Another Post for Toby

Friday - January 9, 2009

A True Reds' Fan!

Toby, our Boston Terrier is now 12.5 years old. In "dog" years that would make him at least 87.5 years old! He has lost sight in his right eye due to a skin graft, and he has cataracts which have developed on both eyes. He also has arthritis throughout his entire body, and it appears he is losing his hearing. However, he does not let these problems deter him from doing what he loves to do - keeping guard over his domain, laying on our laps, making Bill let him out a dozen times a day (make that two dozen), and playing with his toys - especially his giant beach balls. We have to watch how much he plays because he wears himself out quickly. For an 87 year old, he is doing pretty well!

Since we have retired, he has had to adjust to us being at home more. He doesn't take the eight hour naps he use to when we were at school! He takes "cat" naps when he can. Sometimes we will miss him and find him in David's room on the bed taking a nap! I keep a soft blanket on the bed and he will scratch at it until he gets it where he will lay on it - he has made his own pallet!Guess we are making too much noise for him to take a nap in the Reds' room!!

He loves it when company comes - they are here to see him! He gets so excited. He and Molly had a great time Christmas day. The first time they were together Molly tried to lead him around on his leash. She was just a pup, and Toby was tolerant of her for the most part! Now that Molly is older, they do get along well.

Toby has given us so much pleasure, and we can see the unconditional love when he looks at us. His eyes are glassed over, but you can still see that love! For those of you who have pets and love them, you know that look. The pets we have had through the years have been a comfort to us at different times in our lives. Not only were they an extra playmate, but they were a means of comfort from having a bad day!

This morning Toby was lying beside me and looked at me with those glassy eyes as if he were saying, "Mom I love you!" This is when I decided today's entry would be about him and how much he means to both Bill and me. He is "our babee" and has been a great comfort to us both the last 12.5 years

Toby's pre and post surgical days. He had surgery on his bottm to remove his anal sacs; then he had to have surgery on his eye to take care of an infection. He wore his collar for at least three months - he was trying to scratch the eye!

How pitiful! The day we got back from OSU! His hair did grow back!

Right after the skin graft!

He is now able to open his eye!

He was feeling better but couldn't figure out how to chew on his chew bone! Bill to the rescue!

He and Molly being good!!!

Some of our favorite "Christmas Pictures!

Play time!

Molly trying to get Toby to play!

A peace offering for being gone to the beach this past summer!

A happy babee playing with his dad and the big ball!

One of his Christms toys!

Sleepy Time!!!!!!
Toby's peeking out from under the curtain surrounded by his buddies! He's staying warm by laying on the vent! All tuckered out from visiting with Molly - he slept most of the way home!

Toby covered himself up in this one!

He had a little help on this one . . .

. . . and this one as well. He also has a buddie with him - lam-lam!

It was hard to decide what pictures to post - with the ones I chose - I could have a hundred more to have posted as well!! Needless to say - he is the "babee!" The song from the playlist is what I said when we saw him in the pet store - "How much is the "doggie" in the window? It was love at first sight! :):)

Jeni - The Birthday Girl

Tuesday – January 6, 2009

The Birthday Girl!

(No these are not her birthday balloons -they are her OSU balloons!)

Today is Jeni's birthday. She is the beloved daughter of Carol and Rick Reynolds, sister to Ruthie Abrusci, aunt to Sophia and Riley, our lovely daughter-in-law, and the loving wife of David Hardin. She is also going to be the mother of our first granddaughter! She joined our family on January 28, 2006 when she and David were married. She has become David’s best friend as well as his loving and supportive wife. She is very devoted to doing God's will, and we are so very proud of her! Bill and I would like to say Happy Birthday Jeni, and we love you very much. (Toby says Happy Birthday too!)

At the present time she works at Hillsdale College and supports David in his quest to do the Lord’s work. She is also the proud “master” of “Molly the Wonder Dog.” She and Molly love to take Sunday afternoon naps together after church. Jeni is a very proud aunt to Sophia and Riley Abrusci. They are adorable and will capture the heart of all around them. They love their Aunt Jeni and Uncle David very much!!

Jeni was not raised here in the states her entire life. Her parents worked in the missionary fields. With the help of the technique of “copy and paste,” I would like to share with you, using Jeni’s own words, a little information about who she is and where she was raised.

“ . . . I have lived 10 years of my life in Africa. Eight of those years were as a child in Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of the Congo) and two years as an adult in Cameroon. I visited several other countries in Africa during those 10 years: Kenya, Uganda, Central African Republic and Equatorial Guinea. I have seen poverty and beauty in every part. I have seen children running around with bloated bellies due to malnutrition, and I have seen babies who were perfectly healthy. I have seen the beauty of God's creation in plants, animals, birds. I have tasted MANY foods I loved and miss dreadfully and some I'm OK with never having again! I miss mangoes, papaya, and apple bananas. I miss the simpler way of life, I miss seeing millions of stars every night and hearing rain on the tin roof. . . .”

Some of the pictures I will be posting will show the beauty Jeni saw, as well as some extraordinary pictures of the wild life. Also included will be some pictures of those who are native to Cameroon. The simpler life Jeni referred to are depicted in the photos.

Jeni is not only David’s soul mate, she has life experiences of ministering to those who have not heard God’s word, and has become a great supporter and helper for David in his daily mission to do God’s will. As she and David await their first child, she is relishing in the warmth of becoming a mother. Her first trimester was a rough one, but thankfully the second was better, and so far the third trimester is going to be even better – at the end of this one she will be holding her precious baby girl! We are all just as anxious as she and David.

Again, with “modern technology,” I want to share some pictures with you– many taken by Jeni herself – so you can see a little of what Jeni saw when in Africa and her life since coming back to the States.. Other pictures were taken by many of her family members at family gatherings. Thanks to the ability to copy and paste we have some great pictures to share! Thanks to all the photographers!

Jeni and friends in Cameroon. Jeni's on the left!

Another picture of Jeni and her friends - Jeni's second from the right!

David and Jeni's first face to face meeting.

First trip to Huntington!!!!

Wedding Day - January 28, 2006

I love this picture!

Bill and David are trying to convert her to a Cincinnati Reds' fan!

Out side Tiger Stadium in Detroit - Jeni getting into the spirit of the game -grrrrrrrr!

Jeni and David enjoying a game in Detroit!

David, Jeni and Molly - Hillsdale, MI

Jeni and Molly taking a Sunday afternoon nap!

David and Jeni - Akron, OH
Her first picture showing off her "Baby" bump!The baby's growing! Jeni has that "Mommy" glow! Beautiful!!!!

Getting some practice in on holding a tiny baby - this is her nephew Riley! She looks like a natural!

Jeni's parents - Carol and Rick Reynolds
Jeni and her sister - Ruthie Abrusci

The Abruscis and the Hardins- Sophia, Jamie, Ruthie, Jeni, and David

Jeni's niece and nephew - Sophia and Riley

Jeni is the rose between two thorns!! :)
Red is her favorite color, so Bill picked out all by himself - a red scarf, gloves and toboggan just for Jeni!
David and Jeni - Christmas 2008 - Wayne, WV

The beauty of Cameroon as caught through the lens of Jeni's camera - awesome!

Kribi - according to the caption on the picture "I borrowed" from Jeni's facebook pics - is a place she loved - I can see why!! WOW

Beautiful sunsets!

The beauty of the wild life!
Birds flying among - elephants - not sure!!! Jeni will be able to tell us!!!

Giraffes
A herd of elephants.



This looks like s BIG elephant!

Living the simple life in Cameroon

They look happy in doing what they are doing. It looks like they are preparing some type of food! Are those fried corn cakes?? I love the bright colors they are wearing!

The New Year Has Begun

Friday - January 2, 2009

We are hoping all had a great and safe entrance into the new year! Bill, Toby, and I rang in the new year by staying safely at home. We have never been ones who would go out to ring in the new years of the past. I guess you could say we are definitely not "party animals." We did manage to stay up and watch the ball drop in NYC. We were a lot warmer than the millions of people who made the trip to be there in person when the ball dropped. It is amazing to me that you could have fun when packed in there like sardines! Could be we like the comforts of home a whole lot better!

2008 did not end without incident. We had some very strong winds which played havoc on what awning we have on the back of the house. Many years ago we lost part of the awning due to a heavy thunder storm than came through this area. We were on our way back from Williamson with John in tow when the storm began. We had to pull off the road as it was raining so hard Bill could not see to drive. Once the rain subsided and the closer we got home, we were praying we would have a house that was still standing. Thankfully, it was. However, half of the awning was scattered all over the back yeard as well as parts being in the neighbors yard! The half that was left attached to the house almost was lifted up, up and away! Bill took some pictures of how the post that are attached to the awning was lifted and where the wind helped move them to their "new" positon! We would one day love to enclose the back of the house into a "sun" room. Toby would love that!

It seems our luck of having something needing fixed starts around the holidays. For the past several years one of our appliances have decided to go on the blink! This holiday has been no exception!! We have had a toilet that did not want to flush properly. We have plunged, snaked, and used the "stuff" that is suppose to help a sluggish toilet. None of them worked! So we call the plumbers - who came and used the professional snake to no avail. The line was clear up to the "system." Oh no - we know what that means!

It was the day before New Years's Eve - would we get some one out today??? We had waited on the plumber for over a week - they were busy with frozen and broken pipes. Guess a sluggish toilet was not at the top of the list! We made the call to the septic tank company and they said they would have the "boys" call us in a couple of hours - around noon. I've heard that before, but they did call! Within forty minutes they found the septic tank, dug the opening over the lid, cleaned it out, and cover it back up! It's a "dirty" business, but a prosperous one! Bill again got the camera because he liked the saying on the side of the truck. So, through our kitchen window he snapped a picture we want to share with you!

We do have some things that needs to be done to the house and hopefully 2009 will be the year we can get it done!

Notice the tilt of the post on the end of the deck!

This post was lifted off the ground and ended up on the ramp!

The awning is laced up to the post - so if the awning goes - so do the post.

A view of the truck from the kitchen window!

We both think the play with the "numbers" on this truck is so cute!