A bunch of random ramblings....

Luna is sick!

2009-02-17T21:40:00.003-05:00

One of my 3 babies (Karlen, Jac and Luna) is sick!! It's our sweet little cat, Luna. She has been sneezing and suffering from a cold for almost a week. I called the vet and as long as she is eating, they really can't do anything. We hope she gets over it soon.
As you can see from the pictures, the cat and dog are best friends!

Downtown Disney

2009-02-16T07:22:00.007-05:00

My friend Roberta came down from Valdosta, GA this weekend with her 3 kids so we ventured out to Downtown Disney. We wanted to eat at T-Rex, but there was a 2 hour wait. So we tried Rainforest Cafe and they had a 2 hour wait as well... so we ate at Earl of Sandwich with dessert at Ghiradellis. Here are some pics:

God's Promise...

2008-12-25T23:25:00.004-05:00

It's Christmas Day, 2:45 in the afternoon and we're driving to my brother's house for dinner. There is a BEAUTIFUL full rainbow, with every color shining so brightly. I pulled the car over to take a picture. (the picture does not show the beauty of the rainbow). Karlen said the rainbow is "God showing us His promise". I love her!

Hollywood Studios

2008-12-15T22:06:00.001-05:00

On Sunday afternoon, I got together with my parents and my sister & her family and Karlen to go to Hollywood Studios to see the Osbourne dancing lights. It was fun! We all have annual passes to the Disney parks so we go about once a month to a different park. Fun!

Winter Concert

2008-12-14T14:27:00.005-05:00

Karlen had her Winter Concert on Friday night. There was a lot of work put in for it, congrats to her teacher Ms. Owens and former teacher Mr. Redding. I can tell they have worked hard to prepare the kids for the concert.
The kids had a lonnnngggg day! They were at school and stayed straight through until the end of the concert, which was 9:30pm!

Christmas is almost here!

2008-12-14T14:17:00.004-05:00

Karlen did a great job decorating our Christmas tree. She is the crafty one and decorates so nicely! This year we didn't go crazy decorating, no lights or reindeer outside, because we are taking a trip up to Sugar Mountain, NC 2 days after Christmas to do some snow skiing/snow boarding with my sister and her family.
Notice some of the lights are out on the tree, my dog AND cat are both chewing on the lights!!!!

I'm back at school!

2008-12-14T14:04:00.003-05:00

It's been a long time since I blogged, but I have been back at work for 2 weeks now, which means BUSY. Trying to adjust my schedule to fit everything in with work. I was getting used to being home, able to take care of errands, etc with lots of time on my hands. Now I can't fit everything in... I know it will soon balance out, but it's been a busy 2 weeks.
And yes, the kids remembered me!! Everyone asks me that... thank goodness I was there the first week of school, so they know exactly who I am. :)
And the picture is the kids behind their Grinch masks that they made at the Media Center.

2008-11-03T13:41:00.004-05:00

Halloween.... yes, my daughter is 14 and STILL likes to go trick or treating. I have to say, there were lots of older kids out trick or treating this year. So she wasn't one of the only ones. We went over to Marilyn and David's and walked around their neighborhood. Karlen was a 60's girl, Christie was a "pajama girl" and Calee was a princess, of course!

Cardboard Testimonies...

2008-11-03T13:30:00.005-05:00

Here is another video that I love... it's called "cardboard testimonies". Each person has a story of how their life was BEFORE Jesus, and then how life is AFTER.

Everything...

2008-11-03T13:20:00.004-05:00

Have you ever seen this skit, it's usually performed to the Lifehouse song "Everything"? This is one version of it... I love it. It shows how our walk with God starts so wonderful, but then we can get pulled in different directions, but He is always pursuing us.

Kobe!

2008-10-21T10:58:00.006-04:00

Have you ever been to Kobe? We love it! We went with 11 others last night, my friend Roberta was in town all weekend, and her EX-husband drove into Orlando with the kids yesterday. Yes, EX-husband. They were divorced about 2 years ago, and God promised he would restore the marriage. She has had extreme faith and believed it -even when he was ENGAGED to his new girlfriend. Wedding was set for September, it was cancelled at the end of July! So... they are actually working things out. I pray that God will continue to work in Bryan and Roberta's life and that they actually get married again and enjoy life together with their 3 kids!
Karlen and I went with Roberta/Bryan and kids, and another friend and his wife that we went to High school with, plus Roberta's sister Joanne, Keith and son Parker.
Enjoy pictures...

EPCOT!

2008-10-20T09:26:00.008-04:00

My friend Roberta came in town this weekend so... my sister and family had invited us to go to the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot. I knew I couldn't walk the whole park, so we got a wheelchair. I walked some and rode some. :) The only advantage was going to the front of the lines on most of the rides, except Sorrin! (my favorite ride there!)

Can you find Karlen in this dark picture?

2008-10-16T21:58:00.006-04:00

Yes, the pictures came out a little dark. Karlen had her first Women's Glee chorus concert tonight. It was great! West Orange had bits of all the musical groups performing (band, chorus, piano, drama). Thank goodness I pushed very hard to get her out of the Parenting Class and Child Development, and into Chorus. Not that those classes aren't necessary, but just not right now. She is taking 4 honors classes, and Chorus goes along well with that. (she is in the middle, the 2nd one up from the bottom)

Girl Scouts...

2008-10-16T16:56:00.004-04:00

Karlen has been in Girl Scouts for many years- she started as a Daisy in Kindergarten, then on the Brownies for a few years, Juniors for a couple more, then she bridged to Cadettes last May. They are working for a few years on their Gold Award, which I hear looks really good on a college application. Here are some pictures of Karlen and the girls she has been with for many years, including her best friend Christie. The troop leader is Nancy Crites, with Rosalee Clute filling in as her assistant. I think it's a great thing for the girls to stick with it and stay involved, although sometimes Karlen doesn't want to, but I encourage it... I tell her it's good for her! :)

Free Calendar for Women

2008-10-06T21:40:00.004-04:00

Below is a web address to order the 2009 Women's Health calendar. It's a great FREE calendar-journal, full of information about and for women.
www.womenshealth.gov/pub/2009Calendar

Jac got a new haircut...

2008-10-06T12:57:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Brenda at Petsmart, Jac got a cute little shave/haircut. I can't stand dog hair all over the place, so I got him cut quite short this time. He's a cutie! Isn't his little underbite cute?!? We took him to the vet on Friday and he weighs 14.6 lbs now. Hopefully he won't be growing much more, he's a big boy!

My mom!

2008-10-01T22:52:00.002-04:00

This is my mom! I will write a little tribute to my mom this time....

Thank goodness for Moms --- I could NOT have made it through this surgery successfully without my mom. She took me to surgery, brought me home by herself (now that's another story, her trying to get me out of the car with no walker, no wheelchair, and I was totally drugged up!), and cared for me 24 hours a day for the first 2 weeks after surgery. By the time she left, I could get from the bed to the couch with not too many problems, so it was ok. when she was here, she cooked, cleaned, took care of Karlen, my dog, and just about anything else that came our way. My best friend Marilyn's mom died a day after I had surgery, so my mom was able to cook them a meal, deliver flowers, make cookies for them since I couldn't.

Looking back, I never thought my mom knew anything! Especially as a teenager, I would tell her she didn't know what it was like to be young, she was too old. Now I understand that's not the truth. She did know what she was talking about. I'm so lucky to have my mom. Mom, I love you!!

Exodus 20:12
Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long, full life in the land the LORD your God will give you.

My daughter...

2008-09-24T11:24:00.007-04:00

I blog about all different kinds of things in my life. Well, this is a tribute to my 14 year old daughter Karlen. Karlen is a pretty good girl in spite of different things that she has been through in her short lifetime - her father chosing not to be involved in her life, going through my divorce, several moves, loss of pets, etc. I have to say she is a wonderful girl with a love for Jesus, her love of children, animals. She does well in school- she is a freshman this year and taking 4Honors/Advanced classes, so she has a full load. She is quiet, doesn't like to talk too much about what's going on with her, at least not to me! She went on her first Mission Trip this summer. She is really a sweet daughter, she has helped me out so much since I had this surgery. She walks the dog every night, takes out the trash, does laundry, cleans, does dishes. I am so appreciative.

While being a single mom has been hard, a challenge, a struggle, it has also been a joy, a privilege, and a blessing and I wouldn't change a thing! I am so thankful to our God who has always provided during all times of our lives. I love you Karlen!

("A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling." Psalm 68:5)

Friends forever??

2008-09-22T10:11:00.008-04:00

This is a recent picture of Karlen and her friend Cameron at 14 years old.... they have been friends since they were babies! You see, this is my best friend Roberta's son. The funny thing is, me and Roberta are STILL best friends after all these years.

Here is my tribute to my friend Roberta... We grew up together in Pine Hills, went to St. Andrews together, got caught cheating in 1st grade (not really, we were just "comparing" answers), I moved away for a few years and we ended up back at Robinswood Middle School together, graduated from Evans together in 1990, and STILL keep in touch! She lives in Valdosta, GA and I'm still here in the Orlando area. She went to college to be a paralegal, then went back for her teaching degree, so she's a teacher too! She has 3 kids and is working on restoring her marriage right now, God is at work! She has taken a 3 hour drive down here 2 times since I had surgery just to lend me a hand, do some errands, get me out of the house - what a TRUE friend!! Thank you God for putting Roberta in my life.

It's so nice to see our children growing up together also. I like to take pictures when we all get together to compare throughout the years.

Here are baby pics of Karlen and Cameron....

and here is a picture of all Roberta's kids and my Karlen!

The Knee Scooter...

2008-09-17T22:17:00.004-04:00

Well... I have to share info about the "knee scooter".... it's been my lifesaver since i had foot surgery. My friend Lisa suggested it, I googled it, and asked the doctor if I could have a script for one. Here is is...

Here's the description they use to sell it, it runs about $400 (without insurance).
Knee Walker's Features:

Now there's a cool (and convenient!) alternative to crutches for anyone recovering from foot surgery, breaks, sprains or other leg injuries. When getting around is a pain, the Knee Walker cradles you in comfort, convenience. Both leg and handle height adjusts quickly and easily for right or left leg support.

The Knee Walker is as simple to use as a kid's scooter. Just put the knee on the knee pad, rest the ankle on the rear support... then take off with the other leg. Steering is just as easy: Just take a step with the good leg while gently lifting and turning the handle. Easy-to-reach hand brake adds safety and control.

a HUGE thank you to my church....

2008-09-17T11:30:00.004-04:00

I am so grateful for the people (the Body) of my church, Westwood Christian Missionary Alliance. They have been so wonderful during this time of recuperation. I am in 2 small groups at church, so between both groups, I have had someone bring over a meal every other day since I had surgery. It's been so wonderful. I have had Lisa and Jenn come over to mow my grass, as well as one of my neighbors! Pastor Jon was able to get a few medical supplies I needed. I had Joe Simmons (one of the elders) and Pastor Jon come pray with me the day of surgery (Pastor delayed his vacation to be there!!). I have had the David's come every Wednesday and Sunday to pick up Karlen for church and youth group. I have had Donna and Jenn and Allison come get me out of the house, just to run errands, take me to the library, and even to go eat at Chili's. It's been great! I appreciate everyone and all the help I have had! This has been a big thing for me, learning to depend on others. I LOVE to be the giver, to help others, to take meals, to lend a hand... so this has been a BIG thing for me - having foot surgery and being unable to walk, drive, get around, etc. I am learning alot through my circumstance!

The results are in....

2008-09-04T10:40:00.002-04:00

I had my one-week follow-up appointment after surgery. I knew they would have the pathology results 3 days after surgery, so I originally called on Thursday for the results. At 5:30 PM on Thursday, the nurse called to say yes, they had the results but the doctor said he would like to discuss the results with me at my visit next Tuesday. Ok, it's Thursday and I have to wait 4 days to hear whether the tumor is benign or malignant!!!! I'm panicking. So Friday I called the office to see if he wanted to work me in that day so I could get the results. She said no, and that Tuesday was fine. So.... I worried all weekend. Well, I relaxed a little after talking with Cathy- she reassured me that God was with me no matter what the results were. That I had to TRUST GOD! So I did... I trusted him this weekend no matter what the results were. I was watching a church service on TV and there special guest was Nick Vujicic: Life Without Limbs (http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/) Be sure to check out his website, he is amazing!!! He has traveled across 27 countries to spread the news about Jesus Christ with no arms and no legs!! He said if a man with no arms and no legs could be the hands and feet of Jesus, then anyone could have faith! So I patiently awaited my Tuesday morning visit.

When we met with Dr. Funk on Tuesday, he said the incision looked great, not too much bruising or discoloration, and I was on schedule. He would take the stitches out the following week and x-ray to make sure the bone grafting is settling as planned. I asked the most important question... what were the results of the tumor?????? Oh, he says, it's benign!!! He said he read the results, saw it was benign, and figured he would just tell me at my next visit. yes, I know... some have said that's very inconsiderate of him, but I have to forgive. He meant well. So I have no cancer, thank you Jesus! He does answer prayers!!!!! Thank you for praying with me and for me!

Gifted or not gifted...

2008-08-29T09:53:00.002-04:00

A good friend (and fellow teacher) posted this article on her blog and I'm providing a link... every year we have parents and students in our class (teacher's children) who want to know "Is my child Gifted?" Read the article.... http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/08/27/gifted.kids/index.html

I'm home from surgery.....

2008-08-29T09:37:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to update on my surgery... everything went well on Monday. They were able to remove the tumor and pack it with bone grafting. My foot is wrapped tightly until my visit next Tuesday. They will remove some of the bandaging and I will recieve the results as to whether the tumor is benign or malignant. That's the hard part!!! I knew they had the results, so I called yesterday to see if I could get the results over the phone. They called about 5:30 to say the doctor wanted to discuss the results with me on Tuesday. I immediately broke down because I thought all day "no news is good news", now I assume that it must be cancerous if they have to tell me in person. I have to wait 4 days to hear.... I just have to have faith that God is in control either way. I am pretty much confined to the bed healing at this time. I cannot walk on the foot for at least 6 weeks. I have crutches,a walker, a knee walker, and a wheelchair!!! I have been wheeled into the living room twice. Up until today, things were just very painful. Now the pain is tolerable. I have been so blessed to have my mom with me since I came home from surgery. It's so hard not to be able to care for yourself. She has been my hands and feet this week and I'm so grateful. My friend Roberta is coming to relieve my mom for the weekend until Monday. It's so hard for me to have to depend on others to take care of me, I am so used to taking care of myself! Now I can't even get out of bed without help!!
Thank you for your prayers and I will update again soon!

First Day back to school...

2008-08-20T07:07:00.002-04:00

Monday was my first day back. 26 students!!! That's alot of 5 year olds who are coming to school for the first time. You see, not all children have pre-school or some kind of formal setting before coming into a structured Kindergarten classroom. There is always one that cries - and the parent asked if she should just take her home. "NO!" Hello!??!?!?! As soon as the mom left, she was fine!! And then the little one who has never been in school, he was rolling on the floor, rocking the chair back and forth, kicking my furniture. It was fun! And all of my 26 showed the first day!

Life.....

2008-08-13T17:20:00.002-04:00

Well I'm back at school this week for Pre-Planning. Fun! Lots of meetings and working in the classroom, preparing for next school year. This will be my 12th year in Kindergarten. It's always so exciting to start a new year with the kids. I just got finished calling all my students to remind them of Meet the Teacher night tomorrow, and they are all SOOOO excited! I will be with them for the 1st week, then I am scheduled for surgery on Monday, August 25th. Soonest they can get me in. Need to do it quickly, I'm in lots of pain, especially when I stand. Keep praying!

Surgery....

2008-08-08T10:39:00.002-04:00

It's inevitable, I do have to have surgery.
I am scheduled for surgery on Monday, September 15th (if I can make it that long). The doctor said ASAP, but I just feel the personal need to be with my kids at school the first couple weeks to get them settled in... so as long as my bone stays together! :)
Really, I finally got confirmation that they believe that the tumor is so large that IT is causing me the pain. No more excuses about plantar fasciitis, heel spurs, etc. It doesn't hurt in the morning when I get up (classical symptom of Pl. Fas). It hurts 24/7 and to stand on it is the worst. Looking at the MRI image of the bottom of the heel looking up, there is not much bone left. The tumor has taken over the bone. He feels it is crucial to get it out, pack it, bone grafts, and biopsy it. Biopsy is the very scary thing for me right now, I/we have no idea what we're dealing with until the open the foot and do surgery.
Surgery will take me off my feet for 6-12 weeks. Until my surgery date, I will wear a knee-high walking cast to risk the chance of breaking my foot. After surgery, it will be 3 weeks of no-weight bearing on the foot, from that point, he will let me know how much longer (depending on what he sees during surgery).
So... that's my story!

Foot update...

2008-08-06T08:59:00.003-04:00

OK, the question is no longer "IF" I will have surgery, it is now "WHEN". When is the best time to go in for surgery? I'm thinking the best answer is to go back to school, get my students adjusted and into a routine, make it to Open House, then schedule my surgery. Until then, I'll be wearing an Aircast boot to keep the foot from fracturing (which would be a whole other story - that would mean restructuring the foot, pins, possible nerve damage, and off the foot a LOT longer).

They have always told me the pain was not from the tumor in the foot (the large WHITE area inside the calcaneal/heel bone), but from Plantar Fasciitis. This started 11 years ago, when I first started teaching. The pain is NOTHING like it was before. It's been so bad that I've gone to a Centra Care and 3 other doctors just to get other opinions. I have had 3 cortisone shots in the foot which have done nothing. This is terrible! I said before that I have a large tumor (lipoma) in the heel bone and after getting the MRI, we can see that the tumor is so big that there is not much bone around it to support the foot. In speaking with other doctors and doing my own research on the internet, I think this may be why I am in constant pain on my heel.

During surgery, they will have to open the foot, biopsy the tumor, and bone graft the foot. This means staying off the foot for minimum 8 weeks, then into a boot for another 8 weeks. At this point, I have no other options. All doctors have assured me that the surgery is no guarantee that I won't be in pain anymore, but I have to try.

So... I am going to start school next week and get my kids situated, hopefully I can make it 5 or 6 weeks til Open House, then I'm taking off for 3 or 4 months to recuperate. I have an appt with the possible surgeon (still haven't decided which doctor I like best) on Thursday to discuss details.

Just wanted to update on the foot situation....

Four Generations!

2008-08-06T08:39:00.002-04:00

Yes, four generations! Karlen and I had lunch with my mom and my grandma (mom's mom) today. I realized it's not too often that you get to see 4 generations together, so we took a picture. We ate at Red Lobster, then Karlen and I went shopping for the day for school clothes, shoes, supplies, etc.

FREE school supplies!

2008-07-25T08:55:00.002-04:00

I just wanted to share the information so you could share this info with other families. Some have deadlines to register, some you just show up for! But you can get free backpacks, haircuts, school supplies, immunizations, etc.
First, at the website www.ocps.net, there are links to many events. Go to the right side of this page to see some of them: https://www.ocps.net/Parents/Pages/BacktoSchool.aspx
Here are a few direct links:
https://www.ocps.net/SiteCollectionDocuments/Aug%209%20Back%20to%20School%20Event-Siplin.pdf (deadline to register is TODAY)
https://www.ocps.net/SiteCollectionDocuments/Aug%202%202008%20Amway%20Arena%20Event.pdf (big event at the Arena)
https://www.ocps.net/SiteCollectionDocuments/Aug%209%20Back%20to%20School%20Event.pdf

Enjoy and share the word with other families who may be in need!!!

Karlen's home!!!

2008-07-24T10:19:00.004-04:00

Karlen's flight got in last night at midnight. I didn't want to go park at the airport alone that late at night, so I was so lucky to take a ride with Jackie Wimberly. She circled the airport and I went in to see the group arrive! It was so nice to see everyone!!! Karlen was happy to see her mommy! :) By the time we got home and showered, we finally got to bed about 2AM. She's still sleeping.... Her baby Jac missed her so much!

More Costa Rica...

2008-07-24T10:05:00.010-04:00

I have been getting lots of pictures and Pastor Jon has put 3 video clips of the Costa Rica trip on his blog (http://www.pastorjondunwell.blogspot.com/) so check them out on his blog. Here are a few more pics to share.

The water looks beautiful there!

Karlen says she was on Chip's back because she had to be carried across the river due to open cuts (mosquito bites) on her ankles.

I will post more pictures later!

Costa Rica update

2008-07-20T14:27:00.009-04:00

I have talked with Karlen twice now on Skype with our webcams. She is doing well! We were also sent some pictures and I pulled these pics of Karlen. Enjoy!

I'm going GREEN!

2008-07-18T14:11:00.006-04:00

I broke down today while grocery shopping at Publix and decided to buy 2 of the 99 cent green bags. No more plastic, I am going to try to save the Earth! We'll see how long this lasts, I just have to remember to bring the bag with me when I shop.

Costa Rica update

2008-07-17T10:22:00.002-04:00

Well... I heard from Pastor Dan and Karlen this morning on Skype. With my new webcam, Karlen can see me and I can see her. She was at the hotel in Jaco, Costa Rica eating breakfast- they are 2 hours behind us. They were getting ready to go teach VBS today. It was a quick call, Dan's battery was dying on the computer, but nevertheless, it was nice to talk with Karlen for a minute. She said the plane ride over was "ok" - the 2nd ride was very bumpy. Not sure if she got sick or not... no details.

Costa Rica

2008-07-16T08:24:00.004-04:00

I love this girl! My baby left this morning at 6:00AM for Costa Rica. She is going on her first mission trip with our church youth group. They will stay in Jaco, Costa Rica and minister to about 60 families in a squatters village. They will provide VBS to the children. I know she will have a good time and I'm sure she will be a changed person when she returns. God will be working on her and the entire group, I'm sure!
But I will miss her so much for a week --- no cell phones, no communication (well, an occasional one through Skype, I bought a webcam just for that!).

Be praying for her (and me) this week!

Pray for me today...

2008-07-09T08:57:00.003-04:00

I have an appointment this morning with Dr. Craig Jones at Orlando Orthopedic Center, he's an orthopedic oncologist. I am getting a 3rd and final opinion on the issues I've been having with my foot. Here is a little history: I went back to the doctor last Monday to get the results from my MRI. I have Plantar Fasciitis (which causes lots of pain itself) and a quite large mass in the calcaneus bone in my foot. The MRI states that it's large enough to risk having a fracture. It is close to each side of the bone, not leaving a lot of support for the foot. MRI results indicate surgery. Dr. Wagner says I need to go back to my previous doctors who were dealing with this before. For the past 10 years, I have seen Dr. Craig Jones (orthopedic oncologist) who has monitored the mass in the bone. He's always taken measurements to make sure it's not changing, etc.

Well today I have my appt with him next week to get his opinion on surgery to fill the mass with false bone or do a bone graft, hopefully taking care of some of the pain I have when walking on my heel.

The only problem is: you are not supposed to bear weight on the foot for at least 6 weeks after surgery. How does that work with teaching Kindergarten?????

Please pray..... I'll update later.

Beaches and beautiful sunsets

2008-07-09T08:54:00.004-04:00

So relaxing... both of them! I love the beach and I love a beautiful sunset. Here is a picture of a sunset at Fort Meyers Beach....

Reunion of the 3 puppies!!

2008-07-05T09:16:00.004-04:00

Last weekend, I was able to get together with my brother and my parents who have siblings to my puppy Jac. Their puppies are Scotty and Lulu. We reunited to let all 3 pups play together while the adults got to spend some time reuniting as well. :) A good time was had by all!

Sleeping...

2008-07-05T09:08:00.004-04:00

OK, it's summer and I love to relax. I have been "TRYING" to catch up on needed sleep this summer, because I sure don't get it during the school year. Now what do you think of my 2 little babies- they have such a relaxing life, they sleep, eat and sleep some more!

School is over and summer is beginning...

2008-06-13T10:15:00.001-04:00

I am so consumed with school for 10 months that it is hard to get started with summer vacation. I am suddenly off school for 2 months and sometimes, not sure what to do with myself. I need to learn to relax more. Karlen is taking Geometry Honors in summer school so I'll be busy running her back and forth each day. I also have things to get done- some home improvements, car repairs, getting a jump-start on things for the next school year, as well as a few other things....
I had an awesome class last year. I will sure miss them. I hope next years group is as well - behaved as this years... here are a few pics of some things we did this year.

Jac

2008-06-13T10:02:00.000-04:00

We have a new puppy named Jac. I have had many dogs in the last year. Many rescues--- a golden retriever, a chihuahua (teacup), a chihuahua mix and we've had 2 animals put to sleep (a cat and a dog). So it's been a rough year with animals.... but my dad got Karlen a new puppy back in April. He is a purebred Pekingese, such a cutie. We are enjoying training him, watching him grow, etc. Here are a few pics....