A Very Merry Christmas From Chico and Myself

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!
Chico sure was excited to see me when I got home this morning!
But then, he knew I had bought him a stocking and some goodies while I was at the store yesterday.
I gave Chico one of his toys yesterday evening, before I left for work. It should keep him busy for a while, provided I keep it full of treats. He also got a giant busy bone, a couple of regular Busy Bones, some granola Busy Bones, a duck that quacks, a rope, and a chewy that looks like it is an animal  hide or something. Needless to say, that he is a happy pup, playing with his toys, as I get ready for bed.
After work in the morning, we will gather our things and go see Mom, Dad, and my brother to spend the day together and exchange gifts! I am sure we will take at least one of Chico's new toys to show off.

Chico Playing with his toys . . .

I hope everyone got everything they wanted for Christmas, this year. Hug your family and celebrate this time with them.

Dogs....

I have the most handsome, Boxer boy ever. He is my heart, and he guards me like no other. Those of you who have met Chico, know the slober, and wiggle butt well. It bother's me that there are so many Boxers (well any breed) that are without their "furever homes" this Christmas. My mom has been rescuing Boxers for some time now, which has in turn somewhat rubbed off on me. I live in an apartment, so I don't have the oppurtunity to personally rescue dogs. I am, however; a fan of Legacy Boxer Rescue (LBR), and the work they do for this spectacular breed of dog. I donated $10.00 to LBR tonight through their donate link, you can do so also.
Because I live in an apartment, and do not have the room to bring another dog home, I try to network for dogs looking for homes on Pawsitively Texas'  Facebook fan page. I love my baby dog, and would love for all dogs to know the kind of love I have for my Chico.

LBR posted this Dogs Version of "Twas the Night Before Christmas" on their fan page:

Dog's Night Before Christmas

Author Unknown

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
...The stockings were hung by the chimney with care
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.
My boxers were nestled, all snug in "MY" bed,
While visions of chewie toys danced in their heads.

I in my sweat pants and Dad in his sweater,
Had just settled down to read the Great Dog Reporter,
When up on the roof there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my chair to see what was the matter!

Off to the window I flew in a flash,
Tore open the shutter and threw up the sash.
The moon on the crest of the new fallen snow
Gave a luster of midday to the objects below.

And what to my wondering eyes did appear
but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.
With a little old driver so lively and quick
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

With a sputter of ashes -- a flurry of soot,
He slid down the chimney with all of his loot.
My Dogs stood there so regal and proud,
Guarding their home with barks oh so loud.
St. Nick showed no fear and called them by name,
He knew in his heart they were gentle and tame.

He brought out his list, checking it twice.
"Well, my beauties, all year you've been very nice.
I have in my bag toys and much more,
Just tell me what you pups really long for."

My dogs talked to each other -- much to my surprise
and turned to Santa with tears in their eyes,
"We have chewies and balls and ropes to be tugged,
We are pampered and coddled and petted and hugged.
But for Christmas, dear Santa, we have but one care,
that all dogs be loved as much as we are.
We want no dog beaten, whipped or chained,
No dog abandoned, abused or maimed.
We want all dogs, no matter what size,
to see love reflected in their master's eyes."

St. Nick stopped for a moment to gather his wits,
"I have nothing to stop humans from being such twits."
All dogs are so beautiful and are such a treasure,
Living only to be loved and give humans pleasure.
This lesson I will try to teach
Then maybe your wish will be within my reach."

St. Nick leaned over and kissed each beautiful head.
"Now you gentle giants, go off to bed.
Think good thoughts and dream good dreams
Of running and jumping and playing in streams."

St. Nick turned to me, his face wet with tears.
"Be proud of your babies, they are such dears."

In an instant St. Nick disappeared in a poof
And I heard him chuckle as he ran on the roof.
He jumped in his sleigh and to his team gave a whistle,
and off he flew like the down on a thistle.

And I heard him exclaim as the drove out of sight,
"Merry Christmas to All and To All Dogs a Good Life!"

The first time I read this, it made me cry. To think that there are dogs who don't know that kind of love. Yes, I am a bit of a softie when it comes to dogs. I hope all of you have a dog (or other animal) who can say these types of things about you. A true reflection of a person is the animal who owns them.

Merry Christmas, everyone, I hope Santa leaves you something sweet.

And from Chico: Slobbery Kisses and a few Boxer wiggles, just for you.

What do you want for Christmas?

If you could have anything you wanted for Christmas, and I mean ANYTHING; what would it be? I was doing some thinking after I posted my last blog, about my poor lonely little tree. Maybe it’s not so lonely after all, since I was thinking about so many loved ones when I was decorating it.
There are so many things that many of us take for granted that some would love to have. You know the things I am talking about, don’t you? Food, clean fresh water, electricity, a home . . .you know the list goes on and on.
Can you believe that in 1951 there were communities that were just getting electricity for the first time. Could you imagine living without electricity? Just about everything we do today, depends on the availability of electricity. I mean, you are reading this right now using a computer, or smart phone that requires electricity at some point in its charging cycle. Even as I type, my pc is plugged in to the wall. There are more vital to life things that we use electricity for. But so close to Christmas on December twenty-third in 1951 the final communities in Belgium received electricity! How exciting!!
I was at the airport yesterday, dropping a friend off. While waiting on time for boarding to get closer we were sitting down and drinking some water. I saw a young man who was in the military, it appeared that he was waiting on a flight to go home. I don’t know because I didn’t talk with him, I wish I had. I wanted to tell him thank you for the sacrifices he and his family has made. I could imagine the excitement his family must have waiting for him to come home. Incase, I haven’t told any of my friends who either have family in the military or are in the military themselves, I would like to say THANK  YOU, from the very depths of my soul. I do not know what you guys go through, and I truly appreciate everything you do for us.
Now, if I could have anything for Christmas, it would be; as cliché as it might sound, I would ask for peace on Earth, so that everyone could have their families together and safe.

Chico and I wish all our friends and family a very MERRY CHRISTMAS . . .

My Lonely Christmas Tree

I have said that my poor little Christmas tree seems lonely. It sits in front of my patio door, with its decorations and is quite pretty. I am happy with it anyway. I haven’t really bought any gifts, I bought gift cards for most everyone I had on my list if for no other reason than it’s easier to do things that way. It is for that reason my tree seems lonely; aren’t there supposed to be gifts under the tree?
Yes, I believe that is the tradition anyway. It seems that the Christmas tree has had many other jobs before that. Did you know that in Great Britain, back hundreds of years ago, Druid priests used the branches of evergreens to ward off evil spirits during winter solstice rituals?
When did we start decorating Christmas trees, in the more modern sense? There is a legend that states in 1500, Martin Luther was inspired to decorate evergreens, by a small group of trees huddled together in the woods, snow covered, glistening in the moon light. It was this sight that inspired Martin Luther to decorate a small Fir to imitate the beauty he had seen in nature.
Looking at my tree, it may hold the appearance of being lonely, but I truly enjoy my little tree. It made me happy to decorate it, and it brightens my living room. There is lot of love on that tree, love for my friends and their new growing families, my family near, and my family far off. I thought of all of you while decorating my tree. Every now and then, however; there is something under my tree, something that doesn’t quite fit. It’s big, brown, and gives the sloppiest kisses ever! My dog!! Now that’s the best!
I am looking forward to celebrating Christmas with my family. My mom, dad, and brother. We have our own little traditions, that hold true for us; I am looking forward to our “Chambers’ family breakfast!” There are some things that you just can’t live without. For me, it’s the breakfast casserole! YUM! I’m hungry just thinking about it!!
Merry Christmas everyone! Happy Holidays!
Laura Lee and Chico

a reccomendation

     If you are in the habit of reading the back of a book to help you decide whether to buy it, I suggest flipping Fearless by Max Lucado over. I will not quote the back of the book. I will tell you that Max Lucado expertly describes the origins of fear, showing prime examples of it in the Bible. Mr. Lucado also gives instruction on how to manage fear throughout his book.

     On pages thirty-four through thirty-five, the first case of fear documented in the bible is noted. When the snake tricks Eve into taking from the Tree of Knowledge it is pointed out in the book that Eve was,

"Afraid that God was holding out, that she was missing out? Afraid Eden wasn't enough? Afraid God couldn't deliver?"

     Now, haven't we questioned God's ability to deliver a loved one from pain or a terrible disease? Don't you feel that the outcome (no matter what it was) is God's will? The chapter goes on to say,

"Fear, mismanaged, leads to sin. Sin leads to hiding".

     There are several places people hide from God. We hide in our work, our play, anything that might keep us from church or our personal time with God.
     One place that fear stems from is worry, after all, we wouldn't worry if we weren't afraid, right? In Chapter four, eight steps are listed on pages forty-nine through fifty-one, to help stop fear:
Pray first
Easy, now
Act on it
Compile a worry list
Evaluate your worry categories
Focus on today
Unleash a worry army
Let God be enough
P-E-A-C-E-F-U-L
     At first glance it might not be obvious how a few of these steps are useful, you have to read the explanations for each step.
     I read this book in a little over 2 hours yesterday; I have never finished a book so quickly. It was easy to read. It also made me laugh in places, and made me think in several others. It is pointed out that as we grow we see Jesus differently, that is we see different qualities that we hadn't in the past. This comes from our own maturity. Our own circumstances help us to see what Jesus and God are capable of.
     I leave you with one of my favorite quotes from this book:

"Seek first the kingdom of wealth, and you'll worry over every dollar. Seek first the kingdom of health, and you'll sweat every blemish and bump. Seek first the kingdom of popularity, and you'll relive every conflict. Seek first the kingdom of safety, and you'll jump at every crack of the twig. But seek first His kingdom, and you will find it. On that, we can depend, and never worry." (p. 51)

     I hope you all have a great week.

Music...

Isn't it amazing the memories and emotions that music can evoke?! Certain genres or songs can evoke feelings of rage, love, longing, nostalgia, or any other feeling for that matter. Memories can be brought about in the same way.
When I listen to a certain song, I am reminded of my first boyfriend. Then there is a song that describes what I think a relationship should be about
I believe music has been around just about as long as we have been on this Earth.
I don't know about the rest of you but most of the time you can tell what mood I am in by the music my iPod is playing.
I was raised on Country music, it is in my veins, so to speak. That being said, I do indeed listen to a lot of Country, however I am a lover of music and there are a select few types of music I had rather not subject myself to.
My favorite type of music is Blues/Jazz; Diana Krall, Dean Martin, Melody Gardot, Frank Sinatra, Etta James...
I also enjoy Classical music. Yes, you read that right, I said Classical! Composers such as: Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Handel, Bach, and the list does go on...Classical Music helps me to relax and it also helped get through hours of homework in high school and college...

Even if you don't understand something, or quite know what it is, it can still be beautiful.

Catching up...

My how things have changed in a year. It does surprise me to look back over the year and see how things have changed. I did not think I would be single and living on my own. Yep I suppose that even though being single was not on my things to do list, life is going well. I certainly can't complain about how life is going. The best thing that could have happened for me was moving out, so far it seems that I am doing ok. I am having my first Mary Kay party since I moved out on my own. It should be a lot of fun. I will be going to Party City this weekend to find a few decorations to put up and a table cloth.
I recently went to the Dallas Arboretum to take some photos of a friends son for Easter. It was a lot of fun getting to take pictures, even though getting him to cooperate was not easy, it was nice to walk around the arboretum and see the beautiful spring flowers. Not to mention getting to catch up with my friend. I can't say enough how much I miss my friends.

I hope you get to get out and enjoy the beauty of Spring and all that the world has to offer.

The start to a wonderful relationship…

I have been living on my own for only a couple of months now. Life on my own is not as glamorous as many would have had me think.  While yes there are more “grown-up” things to worry about, my life has not made any dramatic changes. As a matter of fact, my dog, Chico is laying at my feet while I type, and watch television. I should be putting things up, but I just can’t get motivated to do so. I have a couple businesses as well; selling Mary Kay, and a photography business. The last year has brought on many changes in my life.  I won’t bother you with all the details, but at the new year I decided to make major changes. I decided it was time to get out on my own.

So here I am, getting things done. Working on things and loving life. I will elaborate on some of things I mentioned above in later posts. For now, I must get going.