Sunday, June 20, 2010

Things are Growing!


So while I have been busy inside editing pictures and getting no sun at all... Sean has become a farmer. Yes...on our itty bitty little spot of Gaitherburg, Sean is creating a very unconventional farm. Ok, well maybe the farm part is a stretch...That is left up to Farmer Jeff (He farms from China), but Sean has made our yard look amazing and has had some veggies to show for it. These were our first peas of the season and went well with Trader Joes lemon pepper pasta, mushrooms and homemade alfredo sauce! Yum!!

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Big Changes


So we mentioned that the past few weeks have included lots of changes. Some obvious and some not so obvious. Well what we didn't mention is that I got a new job! I will be headed to the National Fatherhood Initiative as of June 24th and I am extremely excited. Not only is this a switch into the non-profit sector, but it is only a few minutes from our house. This means no more frustrating long hours in the car!!!! Yipee!!! I am excited to devote my passion and energy to this organization. I looking forward to the time it will provide me for SweetBee and all of my other endeavors and MOST imporantly more porch sitting time with Sean and the pooch:) Wouldn't you want to spend more time with that sweet face above???

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Looking Ahead...

The past week has been tough. There is lot's of transition going on in our house. We are adjusting back to life with one dog and missing our little white one terribly. We have gone from absorbing the shock of it all, to having to comprehend exactly what we are missing. We are so greatful for all the loving cards, emails and prayers. We are trying to focus on exactly how happy Abby made us. I am convinced, of all dogs, Abby would be most upset over how many tears we have had since she left. Sometimes that is the only thing that makes our tears stop.

Jack seems relatively normal although it's obvious he does not like being home alone by himself and he has a lot more energy. Abby was the BEST baby sitter. Luckily, Pico, the neighbor dog has come over to play lots and has given us a break in his continuous desire to play. Strangely, we find Jack managing to make himself smaller and literally fit into places Abby used to be...ie...behind our legs on the couch and cuddling on our pillows... yes...our pillows. We are adjusting...or rather being forced to adjust, but have faith that we are being taken care of as is Abby.

On a lighter note, we have some brighter things on the horizon. And we look forward to brighter days ahead...

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Abby

Today is a sad day in our house. Yesterday, Abby passed away. After some porch sitting, she darted around our friend who was on the top step and ran into the street where she was hit by a car. It happened so fast. She died instantly. It is difficult to put this in words and even more difficult to believe. We ask for everyone's prayers and hope that tonight you will hold your own animals a little tighter...especially if they are tiny and white.

Monday, May 24, 2010

A Quarter Century







This weekend we celebrated my birthday with a big get-together. Of course...in DeFrehn tradition...it rained...cats and dogs. Sean had planned out a great weekend and while we couldn't use our yard or our pool, we enjoyed ourselves along side our family and friends. The days festivities included games!! Yes...games...at 25 what could be better than Minute-to-Win-It style games. It was entertaining to say the least. To top it all off, my Sean made me a CAMERA cake!!!! It was strawberry with buttercream icing and entirely from scratch. It was definitely a weekend to remember and left me with a new found appreciation for my family and friends and even more...my amazingly AWESOME husband.

Thursday, May 20, 2010

A Life I Can Celebrate

It's been an hour into my birthday and it's already been fantastic. In fact, I find myself looking over age 24 and realizing it was just that...fantastic. This week, a good friend of mine lost her nephew suddenly...He was only 11 months old. He leaves behind two loving parents, a big brother and a family who loved him dearly. On Monday when I found out, I couldn't help, but think why? I think we all question this when something doesn't go as planned, but a baby who never got to celebrate one birthday?? I look at the past year and realize how blessed I was at age 24- A new house, an amazing marriage, a supportive family, great friends a life worth living and enjoying for every single minute. Many people loathe birthdays. The quote "Do not regret growing older, it is a privelage denied to many" has never stood out more. I am sure that the Stone family would give anything for just one birthday. So at 25, with age 24 a complete and total blessing, I am greatful for another birthday and a life I can celebrate.

Isaiah Lee Stone
May your family feel comforted, your spirit be free and your love surround them all.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Porch Sitting


I don't know how many times in the last week I have said...Can you believe there were feet of snow not too long ago?? In fact, we were cleaning up the yard this weekend getting ready to open the pool and I found our homemade measuring stick we had made during the storm to use for pictures. It was three feet tall!! We are sooo happy that warm days are upon us. I took this shot on Monday after work. The one thing I love about warm weather is the sunshine even when I get home late. I managed to sneak a few minutes sitting on the steps and uploading photos for clients, while the dogs enjoyed the porch. Oh warm weather...how we missed you!