Today, Flash had his left ACL repaired (actually, more like replaced). He came through it just fine. Well, he’s still pretty groggy and doped up on doggie pain killers.  But the good Doctor Beene says he’ll be back to normal pretty soon.  We’ll go through a couple of weeks of carrying him outside to do his chores, keeping him in his kennel the rest of the time.  If his first operation and recovery is any indication, I expect him to be walking well by next weekend, running by the end of the month, and jumping by sometime in October.

Frank

Well, the Flash has recovered very well from the ACL surgery on his right leg. We’ve had to postpone his second surgery due to a bout with the doggie runs. I believe we’ve got that cleared up now, so he’ll be going back on Friday to have his left ACL repaired.  If his recent behavior is any indication, he’ll be jumping over the fence in a few months. Yes, he’s been so excited a couple of times he has actually jumped, and he’s beginning to jump up in our laps when we sit in  a chair.

Meanwhile, Sammie has come back to life since Flash has been laid up. She perceives that she is now the Alpha dog, running and playing while Flash just lays around and watches. If he recovers from his second surgery as well as he did for the first one, he will be running and jumping by Thanksgiving.

We’ll update soon after the surgery!

Frank

I came to a powerful realization this week in listening to a sermon by Voddie Baucham (pronounced Vody – like Jody). It was at the same time both comforting and very disturbing.  Allow me to explain…

Voddie was contrasting the biblical metaphor of the “family” to the western idea of the institution of church. In the context of the family, he had also discussed the impact that a founding patriarch has on the generations that follow. Speaking of Jesus as the Christian’s founding patriarch in the family of God, he said, “When you are part of the family, you despise the institution. Why? Because it misrepresents our founding patriarch.”  In an instant, I knew specifically why I have such a problem with churches, pastors, and other church leaders (the institution and its representatives).

I realized that I am disgusted with “church” because it misrepresents Jesus.  Today’s church has one mission: draw in more people. To hell with making them effective Christians; to hell with changing our society for the better; to hell with propriety, holiness, and sanctification. And so the end (drawing in people) somehow justifies the means (flashy programs, loud and boisterous music, meaningless feel-good sermons, etc.). Meanwhile, the true, reverent worship factor is swept under the rug. Spiritual disciplines are abandoned. That reverential awe of entering the sanctuary is gone – oh, wait, it is not even called the sanctuary any more, it’s the auditorium, as if we’re going to play basketball or be entertained.

This revelation was comforting in realizing that I was indeed part of the family of God. I can now confidently put an end to my self-doubt and the subtle nagging question that perhaps, somehow I might be the one off base.  (I’m not trying to say I’m perfect, but my disagreement with the institution of church has at last been defined, and my role within that definition is a righteous one.) At the same time, it was disturbing, that in my experience, I have never found a local church that even remotely represents our founding patriarch, Jesus. So I listen to the likes of Alistair Begg, Voddie Baucham, Ken Ham, and Ravi Zacharias, and I consume instruction and teaching from ministries like Answers In Genesis and the Institute for Creation Research. I grow in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but without a local outlet for service.

Where is there a local church in which I can wholeheartedly participate and minister?

Frank

Flash had surgery 6/3/10 and came home the next day. Dr. Beene repaired the damage to the ligaments in Flash’s right knee.  He is doing great and is confined to his kennel in the house and he’s on a leash when he goes outside for pee & poo. He’s already beginning to put his foot down and  put weight on his leg.

Flash's knee after surgery

I’m hoping he will continue to heal up quick. Flash is such a good boy.

dk

After xrays and a visit to the vet, it was determined that both of Flash’s knees will need surgery to fix his ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). If we do nothing, Flash will face pain and arthritis in his back legs for the rest of his life. With the surgery, he will be 90% back to normal, with a much quieter lifestyle. Dr. Logan Beene will be doing the surgery on Thursday, 6/3/10 and we have full confidence in his decisions. His common sense philosophy of veterinary medicine has earned our respect and trust. We love Flash so much and he has brought us love in return. We know that recovery will be very time consuming and the surgery will cost a whole lot.

Flash is such a good boy, especially with the three grandsons. They can climb all over him and pull on his tail, ears and feet and he remains calm. Frank calls Flash his “love sponge” because he will soak up all the attention you give him.

Flash loves to play with the boys in the water!!!

Flash loves to go wherever we wander!

As we all know, everything Flash does, he does with terrier gusto, going all out! His energy level is very high for a guy of his age. Yesterday, he and Sammie were chasing each other around the yard and he “yelped” and stopped all activity. His leg was hurting. The poor guy could hardly walk! We pampered him all day yesterday (Friday) and this morning we took him to the vet. Flash has torn ligaments in both doggie knees and will need surgery to correct the injury so he can walk without pain.

What a blow! Our Flasher boy has to be confined to kennel.  He is so used to running full steam into every situation and now we must keep him still. Flash is on pain meds. We take Flash to the vet clinic Tuesday morning for xrays and then see the Dr. Beane in the afternoon to hear what he has to say.

We love Flash so much! He is a very good boy. We’re going to do everything we can to get him back to normal.

Flash is so good with the kids.

It’s nice to have warmer weather for a change and see everything coming to life, including me! Time to dust off the walking shoes and take the dogs for a mile or two!

Being in a good area to walk, most mornings are a pleasure: lots of wildlife, a few hills, not too many vehicles. Flash is always the lead dog and Sammie likes to pause and smell the “roses.”

It’s really a challenge when a deer has been killed for several weeks–it just about takes a truck to drag the dogs away from the aroma.

I am behind in planning the plants and flowers. We plan to be home for the summer and I don’t have to worry about everything drying up in the heat.

Spring also means birthdays! Jen & Jer were born in the spring along with a cute Foxie girl we know…..

Try to imagine the excitement and thrill of finally going on a CRUISE!  You have planned and saved for this day for months and months. You have packed, booked excursions, boarded the pets, and driven to the port.  It is always a thrill to see that beautiful ship tied up at the dock, just waiting for you to board.

And then the rasping rod of reality thumps you over the head as you see THE LINE. You knew this was coming, as the ship has just arrived from a season in the Mediterranean, and it will have to go through a customs inspection. But you didn’t know it would be this long. Folks in the priority boarding line waited 2 1/2 hours. Us “normal” folks waited 3 to 6 hours to get on board.  Even the crew, who had to disembark to go through U.S. immigration, and took several hours to get back on board.

But all that waiting is behind us – we are finally on board, anxious to begin this much needed vacation! Let the party begin! Um, can you see the pier? The Galveston Fog rolled in so thick that folks looking over the rail on deck 12 could not see the big orange lifeboats on deck 5! We weren’t going anywhere for awhile.  Ahh, no problem, “the Galveston Fog always blows off after a couple hours”, the locals assured us.

When we woke up Monday morning, the Fog was still blanketing the channel and the Port of Galveston was still closed. The Captain announced they were predicting the fog to lift by 10:30 or so, which it did around lunchtime for a brief period. They were able to get the Carnival ship out of the channel, but not ours (Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas). Our ship would have to go to the end of the channel to the turning basin, make a 180 degree turn with only 30 meters of clearance, and then proceed out the channel. The Fog began to roll back in, so the decision was made to wait for the fog to lift again.

By 7 pm, the Captain announced that Royal Caribbean would provide a voucher for any ship, any sail date for those who wanted to get off and try it again another day. They would be allowed to leave the ship, but had to do so by 11 pm. After that, there would be no more offers, and no more refunds. So now every passenger on board is debating with every other passenger on board about taking the offer, or sticking it out.  Our group of 4 decided to stay and see it through, come what may.

What came was a departure around 9 a.m. Tuesday morning, the loss of our first port of call, and 5 full days of cruising. Which were very much enjoyed by everyone who remained on board. In case you were wondering, there were 811 folks who departed from an original passenger count of around 3250 people.  So roughly 1/4 of the passengers got off the ship. It was obvious that group included all the folks who had been doing the loudest complaining, because the people who remained on board were the happiest, friendliest, politest folks we have ever cruised with.

Frank

We had a fun time with the two oldest grandsons and they spent almost a whole week with us. It’s a sweet way of getting to know them and to slow down and have fun. I also wanted to give Jen and Dave a break. My parent instinct was telling me to demand strict obedience to our rules but the grandparent instinct told me to keep it light and indulge them in ways mom and dad don’t, by staying up later, more tv and wii, and doing things outside with the dogs and horse.

We had a great time at the bowling alley on Fort Hood.

James is an exceptionally good bowler on the Nintendo Wii–I’m serious!! He can pick up spares like a pro! I think he found that real bowling is a lot harder. I’ll tell you one thing for sure, for what this bowling adventure cost us, we could have bought a brand-new Nintendo game. I can’t remember the last time I was at a bowling alley and I didn’t know it was so expensive. It must cost a fortune to bowl in a league!  But I’m off the subject here. We had a great time and will most likely do it again!!

Looks like James will pick up this spare!

Even Sammie was getting sleepy!

Lowell mastered the big squirt gun!

We look forward to having the boys again, they are lots of fun!

Flash knows he's a handsome boy!

Sammie, "Firecreek Queen of Everything"

I’ve often wondered why it seems that the doggie “kids” are almost human in their thoughts, emotions and actions? Flash has such a male attitude of aggressive love and “act now, think later.” Sammie has her moods and she pouts and will ignore us.

Ever since we married, we’ve always had a dog. I cannot imagine how quiet or lonely it would be not to have a faithful friend around the house. Their unconditional love has taught me so much because we are far from perfect yet they look at us with such devotion, their ears perking up at every word. I believe one reason Grandma Gladys lived such a long life was that she had her little doggies with her to love and care for. I look forward to a long life with our faithful and loving terrier friends!

Deb