Snow Day with Berkley!

I didn't expect to hear the phone ring at 5:45 am this morning telling me school was canceled. I thought, "That's ridiculous....Texans," as I rolled over and turned off the alarm. I should have peeked outside the window first. I can't remember the last time we had this much snow in Texas! I bundled up and took Berk out to play at the park. Literally, here's how I did it: undergarments, a thin pair of socks, leggings over the socks, long janes over the leggings, then a thick pair of socks over the long janes. Then I pried my jeans on over all the layers, waddled across the house into my rain boots, then put on a long sleeve shirt, a fleece, and my winter coat. I topped it all off with a fleece hat and gloves. (I've been home for hours and I'm still wearing most of it... ;) Berkley and I had the time of our lives! He is such a sweet dog, and has been such a blessing to Andy and I. We love you Berkley!

Not happy about having to wear his Halti...

Halti is off = happy dog!

Yum- this tastes like ice cube treats!

This first video is of us reaching the park. After a 1/2 mile walk at what Berkley would consider a too-slow-pace, he was released from the leash. Here's his reaction to freedom with the snow!

After 30 minutes of running, running, and more running, we headed to the playground area. Usually when we come, we try to get Berkley to go down the slide. This time he was all too eager! He did this over and over and over again. One time he went so fast he lost his balance, and went down sideways, landing in the snow on his back. It was hilarious! Wish I could have caught it on tape...

The Brothers Karamazov

I realized that I forgot to mention that I finished The Brothers Karamazov! Just after New Years, about six months after I started it, I finished this excellent book. I first decided I wanted to read it about eight years ago after finding it on John Piper's list of "Top 50 Books You Need to Read Before You Die." It's my second book of Fyodor Dostoevsky's to read (the first was Crime and Punishment, which took me two years to complete). It's the story of three very different brothers who share a miserable excuse of a father. The oldest brother, Dmitri, is erratic, highly emotional, and impulsive. The second brother, Ivan, is a complete intellectual. The youngest, Alexey, is mild, starkly honest, and very spiritual. They represent three parts of the human being: emotion, reason, and faith. The story follows the murder of their father, and the ongoing effects of it on the three sons. It includes what many consider the best argument against the existence of God- ironic because Dostoevsky writes as a Christian saved by the blood of God himself.



Dostoevsky's books are hard to read, but they are worth it. He writes deep characters with an understanding of human nature and desire that I haven't read anywhere else. After my time in Crime and Punishment, I decided to make a character tree with each character's name and a phrase describing who they are. I did this before I started reading (my edition had a list of characters and descriptions.) It was absolutely worth the time! I found myself referring to it often. I would encourage you to do the same if you'll give the book a go- you will be glad you did!