Cassie and Kelly

It is difficult for me to get pictures of our critters when they are awake.  But once in a while, they are obliging.

This is Kelly, our sweet 10-year old Black Lab/Chow Chow mix.  We are so curious about her parents.  Labs are sweet dogs, very obedient, smart, and friendly.  Chows, on the other hand, are aggressive, mean, and rather stupid.  We have been told several times while at the vet clinic that they dread seeing a Chow come through the door!  Kelly inherited the sweetness and gentleness of a Lab, but the stupidity of a Chow.  Obedience is optional in her mind.  And if you have a treat, she'll go through all her tricks, probably hoping that one of them will be the one you asked her to do!  Poor Kelly has severe allergies, and spends a lot of time on Prednisone every summer when they become so bad that all she can do is lick her paws and other body parts.  We have to watch her carefully year round for skin and ear infections. 

Cassie has been venturing down to the first floor of the house a lot more since our other kitty died.  She still will not stand up to the dog, but if Kelly chases her out of a room, Cassie will now come back to where we are.  She still loves to be wherever I am.

The Three Little Critters

Here are some recent pictures of our three pets.

See Cassie hiding?  Or is she in jail?

Nope!  Just waiting to jump up on the chair.  (She wasn't too happy about my chasing her with a camera.)

Spring Flowers

The temperatures are erratic here, but the flowers and trees are budding and bursting out in all their glory.  The flowering pear in this picture is between our house and our neighbor's. 

Here are some of the other beautiful flowers in our gardens:

I snapped these pictures of Kelly yesterday afternoon.  She had a difficult time standing still; she was having a wonderful time, enjoying my husband's company and playing.  She wore herself out, and laid on the floor most of the evening.

I'm heading off to the orthopedist's office this afternoon to get my knee shot full of Synvisc again, so I'll be off my feet for a few days.  My plan is to work on wedding flowers, since I think I've finally gotten some decent floral tape.  (But that's a story for another post.)

25th Anniversary Celebration

I realized tonight that I never shared any of the pictures from our 25th anniversary celebration! We hosted a picnic on Memorial Day for our immediate families, which included our parents, and Phil's siblings and their families.  My brothers live out-of-state and were unable to attend.

 

  Anthony & Grace gave us this lovely rose.

  Phil waits for the festivities to start.

  Kelly thinks people are coming to see her . . .

  Phil's parents, Paul & Mary Jane Ingram 

  My parents, Jack & Kathy Uebel

  Our daughter, Sarah

Our daughter, Grace, and her dog, Kelly

Grace and her boyfriend, Anthony.  

Another reason we hosted the picnic was 

to introduce Anthony to our families.

Phil & me

We enjoy our cake.

Phil's parents gave us a money "tree" 

made of roses and baby's breath.

The day was lovely, sunshine and temps around 70.  It got chilly when the sun headed around to the front of the house, so I donned the shawl Sarah made me.

The following evening, which was our actual anniversary, Phil took me to dinner at Carrabbas.  We enjoyed our delectable food, and reveled in each other's company.  For dessert, we shared crème brûlée, a first for both of us.  All I can say is mmm, delicious!

We were asked several times whether it seemed that we have been married for 25 years.  In some ways yes, but in most, no.  I realized I have been married for longer than I was single, yet I wonder how my years of wedlock have flown by, while the 23 I wasn't plodded along.  What I do know for certain is that I am happier and more in love now than the day I married.  I love the multi-faceted depth of our relationship, the contented companionship we share, and the God-created unity of our spirits.  I am indeed blessed.

(Some of the pictures in this post were taken by me, but most were snapped by Anthony.)