puppies...

this post will be entirely dedicated to our dogs... sick i know, but the stories should at least make you smile. :)

max:

this is our demon dog. he will be a year old in october and he is almost potty trained. yes you read correctly... he is almost a year old and not yet fully potty trained. while he looks adorable and cuddly do not be fooled. he is the most ornery and annoying dog ever. for example:

1. he is not yet potty trained.

2. when in his kennel he will paw at the bottom for hours making a very loud, scratching "whooshing" sound. he is persistent that is for sure.

3. he has figured out how to open his kennel door in order to roam the house at his leisure.

4. if you call mollie or chris' name he comes running and feels that it is imperative to be directly in your lap.

5. he loves cotton balls, toilet paper, kleenex, q-tips and any other paper product he can find to chew on. and when he finds them and starts chewing he smacks. when i see him with something in his mouth and call his name he will immediately stop chewing and hide it somewhere in his mouth and then watch me out of the corner of his eye to see when he can chew it again. it is stinkin hilarious but annoying nonetheless!

mollie:

in no way is this a good picture of how pretty she is, but this was the first time we threw her in the water... needless to say she was not amused. but i was cracking up when i found this on the computer and wanted to share.

she is pregnant (yes by max) and will be having puppies in october. (Lord help me!)

she is a moody girl but as of late has really become quite cuddly. she has gotten into the habit of wanting to be held all the time.

when it's time for bed and you tell her it's time to go night-night she lays down, rolls onto her back and waits to be picked up and carried to her kennel because that is what we would do with her when she was a pup. she is rotten rotten!

all in all we have two wonderful dogs who have very distinct personalities and as annoying as max can be i wouldn't trade him for the world. well maybe for europe or something. hope these stories made you smile... and if you want a puppy just let us know! they will probably look like max and mollie did as pups.

be blessed.

cassie

sometimes yes, sometimes no

while i was at johnson i had the pleasure to meet and listen to a singer/songwriter by the name of jill paquette. not only was her music just right up my alley, her vocal skills impressive, and her songs very catchy, but her lyrics were and have continued to be a great comfort to my heart in heavy times. there is one particular song as of late that has been my mantra and prayer. if you would allow me to, i would like to post part of the lyrics of this song, "sometimes yes sometimes no".

i wanna know just what it looks like: what the answer's gonna be: i wanna grab hold of something: to give me some security: and know it's You i'm hearing: gently helping me to see: when everything i've prayed for: is not Your will for me: sometimes it's hard to live this way: holding on, letting go: when it's sometimes yes: and sometimes no

many many tears have been shed listening and singing this part of the song to the Lord, but it has truly been what i have prayed and i am finding daily such contentment in whatever it is He has planned for me.

in regards to our 40 day journey that i know some of you are praying with us, i had a dr appointment last week and we had some potentially discouraging news, but we have also gotten some direction. that being said, we have also gotten some more questions, but i am holding to the promise that God is going to continue to reveal Himself and His plans for our family in the coming days.

a closing thought. in the old testament there are some great stories where God said yes and no to some different people. as i have been reading it the last few days i am so thankful that God sent these people before me to walk that road so that today i could be encouraged by the struggles and victories of the saints before me. check out the old testament today if it's something you haven't read in awhile. until next time.

be blessed.
cassie

40 Days

in the Old Testament there is a beautiful story about hannah, the mother of samuel. she goes to the Temple and kneels before the Lord begging of Him to give her a child. she prays so fervently that eli thinks she is drunk and reprimands her for coming to the Temple inebriated. she explains her distress and heartache and eli sends her on her way after he tells her the Lord will bless her with a child. as hannah leaves she turns and asks eli to continue to pray for her.

chris and i have embarked on a 40 day prayer journey in hopes for direction and guidance about having a child. we have enlisted the support and prayer of some friends and family and are praying every day for 40 days that God will give us a child. selfishly we would like to create a child, but that is not what we are praying for. we are asking specifically that God will reveal His plan for us in the pursuit of a child. particularly whether to adopt, foster to adopt, go to a fertility doctor, or be patient and wait. we know that God could create a child within me in these 40 days, but we are not holding out for that. direction is our main goal because trying without God this past year has been entirely too challenging.

like hannah we are fervently praying and opening up our hearts and minds to whatever it is God might do in us. and also like hannah we are asking people to pray with us. we are on day 6 now and believe in power in numbers. if you feel within your heart to pray with us we would appreciate and covet it. i am anxious to report back in a few weeks about what God is revealing to us. oh and as a closing thought, we think mollie might be having puppies. :)

be blessed.
cassie