So This Is Christmas

This picture about sums up our week.  Kids are excited and the dogs ear is bent inside-out as he's forced into a sack.  

I totally get-it Jasper.  

Sometimes we just have to let things lay where they want to.

As I look through past years posts around this time of year, I don't think I'd want to trade places with myself.  There was so much to do, so many "traditions" to follow, so many expectations- and it all had to be hidden. 

This is our first year without having to convince someone Santa wouldn't burn up in the fireplace.  The first year I didn't have to scramble up early and sneak the dang Elf somewhere before I was caught, the first year I can binge watch Criminal Minds with my girls before bed and not worry about falling asleep and forgetting to fill stockings before going to bed.  

Oh, don't you worry- the stocking are still being filled every night, it's just not as urgent and planned as it once was.  

Lottery Tickets, American Eagle Underwear, Face Masks and Poo-pourri have taken the place of Dollar Store toys and candy.

Perhaps that has to do with the fact that our puppy chewed the plug-in off the Christmas Tree lights.  No lights on the tree this year.

Nobody really liked my tall, skinny tree anyway.

And my ornaments keep getting snagged by that sweet puppy, leaving Barbie and a Train Engine participating in our our Nativity Scene this year. 

But this little girl has her first basketball practice tonight and she's been ready ALL DAY.  As we got closer and closer to the school, she said her heart was pounding and she was so nervous.  

She told me she wants to be a champion.

With her level of energy, strength, motivation and confidence, I think that just may happen.

Christmas Bells are Ringing

Although nobody 'really' believes in Santa anymore (Jayson could take it or leave it), I'm still stressing over what I'm putting in stockings tonight.  

18 years old and 15 years old are tricky ages.  

Underwear and candy is about all I got.

Our only holiday traveling took place last weekend and we brought the puppy.  

He's a handful, but I love watching Mike step up to the plate as he cares for the Jasper, as I did our babies.  

It's quite the role reversal, and I'm LOVING being on this side of it.

And once we're done with students Friday for Christmas Vacay, I'll be feeling like this for next 10 days....

Jasper and Cookies

Jasper got to meet Aunt Heather and Laura over the weekend.  He peed himself on the way, which meant Molly's pants were wet and the dog was soggy.  Then again, he's only 8 weeks old and doing much better than I expected with potty training.  

Goose is keeping him in his place and makes sure he knows who's boss. Jasper seems to be really curious about Goose's tail (probably because he doesn't have one) and sometimes thinks Goose's penis is a nipple.  Goose couldn't be more annoyed.

Took him out to meet the goats again this week and he was head butted quickly by Jersey.  Pretty sure once they felt how sharp his teeth were on their ankles, they were DONE.

 

                                But the pond was drained this week, all but a few feet (we think)  

                    Hoping for a clear pond by the summer of '21 or '22.  

Molly and I made Christmas cookies over the weekend and we couldn't skip the peanut butter kiss cookies, the caramel pretzel and Reeses cup cookies.  We listened to Christmas music and Molly told me she loved having everything organized and ready to go.  

You're welcome sweetheart.  It's called "Mise en Place"

She kept saying 'This is SO much fun"

                                        

I know where she gets it.

Surprises and Gratitude

The older you get, the fewer surprises there are.

Which is why this photo taken 5 minutes before Jasper arrived is filled with so much anticipation (on my part)

Insert the Facebook Video here (which is accessible through Facebook)

And then I watched Molly turn into a little mother... again.

He LOVES bath time which makes this psycho cleaning mama very happy.

The first makeshift playpen was made from refrigerator racks and plastic bins from the Food Bank.

The cushions of the couch worked as "place holders"

I think that "Trash To Treasure" Mississippi Valley Fair Exhibit in the 90's with the empty pop bottle got my juices flowing on the creativity front.

We celebrated our new pup by taking him to the bar with the kids for dinner.

Jayson found a gambling arcade game and won 40 tickets- which ended up being worth $40.

He paid our bar tab for the night.

There was karaoke in the event room (where we held a fundraiser for Jayson- dueling pianos)

Molly wasn't impressed with the singing.

And we celebrated Thanksgiving with Crab Legs at Grandma and Papa's house.  

They were as delicious as could be and I can't wait to carry on the crab leg tradition next year - and maybe Christmas... and Easter...

As tradition goes, my tree goes up on Black Friday and comes down on December 26th STAT.

If he isn't the cutest little elf, I don't know who is.

Not only has Jasper been to the bar, but he loves car rides!  He's went to Bomgars and pissed in the dog treat isle.

Speaking of that- he's nearly potty trained and comes when he's called.

He's super smart- was probably a breast fed baby ;)

My invention was moved behind the couch when I decided I wanted my living room back. This one is remodeled to include his kennel, which I don't think he's terrified of anymore after I caught him napping in it this morning.  With my slipper... and a flip flop.. and a sock.

Facebook worthy photo...

And this one not so much.

Life is getting more and more interesting by the day around here.  

Having this guy by my side makes life not only do-able, but absolutely perfect.

I am so grateful.

So Thankful

So here we are, getting ready for Thanksgiving break.  Where does the time go?  We've spent the past months mourning a favorite goat, getting ready to bring home a puppy, saying goodbye to the last of Mikes grandparents, dealing with teenagers who are HARD, embracing estrogen (and the fight that comes with it) in our girls, turning 44 and 42, loving our goats, our dog and our turtle.  Ross sold his dirt bike to purchase a 4-wheeler which is is using with friends to ride the sand dunes of Oklahoma this week.

Loading that thing up and knowing what it led to 2 years ago was not a hard goodbye.

This on the other hand, was.

Sweet Jayson Roy Boyd saying goodbye to his Great Papa Roy.  

I'll never forget watching Papa Greats eyes well-up at the airport after we brought Jayson into the Des Moines air port.

Losing this sweet goat was another tough one.  But we persevered and chalked it up to 2020.  

We were blessed with a beautiful fall.

And the day the kids found this random dog wandering around our creek full of burrs and mud, was just plain fun.

He had a collar, but our phone calls to the number on the collar led to voicemail and my post on "Missing Dogs of Madison County" went without response.  At least for a couple hours.

We started to really like the dog and (shhhh... I deleted my post on Facebook).

But sure enough, after a few hours the owners contacted and were so grateful to have Scout back.

The only thing harder than telling the owners we 'shaved it' was watching Molly hand him back to the owner with tears in her eyes. 

I was gone.

Which led to this...

I know.  

I'm nuts... and getting weak.

But I'm also realizing how short life is.  And how few surprises there are in life.

Which is why the kids think this dog will arrive by Christmas.

But actually, will be arriving TOMORROW!

Nuts.  

Completely Nuts.

But fun!

So with faith that Mack has a good handle on being 18 and only pushes the limit a little bit, Ross is testing us in ways we probably deserve to be tested, I joined my first Autism Parent Facebook group and am working with his therapist to help him reach new goals and push some of his limitations, Molly is in the process of joining a national goat registry and is no longer afraid of mice in the goat shed and will feed both goat groups now, and Maisie's voice has developed into Whitney Houston status, we continue to move forward. 

 

So I finish this post with a few photos that tickled my funny bone and home your Thanksgiving Break is full of the things that bring you gratitude.

It's a boy!

We tried a new bed.

        

                                     Jay lost a tooth at lunch.  I had no idea.  He just left it on his napkin.

 

Took Molly and a friend to Starbucks and Walmart.  They said they felt "famous" at Walmart with Starbucks drinks. 

    We got Papa Greats old vacuum.  Jay read the manual and said- this vacuum is pretty much amazing based on the performance.