Runny noses, nagging coughs and pretty flowers!

Most of this week has been all about runny noses and nagging coughs. I can't wait for this to end. Both cubs are sick but we are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Appetites are returning and energy levels are rising. All except for mine...I'm wiped out!

Wednesday was GNO (girls' night out) with the girls from THC. It was nice to get out of the house. My LCMOMs group was having happy hour at Uncle Julios the night before but I wasn't really feeling social enough to go, so Wednesday's night out was a welcomed event after moping around all day. When I returned home there was a pretty bouquet of flowers waiting for me from Emily and Zach (courtesy of Grandma Shirley and Grandpa John). What a nice way to end my day, and they are my favorite color too!

Our girls are together again

Best buddies!

Last night I had to put my beloved dog of almost 10 years to sleep. It is really one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. She was a very special dog. She loved me unconditionally and I will always remember her way of "giving me love" by putting her head on my chest. She has been having trouble getting around and this week she stopped eating, was having trouble breathing, and could barely walk. I know it was the best thing for her but my heart still hurts that I had to let her go. I think she was ready to join her best buddy Nebraska. We had to let Nebbie go earlier this year. She was Steve's dog, so it has really been a tough year on both of us. I am convinced that Eva and Nebbie are romping around together in the lush green grass of doggy heaven.

Eva after playing in the snow ~ (?? 12/24/98 - 10/14/08) We don't know Eva's true birth date, but I rescued her from a busy road on Christmas Eve.

Nebraska ~ (07/02/99 - 04/23/08)

We want to thank all of our family and friends for their support and kind words. We appreciate that they realize that our girls were special to us and members of our family, and not "just a dog".

*** Just a Dog ***

From time to time, people tell me, "lighten up, it's just a dog," or, "that's a lot of money for just a dog."

They don't understand the distance traveled, the time spent, or the costs involved for "just a dog."

Some of my proudest moments have come about with "just a dog."

Many hours have passed and my only company was "just a dog," but I did not once feel slighted.

Some of my saddest moments have been brought about by "just a dog," and in those days of darkness, the gentle touch of "just a dog" gave me comfort and reason to overcome the day.

If you, too, think it's "just a dog," then you will probably understand phrases like "just a friend," "just a sunrise," or "just a promise."

"Just a dog" brings into my life the very essence of friendship, trust, and pure unbridled joy.

"Just a dog" brings out the compassion and patience that make me a better person.

Because of "just a dog", I will rise early, take long walks and look longingly to the future.

So for me and folks like me, it's not "just a dog" but an embodiment of all the hopes and dreams of the future, the fond memories of the past, and the pure joy of the moment.

"Just a dog" brings out what's good in me and diverts my thoughts away from myself and the worries of the day.

I hope that someday they can understand that it's not "just a dog", but the thing that gives me humanity and keeps me from being "just a man or woman."

So the next time you hear the phrase "just a dog" just smile...
because they "just don't understand."

by Richard Biby
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Contributing Editor VHD
From "The Versatile Hunting Dog"
NAVHDA's Magazine
February 2006

Playing at the Pumpkin Patch!

They were obviously so busy playing at the pumpkin patch that they could not ONCE look at the camera. Mom and Dad took 99 photos (no exaggeration) and they weren't looking at the camera in a single one of them. Here are some of our favorites:

Two weeks behind....how did that happen?

So I guess the last time I blogged about the going-ons of Cub Central was two weeks ago. Shame on me for not keeping up!

I had a girls night out on Monday, Sept. 29. These nights just don't come around often enough.

Steve participated in a charity golf tournament on Saturday, Oct. 4. I'm really glad that he was able to do something for himself, but it sure made for a really long day. He worked that morning and teed off that afternoon, so he was gone ALL day.

We had our pre-construction meeting on October 6th. I can't believe we are really going through with this. Very exciting, yet very scary at the same time. So we've reviewed the floor plans, put in our change orders, put down more $$ (UGH), and now we're waiting on permitting. In the meantime we've reserved an apartment. I'm not looking forward to apartment living again, but it's an easier pill to swallow knowing that it is temporary. The apartment will be ready on November 22, so I have a lot to do before that. Then we'll put the house on the market and pray that it sells quickly.

I have volunteered to take over the Librarian position on the LCMOM board. Should be interesting juggling that responsibility with everything else we have going on. It's always a circus here at Cub Central.

This past Sunday we took the Cubs to the pumpkin patch. I think they had a lot of fun running around and burning off all that energy. We tried to take some pictures of the cubs together (I'll post later) but that didn't happen very often. Emily would run off in one direction and Zach would take off in the other. So it pretty much consisted of Steve chasing after Emily and me trying to keep an eye on Zach. All while trying to snap some photos. I think we got a few decent ones, but by the time it was over I was exhausted. Our Emily is going to be a power lifter when she grows up. She actually managed to briefly pull Zach around in a wagon. We were impressed. Photos of that to come later as well.

Of course now Zach is suffering from the runny nose/sniffles. Little man must have some allergy issues. UGH....so I'm still chasing Zach, only this time it's with a handful of kleenex. It's a tough job being the circus ringleader.

A day in the park....in pictures!

Yesterday we took the cubs to one of the downtown parks. It was a beautiful day so we thought we would share some of the pictures! Enjoy!

Happy Birthday Grandpa Bear!

Today is Grandpa Bear's birthday! We really hope that he has a wonderful day!!

We're sad we can't be there but we hope to see you really soon. We love you beary much!! Happy Birthday from Cub Central!!

Quality time with Grandpa Bear:

Y chromosome = selective hearing

I can really tell that little girls mature faster than little boys. Emily is so smart. She listens and understands (for the most part). If you ask her to go get something, she'll go get it. If you ask her to hand you something, she will. When it's time to put the toys away, she puts them all away, and she even knows which ones can stay out. She doesn't miss a thing. She has a radar lock on the remote control 24 hours a day. She's very smart. The girl gets it. And then there's Zach. Bless his heart. I think he's going to have to get by on his good looks. He's just kind of happy-go-lucky. He doesn't follow directions, and his listening skills pretty much stink. Although I believe that he is very smart in a different way. He's crafty and analytical. He figures things out. He just doesn't really excel in the listening department. He is just like his dad...he has overly selective hearing. I blame it on the Y chromosome.