NATE IS HOME...more to come later...we're busy!!

eleven. days.

***Props to the power of the mind. About 70 days ago, I took Indi (our dog) to see Studley the stud (a very handsome yellow lab). She spent a week getting to know Studley, and then they decided to be parents. Since that time, Indi has exhibited every symptom of pregnancy: lack of bladder control (it runs in the family as well), hormonal moodswings, fatigue, ravenous appetite, and even cravings (BBQ and Thai food). She even lactated. So I prepared a place for the whelping to take place, and bought materials to build a small pen to keep the pups from pooping on the entirety of my *beautiful* back yard. She was due this past weekend. Well. I thought she was. Saturday came and went. Sunday came and went. No puppies. And if I'm not crazy, we're on Thursday now. Still no puppies. So this is what we call a false pregnancy. I am just amazed that a dog can convince herself she's pregnant, and be so persuasive in doing so that she goes so far as to let down milk 'til her teets are engorged and, from what I hear from her human counterparts, quite painful!! My dog is insane. And now she's depressed too. What are we gonna do with sweet girl.

***ONLY 11 DAYS until Nate gets home. We're on countdown!

***Kara, great idea about posting pics of the back yard, but you're right...I do want to surprise Nate, so it'll have to wait...but only 11 more days!

***Speaking of Kara, if you need a good laugh, or want to persuade yourself to have more kids, click on Kara's blog to see the cutest video footage in the whole world.

Did I mention he'll be home in less than three weeks?!?!?!

Still Here

I'm not supposed to say when this happened, but I got an e-mail from Nate a couple of weeks ago with this photo attached and cheekily captioned: "Still Here." Real funny huh?? This is the armored Suburban that Nate rides in all the time, and the one that took me on my few trips across the Red Zone. A mortar round slammed into it...while it was sitting empty thank God.