akr inspired | 556

We've had three golden retrievers -

   Bailey

   Rozz

   Pearl

@missamykr | Instagram | Project 1,2,3 

akr inspired | 61

When we lost Rozz, I read this beautiful story about a family and their dog with my class. It shares how they adopted Jack and how he grew slower over the years. We had empathy for the family when he passed away. It was difficult to read, but it helped explain how I was feeling. I found this book at Frenchys, a second-hand store, a long time ago. It was the perfect book for this moment. 

Textbook | Language Arts

akr inspired | 55

Wilsonia Rozz of the Bruce

2013-2017

Textbook | History

akr inspired | 54

my view from where I slept

Textbook | Final Review

akr inspired | 53

Rozz

Textbook | Final Review

akr inspired | 52

no eyes looking up at me as I move around the room

no sleepy breathing sounds nearby

no clicks on the floor late at night

no nose nudges for more patting

no furry body to step over in the bedroom doorway

no thump thump thumping of Rozz's tail in the morning

Textbook | History

akr inspired | 46

On November 5, 2016, Amy Krouse Rosenthal tweeted answers to a KNOWvember quiz made about her. For today's writing, and to do something different, I thought I would make a quiz.

1. Where does Loralee live?
a. Moncton
b. Sackville
c. Grand Rapids

2. Loralee's dog's name is:
a. Rascal
b. Rozz
c. Brandy

3. What is Loralee's favorite snack?
a. Tostitos with barbecue sauce with cheese
b. Sunflower seeds
c. Ripple potato chips with ketchup

4. What is Loralee's favorite drink?
a. Tea
b. Milk
c. Orange juice

4. Where's her favorite place to write?
a. On the porch
b. At her desk
c. At the kitchen table

5. Does Loralee have any kids?
a. Yes, 2
b. Yes, 3
c. Yes, 4

6. What is Loralee's secret talent?
a. She can quickly say the alphabet backwards.
b. She can stare at you the longest without blinking.
c. She can name all the Prime Ministers of Canada.

7. What is Loralee's favorite color?
a. navy
b. brown
c. red

8. What is Loralee's favorite thing to do?
a. Watch the kids play soccer and volleyball
b. Read
c. Be home
d. All of the above

@missamykr | Twitter

Daily Gifts | 3

I dropped Annie off at Mom and Dad's on the way to school. I dropped Ethan off on the way home from school. We are blessed to have Bampie and Mammie so near and closer to town. I joke that their place is like the rest stops they had for stagecoaches!

The sun peeked out today!

Rozz, our golden retriever, is always near me.

Slice of Life Challenge | Day 5

Five things about Rozz -

- Rozz is our 14-year-old golden retriever.

- We adopted Rozz from a breeder when she was nine-years-old. 

- I knew as soon as he described Rozz that she was meant for us. Even though she was already old and we had lost Bailey a year before to old age, I wanted her senior years to be with us.

- Rozz never barks. Never, you ask? Never.

- Rozz is usually by my side or checks on me before going to lay down in her favorite spot which is in the doorway of our bedroom.

....................................................................................................

More about Rozz

Counting Blessings

living in Canada

Rozz sleeping by my feet

Ethan playing the guitar

having Glenda and Melodie home

family

Sunday's Photograph | Rozz before Us

In 2012, Rozz, a retired mother, joined our family.

The breeder sent these pictures to us before we picked her up in Nova Scotia.

We fell in love!

Celebrate | This & That

Reasons to celebrate -

getting to know Maria through the Slice of Life Challenge

a surprise strawberry banana smoothie from Lori

finishing report cards

having parents who help us with drives (and everything else)

laughing around the library table on Friday afternoon

having a sister who pitched in for me as a canteen volunteer so I could watch the girls' high school team play in Fredericton

getting nose nudges from Rozz

drinking milk

being home

.................................................................................................................

Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

day 16 | slice of life challenge

Before Rozz, we had Bailey for almost 15 years.
She loved to lay in the ditch to get wet and muddy.

It drove me a little crazy always having to hose her down!

One day when Ethan was 3, he read Bailey's dog tag to me.
With his finger moving across the tag, he said,

"Don't... go... in... the... ditch."

I guess he heard us say it so much that

he thought it must be what her tag says!

Slice of Life | Immeasurable Help

I've been writing thank you notes, and I've been trying to find the words here as well. But the words escape me. The help we've received from our family and friends has been immeasurable. What they have done has been woven through my posts, but I am realizing there is no way to truly capture it all and what it has meant to us. Maybe pouring out a list as it comes to mind, and as I look through my notebook, will help me share our gratitude.

early morning texts such as "Jesus has this" with Carolyn

Mom and Dad coming home from Beulah to be near

the family message of support sent in Glenda's email

the phone call with Karrilee

the phone call from Lisa

an email from my aunt the next day saying my flight would be paid so I could be with Jim

the next day before staff knew at school, Laura came to my classroom to hold my hand and pray with me when I was trying to catch my breath before heading into a school day

emails, phone calls and texts of concern and offers to help from precious family and friends

Theresa, Jennifer and Cindy making meals and treats for us

my principal, Heather, supporting me in countless ways with matters at school

Lori, Signa and Patti by my side on the day to day at school

Dave and Joanne giving us a gift card for Tims making snacks easier at the hospitals

emails and texts with things to remember and do from Glenda, and the support from her and Dan

envelopes tucked in our hands and pockets with words of care and help for the journey which left us speechless (a miracle to not worry about money while we were away)

having my parents move in here and look after everything with Annie, Eliza and Ethan

Tammy driving Ethan to and from games, and having him over for Halloween

listening ears

asking how we are

cousins, Mary and Clara, scooping us up while we were in Toronto

Karrilee and Dale spending the day with Eliza at her high school soccer tournament

Lisa, Elizabeth and Rosita who took turns picking up the girls from practice and driving them home so Mom and Dad didn't have to be out late

Nick and Jennifer having the girls over and taking them out for supper

having iPhones and iPod to be able to say good mornings and good nights with the kids

receiving texts and emails from friends and family checking on us while we were in Toronto

Barry fixing the millions of things wrong with our Saturn while we were away

finding many little things around the house cared for by Mom and Dad (washed and polished cars, a new mat for Rozz, a hook above the laundry room sink, a fixed post on porch and more)

Kathleen giving me her half day for report cards when I returned and had little time to prepare

...........................................................................

My mind keeps filling and I can't capture it all.

And oh, how thankful we are for people praying.

Over the weeks leading up to, during and after,

my tears came because we felt so cared for by our God and the way

we were surrounded by people being His hands and feet.

Immeasurable help.

My heart overflows.

My tears still come easy.

Slice of Life | Bedtime

Sometimes I fall asleep early.

Most times I go to bed after everyone else.

But Rozz always tucks me in.

As soon as I am in bed, Rozz comes up to the side and I reach out and pat her.

I usually pat her until I fall asleep.

Slice of Life | Christmastime

favorite Christmastime songs

- The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)

- I'll Be Home for Christmas

favorite Christmastime drink

- milk

favorite Christmastime movies

- The Shop Around the Corner

- White Christmas

- While You Were Sleeping

- You've Got Mail

- The Sound of Music

favorite Christmastime picture books

-The Crippled Lamb by Max Lucado

- The Legend of the Candy Cane by Lori Walburg

- Nutcracker Noel by Kate McMullan

favorite Christmastime traditions

- for years our church family went to the hospital to sing to patients on Christmas Eve 

- being with family for Christmas dinner

- Jim and the kids getting our tree from the farm

- the kids taking turns - picking tree, putting star on top, putting manger on advent tree

favorite Christmastime decorations

- the advent tree made out of felt that my great uncle and aunt passed on to us

- the ornaments made with fabric strips that I made for our first tree

- the stable Dad built for our little nativity figurines

favorite Christmastime gifts

- black battery-operated train that traveled around a silver track

- big yellow Barbie mobile home

- anything that came in the stocking

- having Jim here for our first Christmas and married a week later on New Year's Eve

- Ethan's bag of coins from his piggy bank

- a dog bone from Jim which meant it was time to get another puppy and we found Rozz

The Christmastime idea came from Eryn at MamaHall.com.

Slice of Life | Dog Bone

Wilsonia Rozz of  the Bruce
Joined the Druart Family in June 2012

After losing Bailey, our 14-and-a-half year old golden retriever, we were heartbroken.

A year went by and at Christmas, I received a dog bone.

The dog bone turned into nine-year-old Rozz from Nova Scotia.

Rozz, a retired mother, filled our hearts from the moment Mr. Wilsonia described her to us.

She was meant for us.

What a feeling to have a dog in our family again.

  Love her nudges to keep patting.

  Love knowing she is waiting for us.

  Love hearing her breathe nearby.

  Love that we have to go looking for our shoes.

  Love having her travel with us to Beulah and soccer games.

  Love how gentle and quiet she is.

  Even love her hair everywhere.