Happy 1st birthday, Millie!!!

Those of you who know us will understand that there have been many times during this past year when we weren't entirely sure that Millie would make it to her first birthday. She is, to put it mildly, a very challenging dog. She's sweet and loving, but she has a very strong alpha personality, and she seems to think she's in charge. Even Lucy, our Rottweiler, never seemed to be as alpha as Millie. But we are persevering, and every day is a little better. I guess I expected the Great Dane in her genetic makeup to outshine whatever her dad's breed contributed, but I think she's a daddy's girl. From Millie's appearance, he must have been some kind of shepherd or shepherd mix. She now weighs 75 pounds and has nearly stopped growing. We're taking obedience classes, and while she hasn't yet been kicked out of class, she's not exactly valedictorian. I'm hoping the classes will help me understand and work with her. There's a lot of prayer involved as well.

Family update: baby boy Wiese is right on target, with about 4 weeks to go. He weighs about 6 pounds and is head down, ready to launch. We're all getting very excited! Jenni, Dave, and Zoey will be home from kamp in 2 weeks, and we are very ready for them to be 30 minutes away rather than 8 hours away. Zoey has really grown up over the past 3 months, and it will be fun for all of us to get to know each other again. Tony is still loving retirement, and I'd better quit this and get back to work!