What We've Been Doin'

Here's a brief snapshot of what us Dunlaps have been doing as of late:

Sir Brundibar the Pooper

I don't know when it happened, but sometime within the past decade I became a bit anal and obsessive about things being "just so." I realized it the other day when I began straighting business cards at Enterprise Car Rental. Anywho, it seems as though Brundibar suffers from the same ailment. As I was scooping up his dogie deposits left in the yard, I realized that he had pooped 4 different times in a perfectly straight line. I thought about getting out the laser level to check the preciseness of his handy work, but the sane part of my brain won that battle. I also thought about taking a picture of it to post on our blog, but I was afraid that the image might jeopardize our PG blog rating. 

The Green Giant

Many plants and various flora and fauna have lost their lives throughout the process of building this darn fence. So much so that we had collected a giant green pile of whatnot on our driveway. Yeah, our neighbors love us. This Saturday was free dump day, so we enlisted the help of our superwomen friends, Micah and Elizabeth, to help us load the dump truck. They were amazing! Steve and Mikey took the trash to the dump early Saturday morning and they didn't even stop for ice cream afterwards! Jeez! This may sound bizarre, but going to the dump was a BIG deal as a kid growing up in the Lee household. We had a special dump song that we would sing and we always stopped for ice cream afterwards. Always. Oh, those crazy Oregonians!

The Weekend Warrior

This picture is a fairly accurate depiction of my husband, complete with his weekend warrior hat (more commonly referred to as a gardening sombrero). The only thing missing from this picture is the fact that Steve is not wearing his God-forsaken Cush shirt (because it was hanging up to dry). God bless my husband and God bless his handiness. Why would we buy gates to our fence when we could make them? Why? 

The Fence, Part Duex

It's almost done! Almost!

New Nephew

Jake & Beka Dorr

I (Karen) have been very fortunate to have 2 best friends that have known me from the beginning of time: Alison & Beka Kiker. Our parents met in Lamaze class when both of our mommas were preggers with twins. Virtually every childhood memory I have somehow involves the three of us. We were so inseparable that my dad referred to us collectively as KarAlaBek.

Now we're all grown up (sort of), and Beka and Jake (her hubby) are adopting a baby boy from Ethiopia! They've even created an entire blog so that we can be a part of their journey. I'm beyond excited for them; I know that they're going to be WONDERFUL parents. Please check out their blog and give them money and prayers if they ask for them. :)

http://www.babydorr.com

Zeke Man

Amidst the hubbub of the fencing project and our vet tech vaccinating Brundibar, our favorite kiddo Ezekiel Thomas Bono Lance (ETBL) came over to visit. Although our time together was short, it was very special as the Lances now live in Redding (the only NorCal town not on fire). Here are some of my favorite memories of the afternoon:

Although his Nana had packed him multiple snacks, there's nothing like raiding the snack cupboard at your friends' house. We made peanut butter and cracker sandwiches, and then Zeke posed with Brundibar. Zeke was sure that Brun would go for his crackers, but I don't think that my dog possess the motivation needed to move quickly enough.

Here Zeke is picking a tomato with a look of satisfaction. So, what does a 5 year old do with a tomato?

Wash it off real good in the sprinkler! I don't know why we did this, because he clearly had no intention of eating the tomato, but it was important to Zeke that the tomato was clean.

My favorite memory of the afternoon has no picture to accompany it. Zeke LOVES our kitties, particularly Imogene. This is so endearing to me because the cats have made every attempt to NOT reciprocate Zeke's affections. However, Zeke either doesn't notice and/or doesn't care, and always dives under the beds in search of the cats. I was able to pull Imogene out and plop her on the bed long enough for Zeke to get some cuddle time in. Zeke loves to pretend that he's Imogene, and I thought he'd drop the bit now that he lives 10 hours north, but no sir-ee! 

A big thank-you to Dan & Alyssa for letting Zeke be a part of our lives. We miss you all more than we can express, and can't wait for the arrival of Moses (good luck, Sof!)!

All Creatures Great & Small

Chances are pretty high that 30 minutes into any conversation with me (Karen), the topic of my cats might surface. And chances are also pretty high that sometime within the period of our relationship, you've probably thought, "Wow, this gal is serious about her cats." Umm, guilty as charged! I can't help that the Creator himself chose to express his artistic abilities by creating his furry and purry friends! So, without further ado, I'd like you to meet my family:

Charles Douglas Dunlap (Charlie)

While he may now weigh in at 17 pounds, he once was a tinsy little barn kitten covered in fleas. I met Charlie in my parent's barn a few summers back, and it's been magic ever since. Do you believe in love at first sight? Well, I do, and Charlie is living proof that dreams can come true. If you have ever wondered why Steve deserves the Best Husband Ever award, dig this: We bought a pet airline ticket and brought Charlie home from Oregon in a cat carrier stowed under our seats. Now Charlie spends his days sleeping, eating, and hiding under the bed when friends come over.

Imogene Noel Dunlap (The Christmas Miracle)

It has been a life-long dream of mine to come home one snowy Christmas eve to find Steve cradling a kitten with a red bow tied around her neck. Merry Christmas indeed! I learned early on in our marriage that subtle hints get you nowhere, and so 2 Decembers past I made my Christmas wish known to Steve...repeatedly. So while Steve didn't deliver on the snowy portion of my dream, everything else was golden. Steve adopted Imogene from the humane society and knew she was the kitty for us. Reason #283 why Steve deserves the Best Husband Ever award.

Sir Brundibar the Gallant (Brundibar for less formal occasions)

Brundibar is our newest addition to our family. Also, he's a dog, not a cat (don't tell him that). Truthfully, my only complaint against Brun is the fact that he can't purr, but we're working on that. Steve & I have wanted a dog for sometime now, specifically a mastiff. I like big dogs and I cannot lie...those other dogs can't deny...

I mentioned to a lady on my school's Parent Teacher Organization board that I loved mastiffs, and she informed me that she was also a vet tech and would keep her eyes peeled for us. Mind you, this was almost 2 years ago. The week before school let out, my phone rang, and it was the same PTO mom offering Steve and I a free mastiff (not purebred). He had a rope embedded in his neck and was found wandering the streets of LA. We were also told that if we didn't adopt him, he would be sent to the pound within 3 days. Debbie Downer! We met him, fell in love, and now we can't imagine life without him. He will not be the size of a purebred mastiff, but we're hoping he makes it to 100 lbs. If you meet him and he barks a little, don't take it personal. If you had been abused and then left on the street with a rope cutting into your jugular, you might be a bit wary of people too. 

Now that you are more familiar with my animal obsessions, we can proceed with this whole blog thingy.

Maui Pics

The outcry for Maui pictures has been overwhelming. So, least we keep you waiting with bated breath, take a look-see at our pics located under our photo links. And yes, Hawaii really is that beautiful. 

Fencing

We have been very busy around here fencing. No, sillys, not sword fighting (who would win, Karen or Steve?), but actually building a fence around our rather large and sad-looking yard. Want to see some pictures? Ok...

Family Togetherness

The Lovely Mrs. Booth (Don't let that smile fool you...she's an animal!)

Yeah, we let Cheston play with the power tools.

We're getting there...sort of.

MVP awards for the day go to the Booths, who always partake in our house projects and yet still continue to be our friends. Additional awards go to the Christmases, as my very preg-o friend brought us ice cream and her pick axe-swinging hubby, and finally, the Dunlap family. We owe Doug, Marsha, and Mikey countless hours of labor, and we love them for always being so selfless and so dang helpful. We'll continue the fencing saga as it unfolds. Also, look forward to an entire post dedicated to our pets. I thought I'd dangle that carrot over your heads to keep you coming back for more.

Dos is Spanish for 2

After countless requests (that might be exaggerated), we have decided to do the blog thing. While we don't count our lives as particularly exciting, others disagree. For instance, it has come to our attention that our loved ones might really want to hear stories about the cats and our days spent with America's youth. Yes, people really love us that much to want to hear Karen ramble about her cats. We truly are blessed.

Well, you asked for it. For better or worse, the blogging has commenced. Don't say that we didn't warn you.

-Dos Dunlaps