tres anos

Today is a special day for my little dog, Marco, and me.

Three years ago, I was at my parents' house in Flower Mound watching the afternoon news. There was a story about 120 little dogs that had been rescued from a puppy mill. These little guys were sent to various SPCA shelters in the Metroplex. One of the shelters was in The Colony. Now, there are not a lot of redeeming qualities about The Colony, but it was on my way home to Plano (where I lived at the time). So, I hopped in my car and just swung by the shelter. Upon entering, I knew I was in trouble--so many little dogs in need of love. I found a really ugly, yet sweet hairless chihuahua that was just precious. He was desperate for love and attention and was just so great. The SPCA said that in order to adopt, I would have to show proof that I had paid a pet deposit at my apartment complex. I drove home and immediately wrote a check. When I got back to the shelter, the little guy was gone, and I was bummed. One of the workers encouraged me to keep looking, so I did. I came across a dog that was 5 years old, heartworm free, and neutered. 5 years old seemed a little too old for a dog that was expected to only live for 12-15 years, but I took him out to the play area outside. Once this dog got outside, he immediately ran away from me. This was not a good sign. But the man chaperoning our little outing insisted that if I sat down, he would hop in my lap. I was doubtful, but I took his advice. This little dog immediately jumped in my lap and snuggled with me.

And that was it. I took him home. It took a few days but I finally decided on a name. Because this dog was a chihuahua, I figured that he needed a Spanish name to keep true to his Latin heritage. My mom suggested Marco and it stuck.

Marco has been a fabulous addition to my life. He is sweet and cuddly. Sure, he is annoying from time to time, but I love him all the same. It is hard to imagine life without him...he is a great dog!

Happy 3 year anniversary, Marco!

best day ever

This is a painting by Thomas Kincade titled, "End of the Perfect Day". If I were an artist, I would take my brush and paint a picture of me on my couch. I would be in my sweats, hair in a ponytail, and I wouldn't have a stitch of makeup on. Oh, and "Gilmore Girls: Season One" would be playing on the tv. This perfectly describes my day and it was glorious. Was it the most productive dayin the history of mankind? Nope. But--I cleaned out my pantry, fridge, did a load of dishes and two loads of laundry. Not too bad. The rest of the day was spent on the couch snuggling with Marco and hanging out with Lorelai and Rory. Thanks, Mom and Dad, for my new box set! Finally, I have learned the art of relaxation and just taking a day to rest. It only took 25+ years but I'm understanding what it means to take a day to do nothing and to like it.

on a lighter note

Many of my friends are aware of my enthusiasm for all things Hillsong United. While I've accepted that Joel and I probably aren't going to happen, their music has encouraged and inspired me in my walk with the Lord.
One of my favorite songs on "United We Stand" is called "None But Jesus". On their latest CD,
"All of the Above", I love the songs "Lead me to the Cross", "Hosanna" and "For those who are to come". Amazingly enough, these songs were all penned by a talented Kiwi named Brooke Fraser. She is an incredible songwriter and has a strong, beautiful voice.

Brooke recorded a solo album a year of so ago but it was only available in New Zealand. Well, the other day I was able to finally buy the album on iTunes and I am sooo excited!
"Albertine" was my Myspace profile song for a while so I really like that one. "Shadowfeet" is really good as well, and "Deciphering Me" reminds me of my sweet friend, Rebekah.

So...check her out. You will not be sorry!!

Oh Tannenbaum...

This is the view from my dining room-that-I-turned-into-a-second-living-room room. Yes, friends, that is a Christmas tree. I put it together yesterday, all by myself. Well, that's not entirely true. Claire did a couple of branches and then 'supervised' from the couch while drinking her morning coffee. My friend, Mandy, helped me with the lights last night, and then this afternoon, I put the ornaments on.

I debated whether or not to bother with the tree. Who would enjoy it? I don't have any ornaments. Ornaments aren't free. Do I want to spend money on ornaments? Should I go and try to reclaim the ornaments people gave me when I was a kid but that were really intended for my parents? Like, the one that says "Merry Christmas 1979" with my 3 month old picture on the middle of the ball. Nah, the ornaments of my youth weren't really my style and I kind of wanted to start fresh. In typical Stephanie fashion, I rebelled against traditional red and green and decided on a wintry motif with variations on a blue-green color and silver. I like it. I can already tell that I'm going to have a lot of good quiet times in this room with this little tree. I even drove by the front of the house to see the lit tree through the window. I admit, it was pretty cool knowing that it was *my * house. I'll admit that my Christmas spirit has been waning these past few years, but I think the tree has brought it back.

Feliz Navidad!