Goodbye Jeter

This post is more for my own therapeutic process than for your enjoyment as readers, but thanks anyway to those of you who read it. This past August, our dog Jeter was diagnosed with cancer. We were told that this type of tumor would not spread to other parts of his body, but that it would continue to invade his mouth and face, and that due to the type and placement of the tumor it was inoperable. We met with an oncologist to discuss treatment options and were basically told that there were no good options... we were left to wait and see. We prayed hard that God might miraculously remove this tumor, but that was not His plan.
These past 5 months have been torturous as we watched Jeter's mouth/nose triple in size. But other than the obvious growths on his face, he was the same dog we knew and loved. We spent these past 5 months making special memories with him and spoiling him with more treats and human food than ever before. Jeter's breed, the Shiba Inu, is notorious for being independent and anti-"lovey-dovey" affection. While his personality mostly stayed the same, he became much more open to love & affection and actually sought it out at times which we really enjoyed and came to value.

Jeter was my family's dog until Geoff and I got married, and then we "inherited" him since my parents were going to Mexico as missionaries. We welcomed him into our new little family and really viewed ourselves as a family of 3 right from the start. It has been especially nice for both Geoff and I that Jeter is here at home with me whenever Geoff has to travel, which makes us both feel more secure. There is nothing like being greeted at the door with a wagging tail to make you feel welcome in your own home, or knowing that strangers at the door will be greeted with a bark and growl to make you feel safer. The companionship that Jeter provided to me especially is not something that can be measured, but it surely is missed. I'm sure that any of you who have pets can relate and understand the piece of your heart that pets take hold of and don't let go.

Jeter managed to hold on until Geoff returned from the Middle East, and while I was so thankful to not have to deal with putting him down on my own, I knew that the time was coming and there was nothing I could do about it... I was hesitant to leave him alone at home for too long because he would open the wounds on his face, and he woke me up several times each night because he couldn't get comfortable. Needless to say, I knew that Jeter was ready and it was the best decision for him, but that certaintly did not make it any easier. Once Geoff got home, we scheduled an appointment and then tried to ignore the impending grief. We spent as much time at home as possible, while trying to keep ourselves entertained and ignore the inevitable. In the future, if I have to deal with this again I don't think I want to schedule and then have to wait a few days, it just seems to make it more difficult, knowing whats coming...
So Friday morning, December 18 we put Jeter to sleep. He is at peace, and for that I am grateful. Geoff spent many of the next few days comforting me and we were both anxious to leave home for a week to visit my family for Christmas in order to be less reminded of Jeter's absence. Since being home again, I have found myself looking for Jeter in his typical hiding spots, or listening for the jingle of his collar or expecting him to be at my feet when I'm cooking something in the kitchen... many tears have been shed and many memories revisited... I know the pain will decrease over time but I also know that I will never forgot what he meant to me no matter how much time goes by. Jeter, you will always be missed...

Simple Summer Recipe

This meal is so simple to make but delicious and refreshing on a warm night! It would also make a great lunch. We served it with some roasted asparagus, and bread.

Simple Summer Pasta

1 lb. pasta of your choice (I used Bertoli's light cheese ravioli)
1/2 c. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
10-20 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 lb. fresh Roma tomatoes, chopped
grated Parmesan cheese to taste
pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions on package.

Meanwhile, mix tomatoes, oil, salt, and basil together in large bowl. Smash the tomatoes in the oil to your desired consistency (we left them pretty chunky) and let the mixture stand.

When pasta is cooked, drain well and toss with tomato mixture. Top with pepper and Parmesan. Enjoy!

Last Chance

Last weekend, we were able to get away to Baltimore to celebrate the end of summer ( and freedom from classes), and Danielle’s birthday. Several months ago, we had begun planning this trip with the purpose of meeting up with Danielle’s friend, Ginger, and her boyfriend for a baseball game. We found a great hotel deal on Hotwire and made plans to meet for the Oriole’s game on Friday night. We later decided to add another night to our reservation and savor this last weekend of freedom before classes began again for Danielle and fun could not be had without a guilty conscience!

Geoff and I met in Baltimore a few times while we were dating, where he would drive up from D.C. and I would drive down from Lancaster, so we have some good memories in this place. Danielle grew up spending every 4th of July docked in Inner Harbor on her grandparent’s boat, so this city holds special significance for her. If you have never been, we encourage you to check it out!

Here is a picture-guide of our weekend…

Oriole’s game with Ginger & Neil

Inner Harbor

SaladWorks- we don't have one locally, so we made it a priority to stop here for lunch!

Sabatino’s- authentic Italian eatery located in Little Italy, where we celebrated Danielle's birthday- special memories surrounding this restaurant, and the salad dressing was just as good as I remembered it!

Fells Point- historic waterfront town with eclectic shops and great eateries; we found a great Inn we hope to stay at on our next trip to Balt.

The Power Plant- we spent several hours cooling off in the Barnes & Noble, after hours of walking around in the heat and humidity (we later got stuck under a pavilion while it poured, as we waited for the shuttle from our hotel)

Great weekend!

Vacation?!?

That's right, I am currently on week 3 of vacation from school, that is far too quickly coming to an end. August 11th I submitted my last final exam for summer courses and have been in blissful relaxation mode ever since :)

The first part of vacation was spent in Wisconsin visiting Geoff's family. I had to complete my last exam our first days there, but afterward it was a wonderful time of taking it easy. We visited with family, went to a Brewers game, visited friends in Madison, and Geoff even got in a round of golf with his brother while I sat dazed in front of a computer screen taking my exam. Geoff's brother had to return to college a few day after we arrived so we planned our trip in order to see him for a few days.

Before we left for WI, I got to spend a few days with my mom who came down to watch the house and dog while we were away for the week. She and I had a great few days together, shopping and catching up. She is such an encouragement and inspiration to me, a woman who loves the Lord and provides a good example of a godly wife and mother. Thanks, mom, I love you. And Jeter was thankful to have family spend the week with him, too :)

Since getting back from WI, I have been ordering books for my Fall classes and attempting to organize my schedule, cleaning around the house, working, reading for fun, and simply enjoying having no obligations in the evenings so I can feel good about spending time with my hubby without that nagging "you should be doing schoolwork" in the back of my mind.

This weekend we are heading to Baltimore to meet up with one of my best friends and her boyfriend for an Oriole's game, and to spend the weekend having fun before a new semester begins. I can hardly wait! Except that Monday I will find myself back in the classroom... but lets focus on the positive for now. I promise to have pictures from our Baltimore weekend and will eventually get around to posting some from our trip to WI. Someone (me) forgot the digital camera so we have to finish off our role of film... who uses film anymore?!

Breakfast at Home

While here in America we connect sporting events with food such as hot dogs, burgers, and nachos, the Europeans have a slightly different, more refined menu. Last weekend, you may know, was the Wimbledon finals and it is tradition for them to serve "Breakfast at Wimbledon" which consists of strawberries and cream. Geoff and I decided that we should do our own breakfast celebration here at home for something fun and different.

So... I made scones (in the shape of hearts, aren't they cute!), which we served with strawberries and cream (which I whipped myself). I have to say I felt very refined as we sat there eating our English breakfast, watching the tennis finals. Apparently, those in attendance at the event eat more than 2 million berries and 1800 gallons of cream. Glad I didn't have to prepare all that!

A peek at the Pecks

We have recently passed the one year mark of being residents of Virginia Beach. This past year has held several changes in our lives, but overall has been another year of the Lord's blessing and grace in our lives. Geoff is done with his Masters and has been working full-time for over a year now at the GAO. Danielle is currently in the third semester of her Masters program in Counseling at ODU, and wondering some days why in the world she went back to school :) She also works part-time for Compass Youth & Family Services, where she has been for 2 years.

We recently celebrated our 2 year wedding anniversary with an overnight trip to the Outer Banks and homemade crab cakes (which my wonderful husband made from scratch)! Yum! We hope to be able to take advantage of living so close to the OBX, since it seems like a neat place to relax and unwind for a few days and we really enjoyed ourselves while we were there just for a short time.

We joined a local church which you can check out here , and have enjoyed developing friendships with other believers. This is a really sweet bunch of people, and we feel blessed to have found such a devoted and passionate group of Christ followers. We've joined a Saturday night small group, and are currently working through a study on worldliness while enjoying the added fellowship the small group has provided.

Other happenings: visiting with some college friends at a few weddings this spring and summer, having Danielle's family stop to visit us in March and again in early June, and Geoff's brother visited in Feb/March and the three of us went out to visit Monticello. We plan to visit Danielle's family in Lancaster next weekend, and Geoff's family in Wisconsin in August once Danielle has a few weeks of break between semesters.

Hope you all are enjoying your summer!

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.

"Dude, We Got (Another) Dell"

We've needed one for quite awhile, but welcome to the new Dell:



I had forgotten what it was like to type on a laptop whose screen actually stays up. Danielle will enjoy writing papers without the computer randomly shutting down on her. And Vista is pretty cool.

(For our Dave Ramsey people, we did not go into debt for this!)

And finally, a blast from the past:



P.S. Wonder what ever happened to "Steve"? Oh, that's right. I remember.