Puppy pictures

These sweet puppies are growing so fast I can hardly believe it! They're two weeks old now. I'm putting up some new pictures, with their names above them for you all to see. These puppies are learning that they can do more with their voices than squeak! they are starting to growl now too! It is such a cute little growl, not at all fierce! Sorry the names are so hard to read, but left to right is, Louis, Elizabeth, Victoria, Catherine, Eddie and Henry.These two are the biggest and the smallest of the litter. There is quite a difference! This is Catherine and Henry. I think Catherine (the little one) looks like a bear cub! Doesn't she sort of remind you of one?!?

The turtle's new name is....

Scooby!

Ali says she knows that one didn't get many votes, but she decided that it was her favorite.

So welcome to the Clark family Scooby!

I apologize for the terrible photo, this little guy is camera shy, and my camera doesn't like taking pictures of anything in the water!

The Turtle

Ali was given a ten gallon tank by a friend, and decided to put, not goldfish in it, but a turtle! As if we don't have enough pets! So a couple months ago, she got books from the library on turtle care, read up on them online, and picked out what kind she wanted. She decided on a Mississippi Map Turtle. So this afternoon after church we drove all the way to Kenmore near Woodinville, to pick up her turtle. He is so, so cute! Ali has been waiting for two months to get her turtle, and now she is so thrilled that she finally has one. But he still doesn't have a name, and she'd like some help picking one. So please take a look at the names on the poll she has narrowed it down to, and vote on your favorite. Maybe even get your siblings (if you have them) to pick their favorite also.

So our pet total is now 2 parakeets, 2 dogs, 6 puppies, (which will all be finding homes) 1 gold fish, and a turtle. But we love every one of them.Our computer is being impossible again, and isn't reading our camera cards, so this is a Google images picture of a Mississippi Map turtle. But he looks just like this.

A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast:

but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Proverbs 12:10

Dinner

This week my mom and I have been trying to work out a system so that I cook dinner a certain amount of times a week on a regular basis. And knowing this week was going to be a bit hectic and busy, I offered to do the cooking aaallll week. I thought "Hey why not? I LOVE to cook, and I'm going to have to come up with dinners every day of the week when I get married, so this will be good practice!"

So last SaturdayI sat down with our two favorite cook books, the recipe box, a pen, and my notebook, And planned out dinners for the coming Monday through Saturday. And all of the meals have turned out wonderfully.

Monday I did Chinese food, egg drop soup, fried rice, and cashew chicken. Yumm-O! The reviews on that were good, after I re-assured Samantha and Bradley (our pickiest eaters) the egg drop soup did NOT contain raw eggs. Tuesday is very busy for my mom and I, I am gone all morning, so I have to catch up on school in the afternooons, and mom teaches piano all afternoon. So that night is pizza or sandwiches night, and of course everyone chose pizza. So I ordered it, and cut up a bunch of fruit and made a dip for it. That counts. Right?? So then Wednesday I made a big pot of beef and barley soup, and some rolls. It's a reliable favorite.

Thursday was the BIG night. We had invited a family friend to join us for dinner, so I planned a large meal. Probably the biggest meal I've ever made going solo.

I made a pot roast that simmered in the oven all day long, giving off the most delicious aroma, sauteed broccoli with lemon and garlic, mashed potatoes and homemade gravy, (actually mom did the gravy) and rolls. And for dessert I made an apple pie, and we had apple slices with a cream cheese dip. (daddy's favorite) It was alot to attempt for one person, but the kitchen was clean with help from Samantha and Ali, and dinner was on the table on time. I was very happy with the way every thing turned, even though I saw Bradley make a funny face when he tasted the broccoli! :)

And tonight I made sausage and potatoe omlets, and a cottage cheese fruit salad. Every time I scramble eggs I think of my dad. He was the one who taught me so many years ago, how to cook and scramble eggs as my very first culinary accomplishment. He showed me how to make big circles with the whisk to get air into the eggs so they'd nice and fluffy. And to make sure the skillet was hot before you pour on the eggs, so they don't spread out and get to thin and papery. Everybody said the were very good, and I know it was thanks to that lesson from dad on scrambling eggs. :)

Perfect.... Empty dishes are a good sign! (we did a paper plate night;)
Tomorrow is a busy day, so we're having cold sandwitches with ham, smoked gouda cheese and pickles. I still need to come up with a side dish for that one. But all in all, the meals have turned out well, and I'm looking forward to having a day or two on a regular basis to try my hand in the kitchen! :)

Puppies!!

Rosie's puppies are finally here! All six of them! Rosie went into labor at around 4pm in the afternoon yesterday, and had the last puppy at 12:19 this morning.

We were all set up and ready for them!

Rosie remembers exactly what happened last time we stuck her in the whelping box! While she was in labor she avoided it like the plague! But now she won't get out of it! :) It was a long night, but these sweet, warm, little ball of fur are so very worth it. It is so cute to see these precious puppies snuggle up to their momma to get warm, and she in return curls into a tight little ball of protection around her babies. There are 3 girls and 3 boys. 3 brown and white ones, and 3 black and white ones. Very even! When it comes to names we always pick a theme. This time I picked old kings and queens. So there names are, Louis, Edward, Henry, Elizabeth, Catherine and Victoria. They are all healthy, and Rosie is doing well also, and she didn't loose as much weight as I expected. That's definitely a bonus, since she'll have more strength and be able to feed her puppies more efficiently. I'll post pictures once in awhile as these sweet puppies grow.

Lovin' the snow and Mt. C st

For the days when the snow was falling a week or so ago, and it wasn't just a big slushy mess like it is now, we were outside enjoying it to it's fullest. And on Christmas day, dad took a shovel to one of those great big mounds of snow that the snow plows created in front of our house, and smoothed in out into the best sledding hill ever! Grandpa gave us two of the old fashioned wooden tobagans for Christmas, and they go so fast if you can find a steep enough hill. And our "hill" was perfect! Our nieghbor lady even gave it a name, Mt. C st! We thought it was perfect.We spent hours taking pictures, and going one or two at a time down Mt. C st. How fun! Hope you all have enjoyed the snow as much as we have!

Whoo-Hooo!!!

King of the mountain!