LITTLE HELPER

It's been a while since I've blogged anything. Been a little too busy I guess. But watching Z and Lee bond in the garage I thought I'd post real quick.
Z is a HUGE help in the garage . (just ask him).
If tools are laying in a pile while fixing a project, Z will take them and put them away for you! (not necessarily in the right places and usually before you're done)
If there's a can of nuts and bolts nearby, Z will dump them all over the floor. (to make it easier to find the one you need)
If the air hose is down ,Z has learned to pull on it and the nifty thing will quickly roll right back up on the roller. (doesn't matter if you were still using it, can't have hoses laying around)
If floor dry is needed Z makes sure it is evenly and completely spread all around the garage. (he believes you can never use too much floor dry)
Z also finds the garage a GREAT place for tricycle riding. This way he can quickly supervise all the work and help as needed. 
If Z sees Lee hammer something, Z will hammer something next. If Z sees Lee use a screwdriver, Z must use one etc. etc. The ONLY unfortunate thing is that little fingers often drop tools and bolts and things in places where they don't belong. (like inside a motor or under a porch)
Z watches Lee change tires on the tire machine, so when Z goes to change his tires on his matchbox car...it somehow accidentally ended up on the INSIDE of the tire machine! (no worries Lee got it out).
If you need any help in your garage just let me know and I will send the super mechanic Z right over!

Couldn't have said it better!

http://adoption.about.com/od/fostering/a/endfriendship.htm
COPIED FROM A FRIENDS FB POST BUT OH SO TRUE!!!!

10 Surefire Ways to End a Friendship with a Foster Parenting Friend

By Carrie Craft, About.com Guide

Yes, I’m only kidding with the following suggestions, unless of course you do want to lose your foster parenting friend. But these are statements that I, and many of my foster parent friends, have personally heard from other well-meaning friends and family. I know hurting me or my family was not intended, but I do hope that through this article others can see how simple statements can have an impact on others.

1. Tell your foster parenting friends how you could never do foster care because you would love the children too much. This way the foster family feels a bit cold-hearted as that is the only way anyone could do foster care, according to your statement.
2. Bug the foster family with questions about why the children are not with their birth mom and dad. This is a great way to push the foster family into breaking confidentiality and ruining their reputation as a professional part of the foster care team.
3. Advise the foster family that the foster child just needs a good spanking to solve behavior problems. The foster family will then feel further overwhelmed not only in dealing with behaviors, but in constantly having to explain and defend discipline choices.
4. Devalue the foster family's choice to serve the children of the community by criticizing their decision. Explain how you would never do foster care because it brings bad influences into your home and into the lives of your children.
5. Say things like, "you're too strict", "all foster children need is love," and "you should baby the kids more, they've been through so much" undermining the foster parent's ability to make parenting choices for the children within their care.
6. Refuse to understand the need for the children to have boundaries within relationships and triangulate with the kids every chance you get. Try siding with the kids against the foster parents, they love this!
7. When the foster parent is venting to you as one of their much needed support systems, say, “I’ve never seen the foster child act like that, he/she was perfect for me,” or “I would take him/her in a minute if I could.” This will cause the foster parent to think that they are going crazy and doubt what they are seeing in the child’s behavior.
8. If the foster child drives you crazy then feel free to tell the foster parents about it. Don’t worry about saying anything rude about the child within their care, it’s not like they are the foster child's REAL parents anyway. Say things like, “how can you stand that kid?” “ I would have shipped him/her off long ago.” Be sure to complain about the child every chance you get, ignoring any hint of hurt from the foster parent.
9. Drive home any feelings of ineptness by telling the foster parents how you’d have “that kid straightened out in two weeks." Nothing makes a foster parent feel unsuccessful like comparison of parenting skills. This will cause the foster parents to doubt their parenting ability and to second guess every choice and decision.
10. Guilt is a very effective tool if you want to destroy someone’s self-worth. Ask the foster parents if they feel terrible about taking away from their own children with their choice of doing foster care. This is even more effective during times of high stress when the foster child is having behavior problems and the family is in crisis mode.

If you follow these 10 easy steps you too could end a perfectly good friendship with your pal who does foster care! If, however, you value this friendship and your friend - try the opposite of each of the above statements. I bet your foster parenting friend will appreciate it

WOW

WOW! My life has become a whirlwind of excitement! My nephew Braden made his grand appearance into the world last Sunday, April 15th...(yes my accountant sister had her first child on tax day!) AND HE IS WONDERFUL!
As for the foster kids,
J has become increasingly aggressive and confused. We took them to another foster home for the weekend so we could host a rock crawling event for Lee's birthday. The other foster mom said they were the most hyper kids she'd ever seen, and she has a birth child with ADHD. J gets in trouble at preschool almost every day. The first calls I get from school are PRE-school. I can only imagine what regular school will be like if things don't change. Ironically, even though he gets in a lot of trouble, he LOVES preschool. We started counseling and the "123 magic" program that the counselor recommended. So prayers are appreciated while we deal with new challenges every day.
K is doing pretty well. She's a bit confused and a big copy-cat of big brother, but she's quickly getting to where she needs to be socially and academically.
Sometimes the frustrations are intense , but so is the cuteness. Like today we stopped by to see my mom at work and K and J were "helping" clean windows. Now they were getting more prints on the windows than off, but the effort was there! They also help (and I use the word help loosely) sweep, mop, and vacuum the house! They are learning to pray before we eat. J can say a whole prayer it goes like this...every time..".Dear God, Thank you for food. In Jesus name Amen." Doesn't matter if he's praying in church or at the dinner table, this is his prayer! K mumbles a few words and says Amen....but sometimes she does it before every single bite! (She's very thankful sometimes lol)
It's difficult, yes. But nobody ever said it would be easy. The things worth doing rarely are. The thing that bothers me perhaps the most, even more than the behavior issues, is the fact that  if  I had a dollar for every person that has already told me it's time to give up on these kids, I could probably retire right now.  

Chaos VS Cuteness

WOW!!! I must admit foster parenting is MUCH harder than I thought! We have moments of cuteness mixed in with moments of chaos and there's NEVER a dull moment....EVER. My patience is being tested like never before!  But just when I am about to reach the end of my rope, they do something cute. because even though the chaos never ends, neither does the cuteness! Here's some examples:
1- I walk in the bedroom and K has emptied her ENTIRE dresser of clothes out on the floor. I ask her why she did that and she sweetly replies "I was looking for socks"
2- Breakfast turns to chaos when K spills on her clothes, strips down and runs across the table in her undies.  All while I am on the phone trying to conduct buisness.
3- But they are getting it slowly. after about 20 times of saying "K you're too big for Ty's baby swing, get out of it" I catch her in it again. Before I can say anything she looks at me and says (in her sweetest voice) "I too big" and gets down.....
4- And they behaved well enough in the bank that the ladies gave them stickers!!! Then while I was watching the road in the minivan , they placed the stickers on my sidewindows!
5- J wanted to help water the animals so I explained that we only spray water in the water buckets not on people or animals. First he sprayed the deer bucket til it was full. Then he sprayed water in the chicken bucket til it was full, then he sprayed the neighbor boy, and then he sprayed me. Not just a little, I was soaked. And J was in time-out. Haley did seem to enjoy the show from the trampoline where she was jumping, as she was laughing hysterically when we got back up to the house! I told J what he did was not funny and she must be laughing at something else!
6-K walks in the office and grabs the picture of Lee that I keep on my desk and says "Look it's the best daddy ever"  (If only she knew this daddy was about ready to pull his hair out !)
7-Church is an all-out circus in our pew, as it seems to be a new experience for J and K. Quiet is hard for them. Being still is even harder. Sitting down for more than 5 minutes is hardest of all.  We established a new rule ---If we have to go outside and get a time-out in church then we dont play on the playground after church---This new rule caused K to scream all the way home last night "I NEED THE PARK".
I find myself saying unexpected things all the time such as "that's not a ball it's a potatoe" and "we dont dance in the bathtub, we sit", and " the kitchen cabinets are not for climbing on".  Actually the only reason I had time to even blog was because K decided to watch Mickey Mouse for a few minutes and I was on hold with the fuel card people ! 
 


 

THE KIDS ARE HERE!!!!!

Well it finally happened. We have foster children. Yes children...as in more than one. One boy & one girl to be exact. Referred by my good friend Amanda Cousins to her case worker, we got a call . It was Friday afternoon. All our children were spending the weekend with their other parents for spring break. We were planning a kid-free weekend and Saturday date night . I was on my way to the grocery store. And then we got the call. A sibling group of 2 needs a foster home immediately. So we talked and decided to take them. I was asked to meet a caseworker at DHS and pick them up since I was close to town. I wait in the office for what seems like forever then she brings in 2 of the most adorable, hyper kids I have ever seen! I have learned a few things about foster parenting already:
1--Nobody thats sane does it
2--Kids may not come to you scared and crying , they may come to you bouncing off the walls and into everything
3-Bedtime can be crazy
4- Grocery shopping can be much crazier than bedtime
5- Some kids are afraid of nobody and when you tell them to hold on to the cart and dont let go ,so you don't lose them in the store, it may not be YOUR cart they grab onto.
6--A three year old can climb a wall...a straight up and down wall or bathtub side
7--There is no good answer for "Where's mommy"
8--Pull-ups are very absorbent, but not so much that they will absorb a washing machine full of water if one is accidentally washed. It will explode. All over your load of clothes. And it will be near impossible to clean out of the washer. 
Good news I no longer need a diet or exercise plan. Cause I don't have time to eat or rest any longer. LOL  Love these kids though. Tomorrow...we attempt church with fosters!

EXCITING TIMES!!!!!

 In preparation for the lady from DHS to come and approve our house for foster care , I once again cleaned everything to the extreme! I locked down anything sharp or remotely toxic. I cleaned out the deer pen and chicken coop, Scrubbed everything that can be scrubbed in the house, got laundry caught up, kitchen clean, and then i cooked dinner, and then I cleaned the kitchen all over again, swept, mopped, vacuumed etc.
Well the DHS lady showed up yesterday and officially opened our home for foster children.  She didn't look at the animals at all, she took a quick walk around the house and handed us a binder. Now instead of impatiently waiting to be open, I am impatiently waiting for a phone call to accept a child. Did I mention patience is not my strong suit? 
Nonetheless we have a lot to be excited about in the very near future.
#1---hopefully we will be adding a foster child to our family very soon
#2--My nephew Braden is about ready to be born! 
Waiting for both calls any day now!!!!! 
Anyone care to guess which call I get first?
 

The BABY shower!!!!!

I have learned several things while preparing a baby shower for my sister. I had a lot of fun planning it , so I am passing on my new knowledge to all of you readers out there. Yes all 3 of you ! LOL 
#1- Ducks can float in water-colored punch (although not constantly upright!) So if you do one of these watch for occasional drowning duckies!

#2 Ducks fit on a cake nicely too.(they stayed upright here!) And for those of you who assume I had the talent to make this cake...I did not...It's a Harps! Of course don't expect Harps to have it done on time or anything.......but thats another story!

#3 Ducks can even fit right in a diaper cake! (Thank to April for this one)

 #4- If life throws a curve at you in the middle of the planning...friends and family show up to help make it all happen! (Again, Thanks April, and thanks mom too)

#5- If you plan a baby shower from 2:00-5:00, but find you're done at 3:45 and everyones started leaving...you should still expect a 4:00 to 4:30  crowd ! LOL ....My apologies to the after 4:00 people for having locked the doors, but I did enjoy our visit outside!

#6--if you have the party at Carroll electric..you WILL sweep, mop, take out the trash, and clean windows and doors before leaving if you want your deposit back! And if someone leaves prints on the glass door 3 separate times after they were cleaned ...you clean them again!  This is the point I am glad I had children, as they came in very handy for #6. 

#7-- The amount of help (with the party), support (for my sister), and welcoming excitement (for baby Braden) makes it so worth it!!!!

And just in case my sister kills me for posting that last picture, know that I love you all!!!!! And thanks for reading! (and by the way sis you're so cute pregnant!)

a week of excitement! (good excitement for a change)

Well we have all tests results in and everything is normal (except of course my daughters symptoms). But I'm not that frustrated anymore cause we did rule out brain tumors!! (big relief) along with some other bad stuff. What IS going on? Nobody seems to know. But she seems to be getting better with a few diet changes, so I am feeling better too! If it doesn't go away we will be sent to Little Rock, but I am hopeful it will go away before our next appointment in 6 weeks. Since all bloodwork and MRI, CT ,xrays, and EEG are normal we feel better even with no definite answers.
Since it seems Samantha does not have anything life-threatening ...onward with the foster care program! We have our final home study (at least I think it's the final one) on March 19th. So now to get the house ready (again). We will be taking no more than one child at a time until we have definite answers or Sam 's symptoms are COMPLETELY gone, however. But still that's something to bring excitement around here!
My nephew is due in just 5 weeks so Saturday is the big baby shower (and my first attempt at being a hostess). It's a rubber duckie theme and pictures will be posted soon after the event!
 

This is a test, only a test

Well Samantha and I went to bed at 6pm Sunday evening in an effort to get some sleep. Unfortunately neither of us was able to go to sleep so it was more like rest, until about 9pm when she fell asleep. Then I woke her up at midnight to prepare for a dr ordered sleep deprived EEG. On the prep sheet they gave us it said "Patient must stay up from midnight Sunday until the EEG test is performed" It also said "patient must bring a driver for sleep deprived EEG " This concerned Samantha because she thought they meant a driver who was NOT sleep deprived. I assured her it didn't say that, it only said bring a driver, so I could be sleep deprived too. LOL. We spent the first 2 or 3 hours cleaning the girls closet and room...FUN! Than Sam decorated things for the baby shower we plan to throw my sister in a couple weeks. About 4ish we decided we needed help staying awake so we let the dogs come upstairs, and shortly thereafter Haley woke up and joined us (um the dogs might have had something to do with that too). That was wonderful cause I dozed off while Sam did Haley's hair, Cause Sam wasn't allowed to use anything on her own hair before the test, so she felt she could not possibly start a day without putting tons of products in hair, so she used Haleys hair instead. At 6ish we got dressed and ate breakfast and left for Washington Regional. A little after 8 we were called back to a room where they stuck 23 electrodes on Sam's head, and flashed a stobe light in her eyes for a few minutes, followed by telling her to hyperventilate, then finally they wanted to test her sleeping. Sleeping was not a problem for her at that point so they got the tests they wanted. No results were shared with us at all. 
Than we stopped by Subway for a drink and snack before heading to Mana for ther MRI. She was extremely nervous about the MRI as she is a bit claustrophobic , and I was not allowed back with her on this one. But she made it through fine and was told that Dr Moon likes to read his own results , so again no information was given to us. I did briefly meet a boy and his grandma in the waiting room going through much the same thing we are, so it was somewhat comforting to know we are not alone in this, and we had a nice visit while waiting for Sam to come out. Then we came home and I attempted to work a little (bad idea) I messed up a few things which I corrected this morning, and now we wait. Our appointment with Dr Moon is March 6th , which seems like an eternity away right now. And so we wait. And if anyone knows anyone going through anything similar feel free to share this blog, cause any and all information and/or support is welcome right now!

girls hiking in the woods

Well after a morning of peewee basketball games, and a big win for Sierra's team, we decided it was a good day for a hike. So, not letting the pictures on Lee's deer cam of bobcats and bear scare us, we headed up to the 40 acres! 

We hiked and enjoyed nature for a while , then stopped at the waterfall for some water and a snack. Not sure what Samantha was thinking in this one, but it seems to me she's expressing the importance of drinking enough water!

We found some tracks that would pass on TV for bigfoot I'm sure, along with deer tracks and various other animal tracks. We did not see any actual animals at all.  LOL Perhaps cause we were being extremely loud! Sometimes it's fun just to....well .....have fun. (We weren't deer hunting after all).

Apparently some rocks are just too big to move...even for these muscles!

It was fun, it was exercise, it was a little relaxation before we tackle the MRI and EEG testing for Samantha Monday morning. (The busier I stay until I get test results, the better).

ER = extremely rude?

Well Samantha has had only minor episodes for 2 days now, so I am thankful for that. After Monday nights trip to the ER ,because she had an episode at the top of stairs and fell to the bottom, I needed a break! Hopefully she continues to get better and we get some answers soon as to what exactly is going on with her. Because we have testing Monday and an appointment for results March 6th , I have moved back our final walk-thru for foster care to March 19th. My hope is by then we will have some answers on Samantha, and know what we are dealing with. Until we know what we are dealing with I don't think there is any way I could possibly take on raising another child. Trying to stay optimistic (a challenge for me).
Not at all impressed with ER doctors right now. Monday night we walked into the ER and she was so "out of it" they rushed her back to trauma immediately. I was hoping they would do an MRI  cause they had already done a CT scan and it showed nothing the previous time. The Dr refused. I argued with him , but ultimately he won. They did some bloodwork, waited for her to "come around" and sent us home. Now it's not that they don't have an MRI in the ER. They do. They simply refused to use it, even at a parents request, stating it was only for patients who had had a stroke. When we arrived at the ER she could not talk, or stand alone, she was shaking, tears and drool all over her face, and they concede no MRI is necessary, repeated bloodwork which has always been normal, and sent us home. I hope they don't mind when I get as excited about paying their bill as they got about helping my child!

WAITING... WAITING

Well, we got a call from DHS and they are coming for the final? walk-thru on Feb 28th. They were very understanding when I explained that, we would like to finish, but can't actually take any kids until the problems with Samantha are resolved. Honestly I don't even allow myself to daydream about foster/ adopting right now.


Still very concerned about Samantha, but I do like the neurologist she saw yesterday, Dr. Moon. He ordered an MRI and a EEG for the 27th and we are hoping for results by the 6th of March , which is our next appt with him. He said it's possible we are not dealing with seizures, and it could still be something else. It could be something very simple or it could still be a brain tumor. I thought we had ruled those out with the CT scan but apparently not. However if her MRI comes back normal he says that will rule out tumors. Until then I am trying not to stay in a constant state of panic.......trying.

Frustration sets in

Well I must admit , feeling a little defeated today. Samantha continues to have episodes with racing heartbeat, disorientation, shaking, and hyperventilating. Foster care will have to be put on hold until we figure this out, as I am not sure what we're up against here. I called the Dr office yesterday to see if anyone could give me any test results for her and the secretary said , although the Dr had read all test results, the nurse was busy and they were short -staffed so it would be today before I got a call. Still waiting for that call. After a bad episode at school I called to see if the Dr could see her today, but he could not. At this point we are not sure if  the episodes are caused by heart or seizure or something else. At first they said anxiety , but I am having a hard time accepting that the level of anxiety in her life would cause something this extreme. So if anyone has any advice or is experiencing anything similar please let me know. Right now I am extremely frustrated at the lack of concern from her Dr. office, extremely concerned about Samantha, and very upset that when we are so close to opening our home for foster care and possible adoption, that has to be put on hold now too.

foster update

Time for an update on the foster care situation.  We have had so much stress come our way since the decision we made to become foster parents, that we wonder about being under spiritual attack. Between trucking laws becoming more ridiculous all the time, finances being affected because shipping rates are lower, and the mystery illnesses of Samantha these last couple of months, it's starting to get a little discouraging! However we have NOT given up on the whole process. Not yet. Perhaps we thought about it for a moment. But Lee seems to be strong when I am weak and vice versa. No question God put us together as a couple, so we are trusting God to open our home for foster care, heal our child, and make sure the trucking company does fine too. I got an email from Cristal (our teacher in foster care classes) and after asking a few more questions (I guess the half a day she spent here wasn't enough) , she finally said our assessment was done and forwarded on to the next step in the process. Now we wait to hear from Washington county DHS and schedule our final walk-thru and paperwork training. In the meantime Lee and Haley plan to get their physicals Friday and Sam, Sierra , and I got ours last Friday. We all have a TB test scheduled next week and then we will be done with medical requirements. I was a little worried Samantha would not pass , but the Dr. assured me they were just looking to make sure she was not someone who would be harmful to or contagious to a foster child, so she passed. I have also started the very fun process of shopping for clothes for a boy! Now we don't know what size he's gonna be yet, so mostly I have been buying at thrift stores and ebay. But I have a start on closet stocking with various items from size 18 months to size 12.

This will be the foster closet

and OK admittedly I have a little work to do in the socks and underwear department but those are not things I will buy used!

So that's our update for now. And I will very excitedly post when we get the call from DHS that we can finish and open! In the meantime please pray for our family, foster children, and buisness. 
Thank you !

THE BIG SCARE

Well I thought I had a challenging week before, but this week topped it by far.  Tuesday night Samantha had an episode where her heart was beating way too hard and fast, she was hyperventilating, shaking all over, having numbness in her arms and hands, and basically scaring her mom to death! My first thought was I will drive her to the ER. About halfway to 412 my next thought was I need an ambulance. She was in the seat beside me barely breathing and gasping for every single breath. So some wonderful first responders, and soon after, an ambulance met us at Kings River Store that night. Now when you are scared to death that there is something very seriously wrong with your child, seeing that first wonderful first responder is the best thing ever! Just knowing someone is there with you that probably knows more about what to do than you do is extremely helpful. After the ambulance came, and she had oxygen, and her heart rate had returned to , well not normal but much better, they said it would be safe for me to drive her to the ER myself and save a huge ambulance bill. (Nice guys, I appreciate that). So I took her on to the ER where they did testing that showed absolutely nothing except that she was anemic. So they diagnosed her with anxiety attack and said to follow up with her regular Dr. We saw Dr. Embry on Friday and he said , although anxiety attacks are likely, he wanted to do further testing. So he ordered a heart monitor for her to wear (we are still waiting on that to arrive via fed-ex), and did an asthma test and more blood work. (also still waiting on all those results). Meanwhile she is having about 1 episode a day, sometimes 2. The doctors taught her how to breath when they happen so they are only lasting about 5 -10 minutes now instead of a few hours like the first one. Prayers are appreciated , and if anyone has any helpful advice please feel free to comment! And never take your first responders, paramedics, and school nurses for granted!
 

WHADDA WEEK!!!!

Sometimes you just gotta say whadda week and go on....... and for those of you out there that would think ages 12 and 15 are too old for home haircutting...think again.

The best it got

what it usually turned into!

 

 

 

 

And this little experiment required a trip to the Kingston salon where Misty saved the day..er...the hair. Admittedly she needed a haircut anyway! 

Then we continued on with stranded trucks waiting for loads that could not be found, and a husband coming home empty from Colorado (which is not profitable at all). 
Then there was the day that someone was trying to send me a fax, except they kept sending it to the phone line. Eventually i got them to send it to the fax line ...what I did not manage to do was get them to cancel the original fax sent to the phone line. This resulted in the phone ringing every 30 seconds (literally) for about 2 1/2 hours. I was about to go insane. The teething baby I was caring for that day was the least of my problems!
Actually I now have even more sympathy than before for Mr. teething baby because I was at the dentist today. I went in at 8:30 for what was supposed to be a simple wisdom tooth extraction. Problem ..part of the root did not come out.  Bigger problem dentist tried for about 2 hours to dig it out. Biggest problem root is still there. And numbness is quickly wearing off (which is good in a way because there was a small chance he had damaged a facial nerve). Trust me nerves are all working fine!!!! PAIN!!!  Note to self--when someone says take a pain pill BEFORE the numbness wears off they are not kidding. Follow dr orders on this one!

"knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience" James 1:3

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Well originally this blog was intended to write about, and share our journey to foster care and possible adoption. However, with it being the new year, and time to make changes and all, and also with things happening sooooooooo slowly on the foster care front, I have decided to make it a weekly blog of our life! Of course it will still include all foster care updates, but I won't have to wait 6 months between happenings to post stuff!
 First some highlights from 2011:
1-We are now the parents of  12, 14, and 15 year old girls. They are all growing up way too fast for my liking. We are now discussing such things as which college they want to attend and what future career path they should be on.  
Good thing I had these kids young or I would really be feeling old right now!!!
2- We adopted Otto , the best puppy ever created, and continue to love Sadie (the grouchy dog), Scooter (the snuggler), and Munchkin (the watchdog)
3-We gave a home to 3 orphan deer. One of which we lost due to internal blockages (RIP Dolar). That was probably the saddest thing that happened in 2011.
On a brighter note Reno and Janie are very healthy and thriving. (And we now know what supplements to give them to prevent blockages).
4-We continue to run Porter Trucking and I feel like we have finally found some pretty good drivers, while we are not getting rich, we are making a decent living and I get to work at home still!!!! (HUGE plus!)
5-My sister FINALLY announced she is expecting her first baby!!! (EXCITING) And it's a boy! And I cannot wait to hold him and spoil him! 
6-My husband continues to be the most amazing man I know, with whom I am happy to share this journey called life.
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!!!
And for the days events...Working on getting Reno to walk on a leash!

 All leashed up and ready to go. Love him.

 Little wild Janie deer. She refuses to walk on a leash. REFUSES.

 Reno is getting pretty good at his walks. I'm very proud. (We've only been at this for about 9 months!)

I don't know what this is. But Reno found it on our walk thru the yard and apparently it's YUMMY!!!!