Charlie, Paige and I went down to one of my favorite DC spots, the Arboretum, to see the last of the fall color.





The old supreme court columns are at the arboretum atop a big hill. Charlie thought they we worth exploring.

The fountain was worth a look...

I couldn't resist this purchase at Ikea...now Charlie has his own chair!

Superman made a recent appearance ...

He likes to bounce...

His mission was to clean up from the day's adventures.

We were so glad to see Sarah and Mrs. Vidal this week. It was a short visit, but we made the most of our time together. It is always fun to catch up with them and hear about what is going on in their lives. And, of course, they were instant friends with Charlie :)

Bedtime Ritual

Fun Times at the Fall Festival

I am very blessed to have such a resourceful and talented husband. He has constructed everything from a hovercraft to a new kitchen. However, I am going to veto Nat's latest creation. It is likely that this picture will show up in one of those chain e-mails like "you know you are a redneck if" or better yet "you know you are in the ghetto when"....

"Air Filter"

Once again, the blog has been short on posts. We'll try to post some pictures in the coming week. For now, here are some shots from this weekend. The weather has been so nice here, and Charlie has been happy to exert some of his energy outdoors.

Hanging out with Dad

Outside with his buddy

Making a funny face for the camera

He stuffs his mouth full of food...

...and thinks it's funny :)

Watching for Dad

Just plain cute!

Bon Voyage, Royals!

Our good friends are TEMPORARILY moving to Australia. We will miss them a lot and we look forward to their speedy return. Two years will fly by :)

"Miller"

1997 - 2007

In 1997, Paige and I drove to Cleveland, Tennessee to get a dog. I remember the first time I saw him running around this house with his four sisters. Kinda scruffy, all black except for a little white under the chin. He was the one.

Over 10 great years, the black puppy turned grey all over. During those years, he whined alot, and required the disposal of two couches before I learned to reupholster the furniture he wore through. ( It will be hard to finish reupping the chair he liked most for the second time.) If you visited my home I am sure he barked at you and jumped up on you, and if you were lucky, you might have seen him become a machine gun or a wizard. He was there every day at the window when I came home, and almost every night when closing up the house I would say "Ready Miller? Let's go to bed."

In the last few weeks, Charlie has been walking (a skill he seems to think is mainly good for finding his mom and stalking Miller), and Miller spent the better part of the day running away from this little boy who was becoming more enamoured with him. I am glad Charlie knew and loved Miller.

There is no way to recap my life with Miller, but over time he became a part of me. And last Friday, we came home to find him lying peacefully in the back yard, never to get up again.

I always thought it wouldn't be such a huge deal for me when he died. I thought, "Well, when he is gone, we will get another dog." How did I not get it? Even I knew my affection for that dog bordered on the nuttier side of dog lovers. But now, I don't want another dog. I want MY dog!

...and I want this stubborn and slightly humiliating heartache to end.

Paige and Mabel and I all miss him greatly. And when I let Mabel out these past few days (has it only been a few days?) she pauses, uncharacteristically, at the top of our back steps. I think she is looking, wondering why Miller is not there.

Me too, Mabel. Me, too.

We loved that dog and we are thankful for 10 great years....

And he's off!

Charlie Loves Colorado

Just returned from a spectacular weekend in Colorado with very dear friends. Here are a few of the highlights. Kudos to Jake for the pictures...

Hanging out in the mountains

Bright blue Colorado sky

With his new friends Eli and Hattie

Modeling the beautiful sweater that Jenn knit for him

Up close and personal with a bird at the zoo

A little too close for his liking!

He much preferred the bird when it landed on his Dad!