Ugh.

I forgot to mention that I hit a deer Saturday...so I will share that story. Saturday was Ty's 4th Birthday. I can't believe he is 4! Ty is a funny little man. Really. He acts like he is 80 most of the time. He likes to imitate my grandpa and my dad. It is pretty funny. He wears suspenders, boots and carries a hanky. He is OBSESSED with tractors, trucks and anything else that involves mechanics or farming. Anyway, he had a pool party on Saturday. I was totally bumming on the way there and it was miserable hot. Thank goodness I wore my swimsuit. I got to swim with my girls. We had so much fun and the water felt great! I was driving on the way home and Luke yelled, "deer". There was two deer in my lane. There was a car coming in the other lane. I locked up my breaks and swerved into the other lane, but the deer was confused and ran the same direction. She smashed right into my passenger side door. If she would have ran the other way, or even stayed in my lane I would have missed her. I pulled over and Luke got out to see if she was dead. He told me not to get out. So, I stayed in the car. He told me that she was in bad shape and we needed to get a gun or a knife. She was standing up, but was walking in circles and didn't look good. So, we went back to the house and got a gun.When we got back to the place I hit her, she was gone! I am going to pretend like she was OK and ran into the woods to live happily ever after. I am so thankful we didn't have to shoot her. I am so thankful that we didn't hit both deer head on and that my family was OK. I had a large dent in my door. Luke and my dad fixed it already. It has been quite a weekend!

I am in a funk. I have really struggled with the recent events that have taken place. I really put a damper on the blog. Sorry. Writing about it helps me though. This weekend was crazy and I am ready to put it behind me. Thanks for the thoughts, prayers, and listening to me complain. I am going to try to lighten the mood now. So, I will post some adorable pictures of my girls from the party!

Goodbye.

I have said a thousand goodbyes to Mag today. I rubbed his head and told him I loved him. I spent precious time with him. Luke came and got me and told me that Mag was taking very few breaths so we all went and sat in the garage with him. He wasn't in pain. I rubbed his head and Luke rubbed his belly while he took his last few breaths. I wish there was more I could have done. Maybe I could have prolonged his life a few more months. Who knows. I am so thankful he came home to me and I got to say my goodbyes. I am so thankful he isn't hurting anymore. He was a great dog and he will be missed very much.

Not Good.

He isn't doing well. I got his temp down to 103.5 and he was drinking some water. We had to run to town. We left at around 6:00. When we left he was lifting his head and trying to walk. When we got back he was unresponsive. He isn't blinking and won't lift his head. He won't drink anymore. I feel terrible. I wish we would have found him Saturday or Sunday. He would have had a better chance of survival. I am not even sure that and IV would help him now. I have rushed him to the vet so many times. I am just delaying the inevitable. I think his tumor has gotten worse. He didn't get his medicine yesterday. The dehydration and heat have probably done the most damage. I don't expect him to make it through the night. If he does make it through the night without improvement, I will be taking him to be put to sleep tomorrow. I can't watch him suffer anymore. Please say a prayer for him. I will update tomorrow.

Mag.

I prayed hard lastnight. I prayed that the Lord would bring Mag bag to me, dead or alive. He did. Our neighbor saw Mag earlier this morning staggering around and then he laid down and wouldn't get up. I took the girls to Fayetteville, so our neighbor went to my parent's house. When they found him he was in bad shape. I told my husband that I would have him put to sleep. I told him this was our last battle. But, I can't do it. Mag didn't give up. He laid outside in the heat without food, water or his medication for two days. He didn't give up. He survived. He isn't ready to go. I am not ready to let him go. So, I am trying to save him. Again. He is hot. He has a temp of 104.6. I need to get it down to 101. He is dehydrated. He might not survive this. If he doesn't, I want to know I did everything I could to help him. If he passes away tonight, I will be thankful he passed away at home instead of alone in the woods. I will keep you posted!

Gone.

Mag wondered off yesterday. We don't usually let him out of the pen. Occasionally Luke will let him out while he works outside. If we let him out, he normally wonders up to my mom and dad's house. Saturday we were working around the house, so we let him out. He wondered off and we assumed he went to my mom and dad's house. That is where he always goes. I went to get him, but he wasn't there. We have looked and looked for him. He is so sick. Yesterday wasn't a good day for him. He had another seizure and wasn't walking well. I am so afraid that he is stuck in the woods. When he has a seizure he can't stand up or walk. His seizures have never lasted longer than a couple hours though, and it has been over 24 hours since he wondered off. I was hoping that today he would come walking out of the woods....but he didn't. Luke has talked to all of our neighbors. We have called the Sheriff Dept. and hung posters up. I don't know what else to do. He was supposed to take his medication today. He will only get worse without it. I'm praying that he is OK or he went to the woods to die alone. I hope he isn't suffering. Mag has had a very rough life. When we got him from Luke's uncle, he had been bitten on his head by his mother. He had a huge abscess on his eye. He recovered from that OK, but lost some eyesight. Then he decided to each a bunch of bones and some corn on the cob. He had to have emergency surgery to fix that. About a year and a half ago he began having these seizures. He walked like he was drunk and couldn't stand up. We treated him and it didn't happen again until about a year later. I took him back to Marty and he diagnosed him with a brain tumor. He responded to Prednisone. When we stopped the Prednisone, it started happening again. So, he has been on that for the past few months. His last visit to the vet was when Luke ran him over. He survived that with two pelvis fractures. He wasn't the smartest dog I have ever owned. He was so clumsy! He was a great dog though. He was loyal and protective. He LOVED the girls. He let them do anything they wanted to him. He loved to lick their faces. Lolly and Mag were my babies before I had children. We took them everywhere with us. They had down bedding and got to open Christmas presents. I knew he was sick. I knew the day would come that I would have to let him go. But, I wasn't prepared. This is not how I thought it would happen. I pray to God that if he passed away it was fast and pain free. If he is alive, I pray to God that he makes it back to us soon. We miss him. We love him.

Happy Father's Day Luke!

Luke got a hand painted mug for Father's Day. He also got a certificate for deep sea fishing in Gulf Shores! Unfortunately, my grandmother went to the hospital Saturday night. So, Sunday I woke up, cooked Luke an omelet (his fav) and went to the hospital. So, Luke watched the girls and did yard work for Father's Day. Sorry! Grandma got out of the hospital yesterday. Thank goodness!

Luke-

You are such an amazing father. I don't tell you that enough. Kinnison and Kimber adore you. You are always doing fun things with them. You teach them new things. (not always things they need to learn) I am so lucky to have a husband that is a good provider and willing to work hard for his family. We have been through so much together. It hasn't always been easy. But, I am glad I got to go through it with my best friend. I couldn't ask for a better Daddy for my girls. Thank you for everything you do for us! We love you!

Questions Answered By Kinnison

I love my Daddy because he fixes my stuff.

I like to work with my Daddy.

I like it when my Daddy takes me fishing and rubs my feet.

My Daddy is really good at fixing stuff.

My Daddy knows all about playing with us.

Here are some pics from the Gentry Safari this weekend.

Pickles!

I'm not sure I am ready for it...but, it is here. It is pickle season! Last year we canned about 50 jars of pickles. Some quart, pint and gallon jars. Our goal this year is 100 jars! Some family and friends LOVE my homemade dill pickles. For them, I am posting step by step instructions, so they can make their own! HA This is my Grandma Betty's recipe. She used to have her pantry stocked full with jars of pickles. She quit making them about the time Luke and I got married. After we got married, Luke started growing a garden each year. So, I started making pickles.

Here is what you need:

Mason Jars, Lids, Rings, Pickling Salt, Vinegar, Water, Dill, Grape Leaves and Cucumbers.

Step 1: Wash cucumbers and grape leaves. You can wash the dill if you want. I do not wash the dill. I want to preserve all the flavor!

Step 2: Place 1 grape leaf and 1 sprig of dill in the bottom of the mason jar.

Step 3: Stuff the jar with cucumbers. Put as many as possible in the jar. Pack them in there tightly.

Step 4: Place 1 grape leaf and sprig of dill on top of the cucumbers.

This is what they look like so far.

Recipe For The Brine:

1 Scant Cup of Pickling Salt

2 Quarts Water (4 Cups = 1 Quart)

1 Quart Vinegar

Step 5: In a large pan, boil salt, vinegar and water.

Step 6: In a small pan boil some water for the lids.

Place the lids only (no rings) into the small boiling pan of water. This heats the rubber on the ring, which makes the lid seal to the jar. When the large pan of brine begins to boil, it is ready. I use a ladle or a cup to scoop the brine. I also do one jar at a time instead of filling them all up. This ensures they are hot when you place the lid on, which helps them seal. So, pour the hot brine into one of the jars, all the way to the top. It is OK if it runs over. Remove a lid from the boiling water and place it on the jar. You might have to use your tongs or a fork to move the dill away from the edge. Sometimes the dill tries to get between he rubber seal and the jar. This will cause it to not seal. After you have the lid on, screw on the ring. You will need a towel to hold onto the jar. It will be HOT. Do this to all the jars. Here they are!

The cucumbers will turn a fluorescent green. This is normal. The color will change back. Most of them make a loud popping sound when they seal. I heard two of mine seal while I was cleaning up. Don't worry if you don't hear all of them pop. They will probably still seal. Run your hand over the lid and see if it is raised or flat. If it is flat, it sealed. If you can push the lid up and down, it did not seal. That is OK too. Put that jar in the fridge and eat them first! If you have leftover brine, put it in an airtight container and put it in the fridge. I had leftover. Most likely, I will have more cucumbers tomorrow. So, I will just boil the leftover and use it instead of making new. I usually store my brine in a mason jar. If you put a lid on it, it might seal. I use foil and a ring on mine or I use an old lid. 5 down....95 to go. Good Luck!

*Edit* I forgot something! The smaller the cucumber, the better. If you use big cucumbers they do not stay crunchy. Sometimes I have to use larger ones to fill the jar, and those are sometimes OK for slicing...but I like the smaller ones.

U Name It!

My cousins, Rachel and Valerie started up a little business. It is called "U Name It". You can view some of their products here: http://unameitletterdesigns.blogspot.com/ Valerie and Rachel make hats, potholders, shoes, painted letters and picture frames! There are so many cute gift items!

Valerie made these adorable items for me.

The hats come with three detachable flowers.

She also made me two pot holders. I am so excited!

Val- Thank You! I love the hats and potholders.

Stay Tuned: These hats will be featured in our Fall Family Photos this year!

Garden Tip #1

Luke already has vegetables! We have harvested radishes, lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, and are starting on the onions and potatoes. YUM!

Kinnison and the cauliflower.

I am going to call this Garden Tip #1. I am not sure if we will have any more advice, but if we do, I will post it on here. This tip is from J.W. Crawley. (my grandpa) See the onions below? It appears that they are sitting on the dirt.

Tip: After your onions come up, pull the dirt and weeds away from the base. This will help them grow. In the photo below, the onion on top did not have the dirt pulled away. The onion on the bottom did. If you look at the row on the right in the photo above, you will see that not all of our onions have had this done. You can tell a huge difference! My mom did most of the work. I did a little. The problem is, Luke planted too many onions!

Here is a picture of the girls at the garden. Aren't they adorable!

This photo was taken before we went to the moviater!

Isn't She Lovely?

Kinnison's dance recital was Saturday. She was so nervous she threw up on the way. I was prepared. She had a shirt over her costume, blanket over her legs and I made her take a puke bucket. I knew what to expect and Luke saw it coming. He made sure she hit the puke bucket. After she threw up she felt better. Luckily, we were at Sonic when it happened, not driving down the road. We got her a sprite. By the time we got to Springdale she was feeling good. She did a great job. She looked so pretty. She looked so grown up. Gammy, Pappy, Aunt Charity, Ty, Emerson, Grandma, Grandma Robin, Doug, and Grandpa Jim came to watch. Thank you! And, thank you for the gifts. She got flowers, candy and balloons. What a great day! Luke and I are so proud of her!