New Baby!

Our new addition to the family is here! Sweet baby girl arrived in a hurry November 9 at 4:30 a.m. Nothing like a newborn, so fresh and innocent.

I am recovering well. Family has pitched in to help keep me off my feet to get me back on my feet. Nothing is normal right now, so things like blogging get left behind. So thankful that I was able to have my husband here at home for a week after the birth. My mother and two sisters in law have also been caring for our toddler. Makes me sad I can't pick her up or give her as much attention as I used to. We are trying to include her in the care of her baby sister so she feels important. So far, she has done very well with the baby.

So now I've added another ball to my juggling act. My verse for this pregnancy was "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." When my daily simple tasks became overwhelming, I reminded myself of the promise that Christ gave me strength and took things one at a time. Now that the baby is here I still can cling to that verse for strength and encouragement to press on when the going gets tough.

I love being a wife and mother! Changing diapers, keeping my home clean, and loving my husband are some of the joys of my life. I don't need to be rich or have a super "success" story to be happy. Being content with where God has put me and with what He has given me brings a happiness that comes from deep inside.

I hope you can find that joy too! Have a wonderful Monday!

Rescued Pets

Almost every pet I have ever owned has been a rescued pet. The first pet I had was a beautiful long haired dog of unknown breed that my sister found advertised in the newspaper. How well I remember our first meeting. Had I known what a hyper dog she'd be I probably would not have taken her. But she was so adorable, I couldn't help but say I wanted her. She gave me lessons in patience, especially that first year. The picture below of a Pumi dog isn't my dog, but it looks almost exactly like her.

Several years later came my tuxedo cat. He was the cutest little thing I had ever seen! I had always wanted a cat. There he was bouncing around at the vintage shop my mom and I were visiting. The shop owner had rescued him off a busy street just that morning. I took him home that day, and he's turned out to be a great cat with my daughter. He's pretty proud of himself. :)

The latest addition to our pet collection were two retired Labrador breeders. Gabe and Elly. They certainly have had the least chance of becoming acclimated to socialized dog life. Gabe went to Happy Hunting Grounds just two weeks ago. Elly is extremely fearful of people and any sudden movement. Yet I believe that with a lot of time and patience she can become a wonderful companion.

There is something wonderful in giving an animal a chance to a good home. I am not against breeding dogs or cats or buying a brand new puppy from a breeder. I am just pondering on the fact that rescued animals can make great pets too, if given the chance. Most of my experiences with rescued pets has been good. I never had a vicious pet. (Aside from a male rabbit I had for a couple weeks. He would spray me with pee whenever he felt like it..yuck!)

So if you want a pet and don't have the money to afford a fancy pure bred, give the shelter or newspaper pet a visit and let some dog or cat enjoy a second chance at life.

By the way, you might want your dog to have a collar and leash set like the one below found at the Florida Tails Pet Accessories Shop. That way everyone will know you rescued a pet without you even having to tell them. Perhaps you might inspire someone to do the same.

Good-bye Gabe

Good bye Gabe, you good old dog.

In the short time we had you, we got to know your sweet personality. We often talked about what a wonderful dog you would have been had you been given the chance to be a family dog. But that was not your life's work. You probably spent all your life in a kennel helping make amazing puppies. Wish we could meet some of your offspring.

When we took you home, you behaved as if you always belonged in our back yard. You always had a wagging tail and happy smile for us anytime we went outside to see you. You tried fetch and walking on a leash. You loved getting petted. And you didn't really like taking a bath.

The last couple weeks, you had several bad days when it almost seemed like you wouldn't make it to the next. Your companion, Elly, was eating your portion of the food because you weren't in the mood to eat. Some days you ate, but others you smelled the food and left it alone. One day, you didn't even want to come for a treat, which you always wanted even when you didn't want dog food.

Last night, you didn't want to move to go in the shed for the night. So we left you alone and didn't make you go. In the morning, you probably were in the same spot you laid all night. It almost looked like you were not alive, but you were. Your tail didn't wag though; not even when you got petted. And you only shifted your position once in a while.

Sometime between mid-morning and early afternoon, God took you to Happy Hunting Grounds. You deserve to be there enjoying the life every dog should. You didn't get much of a chance to make a home happy or to be made happy by that home. But we are glad to have known you and gotten a chance to have such a grand, stately stud.

Good-bye Gabe.

Change

Change. It's a difficult word and concept for us humans. Especially if we have our mind set on no change. We think of life as a never ending cycle of waking, working, eating and sleeping. Same job, house, friends, and church. And yet...

And yet...God brings change even in nature. Just when one is weary of cold, God sends the warm breezes of spring. And just when you can't take another day of summer, God sends the crisp fall air to refresh the soul.

Change comes to most every one at some point in life. To some it comes multiple times. Some change is pleasant; other changes are not so pleasant. You meet a special someone. The pastor leaves your church. You get a raise at work. Or work turns sour. Someone doesn't stop at the light and runs into your car; or a bad report at the doctor's office. No matter what it is, change brings challenges that are imperative to mold our character. It is up to us to choose whether the molding will be positive or negative.

We can allow changes to bring pointless anxiety and make us bitter. Or, on the flip side, we can look for God's fingerprints in the winds of change and allow Him to make us into the person He wants us to be. He knows what is best for us and how to best use us. Change is not always easy; it will affect not only you, but your family and friends around you. You have to pray and be ready to follow God's leading, no matter what others will say to you or about you. Change is not for the faint-hearted. Change calls for those courageous ones that are willing to trust God with everything, from the house you really like living in, to that precious child you hold in your arms.

Are you at the brink of change? Can you feel the fall breezes blowing the curtains of your life? Embrace the challenge and let God revitalize your life!

Till next time, that is my Florida Tale:)

Extreme Fear in Dogs

Meet Elly.

Elly is a retired Labrador breeder. We acquired her in December of 2014. She seemed nice enough from what we could tell. But, almost the whole trip from Georgia to Florida she refused to lay down in the cage we bought to bring her and a mate home. You could hear her nails scratch the plastic tray anytime we braked.

When we got home, she acted as if we had hit her all the ride home. She was SO afraid of us. Her mate adjusted to his new home right away. But Elly, still to this day avoids people. She loves the security of the yard and the cage we pen her in at night.

But we didn't always want her to avoid us. Elly is a sweet dog. I searched online for help and tips on how to help her overcome her fear. I have made some progress, but there is still a long way to go.

These are two things I did to help Elly with her fear:

• Hand fed her for a couple days
• I don't go to her to pet her anymore; she has to come to me to be petted.

Hand feeding helps create a bond of trust between you and the fearful dog. She knows that good things come from your hand.
I also read that approaching a fearful dog to pet it rewards their cowering fearful behavior. Instead, be near and wait for the dog to come to you for attention. With Elly, I can tell she wants to be petted. She just doesn't' have the confidence to just come up to me for a petting.

Other important things to remember when dealing with fearful dogs:

• NEVER hit the dog
• Speak in a gentle voice
• Don't force the dog to do things unless it is necessary 

With time and lots of patience, a fearful dog can be rehabilitated.

Resources:

• http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2sktus
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBTA_R-OF28
• https://www.cesarsway.com/cesar-millan/cesars-blog/what-to-do-about-a-fearful-dog

Keeping Organized (with a toddler): Eight Tips

Life is like a juggling act. As one gets older, more and more juggling balls get added to the act. With the addition of each "ball" one has to learn the trick all over it seems. Achieving smoothness and keeping all the balls in the air takes time and practice and PATIENCE! Lots of patience with those around you and oneself. Frustrating as it may seem, losing patience or hope when a "ball" falls down to the ground for the hundredth time is futile. Pick up the ball and try again!

As moms we juggle husband, home, children, pets, perhaps jobs, and more. Some days it seems as if all the balls are hitting the ground and not staying up at all. Other days, we feel like juggling queens. It is hard to decide at times what is most important; which task will help keep your sanity; which one can be ignored for a little while. Keeping the home in order and somewhat clean is important in creating a peaceful atmosphere for the family. A chaotic disorderly home will not help foster a peaceful spirit in the home. So ensuring order in the home will contribute to an environment that will help your children, spouse, and yourself.

Here are some tips that help me to keep my home organized and decent looking:

1) Write a list. Making a list of the things that need to be done around the home is the first step to being organized. No longer are all the tasks flying around in your head. They are now on paper where you can clearly see them. You can write the tasks in any order or in order of importance to be even more orderly.

2) Do one or two tasks at at time. Don't look at the whole list or try to get it done all at once. Pick one or two items off the list and work on getting them done.

3) Have a go through the house cleanup day. Something happens at my house on weekends and when Monday rolls around it seems there are things out of place everywhere! I try to take some time most  Mondays to put everything I see out of place back where they belong. Having a day when you go through the house and relocate things to their rightful place is very helpful in keeping the home organized.

4)Always try to put things back where they belong. Throughout the week try to put things back where you found them, If you use the hammer to hang up that cute thrift store find, don't leave it on the kitchen counter! Put it back where you got it from. The tissue paper left over from the gift wrapping session needs to go back in the closet.

5)Have kids clean up toys every evening. It's amazing how kids can spread toys around the house. I keep some of my little girl's toys in the living room and she can make grand displays of what she owns. So every night before we go to bed we clean up the toys together. It's so much better to wake up to orderly toys than that grand display :)

6)Stop and play with your kids every once in a while. Whining children demanding your attention can contribute to your not being able to keep your home organized and clean. I don't like using videos a lot to keep my child out of the way while I clean. But stopping your work to play with your kids every hour or so helps them know they are important and that you haven't forgotten about them. It will keep them happier and less whiny.

7) Include your kids in completing the list. My little girl is less than two years old. But often she is with me as I load the washing machine or sweep the floor. Having your child "help" keeps them out of trouble and teaches them life skills that they will need when they are grown up.

8)Finally, be patient with yourself! Don't get frustrated if your list is not completely done at the end of the day. It's not so much about scratching tasks off a list as determining that disorder will not take over your home. Disorder can be conquered one step at a time and one day at a time.

Happy homemaking!

No Beg!

You are sitting at your table for dinner after a busy day and you are looking forward to eating your dinner peacefully, when all of a sudden you get a whiff of something. And it's not coming from the steaming plate in front of you...You look down beside you and there are those two pleading eyes and the open panting mouth of your darling doggie.

Many of us can relate to the above scene. Perhaps some people welcome the begging dog. Yet, most people would like to say their dog is well trained and gives them a time of peace while they eat.

I'd like to share how my dog was trained to stay away from the family dinner table while we ate. Did she never beg once trained? Of course not! But she learned to stay away while we ate and was smart enough to know when to come beg for leftovers.

My dog was a hyper puppy...well hyper is somewhat mild. It was hard to get her to calm down. But like most dogs, she was a smart puppy. How we trained her to behave at dinner time was very simple:

We tied her nearby where she could see but not reach us. And we repeated this process every time we had dinner, until she learned we expected her to stay away.  

There came a point when we didn't have to tie her. She knew when it was dinner time. She learned to find a place to lay down. She also learned when we were done eating and just hanging around at the table talking. That was the appropriate time to come and get her goodies.

Now she did bark when tied, so my dad would splash her with water. Water does not hurt the puppy, but it does take them back and make them think.

I hope this simple method will be of help to you. Patience and repetition are of great importance when training a puppy.

My Florida Tale

For most of my life I have lived in Florida. Its pines, sands and grass have shaped the person I am. I love Florida for its sunshine and warmth.

I was born in Puerto Rico, but four months later my parents moved to Central Florida. We lived in two different homes: one in Orlando and the other in Longwood. Here is where my earliest memories of life in Florida took shape. Winters were cold by Florida standards in those mid and late 80's. It made Christmas seem so cozy and wonderful. A sister and brother joined our family during this time. 

When I was about six, we moved back to Puerto Rico for a short time during which I did first grade. We returned the summer after I turned seven. From then on, we only left Florida for vacation trips. We moved to a home in Orlando where we lived for about six years. It was during this time that I met my future husband. Our families met by "chance" at a Bible bookstore when we were both twelve. 

About a year later my parents decided to move out to the country. They bought five acres in Lake County and brought in a brand new manufactured home. There was one lone pine tree and a couple palm trees on the property. We had to plant trees in order to be able to move there. I can still remember pushing a wheelbarrow which held a 25 gallon bucket full of water to water those trees. We learned about gardening and raised chickens. My dog sure enjoyed walking around the property.We also had a couple rabbits. The property was an open field, so we go to witness the power of the wind and frost covering the entire acreage. There was nothing to stop the wind. We could also easily watch the sunrises and gorgeous Florida sunsets. At night, the sky was bright with shining stars. It was a great place to live. I became an adult there and got a job at a public school as a teacher's assistant. 

At twenty-seven, God brought my husband and I together. We settled in Marion County and are enjoying life in sunny Florida. We have a little daughter and another child on the way. We are seeking to join the world of entrepreneurship and are starting a pet accessories website.

Life is an adventure. You never know what is going to happen; what new mountain is going to rise in the horizon. I want to take each day one at a time, placing my future in the hands of an all-knowing, loving heavenly Father. He alone has the grace and wisdom I need to face each challenge.