Expanding the Family

As you've seen over the last few weeks our little family is growing.  After having Star for a few months we decided to get a puppy as well.  Last week we announced that it would either be Almond Joy or String Bean.  Well... We made the official decision tonight and the newest member of the Hamilton family is... STRING BEAN!!!  (His name will now be Dakota, but I thought String Bean was pretty sweet.)

We fell in love with the way that he sleeps on his back when we were visiting with the puppies tonight and loved that he has a ticklish spot on his tummy.  He's also a total snuggle bug and we are hoping that he and Star learn to snuggle each other quickly.  He'll be coming home with us on the 15th of 16th of May and we could not be more excited.

And since a post isn't very enjoyable without pictures, here are some shots of the whole brood of pups.

The five of them all cuddled.  Dakota/String Bean is in the middle with the green ribbon.

See how he's cuddled up by the runt's head?  So cute right!  The one at the top is Almond Joy, the other boy.

They were in a puppy circle.  So, so, so precious!!

Just so Star doesn't feel left out

Wow, two posts in one week!

I was worried that Star would be jealous of the new puppy, so here is a post of my favorite Star spots in the house.

She loves to hug Jon.

Hiding under the entertainment center

Coming in and out at her leisure

I call this the roast pig

Jon is her favorite.  She loves to lay on his legs.

See, another Jon's lap shot.

Avoiding the snow

This is how she sits ALL night.  On either one of us.

Curled up behind Jon's booty.  So funny.

I guess the sun was too bright for her.

All stretched out

Meet Dakota!

I thought about writing a few posts in the last month, but they were all about Star... and I was worried everyone would think I was a crazy cat lady. So... instead of writing about Star all of the time, this is a post about our puppy Dakota.

Jon grew up with a cute dog named Kodi. That is short for Kodiak Marshmallow Bear Hamilton. Well, since Kodi got "hammered, I mean tooled"(see story below) a few years ago, Jon has been wanting a puppy of his own. He wanted one just like Kodi though. A yellow lab that is almost white who loves life and being with people. Well, lucky for us, one of my co-workers has a yellow lab who just had a litter of the cutest yellow lab puppies. Jon wanted to have a dog just like Kodi, so he specifically asked if we could get a boy dog. Lucky for us there are two boy dogs in the litter. Here are some pictures of the cute boys. We have to wait for the sire's owner to choose the pick of the litter before we know which boy we can bring home. They are equally adorable so we would be happy with either.

Jon with the boys

This is the blue puppy, Almond Joy

This is the green puppy, String Bean

Me with both of the boys

Are they not just the cutest?

This is String Bean's favorite sleeping position. He will probably be the boy we bring home and rename Dakota in about a month. Either he or Almond Joy would be a wonderful addition to our family.

Here is the hammered story according to Erin, Jon's older sister.

"Growing up we had a yellow lab named Kodi. He was a member-of-the-family pet. He died about three years ago, and Sam only saw him a few times before he died. So, a couple of days ago I took the kids to San Diego to help my mom put up the Christmas decorations, and while we were decorating the tree, Sam found an ornament in the shape of a doghouse with a picture of our beloved pet inside. I asked him if he remembered Kodi. He said yes, and then asked what had happened to him. I explained that he had gotten too old. "Oh no" Sam exclaimed with genuine concern and sadness. That was all he said about it, but he seemed thoughtful after my explanation. Later that night, Sam was saying the prayer at dinner. He prayed for the food, and every member of the family, and then he said: "And please bless Kodi, who got hammered - I mean tooled." I just about fell off my chair I was laughing so hard!!!! Ah, I needed a laugh, thanks Sam."

A Look at Our Paint

I mentioned on my group blog last week that Jon and I are repainting the majority of the upstairs of our house.  It's been a long project and we lost a little steam so we are taking a break from painting for awhile.  We have successfully finished the paint in the hallway and living room though.  The living room is called barefoot beach and although I don't think you can tell from the pictures, it is a light tan/gray.  In the hallway we have country beige.  The two colors were on the same paint chip and the color we selected for the kitchen and bathroom was as well.  When we get the motivation those rooms will be tattered sail.

The first finished corner with crown molding in the living room.  Barefoot Beach is the color.

Here's another shot of the wall color and our cute kitty Star.

Tired after all of the painting, Star curled up with me.

In other news, I rearranged the basement a bit this week.  I was sad that Curt moved and the basement seemed lonely, so I spent my spare time this week reorganizing it.  Ask Jon, that's my favorite leisure-time activity.  So, rather than thoroughly explaining what I did, I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

The storage room now has a second makeshift guest bed in it.  Inflatable mattress on a bed frame.

Fully covered the green couches look better and I found the perfect spot for showcasing the plaque my mom made us for Christmas.

I moved the LoveSac and put our game collection on the shelves downstairs so it can be more of a hangout room.  I know the pheasants look weird, but I haven't found a better home for them.

I moved my awesome secretary to the basement with some help from Jon.  I wanted it in the family room down there so I can sew with the TV on.

Folded out with my sewing machine on it.  The drawers are full of scrap fabric, yarn, and current projects.

Meet Star

Notice the adorable line that runs down her nose.

 Meet Star, our adorable new kitty.  Paws moved to North Salt Lake this week.  Curt moved back home while his parents finish out their mission and Paws would have missed him if we kept her here.  With no Paws to curl up at the foot of the bed at night, Jon and I were very lonely.  So, to solve that lonely problem, we adopted Star.  Star lived with Curt's brother's family for a the last four years and they have loved her.  With their two cute kiddos though, they felt like Star might enjoy a little more attention.  Problem solved, we would love to give her oodles of attention and cuddles.  Jon just took these pictures so she blinked with the flash, but you can tell how cute she is anyway.

Showcasing her cute tortie colors and the new paint on our wall.

She's very petite compared to Paws, but we still love her.

Hopping up to the top of the chair.

Detroit

For those few who actually read this blog, I am sure that you were aware that I hail from Detroit, Michigan. I am very proud of this fact and I love my home state and my home town. A lot of people scoff when I tell them I am from Detroit, saying things like, "aren't you glad to be out of there?" Well, honestly, no. If it were plausible for me to live and work in Michigan I would be back there in a heartbeat. Jon might protest that a bit, since he hates the cold, but I love where my roots are. I love that you can trace my parents history and everything goes back to that beautiful place.

If it were up to me, I'd go back every summer and take a trip to the UP with my mom, driving the back roads and visiting the Edmund Fitzgerald via glass bottom boat. We'd drive out to Holland for the Tulip Festival in the spring. We'd paddle boat and hike at Kensington, Sleeping Bear Dunes, and maybe even along the coastline of Lake Michigan. I really wish that people could just go there and understand how amazing it is. Rather than protesting and saying that Michigan is one of the last places they would ever want to go, why not give it a chance. Sure, some of the Detroit area looks very sad, but the people who are rebuilding it have a deep love for it. The trees, the water, the hearty people, everything about that place makes me feel loved and warm inside.

Well, rather than trying to convert you all to a love of my home, here are a few videos that remind me why I love Detroit. Kid Rock, Eminem, and Tim Allen are all featured in these, and they really do show their love through their words. Enjoy. Warning to my friends from Detroit, these might make you uber homesick.


Chrysler Super Bowl Ad


Eminem's Letter to Detroit


Pure Michigan Ad Campaign featuring Tim Allen's voice


Kid Rock's AMA performance


Kid Rock's Summertime in Michigan

And just for fun, you should probably read this article too. The Freep does a really good job of summing up the spirit of the Chrysler commercial that aired during last night's Super Bowl.

Prepping for the Superbowl

Neither Jon nor myself are big NFL fans.  Actually, of all of the professional sports, I think that football is my least favorite.  Don't get me wrong.  I like college football and I enjoyed watching high school football when I was in high school, but professional football just seems so fake to me.  I would rather watch baseball, hockey, or even curling, before I would choose to sit down and watch an NFL game.

That being said, Jon and I will be watching the Superbowl on Sunday evening, but just for the enjoyment of the company and the awesomely hilarious commercials.  Prepping for the commercials, Jon found this jewel on the internet this morning.  His eyes start to water from laughing so hard every time he watches it.  It reminds both of us of Sam and his Star Wars fanaticism.  So, sit back and enjoy some amazing marketing from Volkswagen.