Picnic in the Park

The coolest Picnic Basket - ever. This is our first time using this cute wedding gift. If you are thinking about buying one, I highly recommend one like this that folds out to have a table.

Willie enjoyed the picnic, there were so many people & dogs to check out.

It was 80 degrees here on Friday! Doug finished a big test that day, so I organized a picnic to celebrate the test being over and enjoy the beautiful weather. We went to the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke's campus. It was a great way to end a long week. Plus the temperature dropped on Saturday & Sunday - to be a cold miserable weekend. So glad we took advantage of the nice weather!

Happy Mulch Day

Willie on the mountain of mulch


Not even halfway finishedView from the Wall

This Easter weekend, we took advantage of the beautiful weather to do some yard work. We put in a retaining wall last year and have wanted to put mulch behind it and plant a garden. Unfortunately it's over 65 feet and would take a lot of mulch. So I got the bright idea to order a load of mulch to be delivered. I did my research and found a website where you could calculate how much mulch you need - FYI mulch is sold in cubic yards. According to the site, we needed 6.7 cubic yards for behind the wall. I found a guy on Craigslist who was really cheap and would deliver a minimum of 10 cubic yards. Since we wanted to use the mulch in some other areas - 10 sounded about right. Well, needless to say, we had way too much mulch. We actually gave mulch to all of our neighbors and still had some left. Moral of the story, "Sometimes your eyes are bigger than your yard".

I'll post pictures once everything is finished!

The Origin of a Name

Willie wearing his new Cardinals collar and bandanna.

Willie Dean McGee Burgess is named after famous Cardinals Center Fielder Willie McGee. Doug was born a Cardinals fan and, along with most of St. Louis, was a fan of - Willie McGee. When Doug was on vacation in St. Louis, he got Willie a proper Cardinals collar and leash. Now Willie is truly a Cardinals Dog.

Happy Birthday to my Big Bro

My big brother Aaron with his daughters Taylor and Madison

Happy Birthday to my brother, Aaron. We currently live about as far apart as you can while still living in the Continental United States. We both look forward to a day when we are geographically closer to each other. I certainly wish I could give him a birthday hug, but I know how lucky I am to have such a wonderful brother- no matter the distance.

Relay For Life

Friends and Family,
I am honored to be volunteering and participating this year with Duke’s Relay For Life event. I am walking in memory of my father, Arthur Dean Eckerberg, who lost his battle with cancer in December. While he was receiving treatment at Duke, we benefited from the numerous programs for Cancer patients and their families. Click here to visit my personal page and consider donating to the walk.

Can you believe that more than 1.3 million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the United States this year? Those are staggering statistics, but there is hope. Each of us can do something to save lives and help those already fighting this disease. That's why I've decided to take action against cancer by supporting the American Cancer Society Relay For Life® event in my community.Relay For Life is an overnight event that brings our community together to help support the American Cancer Society and its lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. The Society works hard every day to prevent cancer and save lives by supporting groundbreaking research, affecting public policies that protect us from cancer, and educating people on how to prevent or detect cancer early. The Society helps people with cancer right here in our own community, and our efforts at Relay For Life can help the American Cancer Society to keep working toward a cancer-free future.

I want to invite you to show your support in the ongoing fight against cancer by teaming up with us for this year's Relay. Please click on the link below for more information, including details on the inspirational Survivors' Lap and the moving Luminaria Ceremony. We hope to see you there! If you can't join us, will you please visit the site and make a donation to support our efforts? Either way, you will make a real difference in the lives of people facing cancer and in the lives of the people who love them. Thank you!

In 4 Weeks

I will be on my way to IRELAND! I am going on the trip with my mom and I know we are going to have such a great time. Has anybody been? Have any tips or travel stops to recommend?

Spring

With the time change last weekend and the nice weather this week, it feels like we have switched into Spring here in North Carolina. The best part has been the beautiful pink buds on our trees in front of our house. Last year they bloomed one day and then a wind storm blew them off the trees. This year, they have been blooming all week - and are so beautiful. Willie is also enjoying the nice weather. He keeps begging to go outside, he then rolls around and stretches in the grass and finds a tennis ball to keep him busy.

Sad face

What a sad faced puppy. Doug is in on vacation in St. Louis this week visiting some family & friends.  Willie was a little upset that he didn't get to go.  What a sad face!

Sunday Hike at Umstead State Park

We took advantage of the nice weather on Sunday, and took Willie for a long hike at Umstead State Park. It was a beautiful day and Willie thought it was warm enough for a swim in the lake. He wasn't used to swimming with a a leash on, which caused a little bit of a problem. We barbecued for lunch, listened to the Cardinals on the XM and went for a great hike - overall it was a perfect Sunday.

Shake

We have started taking Willie up to Petco for his baths. During the summer we wash him outside, but this winter we quickly learned that it's not fun for anybody to wash him in our bathroom. Petco is great, they provide the tub with a great sprayer, shampoo, hair dryer and even aprons.

Willie loves water, but doesn't like water in his face. During baths we are constantly trying to keep him from shaking. Usually if we keep our hands on him - he won't do it. I got this funny shot of Willie and Doug mid-shake.