Say It's your Birthday!

Fridya night I got home from work and Jonathan had been warning me to check out one of my stuffed animals all day long. I didn't understand at first, but I got home and James, the bear, was holding an iPod Nano!!! It was so awesome! I am trying to get all of my music uploaded onto it. It is taking a while, but it will be great once it is all there.

Saturday Kellie Richards and I went garage saling and I got a sewing table with a working Singer sewing machine (which I am going to give to Kellie's cousin and just keep the table). It was 4 dollars! I also got a brand new Sunbeam iron for 25 cents..I had talked with Amanda Haskew about getting an awesome Rowena iron, but I couldn't pass up the Sunbean...it is really nice! I also got a Bocce set. Kellie and I went to McAllister's Deli for lunch and then we hung out after getting home and played guitar for about two hours. It was awesome! I have never played with a guitar player that sang and played like her and we were able to play together and sing right off the bat.

So, what are these pictures and who are these people? Last night Jonathan and I joined our friends, the Brocks, in Stillwater Oklahoma at a Japanese Steakhouse called Kyoto. Holly's(bottom left) birthday was yesterday and mine is Monday so it was really nice. Last year we went out to a Japanese Steakhouse, too, only it was a lot better. Pete and Sarah (right...Holly and Matt's friends) joined us. It was fun because of the company and the horrible experience. We have a lot of funny stories about how awful our waiter was. He actually owned the place. Pete and Sarah said it is usually way better.
The chef threw in some free friend ice cream for Holly and I since we were birthday girls together (I kind of have a farmer's tan!).
After dinner we went back to the Brock's for a while and had snowcones. This is us with Matt and Holly's daughter Sadie. She has grown a lot and is very talkative.

Well, on Tuesday night I played softball with Tim and Amanda (the people who have "Gradey"). They have decided to call her Belle. I didn't go over to their house to see her that night, but I thought I would mention it since it was part of my week. I played catcher for their team and I took a very hard hit at home during a play at the plate. My neck actually cracked several times (like knuckles cracking). I caught the ball while I stood in front of the bag, turned back to make the tag (which wasn't even close...we had him) and the guy jumped right into me and turned my head 180 degrees. He was not ejected. I don't know if I will play anymore because I just think people take themselves way too seriously.
Thursday night I went over to Tim and Amanda's after work. I saw Gradey, whose name is now Belle. She is having a great time living with Tim and Amanda and Macy (the other dog whom I have yet to get a picture of). She has grown a lot!
After saying hi to Belle and hanging out with her for a few minutes, Amand and I went with her brother to Rascal Flatts. It was an awesome concert! We went to the Bricktown Brewery first. The show was so cool, though. They are all really good musicians and have great voices. It was a fun night and I think maybe when they come back someday I would see them again.

Well, just a few thoughts about the past few weeks and the puppy situation. We gave her to the Kraus's on Wednesday July 18th. It was really sad, but necessary. I learned a lot for the week and a half I was with her. First off, I am not a shabby dog trainer. Gradey could sit on command and she knew "come", "thirsty", "water", "hungry", "hurry up", "let's go", "no bite", "crate time" and "leave it". This is partly because she is unusually smart as well, I realize. For a 7-week-old pup to be able to sit on command and to be able to walk on a leash (I actually taught her how on a leather one I bought...nylon was not working because it made a big dangly loop by her head) is pretty incredible. I almost look at my time with her as training for her new home. It is just a few less things Tim and Amanda will have to work on her with. I learned that I have patience to work with animals and I believe that could carry in to having children. I learned also about how little time I have and how I better enjoy not having children for the time being and maximize my "me and Jonathan" time. I also learned how bad it hurts to have to give away something you really care about and love (I still pine for her a little, but know that if she was here I wouldn't be able to give her the attention she needs).

So, in case anyone was wondering the bottom line for getting rid of her was time. Not enough time and not having a fenced back yard really stressed me out. I had to watch her constantly. The no time thing comes from the fact that Jonathan is going to school 6 hours a week (three hours Monday and Tuesday nights 6-9) and I am really the one taking care of the house and property. For example tonight I went grocery shopping after work, came home and ate a quick dinner, and hopped on the tractor and cut grass until it was dark (I am still not done...but it will only be a half hour tomorrow). If we had Gradey still, I have no idea how I would have done that and still gave her some attention. After I finished cutting, I swept the driveway free of grass and came in and folded clothes and then cut up fruit for our homemade cereal (another thing we got from Montana) until right now as I post. So, I know I don't have to justify finding the fantastic little puppy a new home to the whole world, but it makes me feel better.

I have an interesting take on the puppy thing, too. About two months ago I remember walking through our large corridors at church depressed because I knew I was about to have my best girlfriend move to Vienna, Austria to be a missionary (their page is linked on ours). I actually had tears in my eyes as I saw a couple friends (more acquaintances really) talking and laughing with each other and I realized I did not have a girlfriend to do that with. I prayed that God would help me start some friendships with some women. Well, as most of you know God does things on His timing and according to His will. Well, we got this puppy and I was stressed out after working with her and being torn because I had no time for anything else after a week. I went down to Kellie and Josh Richards (seen below) house with her to let her mingle with their dogs and just to get a breath. I knew Kellie and I had a lot in common, but for whatever reason I was too shy to really initiate a get together. She had called me a few times to join in on a Bible Study of sorts at their house on Thursdays, but I hadn't made it yet.

So, I took Gradey down there and chatted with her for a while. This was a good start. At this point I hadn't decided to find Gradey a new home, but it was good to talk with a woman (Josh was there, too:). Since then I have gone to their Bible study which was awesome and I have gotten to know them a little better.

So, anyway, once we decided to find Gradey a new home enter Tim and Amanda Kraus. I know Tim through work...actually I took his job when he moved to Engineering. So in a sense I am Tim (just kidding). We have hung out with them before and I will tell you that Jonathan and I always enjoyed it immensely. We have great memories of our get togethers, but they just aren't that often. Well, obviously, they have got Gradey now. Not only do I want to see the pup we had grow up, but I am very excited to get to hang out with Amanda more. We have a lot in common and actually her and Kellie have a lot in common. I am hoping to have a get together with the three of us.

So, what I am getting around to saying is that I think through all of this pain and suffering with Gradey, I believe God has answered my prayer from this past May. I have two women in my life now to begin friendships with. Of course, I have some female friends at church, too, that I really need and want to get to know better (coffee, anyone?), but it is a blessing to have someone in my neighborhood and also to begin getting closer to Amanda with whom I have always known I could be great friends. In fact, hopefully we will hang out next week. Also, I may start playing softball as an alternate on Tim and Amanda's team (everyone knows how I love softball). I told Tim to use me as a secret weapon catcher:).

I know through all of this that one day when the time is right we will get a dog again. Will it be a puppy? I don't know...it depends on our situation. There are good and bad things about having a pup, but we will cross that road when we get to it. For now I have decided to be content with life and enjoy life just Jonathan and I.

We found Gradey a home. We were so glad to hear that our friends Tim and Amanda Kraus were already looking for a doggy friend for their dog Macy. Macy is a yellow lab and looks just like Gradey's mom. Here are a few shots of her in her new pad. She is very happy. I let her out at lunch today at their house and she seemed happier even than at our house. I think she likes having the doggy companionship.
Amanda, Tim, and Gradey (now referred to as puppy). I am thankful that at least we will be able to see her. Amanda and I are getting together to sew or just hang out next week (and maybe regularly).
Me and the Gradester. It hurts to give her up, but it is the best thing for all of us. If I had time for a dog right now, we would keep her.
Got Water? This dog is a super water dog. Tim may train her to hunt.

Well, it has definitely been a long two weeks. Gradey has grown and I have realized that I truly don't have enough time to devote to her. This whole ordeal has taught me a lot. I haven't suffered this much in a long time. After many tears I have realized we have to find her a home that can devote enough time to her.
She's very smart. She will stand under the spigot and bark at it to get water (obviously I have to turn it on).
She also is a little spitfire. She plays hard, but is also very snuggly and loveable.

So far, she likes her ducky which I bought for her last night, she is a big fan of water (go figure) and she likes her big Nylabone I also got her last night. As you can see, she likes climbing up on this end table, which I am working on correcting. Our neighbor, Rebecca, has been pretty helpful giving us some of her dogs (black labs) hand-me-downs to borrow.
She's definitely getting more comfortable here. She is roaming the yard like it is hers already. Tonight I gave her a bath, sort of. She wasn't a huge fan of it, but that was because she was very interested in checking out the garage. I may have to start taking her out on a lead just to get her used to it.
She also has been investigating the coffee table a lot and I have gotten her to stop biting it for the most part, but I have to watch her like a hawk around it and put ducky in her mouth when she bites it.

I know my parents are definitely looking forward to these. This is our new pup, Gradey. She seems content for now. Tomorrow I am going to work, so maybe it will be a lot more difficult than it has been so far.
"Zonked Out", as Troy Dorrell would say (the term was new to me when we were in Montana...Jonathan insists that he has heard it many times before).

Right now she is zonked out just outside the office. I think she likes the cold tile floor.

After we left Golden we visited Red Rocks Park and Ampitheatre.
Red Rocks has had many famous musicians play there and also many live albums have been cut there (I know of U2 and DMB right off the top of my head).

Saturday morning (July 7th) we visited Golden Colorado, the home of the Coors Brewing Company. It was actually a very nice little town..too bad we were there too early in the morning for anything to be open.

Us by the river.

Here are some pictures from this past weekend. This is Friday night (July 6th) at the Colorado Rockies game.
The Rocky Mountains in the distance.
"Welcome to Coors Field: Elevation 5280 ft. Cool.
A view from just above the bull pen (where we sat).

Gradey enters the Forte family

Well, we met the Dorrell's yesterday in Wheat Ridge, Colorado and we got Gradey (our new dog) from them. It was sad only being able to spend a very short time with Troy and Lorena. We hope to go back up to Montana soon. By the way, for those of you who aren't aware, we named her Gradey after Belgrade, Montana where the Dorrell's are from.
Gradey slept in the car a lot! I was afraid she would be up all night. We got her to the hotel, fed her, and aside from one whining incident where she actually had to go to the bathroom, she slept all night without a fuss. It was a huge relief to me, since I was afraid she would keep Jonathan and myself up all night.
She has a pretty laid back temperment and will already readily retreat to her crate and go to sleep (like she just did) with hardly any coaxing. She is very playful, though, and is investigating everything with her mouth. So, hopefully she won't chew up too much!

I usually love to put pictures up, but we are at a hotel now and I hardly have all of the cables I need to do that. Yesterday we drove to Denver to meet the people from Montana to pick up our puppy (which is happening today...we came up a day early).
Last night we went out to eat at the Olive Garden and then we went to the Colorado Rockies game and they won in extra innings which was awesome, but we are both tired today. This afternoon we are headed west of Denver and we are going to meet the Dorrell's there with our new puppy! These are some exciting times!