A Day In The Life of Anjane' With Puppies...

My days currently consist of taking the dogs outside to go to the bathroom, feeding them, playing with them outside as I get attacked by mosquitoes, trying to teach them not to bite me, letting them fall asleep on me & not getting anything done because I feel guilty that our whole "play time" consisted of me getting mad at them, and then the same thing all over again. Occasionally I will be gone for a few hours & then spend a few hours playing with them because I feel like they have been neglected. It's kind of ridiculous. I always learn new things by asking for tips on my blog (thanks for the mosquito comments)...does anyone have any advice as to what to do to teach a puppy not to bite?

So Lame!

This is totally me right now (except with a shirt on :) )...COVERED in mosquito bites! I had over 20 at the same time & right when those started going away, I got a ton more. I have some sort of weird reaction to the bites too...they get swollen & some turn into welts. Lincoln informed me last week that I look like the meth patients that come into the hospital....awesome. I've been on Benadryl for a week & a half & have been smothering myself with hydrocortizone cream. Last night I couldn't sleep because I was itching so much (on 2 Benadryl), & I even woke Lincoln up because I was itching my legs on the comforter. The first week I was fine with it...this week I have been VERY cranky about it!!! Anyway, I am wondering if someone has some sort of miracle cure that helps the itching. Probably not, but I thought I would ask just in case! And yes, I know that I'm being dramatic about this. :)

Daisy & Duke

No, this is not a promotion for short shorts...these are our new puppies' names! We got them on Sunday night..."them" was supposed to be one puppy, but Roma Lee sent along another one to keep it company. Now we are attached to both of them & are pretty sure we'll keep both. I really didn't know puppies were so much work...but they are worth it. I love this picture of Lincoln with the puppies...they love him!







Steve & Erica came over to see them the night we got them. Erica, I couldn't resist posting this picture of Steve...it cracks me up.

I am not nearly as lonely anymore...I actually have someone to talk to besides myself! Ha ha. We actually thought Daisy had parvo & Linc had to give her an iv & we were up with her all night. Good news is she doesn't have it!!! You would have thought someone died though, with the way I was crying. I have this huge fear of something that I'm taking care of dying. Anyway, let's just say that I am definitely attached. Who would have thought...Lincoln & I both SWORE to each other that we would never have inside pets.
Update: People have been asking me what kind they are...schnauzer/jack russell terrier mix.

Jackson's 2nd Birthday

Thanks so much to everyone for being so supportive & thoughtful! I won't lie, Jackson's birthday wasn't a great day for me, but I survived it. It was strange...the anticipation of his bday was much better this year (last year I was in bad shape for about a week before & this year only one day before) but the actual birthday was a lot better last year than this year. I think a lot of that was because Lincoln had to work the night before & the night of his bday so I only saw him for a few hours that day. Thanks to those who brought me flowers & texted or called me. I really appreciated it. Before he went to work, Lincoln & I released two white balloons in my parents' backyard.
The sky was really clear that day, so we could see the balloons for a long time. Funny side note...the lady that gave us the balloons put a little blue teddy bear weight on them. We didn't say what the balloons were for...we thought that was kind of cool.

After the balloon releasing, I talked my mom into going shopping with me. I really wanted to try to get my mind off things. All I can say is, don't go shopping when you are feeling sorry for yourself...it isn't healthy. It cheered me up though. :)

Thanks Linc

I can't write to Jackson without being reminded of his daddy. Lincoln, I know that we've been through quite a bit since we got married. Thank you so much for always being there for me. Thank you for trying so hard. Thank you for helping me to learn more about myself and about life. Thank you so much for the sweet memories I have of you with Jackson. I love you .

Happy Birthday Jackson

Jackson,
I already wrote to you on your blog, but I wanted to wish you a happy birthday here too. I love you & I miss you. Thank you for making me a better person. Thank you for helping me to realize what is important in this life. Thank you for letting me feel like the most important person in the world, because I am your mother. Thank you for giving me that title & for helping me live up to it. Thank you for staying in the hospital room for so long after your birth & for comforting us & for letting us feel of your spirit. I know that you didn't have to do that. You're so amazing. I can't believe that such an incredible person could come from me...I can't even fathom it. You've taught me how to really love. You've taught me how much of a difference one person can make in people's lives. You've taught me that I am special & that our family ties are strong. You've taught me that your dad & I can get through anything & that we can come out on top. Thank you. You've accomplished so much more than you probably could have in 2 years on this earth. I realize that that is part of the reason that you aren't here. As hard as it is to say, I am glad because I am 100% sure that you are where you are supposed to be. I miss you so much & will be thinking about you all day.
Love you so much,
Mom

I guess it's a good thing that I'm not pregnant yet...

What do you think about my little new baby Casey?
MakeMeBabies.com - What will your baby look like?

Headstone Placement Part 1

We had the opportunity to go to Snowflake this past weekend to put Jackson's headstone in. It was an awesome trip. We ended up leaving at 4am on Saturday, with Lincoln & I traveling on zero sleep. We slept for about 2 hours and then went to a sealing, a funeral, a burial, a baptism, to the cemetery to place Jackson's headstone, and then to a reception. It was a totally crazy day but it was one of the best days Lincoln & I have ever had. The burial that we attended was for a friend whose 6-month-old little boy died. They buried their little boy a few rows down from where Jackson is buried. It was the only other baby burial we have been to, besides Jackson's, and it was an amazing experience for us to be able to be a part of it. Everything that was said just took me back almost two years to the day that we buried our son. There were things that Mike (the boy's dad) said that were exactly things that Lincoln and I had felt and had talked about with one another. Mike & Clarice & their families were amazingly strong. I loved the spirit that I felt from them. It definitely set the right mood for us as we prepared to place Jackson's headstone. We learned so much that day.




Unfortunately we didn't get Jackson's headstone in on the first try...I'm not sure what happened. So the guys decided that we needed to come back on Sunday to try a few more things. The headstone just wasn't going down all the way. We left it the way it was and finished it the next day.

The whole gang at the cemetery...Roma Lee & Phil, Mom, Dad, Aaron, Megan, Jayten, Jarod, Lincoln & I
I love this picture of Megan, Mom & Aaron...it was so nice of them to come up to Snowflake to support us in this!!!
Best Sisters...that's what we always say. Melissa wasn't there for the sister picture...we missed her & Shawn!
My favorite picture...our eternal family. I love these two boys so much and are incredibly grateful that they are a part of my life. They are so precious to me.

Happy Birthday Jayten!

We celebrated Jayten's bday a little early with a really yummy chocolate cake that Lincoln's mom made. I can't believe that Jayten will be 9 years old! Our nephew Jayten has really made an impact on my life, and has helped me to want to be a better person. I absolutely adore him. He has the nicest spirit about him, & is one of the sweetest boys I've ever met. He is SO sensitive to my feelings. I remember on our first Christmas without Jackson he kept coming up to me & giving me big hugs. I don't even say anything to him & he just knows when to show me extra love & affection...I love it! That is such a good quality to have.

Jayten always seems happy and is constantly making me feel special. He also happens to have the same birthday as Jackson. I cry as I write this, because I can't think of anyone I would rather have share Jackson's birthday with him. He told his mom when Jackson was born that he was honored to have the same birthday as him. He also told his parents this year that he wants to put two extra candles on his cake for Jackson. What a sweetheart. I love you Jayten & I hope that you have the best birthday ever! Thank you for being you & for being such a great nephew!

Headstone Placement Part 2

After dinner on Sunday Matt & Danielle & their kids, Lincoln's parents, and Lincoln & I went back to the cemetery to try to fix the headstone. After a lot of work on Linc & Phil's part, the headstone was placed! I LOVE how it turned out. It was amazing to see my little boy's name in the middle of this beautiful place. It was a great experience for us.

PUPPIES!!!

Lamar & Robin's dog just had puppies...they are adorable. Matt & Danielle came over Sunday night and we all sat around & talked & held the puppies. We just couldn't get enough of them! Claire loved hugging & kissing the puppy...it was so cute!


Ha ha, I love the bottom picture! Lucky for us, we will get to see more of this thing...we are going to be getting one of these puppies soon! Yeah!!! I am so excited to have a little friend to hang out with me at home so I'm not by myself all the time. :)