The 4th of July

This is also the 1st holiday without Michael. Kind of ironic too...the holiday that celebrates freedom and the reason he is gone, to preserve that freedom. While I know that the things I do will not be the same without him here, I also know that I cannot just sit at home and play staring games with the dogs. Columbus does the fireworks show on the 3rd, so Friday night my friend Wanda came over with a friend that she works with to cookout before watching the fireworks. Afterwards we came back here for some strawberry shortcake and some more fireworks. Of course, it drove the dogs nuts, but it was fine. I think they're almost, almost, getting used to it with all the fireworks going off all the time. Yesterday I went to Michael's aunt's house for a cookout. There was so much food! It was nice to visit with family again. His cousin is pregnant too (actually due a few days before Jaime) and she's naming him Nathaniel. When I told Michael on the phone he said, but we had that name picked for years! He's funny. I miss him terribly again already and the holidays are always going to be harder without him here, but we just keep reminding each other that it's the only one-he'll be home for the next 4th of July.

I'm dog-sitting Zeus this weekend too. I should have known it was going to rain. It always seems to rain when he comes over. The dogs have been spending most of the time in the house napping. Zeus on the tile floor, Benny in the chair, and Sammy up on the bed. They're funny how they all have their places. Benny still seems to tiptoe around Zeus and Sammy and Zeus still seem to bully him a little. It kinda makes me sad. He's just so sensitive and loving, but also very playful and Sammy only tolerates so much. He doesn't try to play with Zeus so Zeus basically ignores him. Unless they're eating and then Zeus will eat his food and then move to Benny's bowl and finish his. Poor Benny just moves to the side and watches. But they all get along and there's no serious fighting.