Ready, Set, Go?!?!?

We have a couple of days left before we take off for ROME!! Pablo's diaconate ordination is October 9th and we are all fortunate to be able to join him for this special occasion.

The days prior to traveling can be so hectic, there's so much going on.

- who will watch the dogs?
- what will the weather be like in Rome?
- are all the bills paid before we leave?
- what time do we have to be at the airport?
- are we packing all "legal" things in the carry-on?

You get the picture. The strange thing is that we get all crazy and tied up in the little things about traveling that totally oversee the whole point that we are going on vacation and will be able to spend 10 beautiful days with family, making wonderful memories and of course eating great food!

Can't wait. Stay tuned for pictures!

Sunday Morning

Today we are fortunaty to have a lazy Sunday morning... enjoying the outdoors.

Georgia

This time of the year is one of the best things about living in Georgia. The weather is absolutely wonderful, we've been keeping our windows open this past week and enjoying the Windham's from the porch, the birds, the wind, and all the other good stuff that comes with the outdoors (not to mention the magnificent savings on electricity).

Pellet and Cali are enjoying it too - not too hot, not too cold, just right. Here are some pictures of them playing in the yard (we wanted to upload a video of them playing but are currently experiencing technical difficulties... will try again later, or another day).

Outside Dog

We are suspicious that Pellet might have become an outside dog while we were on vacation at the beach. He stayed at the all-time-favorite pet resort in one of those little rooms where he could go in and out at his leisure.

Today he's spent most of the day outside - hanging out by the back door. When we open the door to let him in, he stares at us blankly.

Maybe he's just enjoying the cooler weather and wants to make the most of it. Who knows?

Who Can Resist a Puppy at the Beach?

We took Cali to the beach on Saturday afternoon. It was a very interesting experience! At first she was uneasy about the ocean (we think she was scared of it because the waves are loud).

It took her a bit of warming up but once she got used it she had an absolute blast. She sure was an attention getter of all the sunbathers that afternoon! Could you resist this cute little creature?

Cali girl when we first got there:


There was some of this going on at first:


After a little while, she was all about the water.
Here she is sticking her face in!


Of course we had to take a frisbee. That was lots of fun. This picture is so cute I'm thinking about selling it to PetSmart!


Here she is easing in


She gets so ugly when she is wet. It's the cute type of ugly. She had sand everywhere (especially her mouth)

Adapting

We made numerous stops along the way to the beach, one was at a tiny gas station to feed Cali. We had no bowls - she ate on a leash (she's not used to leashes), out off her frisbee, next to an old picnic table and an abandoned card table as Norm and I got bugs in our eyeballs. It's all about adapting. Check it out:

What Will it be Like?

This weekend we are heading out to visit Norm's parents in South Carolina and... we are taking Cali! We've travelled with Pellet before but we can't help but wonder: what will traveling with Cal Cal be like? will she understand the concept of "bathroom break"? will she cry and whimper for 4 1/2 hours in the car? will she like the beach? will she eat the sand? will she get along with the toddler nephew?

We'll find out soon.

Adventures

Saying that every day spent with Pablo is an adventure would be an understatement. Today we went to the big city of Atlanta with Pablo and his friend Jamie to pick up another friend - Adam.

We had some time to kill and decided to kill it at the Target in Buckhead. The Target had a buggy elevator. Having lived in relatively small towns practically my whole life, I (we) found this contraption amazing. So much so, that Pablo absolutely had to go find a buggy (because we really didn't need one). So I took pictures.

Here's the buggy going up and Jamie in awe:


Here's Pablo retrieving the buggy:


Click on the picture to enlarge and you'll notice one of the warning pictures: don't put your baby on the buggy while it's going up the elevator... it's not a ride.

Eight Feet went Putt-Putting

We were fortunate this weekend and enjoyed very nice moments with the family (total of 18 feet!). Today we went to play Putt Putt (mini golf) and had a blast, the weather was beautiful! Norm was able to join us after he got off work - so he was the designated picture man.


17th Hole
18th Hole - Fern finally scored a HOLE IN ONE (Yes, I'm jumping!)
Pablo was the score keeper

The best score one was 52 on the 41-par course...

We had to make a pit stop at the ice-cream store due to our overheating... there will always be an excuse for ice-cream.














Afterwards we came home and took a family portrait. It does have to be noted that the picture you see here was attempt #6. We finally got it together. Nothing fancy. Just casual us.

We'll have fancy pictures in October... in exactly 1 month and 2 days...

First Time for Everything

Today Pablo and I woke up and headed to Macon to go see the doctor (he had problems that needed to be addressed). On the way there we realized we hadn't eaten, but we weren't hungry - so no big deal. We got there around 11:30am and were told to expect a 3 hour wait. With that in mind, Pablo crossed Gray Highway, went to the Dollar Store and bought us LUNCHEABLES. It was alright - I had never had one. The total time spent at the doctor was about 2 1/2 hours, so Thumbs Up to Luncheables!

Up to No Good

Today Cali must have gotten bored of playing with Mello Pello and decided to get into things she's not supposed to.

1. She attacked one of the pots on the porch and pulled all 3 plants out. Then continued to chew 2 of them to pieces. Norm was able to save the third one and replanted it. Hopefully it will survive rehab.

2. She got into the bathroom trashcan (yes, fun) and pulled ALL THE TRASH out into the bedroom. Just like this:

Because hauling trash 9 feet away, one piece at a time, was not enough, she hid some underneath the bed . Just like this:

Pick up was super fun :(

Windows

Couldn't resist to post about the fact that it's just now the begining of September and we're able to open our windows at night! So exciting! Good-bye A/C and crazy electricity bill!!!

Water Restrictions

Due to the obvious reason that Cali can't "hold her water" just yet, her water amounts are restricted after 8:30pm. Of course one thing leads to the other. Water restrictions lead to sneaky behavior such as this one:
Her name is called, she looks up and gives this look that says "who's in trouble, me???"