Our newest family member

After a few weeks of middle-of-the-night potty outings, rushing home for lunch, and lots of carpet cleaning, we can still say that we love our new puppy and it is all worth it. He has grown and changed alot in the short time that he's been with us. Although he seems to be a defiant little puppy at times, he learns very quickly during our training sessions. He will sit on command (and anytime he wants something because he has learned that sitting makes us happy) and he will stay unless there is something just too tempting in front of him. He is now walking on a leash and it is becoming one of his favorite things to do. Here are some of our favorite pictures from the last few days. A few may need an explanation: We decided to name his new dog toy Duke. Since Deacon will probably tear him to pieces, we thought that this would be very appropriate. He loves to watch TV. As you can see, his favorite show is The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan (if you have never heard of this show, it is like "Supernanny" for dogs - we have actually learned alot by watching it). Our favorite pictures here is the one in the bathtub. He kept trying to jump out so Gary had to hop in with him. Although he settled down by the end of it, this picture captured his moment of panic. We think that he looks a little like an alien, but still very cute!!

Kelsey Laine Galbreath

Happy Birthday, Kelsey!

Today we are happy welcome to the world our goddaughter, Kelsey Laine Galbreath. We are so excited that you are here and we can't wait to meet you! Since I don't have a photo of baby Kelsey yet, I thought that it would be fitting to post a picture of her brother, Carter, when he was just a few days old (he was born 2 years and 9 days ago).

Welcome Home Deacon!

Deacon arrived safely home yesterday afternoon and is quickly adjusting to life at the Dyksterhouse. Like any good Wake Forest fans, of course we had to give him a good Wake Forest name. Deacon eats, sleeps, plays, and cries between his many potty breaks (most of which are outside), and he is even sleeping through the night. He is a handful right now, but we are really enjoying having him here with us. I have posted a few pictures and a video (I hate the way my voice sounds on camera and wish that I had remembered this when I was filming, so just pay attention to the cute dog and not the annoying owner.)

Beard Watch '08

Here are some pictures from Day 4:

The Long and Short of It

These have been hairy days in the Dyksterhouse.

First, as many of you know, Gary has always wanted to grow a beard, but never has knowing that Kathryn isn't a huge fan of beards. He recently had a place on his face stitched up. The result: Gary gets to grow a beard. :-) It will probably be another week or so before he is able to shave it, and there has been some debate as to whether he will shave then or wait awhile. Much to Kathryn's dismay, the beard has actually been getting alot of compliments.

Also, as most of you know, Kathryn has been growing her hair out for Locks of Love. She went to have it cut about 4 months ago, and they sent her away saying she still needed a few more inches. She was finally able to have it cut this morning. Here are the results. Click here if you are interested in donating your hair to Locks of Love.

Finally, and not on the subject of hair, we are getting a puppy!! We are going to pick him up next weekend. I promise to post some pictures as soon as he comes home. From the pictures that the breeder has already sent us, we think that he is adorable! But we'll let you judge for yourself.

There's No Place Like Home!

After a great trip around the southeast, we're so glad to finally be back home. Here's a little bit about what we've been up to over the past few weeks:

The day after Christmas, we packed up and headed to Charlotte, NC to cheer the Deacs on in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. We were able to spend a few days before the game with the Dyksterhouse side of the family at Gary's brother's house in Charlotte. It is always fun to get a few uninterrupted days with our family - especially with nieces and nephews. Almost the entire Dyksterhouse clan made it to the game (with the exception of Gary's sister and her family - we missed ya'll!). It was also my dear friend Sarah Catherine's birthday, which we celebrated at our tailgate. It was great catching up with college friends who we do not get to see much any more. And of course, the best part of the day was the Deacon victory (24-10)!! Go Deacs!!

We then headed to Atlanta to spend New Year's with some friends there. It was great to catch up with all of them. Unfortunately, Gary was sick for New Year's Eve, so he spent most of that night in the bed asleep. Thankfully, that hasn't proven to be a sign of the year to come. So far, 2008 is turning out to be a great year. I didn't get my camera out much while we were there, but did manage to get a few pics of the kiddos.

On the 1st, we went to spend few days in St. Simons - our favorite place :-). We were there with the Sturdivant side of the family, and also got to spend some time with Kathryn's aunt, uncle, and cousins from Nebraska that we don't get to see very often. With Gary feeling better, we hated to leave the beach.

Finally, we stopped back through Atlanta on our way home for a baby shower and a Kennesaw State basketball game. The baby shower was for Kathryn's dear friend, Shannon. Her daughter, Kelsey, is due next month, and we can't wait to meet her. After the shower, we went to watch Kennesaw State in action. It was a very exciting game. Although we lost in overtime, Kennesaw hit a half court buzzer beater to send the game into overtime. It was a disappointing loss, but a very fun game to watch.

After all of our travels, we are glad to finally be back home. It was great seeing old friends. We would love for any of you to come and visit us in Mississippi.