Pics from the Albuquerque Trip!

New Mexico...The Land of Enchantment!

I had a really fun summer with several mini vacations as well as two longer ones.  One of those was a trip with my family to Albuquerque, NM.  I went with my parents and my Mimi in June.  We were there from Wednesday, June 20th to Sunday, June 24th.  We drove...but it's really not all that far...and it was kinda nice to drive through and see all the scenery and really be aware of when we crossed the state line.  I won't lie...there were some parts when it was so bare I thought it would never end.  But, it did and we were back in somewhat of what I would call civilization!  The drive home went by faster because I read the whole way home...I must make a mental note to buy multiple books for any future trips that are going to involve driving for that long!  Cody wasn't able to go since summer time is his busy season.  Plus, we were already going to be going to Jamaica in July and he was going to have to take off work for that on top of the other mini vacations and a trip to Colorado he and Jacob went on at the end of August.  I sure missed him...but I had a lot of fun with my family too!  The whole reason for the trip was because my mom and Mimi were going to the Madame Alexander Doll Convention.  We used to go every year to these annual conventions when we were younger.  But, when Michael and I got involved in sports, we just didn't have the time...and I lost interest in dolls.  My Mimi is a big collector and she always enjoys going to these things, so now that we are all out of school, mom wanted to start taking her again.  Driving is way cheaper than flying, so my dad was going to be the chauffeur and I tagged along so that I could keep him company while they were doing their "doll" thing the days and evenings when we were there.  They went to luncheons and dinners and shopped for dolls while we did some sightseeing and found really great restaurants to eat at...and shopped some too!  we all had a lot of fun doing what we all love while spending some time together in between...it was a great family vacation!

On Wednesday, my dad and I went to work out together at the Dog House (the Wylie facility behind the football field) early that morning before we left for the trip.  He did some light weights and I CrossFitted and also ran a couple of miles.  When I got back to the house, Cody was just getting up and ready for work.  So, we got to spend a few minutes together before he headed out and I got all cleaned up and finished up my packing before we hit the road for Albuquerque.  After I finished getting ready and packing, I had a couple of hours to have my coffee and breakfast and snuggle with my lovies.  They knew something was up with all my bags packed...and they weren't acting too happy about it.  They were even more sad when I gathered everything up when my parents came by to pick me up.  Our doggies have the saddest faces that will make your heart ache!  I gave them lots of love and told them by and we headed out around 10:30.  We stopped in Lubbock for lunch and made a few more pit stops and were in Albuquerque around dinnertime.  I think it was between 6:00 and 7:00 when we finally got there...I just can't remember exactly!  Mom and Mimi had some event they had to be at shortly after we unloaded the car and took everything up to the room.  So, they headed to that and dad and I went to a Mexican food restaurant that was so conveniently located across the street from our hotel.  Thankfully...it was delicious!  We could walk there and there was no wait...and we were both starving...so it was great all the way around!  After we ate, we just went back up to the room and found a movie on TV and watched that until mom and Mimi got back.  We were all pretty pooped from the traveling and such...so we called it a night!

We stayed at the Marriott, which was so nice and thankfully had a workout facility.  Every morning, dad and I woke up around 6:00 to head downstairs to get a workout in before the day got started.  Of course, I CrossFitted and ran and dad walked a few miles on the treadmill.  I definitely remember the CF workout I did on this day.  I was beat afterwards!  It was: run 1 mile, then 20, 18, 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 of Burpees, Air Squats, Push-Ups, and Dips, then run 1 mile.  It took me a little over 45 minutes to complete the workout.  So completely worth it...but I was so glad when I was done!  When we got back to the room from the gym, mom and Mimi were up and about to head out to some breakfast for the convention.  I showered real quick and got ready and then dad did the same.  That morning, we just headed downstairs for breakfast.  They had a pretty good breakfast buffet with lots of options for however you wanted to eat.  It was pretty good...but nothing that I would long to eat at again.  Mom and Mimi's breakfast was supposed to be over around mid-morning and after dad and I finished breakfast, we had a couple of hours to spare before they were going to be done.  There was a mall about a mile to 2 miles from our hotel, so we decided to walk over there just to get some more exercise and see what kind of shopping it had to offer.  When we got there, pretty much everything was closed because it was still before 10:00 in the morning, so we just wondered around for a bit.  By the time the stores were opening up, mom texted us and told us that they were finished and waiting on us.  So, we headed back to the hotel.  They didn't have any other plans for the rest of the day, so we went downtown and did a little local shopping for a bit, then it was time for lunch.  We came across this amazing place (that I would eat at everyday, 3 meals a day if we had one locally) called the Flying Star Cafe.  Holy yum...it was SO good!  I had the Buddah Bowl with brown rice and a soy chicken patty and left off the wonton strips.  I finished every single bite and wanted more.  In fact...my mom ordered the same thing and she didn't eat all hers...so I finished it too!  After lunch, we caught the trolley back to the hotel and just rested for a bit.  Mimi was so pooped out...bless her heart!  We took the trolley to and from the hotel to get to downtown and then walked the entire time.  It was probably a little too much walking for her...but she trucked right along and then took a cat nap back at the hotel.  After we all rested, we decided to go to Santa Fe that evening on the train.  We took the late afternoon train to Santa Fe and when we got there, it was around 6:45.  There was a restaurant just off the train station that we decided to eat at...and it was amazing!  There was about a 30 minute wait to be seated...but so completely worth it.  The restaurant is called Tomasita's and it has all the traditional New Mexican food...tons of green chile's, everything drenched in red or green chili sauce, enchiladas, fresh veggies and corn on their salads...YUM!  Everything was so yummy and fresh...definitely worth the train ride to Santa Fe!  After dinner, we walked around the town for a bit, then hopped on the train and headed back to Albuquerque.  It was after 10:00 when we got back, so we all showered, then headed to bed.  It was a fun day filled with lots of yummy food, fun adventures, and family time!

Friday started out much like Thursday.  Dad and I went to the gym after we woke up at 6:00 that morning.  He walked on the treadmill and I ran a couple of miles and did a CF workout that consisted of 15 minutes AMRAP (as many rounds as possible) 7 kettlebell swings (35 pounds), 7 burpees, 7 wall balls (14 pounds), and 7 dead lifts (95 pounds).  It was not near as grueling as the workout I did on Thursday.  But CF never fails to leave me breathless, sweaty, and noodly all over!  I love it!  We headed back afterwards and got all cleaned up.  Mom and Mimi didn't have any plans for the morning, so we decided to go eat at the Flying Star that was right around the corner from the hotel for breakfast.  Again, it didn't disappoint!  I had a quinoa dish that consisted of red quinoa and tons of apples, butternut squash, and walnuts chopped up into tiny pieces with a lemon vinaigrette.  It was SO good!  I also drank my weight in coffee...I love coffee...it makes me happy!  After breakfast, we headed back to the hotel and just watched some TV and talked for a bit.  Mom and Mimi had a luncheon to go to as well as a dinner later on in the evening.  So, dad and I made plans to just piddle all day.  We left the hotel about 10:00 and walked back to the mall that was close by and I did some shopping for our Jamaica trip that was coming up.  Dad sat and read his Kindle while I was cruising through the mall.  Then, we went to McAlister's for lunch.  It was located in a outdoor shopping center (much like the Southlake Towne Center) a couple of blocks and across the street from the mall.  It was good...I had never eaten at a McAlister's before!  Dad got a sandwich and I got a Savannah chopped salad that had chicken, dried cranberries, almonds, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a fat free peach vinaigrette.  It came with cheese and a different dressing...but I had them leave off the cheese and changed the dressing.  I ate every single bite...I love a good salad!  Since we were already at the shopping center, we did a bit more shopping.  While we were strolling down the sidewalk, we saw three policemen on the prettiest horses I've ever seen.  They were beautiful!  You just don't see that very often...of course I had to take a picture.  This shopping center had more high end stores, so I did a little shopping and a lot of looking.  But, I did buy some Lululemon workout clothes.  My best friend, Amie, has been trying to get me to buy Lululemon for a couple of years now and I just never did.  There's not a store in Abilene and when I go visit her and we go shopping, I usually just buy other things besides workout clothes.  But, I decided to cave and now I'm addicted!  I can't get enough of Lulu!!!  The clothes are so comfortable, breathable, and so stinking cute!  They fit so well and conform to your body so when you workout, they don't get in your way.  I'm in love...  So, after we finished up at the shopping center, we walked back to the hotel.  We ran into mom and Mimi on our way in, as they were just finishing up after their luncheon, so we all headed back to the room for a little breather.  Dad and I watched TV and I blogged some while mom and Mimi looked at all their dolls that they had gotten at the various events they had been attending up to that point.  After a couple of hours, mom and Mimi headed back downstairs for the dinner they were attending and dad and I tried to figure out what we were going to do that evening.  There was an Italian restaurant around the corner from the hotel called Buca di Beppo.  Neither one of us had ever been, so that's what we decided on!  Another good place to eat...we were definitely not lacking when it came to restaurants in Albuquerque!  Everything here is family style, so the portions are huge.  There is a small and large option...the small feeds 2 (or more) and the large feeds 4 (or more).  Neither one of us eat the same way...so we ran into a bit of a pickle.  We didn't have anywhere to put leftovers if we got separate dishes and we knew that neither of us would be able to come close to finishing a small separately.  So, we decided to order a large pizza and split it in half.  Dad's half was the supreme Italiano and my half was the veggie with no cheese.  If you haven't guess...I don't really care for cheese!  The pizza was so good.  I finished my half (minus the extra little bit of crust at the end of each piece) and then had a few bites of one of the pieces dad didn't eat.  Both kinds of pizza were delicious...we'll have to try that place again when there's more people!  They have them all over the Metroplex...so that may be one place we venture to the next time we're there.  After dinner, we went to see a movie.  We decided upon Rock of Ages...which was awesome!  It's a musical...but the music is all from the 80's.  If you like musicals and rock music from the 80's...then go see or rent/buy this movie!  Dad bought the play list that night when we got back to the room!  We found some movie on TV to watch and Mom and Mimi got back a little bit later.  After visiting for a bit, we all decided to go to bed.  We were all pretty tired after all of our fun excursions throughout the day!

Well...like I said...dad and I worked out every morning.  And Saturday was no different!  We woke up at 6:00 and did the same 'ole same.  This morning's CF was 3 rounds for time of 15 pull-ups, 20 burpees, and 15 sumo dead lift high-pulls (65 pounds).  I also ran a mile before and after the workout.  It was short, sweet, and gruesome!  At this point, I hadn't gotten my kipping pull-ups mastered so I used to skinniest band to assist me in my pull-ups.  My arms were noodles...just the way I like them after a good CF workout!  This was the last full day we were going to be in Albuquerque, so we had big plans for the day.  We went to Flying Star for breakfast again.  Once again...it didn't disappoint!  I'm telling you...if we had one of these in Abilene...we would go broke!  I got the tofu scramble that was loaded with veggies..and coffee to drink.  I've kinda been on a tofu kick...so I was excited to try this.  It was really good!  When we got back to the hotel, we decided to go to Old Town Albuquerque for the afternoon.  Mom and Mimi had the final dinner for the doll convention that night and dad and I had decided to go to the peak of the Sandia Mountains for dinner.  So, off we went.  There were lots of really cool local shops selling handmade jewelry, sauces, figurines, and any other sort of souvenier that you could think of.  After we did some shopping, we made our way back to where we started to have lunch.  I can't remember the name of the place, but it was another good choice with lots of local flare.  I got a salad with corn, beans, green chili's, chicken, tomatoes, and I topped it with green chile sauce for the dressing.  So good!  When we finished eating, we made our way back to the car, then headed back to the hotel.  Mom and Mimi got ready for their dinner while dad read on his Kindle and I blogged.  A couple of hours later, we headed to the Sandia Peak.  The only way to get to the top is by a tramway.  It takes 15 minutes from the bottom to the top and you are going up and over mountains.  It was breathtakingly beautiful...and a tad scary.  Thank goodness the views were so incredible, otherwise it would have really freaked me out!  Dad and I were talking once we were officially off the mountain and headed back to the hotel how it really was a weird/scary feeling being that high above the ground.  But totatlly worth it too!  So, like I said, the tram ride takes 15 minutes and you're going 2.7 miles up the mountain.  The peak of the Sandia Mountain is 10,378 feet.  You can really feel the high elevation when you're up there!  Once we were there, we did some hiking around so we could really get a good glimpse of the 11,000 square-mile panoramic view.  I had on sandals, so we couldn't go too far or too deep...but we went just enough to take in the magnitude of the beauty of this place.  It was amazing to take a look around and see the beauty of God right at our fingertips.  After we took tons of pics and did our hiking, we went to the only restaurant at the top of the mountain called, High Finance, for dinner.  I had the portobello mushroom stack.  It was good...but the best part was looking out all the windows to the beautiful scenery.  It was just simply beautiful.  After dinner, we headed back down on the tram.  I have to be honest.  I am SO glad that we did that.  It's really hard to describe how awesome and beautiful it was.  But, I was so glad to be back on the ground after the tram ride up and down the mountain!  It never felt unsecure or unsafe...it's just an uneasy feeling!  We headed back to the hotel once we made it down and just watched a movie until mom and Mimi made it back.  By this point, we were all exhausted.  Plus, we had a long day of traveling on Sunday, so off to bed we went!

All good things must come to an end...and this trip was no different.  I debated not getting up to go workout...but that debate didn't last long!  I got dad up at 6:00 and off we went to the gym.  Since I normally take the weekends off, I decided to take it easy and just run on the treadmill and not do a CF workout.  So, I ran 4 miles while dad walked and then we went back to the room to get ready to head home.  We checked out and then headed out for one more meal at Flying Star.  I didn't get anything fancy this day.  Just an omelet loaded with veggies and in-house made green chili turkey sausage.  Even though it wasn't fancy...it was delicious!  Before we left, I re-filled my coffee cup and we headed out the door and on the road back to Abilene.  We stopped in Clovis at a Subway and had a quick bite to eat.  Kinda sad after all the fun places we got to eat at while we were in Albuquerque...but Subway never dissapoints!  We finally pulled back into Abilene shortly after 6:00.  When I walked through the door, I was bombarded by 3 very excited doggies who wouldn't stop wiggling, jumping on me, and giving me sugars as well as one very excited hubby who I hadn't seen in 3 days!  I unloaded all my bags, then Cody and I had a quick dinner.  We sat down on the couch to watch some mindless TV and talk while the pups laid all over me.  I missed them all so much and it was wonderful to be home and snuggled up on the couch with all my loves.  It was such a fun trip and so nice to spend time with my family!

PS: I'll be posting all of the pics from the trip in follow-up post! 

And So It Begins...

School has officially started and the first week had come to an end.  I can't hardly believe it!  This year has already started off so fast.  But, I am so blessed and thankful to be a teacher.  I love my job so much.  It's so rewarding.  There are some days that it tests my patience...but I know that's God's way of molding me!  He definitely knows my weaknesses and He uses those at the most vulnerable times in my life to help me grow.  Being a teacher is something that I definitely feel called to do.  So, it feels good to know that I am living out God's plan for my life.  Back to the new school year!  My schedule is great, my kids are great, and I love my school and the people I work with.  We have several new kiddos this year...so it will be wonderful to get to know them and be their teacher.  This is my fifth year as a teacher and I have been at Blackwell since day 1.  It is an amazing place to work...even with the 45 minute commute to and from school!  I do have to say that with the gas prices being so high...it stinks having to fill up twice a week.  But, it's totally worth every penny and mile on my car!  I'm looking forward to what this year holds and seeing my students grow and learn.  I know it will go by fast...so I want to take every opportunity that God gives me to touch their lives in a way that will inspire them to be great and challenge them to dream big and achieve their goals.  Here's to a new school year!!!

Time to get caught up!

Well...it has obviously been about 2 months since I last blogged.  I've really been falling down on the job!  I have lots of new posts that I will be working on and posting.  So...stay tuned and I'll get you all caught up on all my summer fun and the beginning of the new school year!  Until then...XOXO!!!

Summer, Summer, Summer Time!!!

I LOVE SUMMER!!!  It is officially here and in full swing.  I feel like I have been blowing and going ever since school was out...but I am loving my summer vacay so far!  Even though I have been busy, and summer seems to be going by so fast, I have had so much fun and have gotten to go and do some really fun stuff.  It's so nice being done with my Master's too.  I don't have to spend my days reading, writing papers, doing assignments, or posting in group forums.  I get to do what I want and also spend more time with Cody, my family, and our friends.  Because I'm done with school, I'm also working a couple of days a week for some fun money.  It's nice because I still have most of the week where I can do the things I want to do, but also have those other days where I get out of the house for the entire day and have an excuse to actually put on make-up!  I really hate wearing make-up.  But, in the summer it's even worse because it's so hot.  However, it's also nice to have to get completely ready...I also get to talk with lots of people throughout the day which I love.  I can't complain about the extra money either...and it's so much fun!

Other than working a couple of days a week, I spend most of my days at home with our loves.  I typically take all three of them for a walk before it gets to hot in the morning, then go work-out after that.  It's so nice to have the time to get all three of them out of the house and let them get some exercise before it gets too hot in the afternoon.  I take both the girls at the same time, because they want to run, not walk.  So, I run them for a mile, then walk another mile with them.  Sarge moves a little slower.  After the girls and I are done running and walking, I drop them off at the house, then pick-up Sarge and we go for our nice little walk.  It's a cool down for me, which is nice because he just loves to take it easy.  He's not much for being hot, so one mile is perfect for him!  The girls always beg to go swimming after our run/walk, but I save that for the evenings when my parents are off work and their dogs can swim with ours.  Sarge hates the pool, so we usually leave him at home to take a cat nap!  The first time Cody ever brought Sarge over to my parents house when we were dating, he had never been around a pool before and had no idea what it was.  He was walking around it looking at it and all of a sudden decided he would try to walk on top of it.  We call him our "Jesus" dog when we refer to this story!  He simply tried to walk on the water and had absolutely no luck.  Poor guy...he didn't know what hit him!  As soon as he stepped forward, he went head first into the water.  It was a few seconds before he came up.  When he did, he was snorting and spurting water out everywhere.  He had no idea where the steps were and was trying to climb out one of the corners.   To this day, he won't get anywhere near the pool.  We've tried holding him and walking in with him and he stiffens up so tight and then tries to fight you as soon as you're in the pool.  So, we figure that walking him is just fine for his exercise...no swimming for that good ole boy!  So, after all that, I get ready for the day and just hang out around the house.  It's nice to have the time to go to the store, clean, cook, and run other errands during the day if I need to so that when Cody comes home, we can just hang out and relax together.  During the school year, all those things take up so much time and get done during the week at night and on the weekend, so we don't have as much time to just hang out together.  Let's see...I've also gotten to babysit sweet Jansen Hadley a couple of times!  She is so much fun to be around.  She just laughs and coos...it's amazing to see how much she has grown in these 5 months.  She just gets more and more beautiful.  It's fun to go in her room just when she's woken up.  You can hear her on the monitor getting fussy and as soon as you walk in her room, she gets the biggest smile on her sweet face.  I love getting to love on her...she's so snuggly!  Brent and Bria are truly blessed to have this precious angel...such a sweet family!

Cody and I have also gone on a couple of last minute weekend trips with friends.  In fact, just last weekend we headed to Ft. Worth with Josh and Abbie.  The boys went to a Rangers game...they sat behind the Ranger's dugout...and were on TV!!!  Abbie and I met up with Jen at Joe T. Garcia's for dinner and their famous margaritas.  We had a blast sitting on the patio eating fajitas and sipping on our margaritas!  The weather wasn't too terribly hot and we have so much fun together just talking and catching up.  After dinner, we met up with the boys in downtown and went to a couple of other places, then headed back to the Harrison's.  We stayed up for a bit longer then all headed to bed.  When we woke up that morning, Sandra was already in the kitchen getting breakfast ready.  She had made some delicious Dunkin' Donuts coffee...and we top it off with Italian Sweet Cream coffee creamer...to die for!  I've tried making it at  home...and it's just never as good.  I think it's because she has that mother's touch...nothing gets better than when a mom makes something with love behind it! After breakfast, we sat around in our PJ's and just chatted with Josh, Abbie, Ladell, Sandra, and Ryder (the first grand baby in the fam).  Jen had to leave pretty early to go run some errands, so she wasn't around...and we sure missed her!  I think that Ryder found a new best friend in Cody!  We had so much fun playing with him and catching up with the Harrison's.  We both feel like part of their family...they are some of the sweetest people I have ever known in my entire life.  I have secretly adopted Sandra and Ladell as another set of parents!!!  I love the fact that we have our precious parents here in Abilene with is, but when we go out of town, we have another set of parents that love us, and we love them, that are in another town.  It makes going to visit feel like home.  Around 11...we packed up our stuff and headed back home.  It was a quick...but super fun trip!  We're already planning to go back soon!  Here in a couple of weeks, we're going to see Amie, Ryan, and Gavin in Lewisville.  Gavin turns ONE on the 12th!  I can't believe it.  I'm so sad we won't be at his party...but we'll be there that weekend...so we'll just have to celebrate again!  I always look forward to going to see Amie in the summer's...and Cody's coming this year too!  The girls are going to spend the day at the mall while the boys play some golf and do other manly things!  I'm so excited!!!  We also have a trip planned...in Jamaica!  We're super excited about it...and especially about getting away together on a beach with Josh and  Abbie!!!  More on that in another post after we're home!  I also just got back a couple of weeks ago from Albuquerque with my parents and Mimi (post soon to come)!  I'm also going to go see my Mimi this weekend.  Of course Faith will be taking that trip with my mom and I!  I'm going to buy her a kiddie pool when we get down there.  She's a little fish and loves to swim in my parents pool...I'll have to let you know how she likes it!  Well, I love summer time and all the fun that comes along with it!  I also love getting to spend the days with my three love bugs, having extra time with Cody, and getting to do so many fun things with family and friends!!!

The girls after we had gotten back from a 3 mile run...they were pooped!!!

Sweet boy!  Look at that sweet face!!!  Of course...he was begging for a cookie from his Bella!

Trigger...sacked out!

My sweet Faith.  These doggies get so worn out during the summer time!  We play all day long!

Oh Sarge!  I sit on the floor 90% of the time...the doggies steal all our seats!

Spoiled rotten!!!

Bria and me hugging Josh before he and Abbie's wedding!  I love this picture...such sweet friends!!!

Faith, Trigger, and Sarge playing in the backyard while Cody and I hung out on the patio...perfect night for being outside!

Cody bought a golf cart that he's turning into a hunting rig.  When he got it, he took Faith for a ride.  In this pic...she looks very unsure.  Now...she begs to go for rides!  When we go to my parents...the girls ride on the golf cart with Cody and I walk Sarge across the street.  Our dogs are spoiled...it may be a little ridiculous!

Me and sweet JJ!!!

Precious baby girl!  Such a big smile...I love her to pieces!!!

At the Ranger's game and on TV!  Just chilling behind the Ranger's dugout watching the game...no big deal!

The boys on TV again...looking at something in the outfield.  The guy sitting right behind them in the blue shirt and gray Ranger's hat is Abbie's dad!  Fun times with great friends!!!

Cody and Josh...two of my favorite boys!!!

Me and my love!!!

Me, Abbie, and Jen...love these girls so, so much!!!

The Terrible Two's!!!

Our little baby, Trigger, turned 2 years old on June 18th!!!  I can't believe this little love bug is already two years old!  I feel  like it was just the other day when we brought her home.  Time goes by so fast!!!  She is so much fun and really does complete our little family.  However, she is a big mess!!!  We call her our little "sassy girl."  She is a big talker and anytime you say anything to her she either yips at you or has this little playful growl that she does.  It's hilarious!  She also loves to play with her bone.  And, when she has it in her mouth, she is constantly making noises trying to get you to play with her or chase her around the house with it.  But you can't ever catch her because she is so quick!  Faith just watches her when ever she and Sarge play.  She has to make sure that their both ok...she's our little momma bear!  Sarge and Trigger also play like crazy out in the backyard.  They chase each other and will run around for hours if we let them.  Sometimes, they sound like their fighting because they'll roll around on the grass and growl at each other, then the next time you look out their giving each other sugars!  Too cute!  All the while Faith is watching attentively from the back porch.  There were a few times when Trigger was younger, Faith thought Sarge had hurt her and she ran out there and got in between them, then licked Trigger until she realized that Trigger was being a tease!  For Trigger's birthday, we decided to let her play and play and play all day long.  I also made her some birthday cookies that she shared with her brother and sister...and even gave a couple to her cousins!  This little diddle was tuckered out after a full day of going for a run, playing all day, and stuffing herself with several b-day cookies!  I'll explain the "little diddle" nickname.  I'm honestly not sure when I started calling her this...but one day I said it to her and it just stuck.  She's really pretty small for a lab...she only weighs 55 pounds.  So, since she's so petite and little, we always make comments to her about how small she is.  I guess one day I just said to her that she was so little...diddle kinda rhymes with little...so there you go!  We love our three doggies so much and have so much fun spoiling them (even more than normal) on their birthdays!  Our little Trigger is one special girl.  There is no other puppy that could compare to her sweet and fun personality.  Her little tail is always wagging, she always wants to give love and sugars, and she can make you feel so much better when you've had a bad day.  All of our doggies do that, they great us at the door with their tails wagging...wiggly butts!!!  But, there is something about her...she just has so much love in her eyes and wants to give love all the time.  She also wants to get lovin all the time!  She will sit on top of you, paw at your hand when you're not loving on her so that you will love on her, and crawl up in your lap to snuggle.  Even when she's sound asleep, she'll wake-up when you get close to her and give you a little sugar.  She's full of life and love!  We love you Triggy!!!

Two years old and just as sweet as she can be!!!

Our sweet Faithy girl!  I had just put Trigger's birthday cookies in the oven...so she was keeping really close to the kitchen!

All our lovies!!!

Little cutie!  Look at those eyes!  She gets whatever she wants with that look!

Playing fetch.  We have to switch off between Faith and Trigger going to get the ball.  Otherwise, Trigger would go and steal it from Faith every time.  So, we have to tell one of them to stay while the other one goes to get the ball.  It was Faith's turn this time...Trigger can hardly stand it!

Wanting to go inside for those birthday cookies!!!

Begging for something...as usual!

Happy little girl!!!

Triggy's Birthday Cookies!!!  She loved them!  She was also kind enough to share some with her brother and sister and also her cousins!

One pooped pup!!!  She was busy from the time she got up until the time that she crashed on our bed!  Happy 2nd Birthday Trigger!!!