Oh the weather outside is frightful...as long as you love me so, let it snow!

"When a teacher calls a boy by his entire name, it means trouble." - Mark Twain

Winter had arrived!  It was looking like it may pass us by the past few weeks with some days of warm 60 degree weather.  It was not to be, though, and the ice has caused one snow day thus far!  For my poor hubby, it caused his usual 40 minute drive to work to extend to a THREE HOUR DRIVE!  Yuck!

This blurry photo is what happens when Aaron and I go out on date night, or, in this case out to celebrate a birthday with friends.  He is never happy when his Daddy gets all dressed up and can't wrestle with him:(  As you other puppy-mommas and daddys know, it is sometimes tough to leave our adorable furry babies home alone.

Brutus is getting so BIG!  He is now 10 months old and truly entering the teenage phase.  Still the cutest boy in the world.  I joke with Aaron all the time that he is the perfect first "child"because he will never leave his mommy for another woman:) 

If only the outdoors looked this beautiful during this wintery weather, but we only had one day of snow and the rest has been ice or rain.  I love snow, but with Aaron's commute it is tough to justify a big snowstorm.  Brutus does LOVE the snow, though.

Before classes officially started, Brutus and I spent a few play-dates over at my parents with Brutus's best friend Marley.  Even Auntie Cassie wanted in on the Brutus action.  She knows how to get his attention too, he loves ice.

As much as Marley disliked Brutus's puppyhood energy and exuberance, he has really grown to love him.  If you so much as mention Marley's name to Brutus he gets very excited!  

Having a dog has really changed my life.  He brings so much joy to the every day and the shared love Aaron and I give him strengthens our marriage.  

He will be a year old in a few months and I cannot wait to throw him a puppy birthday party:)

So now it's back to school, which means homework and a much busier schedule.  Brutus has proven that it will take some getting used to, on his end and mine.  It is interesting that even grad-school brings so much stress into my life the first few weeks.  It proves to me that I would not have fared well in the "musical theatre life."  I don't like change, I love routine and having as much control over tomorrow and my future as possible.  Those things are virtually non-existent in the acting lifestyle.  Thank goodness God showed me my true path.

Superbowl is next Sunday and Aaron is looking forward to the food!  He could care less about the teams playing, but he has made some meal requests he is quite excited about.

I had an interesting conversation with a classmate of mine that gave me a chance to reflect on the person I have grown into these past three years.  I have graduated from college, chosen a new career path, entered grad school, and become a wife and the mother of a wonderful dog.  I made a statement to this fellow student that if I were younger and unmarried I would be different and they took that statement as a sign that they should never marry someone for whom they would "change" so drastically.  Have I "changed" for my husband?  Am I truly the person I want to be?  The answers were clear.  I am exactly who I want to be.  I never wanted to live a gypsy theatre life, wondering where my next job would be and whether or not I could afford my rent or my health insurance.  I have always wanted to be a devoted wife and to make a stable, "normal" home for my future children.  The path I am on is the one for which I was intended.  Everything that has happened to me has happened for a reason and, good or bad, has shaped me into the person I am today.  I am thankful for these experiences and for everyone who was a part of them.  In terms of "changing" for marriage, that is a question which holds so much meaning to me.  I am myself, an individual woman, who is part of a marriage, a unity, with a wonderful individual man.  Through the God-given grace of love we became one in this partnership.  I have been "changed" BY my marriage.  It was not a choice, I did not give up or sacrifice anything unwillingly.  If LOVE has changed me, I am grateful that it has done so.  The person I am has never been and will never be perfect.  I do not live only for myself, but for LOVE, FAMILY, and FAITH.  The person with whom the conversation transpired is young, not yet twenty, and I know, in five years, they will be able to reflect back in a similar way.  I am so thankful for the conversation and the affirmation I feel because of it.  I look forward to what the future has to bring!

where it's snowing all winter through that's where I long to be...

When snow falls, nature listens.  

~Antoinette van Kleeff

It's the First Snow of the Winter!  More importantly it is Brutus' first snow ever!!  He loves it!

He loves playing with it, eating it, running VERY fast through it, and jumping around in it like a bunny!

He even tries digging it.  My little boy is experiencing St. Louis winter.

I recently sprained my back (not fun for someone like me who is moving at the speed of light from the minute I wake up to the time my head hits the pillow) so I was a little worried about hobbling around in the snow with our strong boy.  He has been remarkably sensitive to his Mommy's injury and listened very well when I let him off the leash to run.  Good snow dog!

His face was COVERED in snow by the time we came inside.

He makes me laugh:)  I am so thankful to have a playful pup to cheer me up when I am not feeling up to par.

Snow in New Town.  So pretty on our back porch.

Brutus can't get enough.  He loves the snow and spent lots of time looking outside longingly after we came inside.

Don't worry Brutus.  There will be lots of puppy playtime in the SNOW:)

Cheers to a Bright New Year!

New Year's eve is like every other night; there is no pause in the march of the universe, no breathless moment of silence among created things that the passage of another twelve months may be noted; and yet no man has quite the same thoughts this evening that come with the coming of darkness on other nights.  ~Hamilton Wright Mabie

After the Christmas festivities were over, The Delicath & The Weirs packed everything up and drove to Peoria, IL for some Christmas celebrating with Grandma & Grandpa D.  This is a family-tradition and we were happy to be a part of it.  Brutus stayed home, of course, but had a great time with his puppy-sitters Jacqueline & Elliott.

We had a wonderful time.  Lots of fun, food, and car-playing.  The Men certainly rough-housed quite a lot, to my grandmother's dismay, but thankfully no one was hurt.  This is pretty typical.  My Grandpa used to stir up quite a lot of trouble, so these boys were just following in his footsteps.

New Year's Eve was a roaring success!  Our good friends and neighbors Abby & Jeff, whose wedding we will be attending later this year, hosted the night.  We played a board game, laughed, and had a great time with Abby, Jeff, and our friends Dani and Tim.  I cooked up a storm all day to provide many of the finger foods you see here including the stuffed tomatoes, hot spinach dip, and twice baked potato skins.  We had SO much food.

The champagne was delicious and we counted down to 2012 in style.  I had my first kiss of the year, with my handsome date Mr. Weir, and then it was time to get home and go to bed.

I was EXHAUSTED from the cooking I did and was asleep before my head hit the pillow.  It was a wonderful night and an exciting start to the New Year surrounded by good friends.

Life was back to normal, but Brutus was exhausted from so many days of special events.

He was happy to have Mommy and Daddy home with him for the days we had off work.

I have been wanting to catch a picture of his crossed paws and I finally got it.  Handsome boy.

Aaron and I are excited for the many events of this upcoming year including THREE weddings of some of our closest friends, summer vacation, and Brutus' First Birthday.

I am excited to celebrate another wonderful year of marriage and to finish another semester of graduate school.  Also, I am looking forward finding a backyard somewhere for Brutus to enjoy.

I am excited to see what 2012 will bring to The Weirs.  I have resolved to take more time for ME this year and to spend time making my marriage even stronger this year.  Happy New Year!  Cheers to a wonderful 2012!

Christmas day is in our grasp Christmas day is in our grasp So long as we have hands to clasp!

Bless us all, who gather here

The loving family I hold dear.

No place on earth, compares with home

And every path will bring me back from where i roam.

-"Bless Us All"

This is the first picture of Brutus' very first Christmas morning.  I think he could feel the excitement in the air when we all got up to open presents.  Aaron and I were very excited to see what he would do!  Look at that face...cutest Christmas Dog in the whole world.

Opening up stockings.

The presents under our tree.  I will confess that 85% of them....are for Brutus:)

Aaron reading the story of Christ's birth from our Family Bible.  Brutus was listening carefully, he wanted to know the reason for the season too!

I tried to get him to help me place Baby Jesus in the manger, but he was more interested in putting the wooden figurine in his mouth so I was his proxy.

Brutus opening up his very first Christmas ornament.  I am such a proud puppy momma!

Brutus even helped Daddy open up his presents!  At this point he understood that unwrapping something could mean a fun toy, treat, or accessory for him so he was totally into the whole deal.

Love from Daddy in his brand new blanket Mommy made for him.  I love the paw print on the fabric:)

Brutus' last present was the biggest and he was excited to see what it could be!

A box!  Just kidding.  That's what my Opa used to say when we opened up fun presents when we were growing up.

New Big Boy bowls and a bowl stand.  I have been very excited about this gift, he is really getting big and needed some big bowls to hold his three cups of food a day!  I also love that the stand makes eating easier and healthier.

Daddy had fun putting it together (such a guy thing) and it was all ready to go!  Brutus didn't really have time to eat much though because it was time to go over to Grammy and Papa's for Christmas morning with them!

Here our little boy is showing off his fancy new fleece coat!

This is only for cold days, we are not the kind of pet owners who dress our dogs up.  He does look darn cute in it!

Penny is a veteran at the present opening thing and she was trying to get involved in Brutus's presents too!  Aaron is opening Brutus's gift from Papa in this picture.

Another First Ornament!  There is a picture of this one later in this blog.  My Dad was so thoughtful to get this for his grandpuppy.  It is hilarious and is also personalized; it even has Brutus's name on it!  We love it!

I spoiled Cassie this year with a home-made present.

I made her a double-sided tie blanket.  She has been doing so well in volleyball (JV her FRESHMEN year at Villa and now on her Select/Club Team for the third year in a row) so I made her a volleyball themed blanket to take with her to her tournaments.  I think she liked it:)

The Delicath Men.

Mom and her Baby Girl:)

Penny was like this with me all morning.  She misses me, and I miss her too, so I was glad to have some snuggle time.  She is a sweet old girl.

Daddy was picture man...as usual.

We were all extremely blessed.  Everyone got what they wanted and I loved watching everyone open the gifts we had picked out for them.  That, to me, is the best part of the gift-giving of Christmas.

Pretty girl!  With the new Hedgie we gave her.

Electronics boy got something he wanted, a Blu-Ray Player!

My Mom was SO excited to get new comfy sheets for their bed.

My dad had the most presents of anybody and most of them, believe-it-or-not, were clothes!

There was some major puppy-lovin going on too.  Taddy and Marley were cuddling.

Aunt Cassie and Brutus were playing too!

Brutus managed to get ahold of all of Marley's new toys and decided a rousing game of keep-away was in order.  They are really becoming good friends.

Classic Brother-Sister Shot of these two goofheads.

My outfit may not match, not to mention it is pajamas, but this Cardinals-loving couple had a wonderful Christmas.  I love my hubby!

Christmas Day Eve was extra special this year because the whole family was there to celebrate.  Although we were missing some cousins, all the youngsters had a great time playing and catching up.  During The Program, we presented Grandmama & Opa with a very special collection of "Reasons We Are Thankful For Christmas At Grandmama & Opa's"which will be made into a book with pictures of all of us, including a family photo taken that night.  It was one of the best Programs we have ever had.  They were absolutely thrilled and surprised with the outpouring of love they received from everyone.

After all the feasts were had and the family dispersed, we were left with the feelings of cheer and utter happiness the holidays are meant to bring.  Aaron and I felt it was truly the best Christmas yet.  We watched "It's A Wonderful Life" and realized that Christmas, and every day, is not a time to focus on the negatives or the unfulfilled dreams, but a time to truly rejoice in the gifts we have been given.  And no, I don't mean the material things...

This Christmas we are especially thankful to have our wonderful boy joining us and we look forward to many, many more with him.  Brutus is truly a blessing in our lives.

Our families' love and support are also something we are truly blessed to have.  They affirm our marriage and give us more love than we could ever ask for.

I think the most important thing to remember this Christmas night is that many years ago God sent his Son to us so that He could live among us and, eventually, give His life for us so that we could be with him in heaven.  Sometimes I feel like I am already there with all the wonderful gifts He has surrounded me with.  Aaron and I wish all of you a Merry and Blessed Christmas and hope that you have something to celebrate this season as well as all those to come.