Let Me Tell You About My Friends

Over the course of my nearly 43 years on this earth, I have certainly been blessed with many friends in my life. But, there are a select few that remain constant and very close in my life. And for that, I am so very grateful.

Let's start with my sister, Casey. Anyone that knows me, knows that my sister and I are very close. I have always been very protective of her. At some point in our lives, we reversed roles, and she became my protector and began to watch over me when I needed it most. She prays for me, and watches out for Andy and me in the background. The bond we share is so undenyably strong and really cannot be described with words.

Amber and I met simply by mistake. We went to school together, but she is younger than me and we weren't really friends. Today, we've been friends over 22 years because we lived next to each other. Lucky me! She knows all my secrets. I can tell her anything, everything. Amber reads me like no other, which is almost weird! But, having a friend that knows you so well is definitely a good thing.

Ronica has been around the longest, besides my sister. Our sweet friend Crystal introduced us, God rest her soul. She is the one to call on! She is very protective and a no-nonsense kind of girl. She and I have shared lots of long talks and lots of secrets (and brownies) over coffee. Our friendship has stood the test of time and she will be one of those friends that I will forever be able to call on, no matter what.

Jackie...my girl! We met in nursing school and we've just been 'that duo' ever since. When we went through our divorces about the same time, our friendship became even stronger. Living together can ruin friendships, but not us! We went through some very tough times together. I could write a book...but let's just say, Jackie and I are better people just for surviving "The Dyer House". Without her, I don't know how I would have survived those years.

Leah, sweet Leah. So strong, so beautiful, so patient, so private. I wish I had half the stamina this woman does. We met at work several years ago, and I am so grateful to have found her. She will make  me laugh when I least expect it. Any human needs laughter. Any time I have a medical question, she is definitely the first I think of!

Kelly...! Kelly was my bestie in high school. We laughed, we hung out, stayed up all night, made prank calls, all the usual teenage stuff in high school. Here we are today, rekindling our longtime friendship, still going strong. I love that we still have it, not missing a beat.

While each of these friendships are different, they are each very special. I also have a ton other friends I am so thankful to have and they are each dynamic in their own way.

I'm sorry?

My husband is one of the most amazing people you will ever meet. He spent 26 of his life in the Air Force. I am so proud of him and all his accomplishments. So, when a man sits next to us on the plane and sees Andy's Air Force lanyard and says, 'You're in the Air Force? I'm sorry.'

I take offense to that. Just because he is in the Navy, he is not better than anyone. Why respond that way? 

Of course, my sweet husband handled it with grace. 

I believe.

When I believe in something, I believe in it with all I have. I believe in my kids. I believe they're smart. I believe they're loving. I believe they've kind. I believe they're funny. I believe they can do anything they want to do. I believe they are both completely different people. They are loved more than you can imagine. I have taught them right from wrong. I have loved them with all I have and I will continue to do so.  Are my kids perfect? No. Do they have their own beliefs? Yes. Do they have their own dreams? Of course they do. 

I am, and always will be, their biggest fan.

Do You Love Your Dogs?

I am a dog lover. My husband and I have three dogs that currently rule our home! 

This is Sydney. She is the oldest of the bunch. She is ten years old.  As she ages, I worry about her health. She is losing her eye sight, she has had a seizure, she sleeps most of the time, rarely plays anymore, and can be very cantankerous at times.

Sophie is our middle child. She likes to think she's tough, but she really just wants to sit on her roost on the sofa and watch the world go by. She loves to eat, and would do it all day long if we would let her. 

And this is Jet. He's the puppy; only 18 months old! He loves to play catch, tear toys up, jump, run...he's just your average puppy. He's very loveable and loves attention.

Sydney suffered a seizure one year ago this month. Sophie has unexplainably gained weight, and has bouts of lethargy and doesn't want to be touched. Jet has abnormal shedding and spends a lot of his days scratching himself. We strive to take good care of our dogs. We never imagined the food we were feeding them might cause them harm. We were feeding our dogs, whom we consider members of our family, Beneful.

If you feed your dogs or cats Beneful, please take the time to read the ingredients. It contains components in antifreeze. I am 99% certain the food we were feeding them caused these ailments and that now that we have changed it, they will recover. Beneful maintains it is safe for our pets. However, I don't want my family eating anything that goes into a machine. Do you?

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/investigations/Dog-owners-nervous-in-wake-of-pet-food-lawsuit-294457841.html#

http://fox6now.com/2015/02/24/lawsuit-filed-beneful-dry-dog-food-has-resulted-in-serious-illness-and-death-of-thousands-of-dogs/