Don't laugh. OK, you can laugh. I cried. But I can laugh now. You see the above creatures? So did my dog. Pele got arrested today. You want the long story? We had some roofers over today working on our house. They had to go in the back yard to plug in some of their tools and didn't quite get the gate closed. I didn't know and Pele escaped. Since Jeremy was gone and I had the three girls I couldn't go and chase her, we just said a quick prayer that she'd come home to us.

Our prayer was answered, just not as smoothly as I would have hoped. After several attempts to call her in from the porch I had to put the girls in their beds for naps. As I was upstairs I looked out the window and saw her running towards the house. I race downstairs to lure her in with a treat and as I open the door I found she was being followed by a police officer and a small group of people. Turns out a neighbor a few houses down had a couple of chickens in a coop outside and Pele found them. The neighbor was not home, but the kids next door were and they watched her rip the wire off and kill the chickens. So they called the police. None of them knew who the dog belonged to, they just followed her, then told me what happened. It is against city ordinances to have a dog off leash out of your yard. Hence, Pele was to be summoned to court (which entails being arrested for those who didn't know it), but due to the fact she is a dog, I was to be in her place. No handcuffs people, just had to take down my information, get my ID. The officer felt SO BAD. His dog had done the same thing. I cried and cried, I felt bad for the chickens, the lady who owned them (who we could not find), for Pele because she's just following her instincts and is not so sure why she's in trouble, for the roofers because they saw me just cry and cry and they hadn't meant to leave the gate open, and I didn't know what to do.

The owner of the chickens came home later today and I went and apologized to her and now that I'm several hours out of the incidence I can really laugh about it. I don't know if it's me or Pele who now has the criminal record. Either way, this will make for great memories. But I wonder if we ever take her across state lines would that make her a fugitive? Or me?

April Fools

Although some were predicting up to 12 inches (thank goodness it was much less), it did snow our first day of April. Katie told me how much she loves the snow. So do I, but I love it more in December and January than in April.

Katie is figuring out how to smile for the camera instead of scowl. Look at that beautiful grin. Here's miss Cora. I've started to put the twins' hair in pigtails on occasion, though they're more like little sparklers coming off their heads for how much they just stick up.

Sydney was a little more sad about the picture business.

And this is mana from heaven. The picture's not too swell, but a woman who goes to the same little kid play group we do decided she wanted to give me some of her daughter's old clothes. They are very nice clothes that were washed and carefully folded and brought me to tears. I'm constantly amazed at how much our Father in Heaven watches over us with the sweetest acts of mercy. Clothes shopping is one of my arch-nemesis. 1-I don't want to spend the money. 2-I have no idea how to look for clothes with the three little girls in tow. 3-I have no idea how to look for clothes FOR the three little girls (let alone myself). Picking out clothes, matching clothes, colors, any of that is WAY out of my comfort zone. I tend to gravitate towards things that look like mountains or fields - great for wall hangings, but not so much to wear. So when people hand us clothes that look so good on our daughters I want to cry out of gratitude.