I told Mom I thought it was only fair that she lets me talk sometimes- Hope has all the fun, telling stories and being on the website- so now it’s MY turn.

So here’s what I want to talk about – sticks. I love sticks- I like chewing them, I like carrying them – and if they’re still sticking in the ground, I like trying to jump up and grab them.  There’s a great big one still sticking in the ground in the backyard, but Mom says to leave it alone so we can eat figs this summer.

I was carrying a great big stick the other day, and Hope had to come up and grab it. She tried to take it away from me, but I wouldn’t let her. We ran all over the yard pulling the stick. Ha! I finally won because Hope gave up and picked up a cup that blew into the yard.

I wanted to stick out my tongue at Hope – she’s so bossy! She always tells Dad and Mom when I do something wrong.  And I think she likes it when I mess up – she thinks she’s so great.

But Dad reminded me that Hope and I are sisters, and we’re supposed to love each other and help each other. He reminded me about when I was little and Hope taught me all about living here.

So I’m going to be nice to her- she really is fun to play with; I just have to remember the verse Dad taught me: I can do all things through him who strengthens me.  Phil. 4:13

Just remember that Jesus loves you, just like he loves Hope and me; and he’ll help you get through anything, if you’ll just ask him – even if it means being nice to your big sister!

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Here’s the doll that Mom has been working on! Scout and I were pretty leery of her at first- she looks real, and we thought she was going to get up and play with us, but I don’t guess she is real. She sits very still and looks at us; I think it creeps Scout out – she keeps barking at her. We’re going to take her down to Florala, to Cancer Freeze, on Saturday.

Her name is Bleau Victorious,  after our friend Bleau who used to live out near Jennifer and Daniel.  She’s battling cancer and is going to be victorious too! Mom’s got a whole bunch of pictures on our Facebook page if you’d like to see them- they’re here.

Mom and I hope everyone will come see us and buy lots of tickets – all the money we raise will go to the Cancer Freeze folks who help local people battling cancer. I don’t know exactly what cancer is, but it must be pretty bad to have so many people fighting it.

See ya’ll Saturday!

I don’t know why, but Mom got real excited the other day.  She came in with this thing here and took it to her sewing room. I know it looks kinda like a tomato, but that’s not what it is.

Then she took this bowl that was full of pins and needles and started sticking them in this thing. Now I know that sounds crazy- I mean, how many people do you know who keep pins and needles in a bowl? But I know how they got there. See, Scout got up on Mom’s desk and got the other one, that was full of pins and needles and…. well, let’s just say that pins and needles and sawdust were all over the floor of the den. EVERYWHERE.

So after Mom looked all in Scout’s mouth to see if she was bleeding, she got Dad’s big magnet and picked them all up and put them in a bowl.  The next time she went shopping, she couldn’t find of these things. But Grandmama helped her find one so Mom was really happy.

So now Mom has a new tomato thingy full of pins and needles.

I just wish I knew why Mom and Dad keep calling us goats… I mean really? Just because we like to chew up stuff, like shoes, and we eat paper and try to eat cat food cans, and Scout likes to sleep on top of the sofa… oh, never mind.

What do you think? are we really goats, or are we just silly dogs?

The other night I heard Mom and Dad talking- something about freezing and a lake. I know- that sounds crazy, right? And after Mom put that tree in the living room, I was wondering what the next crazy thing was going to be- and I think this is it.

She told Dad about these folks who PAY MONEY to jump in the lake down at Florala. They don’t get paid- they pay money to jump in. But then she told him why – you see, there are some good folks who live in Florala, and they like to help people who need it. So they started an event called Cancer Freeze– every year on the first Saturday in February, they do all kinds of things to raise money to help local folks who are fighting cancer.

They have a pancake breakfast, a fun run (and you know I love to run!), fishing, chili cookoff, auction,  a car and bike show and I don’t know what else.

But Mom is going to be there- in fact she’s making a biker doll to raffle off. (Dad can’t go this time because he can’t get off work.)  I can’t wait for her to finish it! Scout tried to help by chewing on the yarn Mom got for her hair, but Mom made her leave it alone.  As soon as she finishes it I’ll put a picture up so you can see it. She’s gonna be wearing a tie dye t-shirt and jeans, and maybe even chaps and a vest.

So I want YOU to come by and see us – bring lots of money to spend on tickets for the doll, and to buy some chili and some pancakes, and to run, and just to donate!

On Thursday nights, Dad goes to church for the men’s prayer meeting, and Mom has some of her friends over for Bible study.

I like it when her friends come over – they pray and talk about stuff in the Bible, and eat snacks (last night, one of the ladies brought vanilla wafers, which are yummy).  They let me have some of the snacks sometimes, but that’s not the main reason I like it.

And I get to come visit with them, but Scout has to stay in the crate- Mom says it’s because she’s still working on her manners and Mom doesn’t want her to accidentally scratch someone or jump on them. But that’s not the main reason I like it either.

I really like it when company comes because they love on me like Dad and Mom do- they pet me and baby-talk me (even though I’m not a baby). Sometimes when they sit on the sofa, I can get up and sit beside them. Ms. Betty has a cat, and I like smelling of her so I can get to know her cat. (I really like to kiss Ms. Betty’s ear because she giggles when I do.)

Dad says that everybody wants to be loved; everybody, even little dogs like me.  He says that’s what the folks who follow Jesus are supposed to do- we’re supposed to love them, even if they aren’t very lovable sometimes. We have to love them and show them Jesus, and tell them the truth about Him and about how to get to Heaven.

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John 14:5 Thomas said unto him, Lord, we know not where you go; and how can we know the way?

6 Jesus said unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.

7 If you had known me, you would have known my Father also: and from henceforth you know him, and have seen him.

8 Philip said unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it will satisfy us.

9 Jesus said unto him, Have I been so long a time with you, and yet have you not known me, Philip? he that has seen me has seen the Father; and how say you then, Show us the Father?

Over the last few days, it’s been raining pretty hard – Dad said we got about 6 inches of rain. I’m not really sure what that means, but I think that’s why the ground is so squishy all the time when we go for walks. There was water everywhere!

None of us wanted to get off the porch- all the kittens and cats just sat on their perches and watched it rain. They finally went in the carport where Dad has a heater that will keep them warm. Mom made me and Scout walk around a little bit; she said we had to stretch our legs a little bit.  I think us running races up and down the hall were getting on her nerves.

Dad says that there’s a story in the Bible about a lot of rain. He says a man named Noah loved God and followed Him. Then one day God was sad about how bad people were behaving to he decided to send a lot of rain. He told Noah to build a big boat (it’s called an ark in the Bible) so Noah and his family could stay safe.

After the flood was over, God put a rainbow in the sky to remind all of us that He will never flood the world again.

I found some neat color sheets about Noah and the ark and the rainbow here – let me see what you color!

So…. remember me telling you that Mom put a TREE in the living room? Well, now she says it’s time to take it back down. But here’s a picture of what it looked like with all those packages and bags under it. Dad said we had to leave all that stuff alone because it wasn’t ours.  Scout did try to eat one of the little boxes but they stopped her before she finished; Dad says that doesn’t count against the ‘naughty’ list because Scout is still just a baby, really.

And I guess Santa must have thought we were pretty good- we each got a nice smelly bone to chew on and they taste great. We also got a bag of peanut butter cookies- our favorites! And we got a red ball that we can’t chew up. I don’t know how much fun that’s going to be but we’re giving it a try.

And guess what? Dad gave a bunch of our Christmas cards out to the folks on his mail route, and they must really like it because they put it up in their offices and stuff. One lady told Dad this morning that everyone who comes in wants to read it.

Scout and I hope you all had a great holiday with your loved ones.  Don’t forget that Jesus loves you, no matter what!

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3 16

Mom says that people could learn a lot, if they’d just pay attention to their dogs.  She says we have “joy of life” – I’m not sure what that means, but I think it means that she likes to watch Scout and I run and play. We saw this bird flying from one tree to another this morning and we ran back and forth, watching it; in a few minutes some other birds were flying around with it, and we liked that even more. Then I saw a squirrel run up one tree and jump to another and I was barking and trying to catch it.

Dad says most dogs enjoy every day – on his mail route, he has dog friends at lots of houses.

Dad and Mom both say that if people would try to enjoy the life they have like us dogs do, instead of always wanting something different, they might be happier.   They say that us dogs are happy just because…

I don’t know about that; but I do know that a white bag with a “T” and an “S” is sitting in the dining room.  I know that means it came from Tractor Supply, which is where our chicken meatballs and peanut butter cookies come from.  It smells awfully good – I wonder if Santa brought that to our house last night? I think if Scout and I are very quiet, we might be able to pull that bag down before Dad & Mom find out.   Come on, Scout – let’s go see….

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A few days ago, I heard Mom tell Dad that they needed to get all the decorations out of the storage building. And then she said something about a tree.  Well, I just thought she was talking about the trees outside.

And then this week- I swear this is what happened- she put a TREE in the living room. A TREE. It wasn’t real because it was in parts, but she really put it in there. Then she put lights that were on strings all around it, and then she put this big silver string all around it. Scout tried to taste it but Mom said no.

We were so surprised at what she was doing, we just laid on the sofa and watched… I couldn’t even bark. Then Mom told us what it was all about.

You see, in about another week, we’re having a big party- in fact, folks all over the place are having parties – and all for the same reason. Because it’s Jesus’s birthday!

Dad says we really don’t know when Jesus’s birthday is, so someone a long time ago picked December 25 as the day to celebrate. And everyone who wants to, gets to help celebrate. Some people put up trees and lights and wreaths and other stuff- I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what else Dad and Mom decide to put up at our house. (I think I heard Dad say something about putting lights outside – don’t ask me why- maybe it’s to help the Little’uns find their way around.)

Dad says most everyone gives presents to the folks they love to help celebrate, so I guess that explains the boxes and bags all around the tree. I hope there’s something under there for us dogs. We’ve really tried to be good this year.

Dad also says that some folks don’t think it’s right to put up a tree or decorations to celebrate Jesus’s birthday. They think it’s making the real meaning of Christmas less important. I don’t know- it looks pretty to me, and I like watching the lights blink on the tree. I think it’s a good idea to make a big deal about Jesus- after all, He died for each one of us so we can go to heaven, and He couldn’t have done all that if He hadn’t been born, so it seems right that we make a big deal out of His birthday.

If you’ve got little kids who like to do crafts, look at this page we found- it looks like some fun things to make. (We’re not allowed to play with the glue sticks because Scout tries to eat them.)

Oh yeah! In case you haven’t seen our Christmas card yet, go here – you’ll never guess who’s in it!