Fall Trip 2012 Snapshot

If you've been wondering why I've been quite lately it is because Steve, Levi (the dog) and I got away for a couple of weeks and went to visit my mom.

Levi was ready to go! He was freshly groomed (never cut so short before), had his health vaccinations and dowst with Frontline - all made for an unhappy pooch. But nonetheless, he was happy to be able to go! This was the first time Levi had ever flown.

Levi is a very social dog and likes to be in the know; so it wasn't uncommon to see him peaking out of his pet carrier. After a couple days at moms Levi began to get real comfortable.

Levi also got to meet his cousin Sassy for the second time. The first time, Levi was just a puppy. While away, Levi celebrated his 10th birthday.

Not only did Levi have a birthday, but my mom did too! She turned 79 years old! She was kind enough to pose for us in her new wild print PJ's. She is so cute!

Not only did Steve have a list of things to do (which kept him busy and made him happy), he was able to sell my dad's mill while we were there. This was a tremendous blessing and lifted burden!

Steve and I were also able to run every other day, which was great because the weather was nice. Some may think we were crazy to run in 90 degree temperatures, but we loved it! Sweat, sweat and more sweat - just kept pouring off us.

While we were there we were able to attend services at Heritage Baptist Church, visit with my aunt, wash windows, change out bathroom and kitchen faucets, troubleshoot mom's computer, mow the lawn, trim bushes, get a quote to fix the driveway, take Sissy (the Lab) to the vet, and made an attempt to annihilate some pesty bugs that were stripping leaves off the backyard bushes.

Finally, I can't say enough about mom's cooking! She is the best cook ever! And as always, each dinner was fabulous! Isn't this the strangest bird you have ever seen?

Before we knew it, it was time to say goodbye. I sure do love my momma!

The day we left to head back home, storms were brewing. Both of our flights were delayed, but God got us home by 2:30 in the morning. I don't think it took us too long before lights were out! Great trip!

WA State Convention

Last Friday and Saturday, Steve had the privilege to go to Tacoma and participate in the Washington State Convention.

Steve, along with Jim, Levi and Tim were all elected as delegates to represent our district. The men walked away with even more understanding of the political process and really enjoyed the overall experience. I really appreciate their willingness to be involved in the process and their ability to comprehend what is at stake. Thank you so much for representing our district, and the constitution!

Maybe one of these men might be the President of the United States one of these days...you never know. :)

Newest Addition

I don't know where my mind goes at times. One minute I think about something I want to share and then the next I completely forget. At any rate, the picture above is the newest addition to Levi's stuffed animal collection. It came from my secret prayer sister (SPS) in a beautiful spring tin and with chocolates (way to go SPS)! My SPS was very thoughtful as she not only thought about me, but my husband (who got all the dark chocolate) and my little Levi, too! Thank you so much for the special gift.

Below is a picture of his new found toy. As you can see Levi took a liking to his friend right away and chewed off one of its ears. Steve and I name all of Levi's stuffed animals, but naming this one has been a little more difficult. Any suggestions?

Playmates

Since our Joey passed away a few years back, every once in awhile Steve and I toy with the idea of getting Levi a buddy to pal around with. We have looked at Shepherd's, Doodle dogs and now the latest and greatest "the Boxer".

This is Luke Agape, no he is not our dog, he belongs to the Majors. Whenever the Majors come over the mountains both Luke and his sidekick, Chipper, get to come along too. They love to play together, but Luke has another playmate when he visits and I bet you can guess who it is or who it is not ....



The Majors have even got us a book on "Dummies for Boxers". I don't know folks. I am not sure if I am ready to train another dog and if you ask Levi, he says, 'no-way', things are good the way they are. Steve wants a playmate and I want to be able to travel without worrying who will take care of the dogs. Oh well, this quandary too shall pass.

Levi's Wellness CheckUp

Back in December, Levi received a card from his Vet letting him know that it was time for his Wellness Check-Up. Levi has only been to see a Vet 2 times in his life of 9 years. His mom-ma made an appointment for him and this past Friday his pop-pa took him in.

When Steve brought Levi into the examination room the Vet exclaimed, "this can't be the 9 year old Levi I am suppose to see". She looked him over from head to toe and could not believe how well he looked and how "muscular" he was for being 9.

Not only did Levi show her what great condition he was in, but he took his two shots like the "Big-Dog" that he is. He didn't whine, bark or growl either time The Vet told Steve that not many dogs respond that way when they get their shots.

The only thing we have to do now is get his teeth cleaned; which we knew would need to be done.

Overall the appointment went well. Levi left quiet an impression on the Vet, and made his pop-pa and mom-ma proud to be his human parents. I just love this little guy!

Just Curious....

A year back Steve took down this bird house because an animal had tried to claw its way into the nest. I had forgotten about the bird house until last week when it caught my eye.

I went to pick it up and to my surprise I could see two small eggs inside.



The other day, I went out and picked up the bird house and brought it to the upper deck. It didn't take me long to get the latch undone. The trickier part was to get the door open without crushing the eggs.

After taking some time Steve and I were able to get the eggs out; to our surprise they were in really good shape. We do a lot of backyard bird watching, but we have no idea about their eggs. Nevertheless, it was fun to dig out the nest and eggs and take a peek at their handiwork.



Isn't it amazing how these little creatures build their nest? This was a fairly large nest and quite compact. Every twig, feather, piece of plastic, and dried grass was knitted together perfectly.

And as you can see Levi was there to check everything out too! The birdhouse has been cleaned and we hope to get the opening plated and the house hung up by springtime. Just in time for another family to move in.

Dog-on-Duty

On Steve's birthday he received a present from the Sargent family. In the bag was an outfit for Levi (among other things). It is tradition in the Sargent household for Lucille, their black Cocker Spaniel, to receive a gift on their birthday. So, a new tradition has been adopted in the Vaughn household and one I think Levi will appreciate. How could he not? He'll get two extra presents a year just for being part of the family.

Levi received this lovely cotton jersey that has a big red cross on the back and says, "Dog-on-Duty".
Isn't he just so cute....
Thanks Auntie Vicki, I just love my new outfit! ~Levi Vaughn

Levi and his bunny

Levi loves to play with his toys and his bunny is one of his favorite stuffed animals. I am definitely an amateur when it comes to making video's, as a matter of fact, this is my first one, so please forgive me for the poor quality.

The Camera's Eye

Every once in a while my camera and I don't see eye to eye, and when that happens, I get some unusual shots. Here are two shots that I found really cool and unique.

The first one is called "The Ghost of Levi Past". Steve and Levi were playing ball together and when they play ball, Levi's concentration level soars high and he moves super quick; thus the picture.

The Ghost of Levi Past

This next shot was purely accidental. I was on my way home one night and I was trying to take a picture of the dense fog, but this is what I got instead. Can you guess what it is? I'll check back in a bit and share the answer.

I've always enjoyed taking pictures, I just wish I was a little better at it. Occasionally though, I'll get a shot or two, like these, that I really wasn't expecting.

The answer: Is it a lighting bolt? No, is it a street light? Yes. The fog was heavy and moving quickly under the street post. I took the shot and then in the midst of the shot, my camera battery died. Pretty awesome, huh? Thanks for guessing, that was fun.

Levi: Our Little Man Dog

In the middle of January I finally was able to post my winter pics as a slide show. At that time Carolyn suggested I do a slide show of Levi. I have a lot of pictures of Levi so it took me sometime to retrieve them and put the slide show together. I finally located his baby pics from 8 weeks to 6 months, but have not been able to get them off the old laptop (as of yet). So for now here is Levi from 6 months to current.

Our cuttie pie Levi

Most of you probably already know that Steve and I have one canine named Levi. He is our pride and joy. We thought it would be neat to post a picture of Levi in his winter sweater. He was sitting at the top of the stairs stretching his neck to get close to mama.

Although Steve and I do not have any children, our dog Levi is a great alternative. Owning a dog should be mandatory for all couples who want to have children. You have to feed these little guys, clothe them, take care of them when they are ill, educate them and play with them. The best reward any doggy owner can get is their dogs total loyalty and devotion and that is what we get with Levi. He is our world and we are his.

Levi wants to wish you all a Happy New Year as you head into 2009.