Furry Friends

I think I should begin by clarifying that this is John writing, not Amy. A post about animals from Amy would more likely be titled "I <3 Animals...they're delicious". Actually, our differing opinion on pets is what inspired me to write this. We can't seem to agree on pet topics: type of pet, indoor/outdoor, timing, etc.

Our most recent discussion was about ferrets. People tend to have one of two initial reactions to the word ferret (assuming they know what a ferret is...for those of you who aren't quite sure, keep reading). The first is negative: they're abnormal, they creep me out, they're mean, they smell bad, "Who in their right mind would get a ferret for a house pet??" The second is more positive: they're cute, they're unique, they're entertaining, "A ferret sounds like an amazing pet!!" Needless to say, I tend to favor the idea of a cute, cuddly, well mannered, unique pet while I believe my wife's reaction to the idea was, "I'll tell you what, you can have a ferret right after you find a way to solve world hunger."

Before I get any further, let me introduce you to Sonny and Jasper. Their owner Jan Smith insists "They are beautiful pets...their antics are incredible." And they are "the ideal pet for living in small inner-city apartments." So...how about some fun ferret facts?

Fact 1: The name ferret is derived from the latin furonem, which means "thief." Ferret owners can attest that this is a well deserved name, as they will happily steal anything they can get their paws on and hide it in their house.

Fact 2: Ferrets come from the same family ("Mustelidae") as badgers, wolverines, sea otters, skunks, mink, weasels, black footed ferrets and polecats.

Fact 3: Common nickname for ferrets: Carpet Sharks.

Fact 4: Ferrets live on average about 6-8 years but can live as long as 11.

Fact 5: Sizes vary between 12-16 inches in length and 3/4 - 4 1/2 pounds.

Fact 6: Contrary to popular belief, ferrets are completely domesticated and cannot survive on their own in the wild

Fact 7: Ferrets are litter trained (they go in the litter box like cats) and have no fear or aggression towards humans.

Fact 8: Ferrets sleep 16-18 hours a day and are most active at sunrise and sunset but adapt to the schedules of their owners as they are extremely social animals.

So...there you have it, they sound like the perfect pet to me.

I know what Amy thinks:













Do you agree?

VBS

This past week was Vacation Bible School at our church, and since I have no job, I was able to go every day, and play with/watch-so-they-don't-escape the little kids that were too young to go to VBS classes with their moms. It was fun-- I got to experience the good part of kids. Two hours a day, when (most of them) they aren't tired, are fed, and other people change their diapers. I also got to hear about weaning kids, trying to get them to sleep through the night, allergies, and watch them not share and hit each other while their moms try to figure out who had the toy first, and all that NOT fun stuff. The whole week was a blast though; I actually got to get out of the house and see people!

Recently...
Our power went out for a day, and our ice cream melted :(
Tom and Jody came to see us (well, to vacation, but they did see us :)) and that was lots of fun. It was a like a mini vacation for us too!
My family moved back and are living with my Grandparents only an hour away!
John and I started reading "Waking the Dead" by John Eldridge. We really like it-- I would recommend it.
Blogger has spell check! I know this because I spelled recommend wrong. But before I could embarrass myself with a huge spelling error it caught me!

I think that's all that has been happening. Its horribly hot out. We turned our AC on :(

I think I might go to the grocery store tonight or tomorrow. Hershey bars are on sale, and John and I's latest favorite desert is s'mores. The microwave creates almost the same effect as far as taste, and we're out of chocolate. Although maybe I shouldn't... I think in the last two weeks we have had 12 Hershey bars :-$ Maybe it was three weeks... that sounds better huh?