Something New

One of God's most recent gifts to us, a "new" car! After some savings and a surprising tax return, we were able to afford the newest car either of us have ever owned- a 5 year old Nissan! wow! it even has a CD player :) We had been planning on buying something newer and more efficient than the 2 vehicles we had, and our friend and neighbor Mark was able to find us this great deal at the dealership where he works. And yes, that's snow on the car. Another one of God's gifts to us this winter :)

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?!