Groomers and Vets at The B-day Party

Birthday Games

I still can't believe she's 8 years old!

Almost too good to eat...

Birthday Time!

Look who visited!

Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters-10 Secrets Every Father Should Know

I checked out this book from the library (by Meg Meeker, MD) and it has some good recommendations for dads. I want to log the '10 secrets' so I can remember since I have to return it. Another good book on this topic is by Kevin Leman (What a Difference a Daddy Makes). Doug and I laugh about my obsession w/ these parenting books, I wish I would have time to actually read all of them I've bought and checked out over the years. Wonder what this little obsession says about me?? Any thoughts?:)

1. You Are the Most Important Man in Her Life
*Basically, all her decisions and relationships with future boyfriends, bosses, and guy friends will be based on her relationship w/ her dad.
2. She Needs a Hero
3. You Are Her First Love
4. Teach Her Humility
5. Protect Her, Defend Her (use a shotgun if necessary:)
6. Pragmatism and Grit: 2 of your greatest assets
7. Be the Man You Want her to Marry
8. Teach Her Who God Is
9. Teach Her to Fight
*Prepare her for the situations (social and cultural) she will find herself in, teach her to say no and stick to it.
10. Keep her Connected
*Help her make real, vital flesh-and-blood relationships and work on your connection w/ her(tune in to her, listen to her, and don't let work and its preoccupations distract you from your daughter. At the end of the day, she's more important than your job).

This is just wrong... ????

Some of you may be wondering what is "just wrong" with the picture of the deer and Macy. For those who don't know already, the deer is a wild deer in our neighborhood, and that picture is in our backyard. You can see how close it let us get to it, even after Macy tried to run it off. Fun times. Camera flash didn't even bother it. Shortly after the picture, a buck snorted as it ran to the woods behind our house, and our companion ran off.

Ready to go out in the snow!

Disney!

We tacked on 2 days at Disney into our Christmas celebration and had a good time! Doug and I realized that we've been to Disney 5 times in the last 12 years, so some of the 'magic' has worn off for us:); however, watching C and A experience it for the first time was priceless and special (especially when C met the princesses)!! Thank goodness we had the magical "family pass" (thanks to C) otherwise we would have waited in line after line after line (for all you potential Disney goers---Christmas week is NOT the time to go:). Anyway, I digress...

Here are 2 of my favorite pics, I'll let Doug post more later...

C's 1st Firearm!

Christmas Morning w/ Mamo

Mamo was such a great hostess for us this Christmas!! She showed tremendous strength while we celebrated our first Christmas w/o Papo. He was certainly missed...

Little A, Gpa, and Cosmo

Cousins!!

It's so neat that our kids have cousins so close to their age! Lots of playing, screaming, laughing, and running over Christmas!:)

C and Uncle Matt

C just loves his Uncle Matt!!!:)

This is just wrong...