[x] Happy Vegan Pizza Day, everyone! We made our "pizza balls" for lunch using Trader Joe's refrigerated pizza dough and Daiya "mozzarella" shreds...mmmm! So good! I've seen quite a good response regarding VPD on facebook, and it seems like many of my friends--even the omnis--are hopping on board for the day. Nicely played, friends. Hope everyone's vegan pizza turned out nicely. I'm still stuffed, but not complaining! ;)

[x] Hemingway's first night home went beautifully. He's currently crashed out on our bed (taking up about half of it, really--he's pretty huge). We've all grown quite attached to him rather quickly. He's pretty endearing. Earlier today, we printed out a few pictures of Fourth Meal and put them up in the kitchen (and Bear wanted one for his room, too). While I love to see her sweet face, I have to be honest...the pics left me pretty heartsick. As much as I love Hem--and I do! already!--I still miss our Fourthie so, so much. The vet's office sent us a beautiful sympathy card (which arrived today) signed by everyone in the office with a really nice copy of the Rainbow Bridge poem (and let me tell you...it can bring me to tears in 0.2 seconds--tops). I'm glad they took such good care of her--up to and including the very end. K. and I wrote out a thank you note to them today and we're dropping it in the mail come Monday.

[x] Can you believe it's almost February? Me neither! I feel like 2011 is already flying by so quickly. Beauty will be four before I know it (March) and Bear turns FIVE in May (craziness!). In a few short days, we'll celebrate the one year anniversary of Little Flower's arrival to our family. Just typing out those words has me teary. Such a beautiful ray of sunshine she's been--she is--every single day. I am so blessed. I know all mothers think their daughters to be the most beautiful ever, and I am no exception. Beauty and LF are at the top of the charts. More and more as of late, I think LF is starting to look like her first mom, and I love, love, love seeing this unfold. Since I only have a few pics of Beauty's first mom, it's harder to see true likenesses. But since we see LF's first mom on a pretty regular basis, I'm able to watch LF develop some of her first mom's physical features. I kid you not, readers, LF's first mom could be a model, truly...she is *that* incredibly beautiful. So it's really no surprise to me that LF is so breathtakingly gorgeous. Almost a year as a family of five already...I can't imagine my life without my sweet muffin and I am so grateful for her presence each and every day...

[x] All right, it's 8 PM(ish) and I'm ready to burrow down in bed with a good book for a bit. The kids are all sleeping soundly, and the house is (reasonably ;) clean, nice and warm, and quiet. Perfect Saturday night for a blissful and grateful mom of three. :)