Summer days are upon us. I love summer and all the things that are associated with it: picnics, beach trips, swimming pools, cookouts, summer vacations, and now and forever, I will add to that list….puppies. Many of you are aware that our golden retriever Izzie had 10 beautiful puppies on May 22, 2014 and as a result, our summer has been all about puppies. From the moment they took their first breath until we released them into the hands of their forever families, the joy and the weight of their wellbeing has been on our shoulders. Add to that the happiness that only a puppy can bring, multiply it times 10, and then multiply that times 8 weeks. It is a recipe for extreme joy and exhaustion. Tomorrow morning, we release the last 2 puppies into the hands of their families, and then I will say we have run the race, and we did not stop til we crossed the finish line. I have plans to sleep through the night again, to stop buying out Petsmart twice a week of all puppy products, and to eat dinner each night before 10:30 and stop being outside in my backyard at 4:45 a.m.! All to say that I am sure your life is the same. Maybe not puppies, but something that brings you incredible joy and yet takes a lot out of you during this season of your life. Let me say, Hang in there. Stay the course. Finish well. Whatever you do, do it with excellence and 100% heart. God has taught me so many life lessons through this 62 days of extreme puppy parenting. I cannot wait to unpack some of it with you. Here’s to golden retrievers. If you are an animal or golden retriever lover, Gabe and Izzie and the puppies have their own Facebook page. I have attached the link for you here. If you ever need a little stress relief, take a visit there an spend a few moments with some of the most beautiful creatures God ever designed. Blessings, Susie
GROUPS AND NEWS
Summer 2014 is filled with groups at Journey to Hope. Groups for Men, and for boys, and for girls and for women, and for couples! We have it all here, and be sure to check out the information on the following groups:
· Anger Management for Men
· Financial Peace University (FPU)
· Be Still for Boys
· Be Still for Girls
· Generation Change
· Process Group for Women Struggling with Life