we were both very stern in our belief that people fall in love and if that love is true, you continue to grow in love. If time is not allowed to see if falling in love will lead to growing in love then one can not be sure they continue to grow in love for forever.
Therefore, if you were married in less time than this, you can almost bet he now realizes he jumped the gun and is now probably regretting not waiting things out, just in case.

We were young when we met, young when we married, and young when we built our first home together - just because we were young does not mean we were stupid, not does it mean we didn't know what marriage is. We married within our faith, lived by the word of God, counseled with our Preacher for 6 weeks before and there was not a dry eye in the church when we said our vows in front of God, our family, and friends, because we meant every word of our vows and we lived them. Divorce was never an option in the event of martial issues and if you are reading this it is surely because I'm 6 feet under.

He has a heart the size of Texas, and though he does not always wear it on his sleeve, its there. Its there and its big and it will love you more than you ever dreamed of, if you let it. Don't take him for granted. You wont find many more men like him. His soul is pure. His eyes the brightest blue. And he will work harder than a plow mule chasing a carrot. When he loves someone or something, he is devoted completely and fully. Never doubt his love for you. Just when you think he has forgotten you, he'll sweep you off your feet and remind you why you love him so.

If you lack cooking skills, I mean GOOD cooking skills - don't expect him to eat it anyways. If it doesn't taste good, honey, he ain't eating it. He isn't picky and does a good job cleaning his plate but if it involves fresh oranges, mayonnaise or anything that looks like mayonnaise you better keep it far away from his plate. Better yet, don't even bring the mayo in the house. You will never win that battle, so give up now.

He drinks beer, only beer. You can skip the vodka, whiskey, or rum because he wont have it. If it involves tequila, sounds like tequila, or smells like tequila he will vomit. Don't say I didn't warn you. He's a Michelob man, Michelob Ultra to be exact. And on game days - Coors Light. Remember that - its important. Its important that he gets the correct beer on the correct day as well. He is a baseball coach. A very superstitious baseball coach. Ultra on off days. Coors on game days. You got that?

He's OCD. Not clinically diagnosed, but he has it, trust me.

This man does not like to be hungry. He needs his meals, all three of them and possibly some snacks in there too. Don't you dare forget one! Don't dry his any of his shirts or shorts - I spoiled him with my laundry skills long ago and made him a nit picky mess over his clothes!  He will always tell you he hates shopping, but once you have in the door he'll be pulling more off the racks than you! Don't do anything to hurt his precious lawn. He takes great pride in his grass and keeping it looking its best. He'll spend more money on the grass each year than you will dying your roots and getting pedicures - this is also a battle you should not try to fight, its not worth the effort.

And finally, our sweet sweet Bronx. If you want to know what half of my heart looks like, please look at him.  His full name, given to him by his Dad is Charlee's Bronx Bomber, because, after all he was a present to me.  Being die-hard Yankee fans, the name seemed fitting. He is AKC Registered and his blood line is 256th best in his breed. He was born on November 10th, 2009 and joined our family on December 23rd, 2009. We celebrate both dates. His birth date and his welcome home date are both special and deserve to be celebrated. Bronx is a full blooded Yellow American Labrador Retriever - and lives up to his breeds name 100%. Since Bronx has been with us I have not slept a full 8 hour night nor gone to the bathroom alone - and for what he brings into our lives its totally worth it. Bronx is spoiled beyond imagination - mostly because I could and wanted to and partially because he is just so darn cute. Please just go along with it - because I highly doubt you'll win the "bark war" he engages you in when he is really adamant about wanting something. He eats breakfast and dinner and has a snack for lunch. He needs to be walked twice each day and brushed daily. He needs his pain meds on rainy days due to the rod in his leg and some set in arthritis. He sleeps in the bed, as in the bed you'll share with my husband. I hope you didn't plan to cuddle - except with Bronx. Ha!
One last thing,  I'm not sure its possible, but if it is you can guarantee if you ever harm Bronx in any way - I will come back to earth to haunt you and make your life hell.

Sincerely,

The First Mrs.

Do you Etsy?

I'm really behind, in general. As in, I'm always the last to know about the latest fad, changes in weather, world or local news, and even things going on in my own family! I'm just plain ole' out of the loop!

 I sort of like it that way cause I already have too much to deal with anyways! Ha! Hello, my name is Charlee. I am a hermit. A happy hermit! 

I had heard of Etsy and maybe even glanced around on the website before. I think I really didn't understand how it worked and that their are "shops" that you buy from, not the site itself. I just needed a little eye opener. In my own words - Etsy works like an online mall. Etsy.com is the site and thousands of independent shop "owners" have the ability to sell their goods (mostly handmade) or products in their virtual "shop" on the site. So if you are looking for something particular, say a baby girl headband, then you can search for that type of item and then browse hundreds of individual shops to see what you like the best!

Last week I visited Etsy to actually do some exploring and figure it out. While "breaking" for lunch at work I ate and I surfed. Umm, like 3 hours later I snapped out of my Etsy coma and realized it was almost time to go home! Needless to say, I was smitten and I have to be VERY careful of my time spent on that site, because I promise, it WILL get away from you, like quick! 

I've been reading Kelle's BLOG - Enjoying the Small Things, for over a year now and she always lists the awesome shops she gets jewelry, clothes for her and her precious girls, etc. I'm always envious of the neat things she posts about and today I was just too envious of an Etsy item she posted about. Kelle probably has no idea I follow her blog or any idea who I am, and I'm cool with that. I'm just glad she blogs because she is an awesome writer and she and her girls sport some of the coolest clothes and accessories around. What's even better is she ALWAYS tells you where she got them and how you can get them! 

 If you are a mother and you do not fall in love with the sweet necklaces and rings made by Melody Joy (link) then you have no heart! Just kidding! But really, they are darling and I may or may not have popped my Etsy cherry today and jumped right on the chance to purchase one for a special lady in my life! (Mom, if you are reading this, please erase the last sentence from your memory!)

 (source)

Come on, you can not tell me that is not one of the most adorable things you have ever seen!?! If I were a mommy - I would never take mine off! I would also like to say that I am not being paid or asked by Etsy or any Etsy shop owners to write this post. All opinions are mine. However, if Etsy or an Etsy shop owner would like to offer any discounts, samples, etc for me to try or use I would LOVE to and would be happy to write a review and our advertisement post about the product.

I have hopes of being able to control this new found Etsy love, but really, can you beat buying something at a reasonable price from someone who made their product ESPECIALLY for you, with love. Lets face it, if you have an Etsy shop its probably because you love what you make and love to make it for others, not because you want a $500k a year profit! 

I didn't write this post to push everyone to go buy this awesome jewelry from Melody Joy (although you should cause their soo adorable) but just to inform others who may be timid or confused as to what Etsy is and how it works. I must warn you, if you are new to Etsy - I am not responsible for any loss of time, lack of productiveness, or the lack of cash in your wallet! Ha!