Mom and Dad sure have been busy…they’ve been married 25 years and decided to throw a big party for the family to celebrate. So they’ve been getting everything ready- they had a big cake, and all kinds of fun snacks, and they had decorations – pine cones (they wouldn’t let Scout and I have any, because we like to chew on them), and ribbon, and leaves.

Mom said she wanted us to get to come, but there were going to be so many people that she and Dad thought it would be better if we stayed home, especially since she wouldn’t be able to be with us the whole night.

So we stayed home and watched TV – But that’s OK.  They brought us some goodies back and we liked that.

Dad said a lot of people came and had fun with them- some dressed in their biker gear like Dad and Brandon, and some folks came in costume like Mom and Jennifer. We had a unicorn and some superheroes, and then we had some folks who were dressed in “regular” clothes.

Their friend Kayla made a tree for everyone to sign, and there were lots of folks taking pictures. One of their friends fixed Mom’s and Jenn’s hair really pretty, and another lady made the cake look beautiful.

I sure am glad Mom and Dad love one another and had so many people who love them to come help them celebrate.

Ecclesiastes 4:9: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?”

Mom and Dad said it’s time for ‘goobers’ again! What do you mean, you’ve never had boiled goobers?

Mom said some folks call them boiled peanuts… I don’t care what you call them- they are GOOD.

The Shriners here in the county boil and sell a bunch of them every Labor Day weekend to raise money for the Shrine Children’s Hospitals. This year they’re boiling 27 TONS…. I don’t know how much that is exactly, but I saw a great big truck pulled up down there at the peanut shed. I wanted to bark but Mom said not to, because they were doing a good job.

If you’re out and about this weekend, head on down to the Crenshaw County Shriner’s building and buy a bag or two- Dad says they freeze good – just warm them up later.  Come on- you know you want to try them!

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“No man ever stood so tall as when he stooped to help a child.”

Look what Dad got us! it’s a big tennis ball and a rope and a squeaky toy, all in one…. well, at least that’s what it started out as… Scout has chewed the fuzz off the ball, and we’ve both chewed on the rope til it’s ragged and we’re still trying to get to the squeaky toy.  This is FUN!

There are actually two of them- Dad said we each needed our own, but it’s just so much more fun when we can argue and pull on the same one at the same time.

Mom says we’re as bad as human kids… I don’t know what she’s talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a411QaR96oc

When Joey and Jennifer were little kids, Mom and Dad had a tape (I think that’s kinda like a CD or something)  of kids’ songs they listened to. One of the songs was “Little David, Play on Your Harp” like in the video above.

They listened to those songs every time they went on trips, so sometimes I catch Mom singing them when she’s working and doesn’t realize it.

Dad says singing is a good way to praise God.  He says David was an important man, but when he was a little boy, he helped King Saul by singing and playing his harp.  The Bible says that the music helped King Saul’s heart be happy.

I don’t know how to sing but I sure like barking – it makes my heart happy!

What’s your favorite Bible song?

Mom says this week is my birthday…. I am TWO years old. We don’t know exactly when it is, so Mom just picked the 8th- that sounds good to me!

Mom posted some of my pictures on Facebook the other day- she says she’s so glad I’m a part of the family, and I am too! Mom says I’m a blessing to her; I’m not sure exactly why she says that, except that sometimes she looks at pictures of another dog she used to have, and she cries. Maybe it’s because I’m a happy dog and I make her happy.

I’m glad I’m here!

Blessed are the pure in heart, because they will see God. Matthew 5:8

Dad says it’s almost time for all the kids to go back to school.  I like watching the school bus drive by in the mornings and afternoons – sometimes if Scout and I are out walking Mom when they ride by, the kids wave and yell at us from the windows.

Mom says that when the kids were little, they liked riding the bus. They got to be the last ones off in afternoons, so they got to help let all the windows up.

Dad says you can learn lots of things in school: how to be a hard worker; how to treat other people; how to play fair; and he says you can even learn stuff like math and spelling and reading if you try.

I don’t think I’d like to go to school with all those kids- that’s an awful lot of noise. But I’m glad Mom and Dad teach Scout and I things. We know how to sit down, sit up, lie down, high five and shake. Scout also knows how to load up in the truck- I’d rather not ride, so I don’t do that.

Mom says it’s good for our brains to learn stuff- that the more things we learn, the better dog (or person) we are.

I hope you’re learning new stuff too! Just remember to be careful and watch for kids getting on the bus!

A few weeks ago I told you about Scout’s brother Carl – he got hit by a car and had to go stay at Dr. Josh’s office for a while til he got better. Well, he’s been back home for a few weeks and he’s doing great!

Jenn and Daniel had to go out of town for a wedding, so Carl got to come stay with us – everybody else stayed home but they didn’t want him to hurt his leg again. So Dad and Mom said he could come.

He’s got this weird thing on his leg with metal sticks going into his leg- but it doesn’t seem to bother him. Mom says it’s to help his leg finish healing. But the weirdest thing is this crazy white thing on his head- I don’t like it because it makes me think he’s going to stick it on my head. But Scout doesn’t mind- in fact, she keeps sticking her head in there and kissing Carl.

Dad called it the Cone of Shame- I don’t know why but it looks pretty bad to me.

I sure am glad Carl is going to be OK.  And I’m also glad that Daniel and Jennifer didn’t give up on him when he was hurt.

A few weeks ago, our friends Kimmie, Jamalyn and Leah had a party and let lots of puppies and dogs come. Their friend Brian came and helped some of them learn how to behave better. Scout got to go, but I stayed home (I’m perfect, so I don’t need any more training.)

He told the folks that if their dog was misbehaving, make the dog lay down and put one hand on his neck and one on his back leg to make him be still and relax. I overheard Mom telling someone that she’d been doing it to Scout when she plays too rough…

Well, this morning, Scout was jumping on the sofa and trying to take my bottle away – just acting crazy! So I sat on her head to calm her down. It works!

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I do NOT like thunder…. I just do not.

Mom says not to worry and Dad says it’s just noise – but I still don’t like it. It sounds like guns, or loud trucks, or something- I always think something is trying to get us. I bark to warn Mom and Dad but they don’t seem to worry about it.

Scout isn’t worried. She just runs around and plays and doesn’t even notice it. Maybe I just need to pray about it.  After all, Jesus says take all our cares to Him.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.  I Peter 5:7

Guess what? This weekend we get to celebrate a birthday! Dad says  that it’s our country’s birthday – Dad says we get to celebrate our freedom from oppression from another country. I’m not really sure what that means, but I think it means we can play like we want to, and say what we want and worship God like we want (I really like that part). I’m real excited about it- I hope we get to cook out, because that means we might get to catch the pieces that drop!

Some folks like to shoot off fireworks, and I know Mom and Dad like to watch them. But please remember that to us dogs, fireworks sounds like thunder or gunshots – so please make sure we’re safely inside so we won’t get scared and  run away. (Last year there were several dogs who ran away during the fireworks and I don’t think some of them ever came home.) Mom and Dad will have us inside, and Scout will be in her crate- and they turn the TV on to METV so the cowboys will be louder than the noises outside.

Please remember to keep your furbabies safe during all the excitement!