My Dog Leopold

    My first post shall be on my dog, Leopold! He is a Basset Hound. I got him on November 19th 2015, at 8 weeks old, at a farm close by. I actually wanted a brown and white (in the Basset world called lemon and white). But after getting advice from my parents and Mr. Mayer, I decided to go based not on looks but on personality and on which one attached itself to me. Therefore, I came home with a black and white male Basset to be named Leopold!

Here is a photo when I first got him:

 

Here is a photo now for a size comparison!!

 

Now I shall post the Cons and Pros of Leopold:D

 

Cons:

He is stupid

He is a big baby and cries all the time (think Elvis's song Hound Dog)

He gets into EVERYTHING and has chewed up stuff

He is stubborn (like his owner)

He is scared of my cat

He has to be bathed monthly and ears cleaned weekly (by me)

He prefers the cats' food to his own

He has selective hearing and therefore selective obedience

 

Pros:

He is stupid

He is not aggressive

He loves other animals and people and kids

He is affectionate

He is sometimes obedient

He has been leash, potty, and obedience trained to a degree

He is a source of endless entertainment

He is my dog and I am blessed to have him!!

 

That's all for now folks!

 

TTYL,

 

Isabel~:D

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Calaveras Big Trees

We just came back from a two-day trip to Calaveras Big Trees/Murphys area!

While we were there, we hiked the North Grove Trail, which has many Giant Sequoias.  I will share a few things including some facts we learned about the trees! :)

Giant Sequoias can live more than 3,000 years. Most have roots that spread over an acre!

The largest redwoods weigh approximately 2,600 tons--as much as 18 blue whales!

To get a size estimate, here are a couple photos:

 

 

One particular tree that we saw fell due to a fire 20 years before the Civil War started!!

It is pictured below with a brass band and troop of cavalry from the 1800s:

 

 

 

"But now ask the beasts, and they will teach you; and the birds of the heavens, and let them tell you; or the bushes of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea, they will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?" ~Job 12:7-9

 

 

Love,

 

Ava Katherine <3

 

A Piece of History: Sleigh Bells

I have always loved heirlooms and hearing the story behind them; so I thought I would share my interest with you by telling you about a set of sleigh bells. :)



These sleigh bells belonged to Verne Lunn, my maternal great-great-grandfather, in the late 1800s-turn-of-the-century. His only mode of transportation was a wagon or sleigh, which he also used to take out Vella Haas, my great-great-grandmother, when they were courting. His horse knew the way to her house, and he didn't even have to guide her. :) One day, when Verne was taking out another young lady, he was not paying attention to driving the sleigh. When the horse came to a stop, he was in front of Vella's house! :D

                                                                                                                             

So now that you have a bit of a background story, I researched the bells, and here are the facts I found:



The particular bells my great-great-grandfather used were Swedish style bells, which were the largest kind used. The two larger bells are 9 inches around, while the two smaller bells are 7 inches around; the whole strip  is 20 1/2 inches long and weighs 3 pounds!

                                                                                                                                 

 

My great-great-grandfather's (Verne Lunn's) sleigh bells

 

 
Sleigh bells (Sometimes called horse bells) were most popular in the mid to late 1800s through the turn of the century. They had a practical use as well as a decorative one; they warned pedestrians and other drivers of the oncoming vehicle and alerted customers that street vendors of delivery wagons were in the neighborhood.

 

                                                                                                                                                                  

       American Gentleman's Newspaper sleigh bell advertisement, 1881

 

The leather strip on which the four bells are fastened is known as a "rump strap" or "hip strap" because it lies across the horse's back or rump and under the back strap of the horse's harness. A small "keeper" is riveted to the middle of the rump strap and buckles over the back strap to keep the bells from falling off. 


So now that you know one of my favorite heirlooms...What are your favorite family heirlooms?? :)







Love,

Ava Katherine <3

Sisters--Through the Years

I am going to start off with a post of us sisters through the years together!

So here you go! :

             4 months                          4 years

 

"

5 1/2years          1 1/2 years

"

"

        2 years                6 years

     7 years        3 years

        5 years         9 years

  6 years  10 years

 

 

   Baptism!!

 

 11 years         7 years

 

"

      12 years              8 years     

        14 years  10 years

  11 years       15 years

    16 years                    12 years

"

"

 

Jammin' ;)

"

"

     17 years            13 years

 

 

 

 I hope you enjoy this post!

 

The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful sister to grow up with through the years. <3

 

 

 

Love,

 

Ava Katherine<3

 

 



  

 

 

Welcome!

Welcome to La Vie Est Belle!

"La vie est belle" means "Life is beautiful." The Lord has blessed us with a beautiful life, and we hope to share it with you through this blog.

We sisters are sharing this blog, and you will find anything from devotions, to recipes,
to thoughts—no matter how small! :)

We hope you enjoy our blog, and it will bring glory to God!

Love,

Ava Katherine and Isabel Rose