Puppy Playtime @ Petco

Bigsby went to puppy play time at Petco for the first time. Nobody told us it was pretty much all tiny dogs.

Let's Go Camping!!

We did it!

All the way to 5am! Biggs had to potty.

Bigsby was fascinated by the crinkling tents. Steve and I still have our own tents from our single days. We decided to air them both out.

Steve's tent sleeps two. Mine sleeps four. Who thinks further ahead? The woman! Haha

After buying our house, I never felt very connected to it. I've always struggled with putting down roots in a place. When I sunk those tent stakes in the ground and stepped back to survey the scene, it hit me. This is my land. THIS beautiful grass and these big trees are MINE! Who cares about the house...

There is something truly unique about land. I'll never read the verses about Israel "possessing the land" or "living long in the land" lightly ever again. The land is, in my mind, one of God's greatest gifts. Through His will, it sustains us, protects us, gives us hope and excitement, and it is the canvass of His original love letter to us. This will take me a long time to fully grasp.

The crazy thing about our yard are the new plants that are constantly popping up. Much to our (surprisingly strong) dislike, these mushrooms keep popping up. Yet look how intricate they are! Isn't that amazing?

So... We got outside to enjoy our home. My tent has two zipping doors. Steve's has one. Hence we have a bedroom with a large dressing room aka the "eternal tent". Biggs lost control. He LOVED it.

Now that we know it's good camping land, come on over! But bring a sleeping pad or air mattress... Seriously solid ground here.

Love,
The Grumpy Camper ;)

Let Freedom Ring!!

Happy 4th of July!
- Steve, Kari, & Biggs

Diving Into Summer

We've been busy!
Here's a quick update:
* Bigsby is BIG!

* Kari learned to hang drywall

* Steve laughed at Kari using power tools

* Steve is teaching College Sunday School

* Kari helped lead music for VBS this week and has been playing (limited) piano at church

* Steve has been doing most/all of the gardening this year!

* Kari got a part-time job merchandising at Portland stores for hair salon products (Paul Mitchell, Chi, TIGI). No, she doesn't get discounts. ;)

Today we walked at Bush Park w Biggs for the first time. It's so beautiful!

We also found some crazy $1 deals at Goodwill for the pup!

Biggs approves.

And desperately needs a bath...

Love,
Steve, Kari, & Stinky Hound Hornaday

Discoveries

We've been digging into our yard. It's been so fun to see what all is there!

New things keep popping up and blooming each week.

Recently we tore out a bunch of boxwood bushes.

We're hoping to put a garden in where they were.

Steve's been hard at work troubleshooting chainsaws and rototillers.

I couldn't resist clipping a few of the lilac blossoms from around the yard for my table.

Some bleeding hearts appeared at the back of the yard.

I keep praying Bigsby won't tear the plant to pieces.

It's so beautiful, and I'm so thankful for the blessing of our home!

We've had a lot of fun having some friends from church over for a movie night.

We're very excited for the Lord to use our home as a place for ministry.

If you're ever in the neighborhood, please stop by!

We'd love to see you, especially Bigsby!

Bigsby Jones Hornaday

Seven to Ten

7 Weeks....

Bigsby was small when he became part of our family.

Maybe too tiny, but he was the chunkiest of the litter.

We chose his name because...

* Kari wanted a cute name.

* He's an English Yellow Labrador Retriever.

* Bigsby sounded like a proper British name to Kari.

* Steve wanted a geeky name.

* Biggs was a character from Final Fantasy, one of Steve's favorite video game series.
* Biggs is also the sidekick of Wedge on Star Wars.

Bigsby got kind of sick around 7 weeks. 

He had tummy troubles, and we wound up at the vet.

Boiled Chicken. Chicken Broth. Rice. 

----Every----2----Hours----

24/7

He got much better after a week of that.

We felt much worse.

Gradually started him on kibbles and water.

He packed on the pounds!

From 7 to 10 lbs in one week!

8 Weeks...

He still had his baby fat!

Eight weeks was a big week!

He was so energetic, and was finding out how big his yard really is!

He started shredding sticks, leaves, and seed pods on the nice, clean carpet...

9 Weeks...

We started seeing brown eyes!

By nine weeks, Biggs could obey the commands "Sit", "Down", and "Come".
He's a very smart dog...

It worries me.

We finally started moving stuff into the yard.

The patio swing, for example.

It's taken us longer than expected to hang the swing.

He has claimed it as his lounging and "debris shredding" area.

Biggs will respond one of two ways (I'm guessing) when we put it up:

1. He'll wander around plopping discontentedly in different grassy areas.
2. He'll claw, chew, and clamber until he can get on it.

I'm hoping for #1.

10 Weeks...

As I was driving home from Potluck Sunday at church, my phone rings.

My sick husband (not sounding so sick) declares, "I have AMAZING news!!"

Hmm... 

I know he isn't pregnant...

"I taught Biggs how to shake!! He's soo smart! You're such a GOOD DOG, Biggs!!"

We're currently half-way through week ten.

He's now 13 lbs of rough and tumble.

Biggs keeps bringing more stuff onto the deck and into the house.

Grass. Moss. Dandelions. Leaves. Sticks. Seed pods. Centipedes.

So gross... 

He has recently tapped into a new energy reserve we didn't know he possessed.

He runs.

And runs.

And runs some more.

All of that energy is usually paired with plenty of

growling

   yelping

    

        whining

     

              barking

And oh yes...

Biting.

It's toothing terror in our house.

Please! 

Drop by for a nibble... 

;)

One more funny thing:

Biggs learned how to go up the stairs to our bedroom (and his kennel).

He can't get down the steep stairs.

He gets stuck.

A lot.

We laugh, and yell "treat" as he growls and flips and hops.

So mad!

Many more stories and photos to come...

Have a great week!

Honey Whipped Cream

If you're looking for alternatives to refined sugar, honey whipped cream  is delicious.

Whip 1.5 cups of heavy cream with 5 tablespoons of raw honey and a dash of vanilla until it thickens into a creamy consistency.

It may still be a little runny, but it will set after a few minutes.

I used it on fruit last night. So good! Frozen overnight, it's just like store-bought without the "bad" sugar.

I'm looking forward to trying it with some different extracts. {Lemon, orange, or maybe almond?}

Happy healthy snacking!