Happy New Year!!!

Kenny and I want to wish our friends and family a very Happy and Healthy New Year!!!

Let me catch up with a few of our Christmas activities. My cousins were here visiting from Arizona. It's always great to have them here. Sedona, the youngest, is also my goddaughter and she spent the day with Kenny, Duke and I. Since she's 10 and lives in Phoenix, snow is a GREAT thing to her...not at all like her godmother feels about snow. Even though it was a yucky, slushy, somewhat icy snow left, she still managed to make a snowman and get Duke outside to play in the snow with her. Her fine work is pictured above...and below she stands with it. That was the first snowman made at our house!

Christmas time usually finds us running around to at least three different celebrations with family and this year was no different. I really blew it taking pictures this year...so I'll just share the three that I have! Below, Duke INHALES the yummy rawhide his cousin Draco gave him for Christmas.

We got to spend some time with Kenny's sister Joan, her husband Joe and their girls, Anna and Kate. Anna is three and LOVES Uncle Ken now that they can make jokes together. We got Anna a big, foam puzzle of the United States and she really enjoyed trying to figure it out with the help of her mom and Uncle Ken. Here, she and mom take a short storytime break from the almost completed United States.

And Kate, is a darling little 5 month old that must be one of the happiest babies I've ever met. She loves being a part of the action. Here she is held by Uncle Ken...for the FIRST time!! Aren't they cute?! And yes, those are stickers on Joan and Ken...they don't dress like that everyday...Anna got stickers from Santa and she likes to decorate the family with them! Gotta love the kids! :)

Amazing!!!

Well, yesterday was a GREAT day for Kenny and I...and our little baby. We had a doctor's appointment and were able to hear the baby's heartbeat for the FIRST time and it was AMAZING!!! I had been warned by friends that this is the hardest time for the doctor to find the heartbeat, but not for us. It took him no time at all and the heartbeat was loud and strong...anywhere from 163 - 173. We loved every minute of it! And as many people say after hearing their baby's heartbeat, it definately seems real now! :)

Duke the Dog

Here's a picture of Duke from just a few days ago.

We recently found out that our dear dog Duke has cancer and probably won't be with us for much more than a couple of months. Duke is 12 1/2 years old and has been such a loyal buddy to Kenny for all of his years and to me for the last 3 1/2 years. We are both so thankful for our time with him thus far, and so thankful that we know that he is sick and we can make the most of our last few months with him. Needless to say, Duke is getting tons and tons of love and attention and is truly enjoying all of the people food we can give him!

As we have been going through this with Duke, it's made me think about how wonderful dogs are. This will be the first time in my life, since the age of 12 that I don't have a dog. They are such loyal companions and loving, sweet animals. Duke actually is a funny dog too. Many of you with pets know that when you live with them, you talk to them - even though you know they can't answer you. But Duke kind of does answer...he's great at groaning in response to a question or shaking his head no at just the appropriate time or even just looking at us and we can just read his thoughts in his eyes. But most of all, he loves his Mommy and Daddy so much and watches our every move and would do anything he could for us, as we would do for him.

When Kenny and I moved in together, he asked me about moving Duke in with us too. Duke was the Friedrich family pet and of course I accepted him, I love dogs too! But I was kind of wondering what it would be like to have a larger dog than I was used to and a yellow lab that seemed to have endless amounts of energy. Duke is about 80 lbs and my Brittany Spaniels (Katie and Suzie) that I had growing up were about 35 - 40 lbs. But Duke quickly stole my heart and we got used to living with each other. I began spoiling him and he quickly became my friend - although Kenny will always be his #1 person in the world. In the end, Duke has made me a true lab lover and has taught me how to love a bigger dog, even if he is almost as tall as me!!

We love you Duke...we are so thankful for you!!!

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog! I wanted to find a way to share our photos with friends and family and keep those far away from us updated with our lives. Hope you enjoy!!