Sunday Stealing

Sunday Stealing: The Last March Meme


1) Which TV character do you think you are most like?
I really don't know. 

2) What time do you go to bed?
Haha! With the chickens. I go to bed by 8:30 during the week and 9 on the weekends. Lame, I know.


3) What was the last meal you made from scratch?
That is nonexistent. I have never made an entire meal from scratch. I really don't cook. If it doesn't come frozen or you don't just add water to it, it doesn't get cooked in my house! LOL


4) What is your favorite type of music?
I love and mostly listen to contemporary Christian music.

5) In what position do you sleep?
Whatever position I can manage around Milly and Shelby crowding me out of the bed. hahaha!


6) What is your first memory?
I don't know. I have many "mini- memories" from when I was little. I guess I do remember a time when I was riding in the buggy once when I was really little and I was with my Mom... but I don't remember much of it.

7) What is your least favorite smell?
Honestly- any perfume or cologne. It makes my head hurt. 


8) It's your round at the pub and your friends asked you to surprise them. What drink would you buy and why?
Diet Coke. I don't drink and I don't provide others with alcohol. 


9) What was the last thing you read/watched that made you cry?
I read a blog a week or so ago about another furry friend being sick. :(

10) They say that you learn something new every day. What was the last thing you have learned?
I learned how to upload to Google Docs just a few minutes ago. Pretty proud of myself. Did it all on my own!

11) Which Literary love interests would you snog, marry and avoid.
I don't even know what this is asking.


12) What is your oldest memory?
Is this not the same as my first memory???? Hmmmm....


13) Paperback, Hardback or Kindle? Which of these is your favorite reading format and why?
Paperback! I have gotta have the book in my hand... and hardback usually costs too much. LOL!


14) If you could bring back any canceled TV series for another run what would you pick and why?
Without a Trace... man I miss that show. I have bad taste in tv shows, though, because almost everything I love gets cancelled after the first season (if it even makes it that long.) 


15) Paperback, Hardback or Kindle?
Paperback.

Tell Me Tuesday: Week Eleven

I am just now joining in on this, so week 11 is really my week 1, but oh well. Such is life.


"What is the best part of your average day?"

I'll start by saying that I am a teacher. I teach third grade and can assure you that I wouldn't know an "average day" if it slapped me in the face. However, I love the fact that my job is challenging and rewarding. All of that being said, the best part of my "average day" has nothing to do with my job (though there are many great things about my day-to-day work life).
The best part of my average day is coming home and being greeted by Milly and Shelby.

When I come home each day they run to the door and greet me, tails wagging, barking (woot wooooo), and Shelby always does a little dance for me. I look forward to that every single day. I know that no matter how hard my day was, no matter how exhausted I am, I get to come home to two sweet faces who are so glad to see me their whole bodies wag with joy. 

My Babies

My beautiful Shelby Ann.

My silly little "Ann Wobe".

My serious Milly.

My MilMil full of smiles. 

I love these girls!

Really?

Yesterday marked one month until Milly and Shelby turn 5 years old. I can't believe it! I feel like just yesterday I was meeting Jake's parents in the Sam's Club parking lot to pick them up. Yet, here I am, sitting on the couch with my two (almost) five year old girls. In five years they have truly changed my life, my heart, and my goals. They have made me see things differently and have caused me to stop and take in the things I normally rush through. They are amazing. 

Five years ago (almost) they were little tiny puppies. When they came to us in June they were still tiny little puppies. They were whiny and shivering. They still whine and shiver from time to time- normally over not getting what they want in a timely fashion (which in Dachshund time is NOW as soon as they demand it). 

These girls have made my life. I love them... love, love, love them. 

Happy one month 'til your birthday, MilShelb! I am so proud, thankful, and blessed to be your MilShelb Mom.

This was taken their first day with us. Too sweet!!

Where I Want To Be...

You know, last week a friend of mine said that her life is not at all where she thought it would be at the age she is at. I told her that no one's life is exactly where they thought it would be. I know mine isn't.

When I look back and think about where I thought I would be by 26... goodness. I'm not even in the ballpark of where I thought I'd be. But, you know what? It's ok. I am not where I thought I'd be but I am exactly where I want to be. I have a fabulous family, a great home, and awesome friends. I have a job I love and work with people that inspire me each and ever day. I'm in a good place. :)

Just Some Thoughts

I saw this quote today and it has really made me think...

"I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions."

I am not a perfect person. I know that. I have plenty of flaws. I demand excellence- from myself and others. I work hard. Very hard. I throw myself into all sorts of things and burn out quickly. I laugh too loud. I laugh when I'm nervous... which can sometimes be at totally inappropriate times. I tell people the truth. Now, normally this would be a good thing, but let's face it- people do not want the truth.

I am ok with all of that. Because, I have learned to be me. To accept me. To build me. To create me. To love me.

I always have the best of intentions in all that I do. I mean that. I know intentions don't count for much, but it's a start. I put my heart and soul into all I do. I give my all to all I do. My philosophy is that if you aren't going to do it right you just shouldn't bother doing it.

I am a teacher. I don't have time to waste. I am not allowed to waste time. No really. Think about it. Time wasted is time that is taken from someone's education, from someone's future. So, it's a big deal. I follow through. I start with good intentions and I, normally, end with good results.

I am not perfect. I am full of flaws. Those flaws make me who I am. Good intentions and all.

New Beginnings in a New Year

Every year people make New Years Resolutions. They make resolutions to eat healthier, exercise more, drink less, keep in touch with loved ones more, etc, etc, etc. While these are all well and good (and I could certainly benefit from the first 2) they don't really make a difference and most of the time only last a week or two. I won't lie. I do this, too. I think last year it might have been to be more positive. (Which, if we're being honest here, and I am, is a silly thing for me to do because I really am a pretty positive person. I do truly try to see the bright side of things and I try to do good for others when possible.)

In the Bible (Luke 6:31) it says "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." I really try to keep that in mind. I try to help others just like I would want help and, sometimes, end up being much nicer than others are to me. Whatever. I want people to be nice to me, treat me kindly and with respect, and so that's what I give them. Am I perfect? No. Do I fail sometimes? Yep. (More than I care to admit.) Sometimes I find myself in the middle of a sentence and realize it should have never started to come out of my mouth and, unfortunately, many times it is at Jake when I am upset about something completely unrelated to him that he has nothing at all to do with. 

The point of this entire post is that there is a big problem in America. A problem that breaks my heart. One that hurts me deeply. One that I want to do something about. That problem is the large number of homeless animals. I know I have written on here before that I want to do something to help. I do cross-post things and try to help places network for their animals. People think I am crazy because Milly and Shelby have a better life than a lot of people I know. They have an awesome life. Why? Because I believe in doing unto others as I would have them do unto me. I believe that my parents raised me to love others regardless of their social status, race, religion, or (in this case) breed. Milly and Shelby were not pound pups. They were given to Jake and me by his parents. If we didn't take them they would still have had loving homes and would still be happy and healthy. However, there are many animals out there who don't get that chance. I have come to the conclusion that I cannot have another dog right now. That is not fair to Milly and Shelby. I have accepted that and am trying to be a "big girl" and put them first. And, being perfectly honest, that wouldn't even put a dent in the problem I'm talking about. 

Of course, you could argue the story of the starfish which I believe fits teachers and animal rescuers alike. You can make a difference for one animal at a time and that makes a difference. I am a teacher. I spend my day working that way. I try my best to make a difference for the 18 people in my room every single day. It is tough, but I truly believe in what I do and I put my heart and soul into it. There are many things I would change about teaching if ever given the chance, but there is nothing I would change in my room, because I am able to do the most good in my room with my kids every day. I love my job. 

I know to truly make a difference for these animals, though, you have to start at the top. There are so many people "in the trenches" so to speak working (much like I do) every single day to make a difference for one. To get that one a home. To work for that one to get out of the shelter and into foster, rescue, or a home. They work hard. They give their heart and soul to that job. I am amazed by people like that. To say that I don't have the stomach for it is an understatement. It would kill me (and I mean that) to know that if I didn't find that one a home it would be put to sleep. Goodness. I think I would turn into a cold hearted person. Not them. They just keep going. They just keep doing. Because they know they have to. They know if they don't no one will. They know if they don't then none of those animals will have a chance. Here's the thing. There needs to be someone who has the time (and they certainly don't because they have to keep working to find the animals a way out) to make a change. There has to be a change. I am not saying the entire country is going to make a change. I know that is a silly, unrealistic thought. What I am saying is that I want to find a way to change the laws in South Carolina. We still have gas chambers for these animals, for goodness sakes! That is ridiculous! We need to find a way to better educate people about having their animals spayed and neutered. We need to find a way to have more no kill shelters and less homeless animals. I know there is way to do this. Many countries do not have this problem. If they don’t have it, we shouldn’t either.

I know that this all sounds like what we need to do, should do… you know, shoula-coulda-woulda stuff. But, it is important and something has to be done. I don’t know what yet. I don’t know how. I don’t know when. But, I do know that my resolution (along with keeping my house clean) is to work on this. I am going to research and become better educated myself… and then I am going to form some ideas… and then I am going to figure out the next step. I tend to bite off more than I can chew in my day to day life, but I am taking this seriously and in small steps. We shall see. So, for now I am starting a new blog to tell people about things I’ve learned and am finding in my research.

The new blog can be found here: http://milshelbmomsknowledge.blogspot.com