Blooms!

It's spring!  Cacti are blooming in our backyard!

Aloe Vera beginning to grow its blossom stalk!

Bark on our Chinese Elm tree

Greg and I went out with Greg's Mom and Step-Dad for a special meal (it was Greg's Mom's birthday), and I ate a very small meal so I could indulge in this deliciousness:

Gluten-Free Chocolate Dome Desert from P.F. Chang's BEFORE 

 And still I shared it with Greg!  Not big, but RICH and lovely and gooey.

Chocolate Dome AFTER!

Juvy was sitting on my lap and I took this picture 

She is a cutesy!

And she LOVES getting her ear scratched!

Stephen (he looks A LOT like his Grandma Juvy!) likes to dribble over the edge of things and ooze off onto the floor.
He's like a slithery snake.  Even super hard to pick up because he hangs there limp!

Bjarne

We took Bjarne to the vet and they said he's hyperthyroid, so they prescribed  an anti-thyroid medication, but after about two weeks of a low dose, he got a terrible bloody raw rash around his eyes and under his chin!  Took him back in and they said it's an allergy to the medication.  They said the next treatment option was zapping his thyroid with radioactivity, but we decided against it.  Bjarne is 16 years old and the procedure is very expensive.  So he's not on the medication anymore, and his rashes are getting better.  We did put him on some special food that supports healthy thyroid function, which, happily, he seems to like.

Red shoes!
Great thing #1: $16.99 at Ross!
Great thing #2:  The insides are made from super-squishy flip-flop material and have built-in arch support!
Great thing #3: The outer part and sole are made from  jute, so they'll be nicely breathable in the summer!
Great thing #4: Perfectly shaped toe!
Usually I don't love flats because I have very high arches and like the extra support of shoes with higher heels/wedges, but I'm happy to give these a try! Nicer looking and more professional than flip-flops.

I appreciate your prayers and encouragement at the moment.  It is a little tough right now for me health- and emotions-wise.  I have to rest a LOT due to fatigue and achiness, and it's hard to not be able to be as active and productive as I would like to be.  I'm working on remembering that I am valuable to God and the people who love me whether I accomplish a little or a lot.  Thanks to those of you who remind me of that regularly!  Since I now am taking only half the estrogen I had been taking (for the last 10 years or so), I am having some low points mood-wise.  I am FIGHTING them and speaking God's Truth to myself, but sometimes they get me.  Hormones are odd - it's amazing how many areas of life they affect!

Today the clouds are expected to roll in, and then we're expecting RAIN and CHILLY weather tomorrow (high of 62)!  I'm excited.  I wasn't quite ready for the 80s yet (though I guess it IS March . . . that's when it typically warms up here).

I'm off to edit some illustrations for the next Chirp Lesson!  Happy Thursday!