Celebrating our Independence with Granny & Grandpa

We decided to spend July 4th in Marlin this year. We were originally set to head to Oklahoma, but with Brad's job, we decided to stay closer to home just in case....we also just love going to Marlin and the countryside and knew we wouldn't be able to visit again till the fall....here are some pics from our short visit:Grandpa & Maddy in the car...they are so funny together!

Maya & Bailey in the truck bed while we shot off a couple of fireworks....
Grandpa attempting to polka with Madelyn...
Bluebell and great-grandparents...

Brad, Bailey and the super long snake skin ... oh, and Bailey did attempt to eat it after Brad put it down....YUCK!

Super Sassy....sassiness heightened when wearing glam boots
Typical time spent at Grandpa's

Maya...

Random Paw notes:

Hurricane Alex may well have made landfall hundreds of miles southwest of us in Mexico, but for the fourth day straight we are feeling his wrath. It has been raining here like crazy and these strong flash-flood storms have taken their toll on our little Maya. Our eight year-old lab mix is terribly afraid of storms. She can sense them hours before they roll in, and you should see her heightened anxiety. She trembles in fear, paces, and stays within a foot of me...following my every step or hiding away in our windowless, bathroom closet. I just snapped this picture of her...she is under the desk right now by my feet.

Our neighbors have just lost their two dogs (Sedona, 17 yrs. old and KC, 7 yrs. old)within the last two weeks, and our friends, the Hammer Family, have just had to put down their dog this week. They say bad things come in three's, and that is just what has happened. It's a good time to think of and appreciate all the joy dogs bring. They are incredibly loyal creatures that place so much trust in us, their owners. Pets are a huge responsibility, and we need to make sure to respect our roles. Maya has been my side since I lived with my parents after college....she means so much to me, and Madelyn is totally in love with her too...may she bring us plenty of more days to love and enjoy her!