Meet my puppy :)

So, I have a dog... And I happen to be one of those people who believe their pet is part of the family. This dog is pretty special to me! His name is Jack or Jacky Poo as I like to call him. He can be pretty intimidating to some just due to his size (he weighs just over 110lbs!) but to me, he is such a cute puppy! I really don't think he is that big, really. To me, he's just a regular dog. A dog that is so well behaved and calm. He's my baby!!!!

We adopted Jack about a week after I lost my very first pet, Sadie, unexpectedly. Losing Sadie was really hard on me. For that one week after she passed, every time I pulled up to my driveway I just cried... Cried for my Sadie girl, who no longer would be at the door to greet me. The house just felt empty without a dog... Without the patter of paws and clinking of dog tags. My husband just could not sit by and allow me to do that to myself so he suggested we go to the local Humane Society to look at the possibility of adopting. I wasn't having any part of it! I felt like I was cheating on Sadie... How could I go and try to replace her? It hasn't even been a week and we're already talking about another dog???!!! Give me some time to grieve! Give me some time to adjust... 'I don't want another dog!' I remember telling him... But, yet, every time and I mean every time, we pulled up to the driveway, I would start to cry... One day, I even stayed at my Mom's until my husband could meet me there so I wouldn't have to go to my house by myself... That day I told my hubby, 'Okay, let's go look. But I'm not making any promises!'

The first day we went we found a female dog that took to me but not to my hubby. I should mention that on our way to go see her when we turned the corner, we both saw a dog that looked more like a pony just stare at us. I remember my husband asked the attendant if that was the dog we were there for and she said, 'No, that's Joseph,' and with that, we kept going. After visiting with the female dog, we decided she was not for us. We left and, as we turned that corner again, we asked to go see Joseph but his cage was now empty. He was out being exercised. I was a bit overwhelmed with all the puppies who needed a home so I asked hubby to just please leave it for another day. Well, when my husband wants something he can be very persistent (God love him!) so, he wanted to go to the Humane Society the very next day and go see Joseph... 

We went the next day to meet Joseph and it was just right!!! He took to both of us and, us to him, so we knew we would take him home with us. I remember when we put him back in the cage to go sort out the paperwork, the dog went straight for a bucket of water to take a drink and he just dunked his whole face into the bucket, spilling water all over the place. I thought to myself, 'My kitchen floor will never be clean again!' And it hasn't but Jack (we renamed him after he got home cause he's just such a cool, laid back dog that Jack fits him better!) has brought soooo much love and laughter into our lives that I cannot imagine life without him! He picked us at the Humane Society and I'm glad my husband was paying attention!!!

Here are some pics of my puppy. The first was about a week ago in my kitchen after he had dirtied my kitchen floor eating some ice. 

The second one is him laying on his couch. Yes, he has a couch! Remember, he's over 100lbs, doggy beds aren't good enough for him, My Jacky Poo!!!

Photography Date Day with the hubby

Today, my hubby and I made it a 'Photography Date Day' and we each took our cameras out for a spin around the town. Here are a few of the moments I captured. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did capturing them.

I'm thankful for...

Today is Thanksgiving and I would like to spend some time to reflect on what I'm thankful for. I try to practice thankfulness every day... Yes, I said it. Thankfulness needs to be practiced. We tend to get so wrapped up in what's going on in our lives that we sometimes forget to take a step back and see how we have been blessed! I know that this is true for me so I try to set some time aside and focus on all that I've been blessed with. Some days are better than others but I do try.

First, I'm blessed with the best husband around! He is such a patient man and makes me feel loved each and every day. I've never been loved and taken care of this way and I am thankful, every day, that the Lord blessed me with such a kind and caring soul to help me through this journey.

I'm thankful for my family! My Mother, siblings and I went through a lot growing up... As a single parent of 3 children, my Mother struggled... Emotionally and financially. It wasn't easy for her to have to care for us on her own but she did it! And did it well!!! She raised 3 children to become 3 adults who have all become God-fearing, peace-seeking, caring individuals. My siblings and I could very well be one of the many statistics out there: single-parent home, no college education, minorities who turn to a life crime... We were on public assistance at one point. Those toy drives that you donate to every year? We were once the recipients of those toys... I remember waiting for my age group to be called so all the little girls could walk up to the stage and choose one doll out of all the dolls that had been donated. We were even homeless at one point... I remember living in a shelter and having to share our 'home' with others who were in the same situation we were in. This never, ever, deterred my Mom from her goal to raise her children to be good people. She set herself a goal and when my Mother does that, watch out!!!! It WILL get done! She was gonna get herself and her children out of that situation. She went back to school... She was gonna set an example for her children: when things get tough, you get tougher! Today, my Mom is a registered nurse! An R.N. who started by taking English classes, then moved on to CNA, then Home Health Aide, then LPN and ultimately an RN. She is the hardest, most caring woman I have ever met! That's why she's the best nurse around!!!! All three of her children are college graduates who have successful careers.So, I sit here today with a smile on my face as I type this because we were blessed with the best childhood, the best circumstances, the best life!

I'm thankful for my family and my in-laws! I have such a great group of people who I can call my family! I have a sister and brother from my Dad's side that live in Puerto Rico who I love with all my heart!!!! We haven't been able to spend as much time together as I would like, but we are blessed to have a great relationship and great communication. They are both such a delight to be around. I hope that one day, maybe one day, we could spend more time together. Ten days to two weeks every 4-5 years is not fair... But, I am thankful for technology and the advantages that come with it because I can text with them almost on a daily basis :)

I am thankful that I became an official Tia (Aunt) this year!!!!!! I prayed for that and God answered my prayer with the most beautiful, gentle, pink and cuddly baby girl in the world!!!! I pray the Lord guides me in being a good role model for her.

This is what I try to focus, and think about, on my tough days... Those days that take the wind out of you... The days when you feel you just can't do anything right. On those days I focus on this. On the people that I have been blessed with. On all the love these individuals bring into my life. The joy and smiles they bring to me! That's better than anything else in the whole world! My family gives me purpose and the drive to be better.

So today, and every day, I am thankful to be blessed with a group of people who love me just as I am and are there for me at any given time to encourage me, to hold me, to love me! I pray that I can be the same solace for them cause I would give my last breath for any one of them!!!!!!

Great news from my sister!!!

My sister called me last night with a major announcement! She's a CPA!!!!!!!! She did it! All the hard work, long hours at the library, at work, at home studying have paid off for her. She has reached a goal she set for herself and I just couldn't be any prouder than I am right now. It wasn't easy for her but I admire her determination and her will. She never once considered giving up. She said she was gonna be a CPA and she did it!

Our dad passed away almost 18 years ago next month so, these news are kinda bittersweet... I'm overjoyed with her accomplishment but sad that it's yet another life event that my father has missed. I know in my heart that if he were here today, he would be smiling ear to ear and telling everyone he came in contact with that his baby did it! That his daughter is a CPA. I know he's looking down on her from Heaven and is proud of her. I know that in my heart!

Nevertheless, my heart is happy to know that she is happy. It's so very comforting to know that my baby sister is an independent, self-confident woman. She will be able to fend for herself and, as a woman, that bring so much satisfaction. 

I pray for my siblings every day. I'm the oldest of five siblings so I've always felt a sense of responsibility for all of them. I feel responsible for setting an example and being there for all of them. I might not have always been the best sister around but I sure have tried. Seeing them thrive makes me the happiest sister in the world! I wish them nothing but the best!!!! I love them more :) 

Still learning

I took time this week to capture some pictures, just haven't edited them completely yet. I started reading a book by Bryan Peterson, 'Understanding Exposure,' to get some direction... My husband and I are planning on taking a photography class at the local college so that we can make better, educated, decisions while taking pictures. We have a love for photography and we can certainly appreciate others' work but struggle to sometimes get out of 'auto' mode because we really and truly don't know what we are doing with our camera. But that will change, soon! We continue to go out and take pics because we love the outdoors and the beauty that comes with it.

Today, I spent several hours photographing my niece!!!! She is only six weeks old so she is perfect to help me practice and I get to spend time with her. It's a win-win situation if you ask me!

I can see myself really getting into this... The time spent with my niece today was therapeutic for me. While I'm capturing moments that catch my eye I'm not spending time worrying about little things, like I'm known to do. I'm so glad that my husband and I had a talk a couple of months ago where he pointed out that I needed an outlet. I hope that my pictures bring you as much enjoyment as they have brought me while taking them.

Below is a sneak peek of what I'm working on right now:

Pics around town

Bok Tower Gardens 10-29-2014

Old pics edited with Lightroom

Fall in Florida

Anniversary getaway

So, as the name of my blog implies, I would like to feature some of my photography. I'm very new to photography and want to change that! The only way to do so is by getting out there and capturing the moments that catch my eye. Here are a few from this past week. My husband and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary and went to our getaway spot: the beach!!!! We both come from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico and share a love for the ocean and the peace it brings us! Hope you enjoy these as much as we did!