Every child needs a "pet" name growing up. Mine was Squeak. My husband's was Skeeter. The thing about these kinds of nick names, is that you can't rush or force them. They just have to come easily, and then they'll stick.  Occasionally, my creative and sensitive husband (who has posted on this blog several times), will contribute to my grandmother's writer's group. She sent him a list of their weekly topics, and every now and then, if he has something to write, he will. A few weeks ago, the topic was simply, "sprout," and my husband sent the group this sweet haiku: Sprout- how fast you grew First snow, first thaw, each brand new Son, look; I'll show you -Eddie Grimes Did you ever have or give a pet name??

I put Ricky on his tummy-time mat the other day and although it was fun to see his reaction to the colorful dangling objects, it was just as entertaining to watch Joy be fascinated with her new favorite creature.  At first she kept a respectful distance, showing great restraint and discipline (which is no easy feat for this excitable Sheltie). In her eagerness, she gradually inched closer. Always checking with me first for approval. And I gave it to her. And closer.  Almost there...just a bit more until I can finally... Ah yes.  *Contented sigh* I love that my little family loves each other. "Give a boy a dog and you've furnished him a playmate." ~Berton Brale

Photo by  mom365 Hi friends! It has been a while, but I promise I have a good reason. His name is Edrick. Edrick Ray Grimes, or "Ricky" as we call him, to be exact. He was born on February 7, 2014 at 9:35am and weighed 6 lb, 13 oz. And now prepare for baby picture overload. This is our little bean coming home from the hospital. His outfit was a bit loose on him. Three things we know about Ricky so far, are: 1. He is  clearly  adorable, alert, and curious   2. He resembles his Papaw Daugherty 3. and he and Joy are already the best of friends.  I hope to share many more magical moments with you all and catch up on all your blogs and news, as time allows. Until then, hope you are all doing well, from the Grimes family!!! Photo by  mom365

One of the best things about visiting home, is spending time with not only the people that you feel most comfortable around, but at the places you feel most comfortable in. One of those places is my Grandma's house. She's lived there with my Grandpa since I was born, and I myself spent 6 years of my life calling that house, "home." If you asked any of my siblings or cousins, they would tell you that one of the staple memories of our childhood, are the squirrels. They've been lovingly hand-fed for decades by my grandparents. I remember my Grandpa even naming some of them... Bertha and Clyde. Well, Bertha and Clyde have gone on to produce many generations since I was 4, but they all still know right where to get their daily meal. From my Grandma's own hand. When I went "home" last month, it was good to see that some things never change. With me, this guy was kind of tentative. But when it's just my Grandma, she has to block the doorway wi...

A few weeks ago, I assisted my family in around the clock care for the family dog, Shadow. He had been diagnosed with canine lymphoma and was getting close to his final days. We made an effort for someone to be nearby at all times in case of an emergency. Though Shadow was in his final stages, our family was only beginning to understand that after 11 years, inevitably we would no longer see his powerful, wagging tail when we entered the house, or hear his deep bark that a stranger would mistake for ferocious, but would soon learn it was only a friendly ‘hello.’ I began to think about these things one day as I ran the bike trail. The song “Awake My Soul” by Mumford and Sons came on my iPod. And my thoughts turned to my Sheltie of 14 years, Duchess, whose passing broke my heart 4 years ago. There is no easy way to lose a pet or any loved one and I wondered how my family would get through Shadow’s passing. I came to a fork in the road - either go back home, or run an extra 3...

Well, it's been a busy couple of weeks! Since my last post, I have made a trip home to Nebraska, quit my jobs, and moved with Eddie to southern Georgia! We are here temporarily until Eddie completes a training course. While he is hard at work with training, I am exploring the music scene down here and have high hopes for our 7 month stay. :) So, I apologize for not getting around to as many posts as I wanted. I wanted to finish up sharing about our Thailand trip with some "leftovers." These are pictures I wanted to share that made me smile, that really didn't fit into any other category of religion, elephants, etc. ~~~ On our plane ride to Bangkok, I excitedly read the electronic tour guide on my airplane screen. I was a little bummed to find out that at a little over 5'8, I may have trouble with the shopping.... "Unless you are a tall western woman." Hmmm. One late night, our exhaustion forced us to have pizza delivered to our hotel ...

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at  Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do  not  endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le...