Marley Is In Heaven

My Sweet Marley

Neale and I got Marley 11 years ago. We never knew her exact birthday so we said it was August 1st. We saw in the paper one day that someone was giving away puppies so we went and got her. It was a spur of the moment decision that we are very happy we made. As a puppy she definitely tested our patience. I came home one day and my loveseat and chair were shredded to stuffing. Over the next two years our tv cords and lamp cords were chewed in half, our shoes were eaten, all the corners on our kitchen cabinets were chewed off, etc. I found full batteries in out yard that Marley had apparently swallowed whole. We took her to obedience school..... twice. Then when she outgrew her puppy days she became one of the best behaved dogs ever. She loved going on walks, going to the dog park, swimming, playing fetch with balls, playing frisbee, riding in the car with her head out the window, and going to the beach. She was gentle to her dog sisters, Roxy and Sydney, and extremely patient and loving to Kaylie and Taylor. She was one of the sweetest most loyal dogs I have ever known. She was extremely smart. If you asked her where her ball was she would search the house to find it. She loved to give kisses and made a funny noise like Chewbacca from Star Wars when she got excited. She tried to always carry around as many balls as she could possibly fit into her mouth. When I would wake up she would be beside me on the floor, when I got out of the shower she was on the floor by the shower door, when I left the house she would watch me leave out the window and wait for me to come home by the door, and when Neale and Roxy went to bed every night she stayed on the floor right beside my computer desk to wait for me. She was such a loyal and loving dog. We love her and it breaks our hearts that she is no longer with us.

Grandparents Visited

This is my silly little girl
with her precious smile

Taylor is trying on shoes while Kaylie plays with bunny

Grandad Stovall entertaining the girls

Taylor kissing her baby and Kaylie with bunny

Taylor tackling Kaylie to give her sissy kisses

Taylor making some pretend food and feeding Marley (with an unsharpened pencil)

The wild girls

My mom came down for a week and my dad came for the weekend. They were a big help with the girls because I was working most of the time they were here. The girls definitely wore their Nana out. We appreciate all of their help. Mom did laundry and cooked and most importantly played with the girls which I was unable to do since I had to work. Kaylie had herpangina which is throat blisters and a 103 fever. She had a rough couple of days but is feeling better.

The girls are wide open. They get their little push toys and take off like wild women down the hall. They chase each other and giggle. Taylor has just started tackling Kaylie to give her kisses. Taylor plays hard. She climbs furniture and has no fear. Nana let them up on the furniture while she was here so now all they say is "Up" because they want to get up on the couches and chairs to be wild. We are constantly telling them to "Sit on your bottom". They still LOVE books. Tonight we read "Hugs" (Thanks Aunt Cathy!) over and over again. They tend to find one page they like a lot and turn the pages quickly to get there. The girls are beginning to like to color. The trick is keeping the crayons out of Taylor's mouth. Taylor still shakes her head No to everything. I ask them questions all the time and they shake their heads no to most things. I do notice that when I ask them "Do you love Mama?" they actually will stop shaking their heads no. They don't answer me with a yes on that but I don't get the big NO shake. They love shoes!! They try them on over and over. Sometimes they actually put them on themselves and if they can't get them on they will hand them to me and say "UH, UH, UH" until I put them on them. They got their own purses and pretend cell phones from Nana and Grandad. They put their purses on their arms and hold their hands straight up in the air so they don't fall off and walk around the house. I have photos so I will have to locate them and upload at some point. They are so full of personality.

Yesterday Taylor picked up her empty bowl and took a pencil she was "coloring with" (it wasn't sharpened) and started pretend mixing up something in the bowl. She then walked over to Marley and was "feeding" Marley her pretend food and using the pencil as a spoon. I think she must have been trying to make Marley better. Marley lost all movement again about a week ago. We have been to a couple vets and took her to Charleston to have a catscan. During the catscan her heart stopped but they were able to revive her. They first told us that they couldn't find what was wrong and we would have to put her to sleep. Then they called back to say they did find that she has a slipped disc in her neck and it may heal on its own in a couple weeks (surgery is not an option because she also has lung cancer and cancer in her front leg or legs). She has yet to recover so we will see how the rest of the week goes but we can not leave her as she is. She has been such a sweet and loyal dog to Neale and myself for almost 11 years. We love her very much.

Neale has been trying really hard at his new job. It is not an easy job to have or to keep but he is really making an effort to do well at it. I am just busy...too busy. Today my car died on me...it is just one of those times where not much goes right. Hopefully things will turn around.

Imitating Mama

Taylor modeling my purse
Kaylie modeling my purse (pre-haircut) with her photo showing on the purse when she was a baby

I love this photo because that is Taylor and the photo on the purse you see is also Taylor (right after I had given her a bath when she was really little)

I have noticed that the girls have started imitating me. I realized it when I saw Kaylie pointing and shaking her finger at our dog, Roxy, and telling her "No". The I realized it again when Kaylie started spanking herself when I told her I would spank her if she didn't stop what she was doing (obviously I don't spank very hard because she thinks it is funny so I think we are switching to "time out") and then again when Taylor picked up my purse and put it on her shoulder and started walking around the house with it. They aren't even a year and a half yet! I am amazed how their little brains work. Taylor just thought it was the best thing in the world. The purse weighs so much it made her tip over a few times but that didn't stop her. Then Kaylie decided she wanted to do it too.

Haircut and Hanging with my girls

Kaylie trying to hold sissy's hand

I hope everyone had a Happy 4th! We didn't do anything (work) but today I got to spend some time with the girls. I can't believe how much they have changed just in the past couple weeks. I haven't gotten to spend much time with them so today I really noticed how much they are changing and how much I am missing. I took the girls to get their hair cut. Kaylie got her bangs cut. I didn't get a photo because I had to hold her the whole time and Taylor had to hold my other hand or she would cry. I really have no idea what to do with Taylor's curls. The lady said it didn't need to be cut since it is growing out so she didn't get hers cut. Then we went to Broadway at the Beach. There is a kid area that you can pay and the kids can jump on inflatables, play in the playhouses, etc. I put the girls in the inflatable to jump but they just wanted to get out. So we went and they played some in the playhouses. Kaylie liked to play with a ball she found. The biggest hit of the whole thing was sitting in miniature kid chairs. Then we went home and after the girls' nap we had a picnic outside. I filled up the pool for them to play in. Kaylie did some but Taylor is not big on it so she played in her playhouse. We had a very good day and I needed it. I have really missed my babies.

Taylor always wants to hold my hand and lead me around. She will not let go of it. You have to pry her fingers away. She still bites Kaylie from time to time. When I fuss at her she gets the saddest face you have ever seen and cries wants me to hug her. She sticks her bottom lip out. She loves to shake her head no to everything. Kaylie tries to hold her hand and give her kisses but Taylor rarely wants anything to do with it. She just shakes her head no. Taylor loves to climb on things...toyboxes, chairs, couches, pillows, etc. She loves the dogs. She pets them, kisses them, and occasionally sits on Marley. She wants to do everything all by herself (feeding with a spoon, putting on her shoes, brushing her hair, etc.) She will cry if you try to help her or do it for her. She is scared of the water and scared of most things but when she is climbing on stuff she has no fear at all. Today she did a backwards roll off the pillow and thought it was so fun she almost just threw herself backwards again from the standing position. She is a sweet little girl and very sensitive. I love hearing her say "Mama".

Kaylie is really smart. You can ask her to do something and she does it. Even if you think there is no way she understands you...she does. Today I told her she better sit down from standing on top of the toybox or I would "give her a spanking". She looked at me and bent over and spanked herself about five times while smiling at me. I tried not to let her see me laugh. Her smile is precious. She thinks everything is funny and is always smiling and giggling. I ask her to go get something and give it to Taylor and she does. She shares with Taylor, she tries to hold Taylor's hand, she tries to give Taylor kisses and hugs. She is a good big sister. Today Roxy was trying to eat her goldfish crackers and I was working on the computer but I heard her say "No" and I looked over and she was pointing and shaking her finger at Roxy telling her "NO". She loves to dance.

Both girls LOVE to read and to have stories read to them. I read books over and over to them today. Then I tell them to read to me which is my favorite. I love their baby babble. I love how Taylor emphasizes words and points at the pictures. Kaylie is an early riser and Taylor likes to sleep in but never can because sister always wakes her. Kaylie loves stuffed animals but Taylor doesn't really care for them. Taylor likes to stand on the toybox and Kaylie likes to get in the toybox. Kaylie loves the water so much and splashes around so much that she has on occasion gone in head first in the bathtub. Taylor is scared of the water and doesn't want anyone splashing and wants to get out pretty quickly.

Every night before I go to bed I go in their bedroom and put my hands on their chests just to check on them and I look at them and the thought that always comes to my mind as I look at each one if them is "I adore this child". I could not love them any more. I am so blessed and so grateful to have them in my life. They are my world.