12 Weeks

This post is going to be mostly pictures, because I am in a lazy mood. Little Henry is growing up...he weighs 19.8 pounds to be exact! Here are the latest pics, with a surprise at the bottom...

Loves belly rubs...

Loves the ladder bookshelf (since I've packed up the stuff that is normally on it) with Jack...

Loves the creepy orange glove...

...and I LOVE that face!

With all the other things changing in my life, I thought... "why not chop off my hair?!" I've always wanted to do it, I just finally got the courage. Since I'm starting a new job and busier than ever, it seemed like a good time. Didn't Amber do a fabulous job!? Here is a pic (not the best pic of me, but you get the idea)...

And here is Jack and Henry, take 2

Animal House

Henry has now been a part of the family for 9 days! That means I have spent 9 days with little sleep, lots of stair climbing, and constant patrolling to check for accidents. Between packing up boxes, working on lesson plans, and keeping up with a puppy, my life could be a hit reality show at the moment! Randy continues to be equally thrilled and terrified of our new "animal house". It gets worse, though...

As I took Henry out this morning to do his thing, up comes a HUGE black lab running and hopping towards us. Henry's excitement of a potential playmate turned to a nervous panic when he saw just how hyper this gal was. No matter what we did, this dog would not leave us alone (did I mention she was not on a leash?) Anyways, I browse for an owner but see none, and decide to take Henry upstairs. The lab ran up ahead of us and wouldn't leave our front door. She had a collar with name and phone number, and although we left a message at the given number, the hyper giant stayed out on our tiny porch for the next SIX hours of our Saturday.

Did I mention this was all before 9 am on a Saturday morning?

Or that Jack carried wet paint all over his paws onto my computer this morning?

Or that Henry peed in the house not once, but twice?

What has my life come to?!

Here are some of the latest pics:

Notice giant black lab.

Puppy Patrol

Wow, it is starting to set in just how difficult this whole puppy thing is going to be. To get you thinking in puppy terms, think about how many times you go to the bathroom a day. I highly doubt your answer is 12, but if you are Henry and you're a 10 week old puppy, 12 is the magic number. I actually got it down to 11 yesterday, and Randy thinks I am pyscho-obsessed with taking him out every couple of hours, but I just want him to know that outside is THE only place to pee. He is doing better at night, but we are still having middle of the night potty breaks. All have been fine except for saturday night at 3 am when we had to deal not only with the sprinklers on every inch of grass, but also the low-flying helicopter with spotlight followed by an old man walking in the middle of the night....esschh.

Although I am the "primary" caretaker, Randy has been doing a lot as well....I think he feels a little "neglected" based on the following quote he gave his dental school friends, "The first morning we have a puppy, and this is the first morning I had to make my own sandwich!" Ha!

So the question is, who is more spoiled? Jack? Randy? Henry? Or me, because I am surrounded with three males 24/7?

LOVES to chew on bones.

This happens once Randy wakes up and he can puppy patrol. Little did I know that Henry was sleeping at the same time!

Look at that body language.

Henry doesn't really know how to properly eat yet. After two bites, he picked up the bowl in his mouth and took it over to Jack's scratchy mat. Notice Jack is leaving the scene as if to say, "it wasn't me".

Jack showing dominance...

He DOES sleep in his little doggy bed that my good friend, Donna, handed down. However, he also likes to chew on it. I thought this was cute, but Randy reminded me that while it might be cute to lightly chew on a doggy bed, it won't be cute in a few months when he is tearing a hole in the couch.

I promise I won't post puppy info too often, it's just that it is consuming every minute of my life right now so I thought I would let you in on the craziness.

Jack and Henry, take 1

We have decided on a name...Henry! The little pup slept from 11 pm- 4 am before waking me up with his crying. He peed when I took him out at that hour, but then wouldn't go back to sleep unless I laid on the carpet next to his crate with my fingers touching him through the door! I tried sneaking back into bed once I thought he fell asleep but he picked up on what I was doing and started the cry/bark to get me back beside him.

Here is a video of Jack hitting him playfully and Henry trying to figure out how to do the same back. Unfortunately I can't "flip" the video, so you're going to have to tilt your head to watch.

Someone Pinch Me...

Have you ever had so many wonderful things happen to you that you fear something bad must happen to knock you down a little? That's kinda how I feel right now. I received a call yesterday with an offer to teach ELEMENTARY art! Yay!! What I have been wanting for so long! Now I will be teaching at a small elementary school four days a week, and another elementary school one day a week. Both schools are 8-3 which is also a huge perk! I can't wait to teach the little ones! Now, I just have a lot of work to do with lesson plans and wrapping my mind around teaching such a younger age. I am willing to put in the hard work because I think the reward will definitely be worth it! The one bad part is that there are people at both of the middle schools that I will miss. Hopefully I will still keep in touch with them all and make just as good of friends at my new schools.

As if that wasn't good enough, Randy and I got a puppy!! Did I say puppy? Yes. Months ago when I started looking for a dog, Randy said "as long as it's not a puppy"....hmmm. Well, after four failed adoptions and an extremely emotional rollercoaster for me, I was ready to give up on finding a dog for our lifestyle. Then I read a Craigslist ad for Great Pyrenees/Lab mix puppies. I knew a little about the Great Pyr breed only because I had been researching "gentle giants", and after emailing the owner, decided this would be a perfect Hartman match! ....I better remind myself of that thought days from now when I have puppy horror stories to tell...

Anyways, here is our puppy. He doesn't have a name yet because Randy hasn't met him. He is 10 weeks old and should be about 90 lbs when he is full grown. His momma was 100 lbs, and dad was 70 lbs. So far him and Jack are doing much better than Jack has ever done with any other animal, and I hope that means good things for the future.

I literally just picked him up this morning and the most monumental step has been his first successful trip urinating outside! Don't worry, I'll have plenty of good stories to share with you guys! And those of you that worried I might start wanting a kid too soon, you can rest assured that this puppy will be the best form of birth control for the time being!

Isn't he adorable! Look at those paws! And the reason I'm wet in the picture below is because me and Amanda had just given him a 2 hour long flea bath! I don't know what I would have done if she hadn't been with me. She has already deemed herself his "godmother".

Jack wanted to drink out of the same water bowl.

He's already a fan of baseball like his master Randy.

Here I have included a photo of what this mixed breed looks like full grown. This dog is actually 8 months old, so not quite there. If he gets a little of both breeds, he should be a very good guard dog that has a docile temperament. The lab will hopefully bring out his energetic side. Randy's 2 musts are docile and disciplined, so let's hope he is both of those!

A Joyful July

I cannot believe that June is in the past and the days of summer are quickly coming to an end. Even though it is barely the middle of the month, we have already accomplished so much! Here are the highlights:

Visitors...The day before July 4th, my mother-in-law drove 11 hours to spend the week with us. We spent the 4th at church, shopping, and eating burgers with homeade fries. We had an early night because the next morning we went....

Canoeing...About twenty people from our house church (ages 5-53) spent the day on the Buffalo River. It just so happened to be Phyllis' birthday, and she experienced her first time canoeing! We had a hostess cupcake that we lit with candles and everyone sang happy birthday to her when we stopped for lunch. Who could want more than that?

The river was absolutely gorgeous!! I didn't want to risk flipping our canoe and ruining my camera (and we almost did just that if Phyllis hadn't saved the day) so I have no pictures. :( The boys, and two brave girls (NOT me), jumped off of some bluffs that were in the 60 ft. range. I did join in for the rope swing which was a lot of fun. Each of the six kids were thrown into a canoe, so almost all of them had 3 people a piece. It was a 10 mile journey and we were quite warn out when we finished. Afterwards we all stopped for a mexican dinner and then some Sonic ice cream. The perfect day. And Happy Birthday, Phyllis, thanks for being willing to put your life on the line in a canoe with me on your birthday, and thanks for being a wonderful mother-in-law!

Window Treatments: The day after canoeing, Randy had his first day of school as a D3. Us girls went to work making window treatments for the new home. On tap was a permanent shade to go over the glass of our front door and also some fabulous curtain panels for the dining room. You'll have to wait to see pictures, but they are the perfect mix between girly-hippie-neutral-and-earthy...which probably makes absolutely no sense.

White Coat Ceremony: The main reason for the trip to Memphis was for Randy's white coat ceremony. His dad flew in from Alaska to join us, and my parents drove in from Nashville. We had a home-cooked meal at the apartment together and ate the rest of Phyllis' birthday cake (I didn't let the hostess cupcake be her only birthday cake, but made a real, sugary, yummy chocolate cake mid-week) Friday morning was the ceremony and I have it somewhat documented in pictures. Bottom line is this...Randy is now Student Doctor Randy Hartman. I know he hates recognition, but for all the hard work he has put in to get to this point, he deserves much more than a white coat. To him, the real reward will be that he now gets to work on patients. (We have cards to give out and make appointments, so let me know if you need any work done)...

Shaking hands with the deans after just getting his white coat.

University of Tennessee Dental Class of 2012...all 76 of them.

Close-up to find Randy.

Yay! So proud of him!..oh, and Amber cut my hair in July, too :)

Randy with his mom and dad.

Randy and I with my parents.

There he is...unwilling to look or smile for a camera.

Our dear Memphis friends, Josh and Amanda.

Matt, Josh, Tim, Patrick, and Randy...these guys have been through a lot together.

And now here they are with the women who have gotten them to this point.

Ceremony brunch time.

Candid...something was funny I guess.

Family portrait...doesn't Jack look thrilled for Randy's big day?

Mother and son.

Typical Randy face.

Good Food: One great thing about having guests is that you always eat good food. We had both Central and Rendezvous for the barbeque fix, but the best by far was Jerry's Sno Cones. As we were driving them all there, we could see on their faces that they were a little worried. However, we pulled up to the hot pink stand and found crowds of people already waiting. Our guests were extremely satisfied with their delicious treat...who knew snow cones could be so good?

This picture is for you, Kelsa, they have their Where The Locals Eat sticker up!!

Ab.so.lute.ly De.lic.ious!

I guess my mom was a little shy of her blue tongue, but the rest of us are proud!

Touristing: To end the trip, we did two, no three!, of the most touristy things in Memphis...saw the Peabody ducks, walked up and down Beale Street, and ate barbeque ribs at Rendezvous. Trip to Memphis complete.

2 Year Anniversary: This past Monday, July 12, Randy and I celebrated two years of married life! So much has happened in two years, yet it seems impossible for that much time to have gone by. If anyone had told me several years ago that I would be married to a dental student (excuse me, student doctor) living in Memphis, owner of a home in a run-down neighborhood in urban Memphis, actually enjoying Memphis, and attending a house church where we sing Swahili worship songs I would tell you that you had lost your mind. The part of owning a cat I could imagine, but not all the rest! It's funny how God has his own way of leading you through life, and I could not be any happier or more willing to see what He will do with the rest!

After trying to go to a nice restaurant that I have had a gift card for for almost a year and finding it to be closed, we had dinner at Carabba's and then got my favorite (TCBY) for dessert.

Self-timer shots...definitely not the best. Notice Randy "Huck Finn" in the bottom photo...it was a Memphis flood as we were coming home from dinner!

The End.

Officially Homeowners!

With yesterday being the last day to receive the first time home buyers' tax credit, we managed to sign the papers and close on our first home just in time!

I never could have imagined that we would be buying our first home in the "hood" of Memphis, and that it would be 90 years old! God always has a way of surprising us...

Here are some pictures of the house (I didn't snap great shots).

Yes, that is an apartment out back, what we like to call "the in-law suite". It has a small bathroom and mini kitchen and separate keys which makes it ideal for helping someone that might be coming into the area and needing a place to stay short-term. Because of all the medical clinics, many come through on rotations, families come to visit, etc. so we are looking forward to using this a means of being hospitable to those in need.

And our chickens! Have we totally lost our minds? Probably so!

Of course Jack will join us in the new house, too. Seeing as we rescued him as a kitten from the streets of Binghamton, we like to tell him that he is returning home!

Oh, and we won't actually move in until the last weekend in August. (The current family is moving to serve as missionaries in North India at that time.) I promise many more pictures then!