I Almost Fainted.

Let's be honest, I never ACTUALLY believed the whole I-heard-something-so-dramatic-and-incredibly-life-altering-that-I-fainted scenario. Granted, I've never had a loved one unexpectedly pass or won the lottery, which are the only two examples I can think that would induce such a response. So, imagine my surprise when just such an experience was presented in my life!

We've had Choco for 4 years, during which time, he's been a lovable, sweet, smart, enjoyable dog to have...and our only 'kid' to take care of. When Kavella was born, well, I don't want to say he became neglected, but....he certainly wasn't our priority anymore. Pomeranians have a propensity for terrible teeth/gums (yes, I DID just share some of the responsibility with his genes). Okay, okay, so after a year went by with minimal dental attention, his breath reeked! I don't mean like slightly offensive, but still so cute you can overlook it smell. I mean, if he licked your hand, you'd have to wash the wretched smell off immediately or risk passing out from asphyxiation. We decided to have a bit of puppy dental surgery done to clean and extract some of his teeth. Well, clean them all, but extract the ones that were too "bad." Such a procedure requires a dog to be anesthetized in order to perform the dental work.

So, here comes the fainting part. Note, we paid $1,250 for Choco, which I realize is ridiculous, but you should have seen how cute he was! The doctor came in and gave us an estimate between $800 and $1,350, leaning more toward the high end of pricing. I kid you not, the room began flickering with little white specs and even began rocking back and forth. WHAT!?! That's MORE than we paid for him!! After regaining my composure, we agreed to have the much-needed work performed.

Choco is a new dog! His breath doesn't smell AT ALL and we can enjoy him again! I couldn't believe the difference his dental work made and now we have the ability to stay 'on top' of his teeth in order to prevent this from occurring again! Seriously, friends, you will love being around Choco again--come over and see! In the end, I talked the hospital down to $998 total; under a grand, but worth a million! And, I thought a refrigerator was a HUGE expense....

WTI Summer Party!!

It's party time, time, time! WTI threw a party for it's employees and their families! First, let me just say how GRATEFUL I am that Dustin is employed at WTI! I am so thankful for all the blessings that have come with his employment--we have a home to live in, we eat three meals a day, we are able to provide for Kavella's needs, we can be generous to others, we have two vehicles and many more blessings. Second, I am overwhelmed with gratitude that Dustin likes his job and is a hard worker! Dustin is truly an amazing man! I respect him for his kindness to others, willingness to serve in the church, selflessness as a daddy, ability to problem-solve, money-management skills and the love he shows me. I love you, Dustin! I am forever thankful to have you in my life!

It was fun to see Conner and Amanda there! Amanda is such a good little helper with Kavella; she likes to carry Kavella all around! Kavella loves spending time with her cousins! The party was thrown in the old warehouse, so there was plenty of room for games, crafts, dancing and balloons! There was a bounce-house there, which was the highlight of the day! Kavella initially thought the ramp to enter the bounce house was a slide, so she started sliding down it immediately! The real slide was much larger.....

Without socks, Kavella's feet kept sticking to the slide.....she seriously ate it every time she went down (see picture above R), but she would just get up, laugh and clap, and run back to the entrance. Trust me, after we put socks on her, she slid down with ease!! Oh, and don't let CPS get a hold of that picture, either! Amanda was so sweet to ride with her over and over!


What's a party without junk food? They had a snow cone machine for the kids, along with beach pails that were filled w/goodies! The adults got to chow down on delicious teriyaki chicken, pulled pork and all the fixin's to accompany it! It was a lovely afternoon--thanks WTI!


Look at this cute red flower headband Granny got for Kavella! It really brings out her eyes! This is our last full day at Disneyland before we're blocked out for the summer. Amazingly, we were still doing things we'd never done there before. I don't know how people do it all in one day. I guess I'm just a lolligagger. We even stood in line to see Mickey, which was anti-climatic and not worth the wait.




Then, Dustin met us after work! We thought CA Adventure was showing their new World of Color, but we were sorely disappointed when they didn't. It was just nice to spend time with Dust!

The last pictures are of our Sunday stroll to the pier.

Angels and a Pony.

Above: Playing on the beach with Melody and Corban. Kavella playing at Goofy's Park in D-land--she was obsessed with the slide and went down it over and over and over!



Above: Angel's Game with the Odells! Check out the guy behind Mel and me....he's all creeper-style, like, "I know I'm going to be in this picture, so I might as well smile a little..."


Our last day at Disneyland for the summer....sad day. We went on three things we'd never been on before! How can D-land be done in one day? It can't.


Above: Um, for all my siblings, you might enjoy keeping the tradition of "Can't Touch This" alive. Da-na-na-na. Don, don, don, can't touch this. Da-na-na-na-na, dah, dah, dah, can't touch this. Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. AAaaaggh--Dad's coming--hide!!


My friend Jen Scott made this ridiculously cute tutu AND onesie! She's very talented in the crafts department, huh? I might have waited too long to let Kavella wear it, but I still think she looks scrumptious in it!! Thanks, Jen!

Beach: Kavella's favorite place to play. We tried taking a family photo--perhaps we need a professional. Hope to live near it forever.