Update....and long post to go with it.

This post could be lengthy, but I assure you, it will be picture-filled :)

To start with, last weekend we decided to take Stoney to play with some kids his own size. He's usually odd man out, so we knew this would be a treat. I randomly hopped on to the North Texas Dane Rescue one day and there was a countdown on the home page to DaneFest 2008....obviously I had to know more. Come to find out, it's an event that has been going on for a few years now, originally designed to bring together families who had adopted danes through the rescue. Now it's open to the public, and for $10 bucks, we got 4 fun-filled hours with about 50 great danes and their owners - other people that know the joy that these beasts bring. It was so much fun, and Stoney looked so happy! Of course, there were tons of pictures, but I chose my favorites so it didn't get too out of control on here. Here goes:

One of the cool girls we met there and her boy Jack - who was definitely a bully. Good thing he was all talk, or bark.


Ashley and his other lover - our Stoney.




THE biggest dog-head I've ever seen....such a teddy bear.




She was my favorite of all the other dogs out there. She was as sweet and as calm as could be, not to mention gorgeous. Could be the color of the next one we get.






He looks so happy :)


Also a cool color - Brindle - one in 20,000 danes or something crazy like that.






Also loved her coat - the closest color to Stone we've ever seen.


He's not scurred.


Albino - usually deaf and blind. She was so sweet, and probably the tallest dog I've ever seen.


Pretty girl again - you can tell I loved her.






Finally....a group shot!


I know that turned into quite a few pictures, but you can't ever have too many, right?

Now onto a start-of-May update...Ash will be finishing up the semester this week, and we're keeping our fingers crossed he passes all his classes. He has had a bad case of "senioritis" this semester, which I totally understand, but let's hope he pulls out the grades he needs. If he takes care of his finals like he should, then he'll be done! Being an individual who does not have a strong point when paying attention to detail, he missed the deadline to apply for graduation, so there will be no graduation now. He assures me he will apply and walk in August, but I have a hard time seeing that happen. I think once he's out, he won't go back for graduation. At this point, as long as he does what he needs to get that piece of paper, I'm happy.

Things at work for me are super fabulous. I'm really happy with the decision I made in September to change jobs. The company I work for really appreciates people who work hard, and know exactly how to reward them. They do quarterly bonuses, and since this is our busiest part of the year, the Q1 bonuses are always the biggest. I was SUPER happy with what I ended up with, and not only did I get a great bonus, I got a promotion! My title still doesn't hold much clout, but the fact of the matter is I have only been there since September, and am already moving faster than people who have been doing this a lot longer. Who knows what the future holds, but I am 100% positive this is where God wants me to be, and I am seeing rewards daily that further instill that in my mind. I won't go on and on, but I am the happiest I have been in a very long time when it comes to my job situation. It's just amazing to see how God works on a daily basis.

Along those same lines, I know you are just dying to know what I treated myself to this weekend....so drumroll please....



While this may not get you really pumped up - I am SO stoked. I have been eyeing a really good quality camera for a while, and was starting to save up, but for all my hard work this year, Ash suggested I use bonus money and go get it. I have done nothing but take pictures and edit in the few minutes of spare time I had this weekend (yes, I'm still working weekends). I am SO SO SO happy I bought this and it was worth it. I did a lot of research, I hope this will fulfill my needs for a while. The kit I bought actually came with a lens, which is unusual for higher-end cameras like this. Usually you buy a body and then get all the lenses and such separately. The icing on the cake is that my mom happened to check the Sunday ads today for the store where I bought it, and they marked it down about a $100 less than what I paid, and offered a zoom lens for $100. So knowing it was a no-brainer, I head back up there to get the lens. There's a consumer law that if you buy something, and it's marked down within 30 days, the store is supposed to refund you the difference of what you paid and the sale price. They essentially gave me my money back and I bought the lens - no questions asked. I figured the money was already spent in my head, I might as well get another useful lens. Overall, the past week has been amazing, and now I'm even more excited about my NYC trip in June. If you thought I took a lot of pictures before....you had better brace yourself. I'm armed and dangerous with all new gear. To wrap up this loooooong post...some pictures I took with the new camera.

Taylor's first piano recital! She did so good and her curtsy at the end was awesome! Her arm is 100% back to normal, and she was cleared this week to return to all activity, so she's excited to be a kid again.



She looks like a pro to me.


All the kiddos who performed.


She's just precious.


Little miss Juliana Ava! She was kind of fussy, so I didn't get many pictures. Next time...I'll get you next time.


Ash and his new found love - restoring a motorcycle.









And of course our kids....



This is probably my new favorite picture.


Or maybe this one - how does it not put a smile on your face??


And he looks like an alien, but I still love him.





Whew...that was fun, wasn't it?

I can promise the amount of pictures in these blogs will increase dramatically. There will be millions of pictures of our pups (because they don't have a choice), only tons of my husband (because he gets sick of the camera), and none of me (because I'm the only camera-crazed one in the house).

If you're still here...I appreciate it. You must be a real pal.