Ms. Molly Cookie Thomas

As many of you know, along with our move to Hawaii came many painful, sad goodbyes.  None of which were quite as painful and sad as the goodbye to Ms. Molly Cookie Thomas.  Not to say she is more important to me than humans....it's just that this goodbye was a goodbye forever.  The others were just a goodbye for now.  Yes, I understand that we could have brought her with us and done the whole quarantine thing, but let me shine a bit of light onto our decision to give her up for adoption.  We were moving 3000 miles away, to an island I hadn't been to in 12 years.  Our MAIN focus was on the safety of our children.  We had a hard enough time house hunting across an ocean trying to meet our must have list without adding another big bullet to the list.....Dogs okay.  Knowing that she was such an amazing dog and so many people already knew and loved her, I didn't think we would have a tough time finding her a good home.  But in true Selter fashion, we waited until the last minute to give her up which made the rush to find her a home a bit stressful. But none the less, on Christmas day, we said goodbye forever to our sweet, sweet Molly.  If it wasn't goodbye forever and I could send her a letter to read, here is what I'd say....

Aloha Molly,

So many things I want to say to you and feelings I want to express.  How is your new family?  Do you love it there?  Are you being a good girl?  We miss you so much!!!

Hawaii is good.  Our new house has lots of stairs with hardwood floors and I can only imagine the noise you would make tapping your nails up and down the stairs and around the house!  Not to mention the sliding out that would take place chasing these boys around here.  We don't have a front or a backyard which is a bit strange.  Some people in our complex have small dogs.  None quite as big as you.  The boys have given all the dogs in the neighborhood nicknames.  There is a Barky Sparky, Mad Max, and a Duke.

Anyhow, the point of this letter is to let you know how grateful I am for the time spent with you in our family.  What a joy it was having you be a part of our lives for almost two years.  I remember the first time I saw you.  Here is what you looked like...

I was instantly in love.  You were so cute, I couldn't resist.  Even anti-dog Dad couldn't say no. :) Taking you home that first night was so fun.  You were so scared and unsure of us and all of our chaos!  But it didn't take long for you to become a part of it.  

I cannot believe how tiny you were! So cute.  The boys and I were in love.  Dad slept on the couch with you for almost a week in order to wake up and take you out to the bathroom.

The boys were always wanting you to play....even from the very beginning.  They definitely gave you the exercise you needed right from the get go.  You never had a problem taking a nap after playtime....or sometimes even during!  As you got older, your energy grew too.  I promise you, you are the fastest dog I have ever seen!  You were always ready for a game of fetch or a tug of war battle.

For almost two years, you were such a big part of our family, and such a wonderful dog for Noah, Caleb, and Jonah.  As we remember our lives in AZ, you will always be a part of those memories.

Anywho...Noah likes his new school.  I usually drive him now.  It's a little over a mile away so close enough for him to walk but I have yet to let him walk on his own.  You would love the walk there...so much grass everywhere!

I watched a video of you and Caleb playing the first week we got you.  It's funny how scared he interacted with you.  As you know, he later had no problem playing (albeit torturing) you.  And you were the BEST dog for letting him chase you, pull your tail, sit on you, double knee drop on you, and dance with you.  I know you loved him as much as he did you and believe me he sure does miss you!  I try not to talk to him about it too much because I don't want him to get sad about it. But he continues to consistently remind me of the good times you had.  He always says, "remember when Molly...." And I can barely squeeze back the tears when I answer him, "Yes baby.  She was the best!"

You went on so many adventures with us.  Remember camping in Dead Horse Ranch State Park with Uncle Dave, T, and Megs....what were we thinking?!?!  It was so hot, but fun!  The Grand Canyon and Payson camping trips were fun.  You always loved roaming around the forest searching the new sights and smells.  It's a good thing you were good off your leash and didn't go too far!

There was also the chess tournaments, soccer games, and trips to the park that you always enjoyed.  And who can forget all the visitors.  You certainly had a knack for anti-dog people, especially children, to fall in love with you.  It didn't take D long at all to fall in love.

And who can forget little miss Emily and her sheer terror of canines before encountering you and your charm.

Remember we made you the number 1 cake for your first birthday last April...and I used the chocolate icing on the cake and you then couldn't have any?  Sorry about that.  At least you got the doggie bagel.  :)  I plan to make another cake for your birthday this year.  I probably won't mention what it is for to the boys because I don't want to make them sad, but I'll know.

I talked to some friends from Blanche Dr. the other day.  I think it's safe to say they all miss you too!  I'm sure it is not quite the same without the neighborhood dog greeting everyone as they come home each day.  Who is there now for Harley to play with?  Or to taunt Chopper and Dublin from their own front yard as they are trapped in the back?  Who messes up everyone's gravel yards by peeling out endlessly in them? And what about Sushi?  Who is there for her to talk to and play with?  JJ has no dogs to chase down and return home after escaping our back yard. Your ability to jump and scale that wall still amazes me.  And who is now dragging V around by a leash??? Oh wait, I'm sure they don't miss that.

I know one thing for sure...Caleb is missing his best friend.  But don't be sad for us.  Caleb and Noah love our new house and the new friends they have made in our neighborhood.

One thing I wish we had at our home here in Hawaii is a pool.  Remember all the fun times you and the boys had playing splash tag?  I'm sure you do not miss their water guns!

I know your new family has a pool....is it like ours?  What about their yard and neighborhood?  Do you like it all?  Have you jumped their fence yet and shown them how fast you are?

Baby Jonah is doing well.  He is getting so big!  You wouldn't believe it if you saw him.  Remember the first time you met?  He was so tiny and so quiet.  Now he is a big beast!  He would love to pull on your hair and pinch you now.  Look at this picture...it makes me smile.  It looks like you are looking at Dad for permission to say hello to Baby Jonah.

You never left that boys side for the first few weeks!

We are slowly getting into a routine of reading books and saying prayers before bed.  I bet you would enjoy that here because now the boys have carpet in their room.

Well, just a couple more pictures for the memories.  I am so happy for you and your new family.  I know you are receiving the royal treatment at home and loving every minute of it.

The goodbye in AZ came so fast and was so quick, I didn't know how to react.  Sorry if I seemed short with you, I just wanted to get it over with and cry as little as possible so Noah and Caleb wouldn't see me.  The look on your face when Dad closed the door for you to leave broke his heart and I'm glad I missed that.  But,  it was all out of love.  We knew you were headed to a new, loving, and amazing home.  So as our lives now take on different paths know that you will always carry a special place in my heart...and a smile on my face every time I think of Caleb saying, "Molly.  Molly. (whistle whistle) Who's a good gril?  Who's a good gril?"
Keep it real. Enjoy life.
Love,
Amy (aka Mom)

Here is the video I mentioned in the letter.

Sweet little Caleb scared of Molly.

And another one because Molly and these boys are too cute.  All they want is for her to chase them!

Adios Arizona, Part II

Basically, just a bunch of random pictures from our last few weeks in Arizona that I LOVE and want to share.  It is such a cliche, but I'm gonna do it, we are so incredibly blessed.  I mean seriously, how lucky can one family be to have three healthy, handsome boys, amazing family and friends, and have the opportunities that we have been given in life.  Insane.

Noah's last day of school at Liberty Elementary...

 Taking off on his bike for school, one last time...

 Random photos from our last night out.  Cracks me up.  Not sure if those cups have beer or Eric's favorite red tequila.

The boys took one final bath in our giant claw foot tub....our mini swimming pool.

Our last service at the best church ever! It was Christmas Eve and the boys were oh so excited. As were mom and Dad.

After the service, the excitement just kept growing and growing!  And yes, my boys wear crocs with their church clothes.  I'm over it.

This wild man was looking a little confused about all the fuss.

Adios Arizona, Part I

It was truly amazing how fast our house went from this....

 to this...

 Apparently professional movers know what they are doing.  How nice it was to have everything done for us.  It did make us a bit tense, knowing we were moving so soon, and our house was virtually untouched.  Not a box in sight.  But less than 48 hours later, that house was empty!

 Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING was somehow, someway put into a box.  If it didn't fit, a box was made around it.  Simply amazing.

 One of the things the boys will miss most about that cute little house will be their climbing tree out front.  It was the perfect tree for their play house.  Easy enough for Caleb to climb, but just out of reach for their younger friends.  Much like the trees I remember climbing as a child, they will probably remember this thing as the biggest, tallest tree EVER!  And they would climb all the way to the top!  Haha!  (Ahshh, note the pine trees on Farmview.  I remember Cor and I would climb up 50 feet into those trees! :))

 Before leaving the Valley we had several small gatherings with our loved ones there including sleepovers for Noah, play dates for both boys, and good times with our neighborhood pals.  And by pals, I mean family.  The hardest part about leaving Arizona was saying goodbye to Blanche Dr.  Those are good people right there.  Friends for life no doubt.  Here is a photo I snapped at Colton's 4th birthday party on the morning of New Year's Eve.

 And yet another picture from later that evening as we all gathered at Uncle Dave's to ring in the new year!.....at 9:00 p.m. :)

That's what happens with little ones and a 6:00 a.m. flight.  I'm anxious to see these kiddos the next time they are all together.  I'm sure there will be many laughs over the silly pictures they have taken together for the last 2 years.



Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

This year, we opted for a real tree from a local lot, since Molly basically ate our old tree last year.  It was 8:00 on a school night, but we decided, it was time!  We had a contract on the house already and Christmas was a comin'.  The boys and Molly were all a little excited to be out of the house so late on a weekday.  Here they are gathering their thoughts before we head in and select the perfect tree. :)

 We found it, and had it loaded on top of the car 10 minutes later.

 We didn't want to get ALL of our Christmas stuff out of storage, so a few lights and a half a paper chain made it work. Plus a few boxes of presents from out of town family, and it was a beauty.

 Christmas morning it looked even better!  The boys were so excited that Santa made it before the movers!

 Our Christmas tree even witnessed Jonah opening his first present all by himself.

 But by Christmas evening, that tree was a victim of the dry, desert air.  It had stopped drinking water on about day 3 and was SCREAMING fire hazard!!!  FYI, apparently you should soak your tree in your pool overnight before setting it up in your house.  It will extend it's life by weeks. Who knew?  I don't think the dry air will be a problem next year.

Pumpkin Patches

We did our fair share of pumpkin patching over the last few weeks!  And with Noah having some days off school, he was able to join in on the fun.  Of course, we did more horse back riding.

We even selected a few pumpkins to take home.  Still sitting un-carved on the front porch. :)

We took in some beautiful scenery.

Who's idea was it to get the pumpkins at the beginning of our visit???

The next day we brought along friends with us!

Did I say pumpkin patch?....I meant carnival!

Baby Jonah was testing out his costume....it sure was glowing bright that night after a full day in the sun!

He also fell asleep before I was able to get his photo in the actual pumpkin patch.  So you'll have to just imagine him lying here below....

Life Moves Pretty Fast.

If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.

Oh Ferris, you were right.  This past weekend, Eric and I took a little break from our oh-so-busy lives, and took the boys camping.  It was a break from the routine, a break from housework, a break from work-work, a break from studying, and a break from the heat!  We headed up to Payson, AZ and found a nice little campground about 15 miles outside of town, secluded enough for camping, but close enough for an emergency McDonald's trip.
I can't tell you how glad I am that we didn't go all the way up to the mogollon rim to camp.  It would have been freezing!  As it was, we stayed around 5000ft, and I was still so cold while we slept.  The boys didn't seem to take notice.  I however, thought my nose was going to fall off it as so cold!
Daytime temps were perfect!  The boys spent hours playing soccer, chasing Molly, going for walks, and just being boys in the woods.  So fun.

Caleb and Noah helping Dad pitch the tent.

 The scenery was perfect and it smelled like Christmas trees!

 He's thinking this camping stuff isn't all that bad.

 All smiles in the morning!

 And a few tired boys too...

 Morning soccer game.

 Putting on their very best bear impression.

 Drove up to the rim Sunday morning.

 And of course threw a few rocks in the lake.