Happy Birthday Big Brother!

  Happy birthday to the one who picked out my first teddy bear for me when I was less than a day old (by the way, I still have it!), the one who pushed my stroller around the block on sunny afternoons.  Happy birthday to "my protector" when kids were making fun of me on my way home from school one day (tackling one of them and pinning them down to the ground sent a pretty strong message), you always looked out for me even though you're the same one who drew a mustache on my face with permanent black marker while I was asleep (mom scrubbed my upper lip so hard I'm surprised I still have an upper lip!)  Even after you grew and got married, I could always count on you to be there for me.  Everytime my car broke down you dropped everything to pick me up from where ever I was stranded without hesitation.  I will never forget when you asked me to be in the delivery room with you when your first child (my awesome nephew) was born!  I will also never forget when you walked into my dressing room right before my wedding, and you saw me standing there in my wedding dress, and this wonderfully big smile came across your face and you said "you're beautiful!"
  I know there were times growing up when we fought and I wanted to "put you up for rent, cheap" especailly when you accidentally shot me in the arm with your bb gun!  But then I also remember the time when you were shot in a hunting accident and we almost lost you!  I couldn't imagine not having you in our lives!  Especially my life!
  You were and you still are the best big brother anyone could have!  I talked to you earlier today and wished you Happy birthday but I didn't get the chance to tell you how much you mean to me.  I love you!  Happy Birthday!!!!

Things I Love/ My Favorite Things: Day 2 (Pug Love)

Today it's all about Pugs! Pugs! Pugs! Pugs! Pugs are my all time favorite dog breed.
It's really my parents' fault, because I caught the "Pug bug" from them!
About 10 1/2 years ago when I still lived in California, my mom and dad went on vacation to San Diego for a week. My mom and dad not only returned home with their luggage, they also had a extremely cute 8 week old Pug, they named Daisy! I took one look at Daisy's little wrinkled face and just fell in love! How could anybody resist! Pugs make my heart melt with their little wrinkled faces and pushed in noses, oh and their big brown eyes! I love the "snorting" sounds!
I moved to Ohio when Daisy was a year old. I moved in with my then boyfriend (who is now my husband). We lived in an apartment (no pets policy). The apartment seemed empty without a pug, I missed hearing "snorts" and hearing them over the phone wasn't enough!
My mom and dad started sending me pictures of Daisy and also Pug cards, they always put a big smile on my face!
The first order of business when we bought our first house was to get a dog! I wanted, you can guess it, a Pug! I didn't even want to look at other breeds. Don't get me wrong, I love all dogs, but I just wanted my own Pug.

We got our Pug Lacy a month after we moved in. She was 6 weeks old , and the cutest, tiniest thing you ever saw! OMG! We couldn't put her down, it was definitely "love at first sight" for my husband and I! Three years later, my husband got me another Pug as a Christmas present, he had me go on a scavenger hunt, and at the end was a little 6 week old pug puppy we named Lilly!
Our 2 Pugs together are unbelieveable! I love taking them to the dog park on sunny days, and watching them play together is "hilarious". We have true "Pug love" in our house.

I am posting a few pictures of our Pugs. Enjoy the "Pug love" today!