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.

Just To Show Our Love

This girl has become an emotional, hormonal basket case.  

Based on her genetics, I honestly expected nothing less.  

I just wasn't quite ready for it yet. 

Probably wouldn't ever be, if given the choice.

But as she bosses me around in the morning to brush her hair right, or help her find a "missing" backpack or scrunchy with tears welling in her eyes, I can't help but notice I can't reach the top of her head anymore for ponytails.  Her jeans fit a little different and she looks better in a bra than not.  

She's all over the board.  

A little pissed-off, a little soft, a little sensitive and a little cocky... all at the same time.  

But Cheerleading was a hit for her.  

And in case you couldn't make it, I'll share a couple highlight videos.  The games were freezing (one was raining with a serious wind child).  And she performed only sporadically depending on the football players.  But the smile on her face and glow in her cheeks made the numb fingers and frozen face completely worth it.

Oh the things we sit through to show our kids our love.

Time Passes

It's so funny how fast time passes, kids grow-up and people change.  

You don't see it until after it's happened.  

Remember when Molly was mute in public for 3 years?  

That phase passed and she now gave a high five to the deaf guy in Winterset who used to scare the daylights out of her when we saw him at the grocery store this week.  She played with this little girl while I worked the Food Pantry last week and is begging for an opportunity to babysit a toddler.

She's my sidekick and has a ton of common sense.

She also tells me she's the horse at recess and all her friends ride on her back.

She's such a beast.

These 3 love to hike with me to Clarks Tower at the Winterset City Park.  

It always makes someone have to pee or poop though, and these photos were taken to "pretend" we were doing a photo shoot when Maisie was actually looking for a place to drop trowel as people walked by.  

She hasn't figured out how to pee outside without removing her pants, underwear, socks and shoes, which could lead to an awkward situation if busted by another hiker.

Mack works 3+ days/week, and when he's not working, he's with his friends or working out.  

I hardly see him, yet at the same time I'm thrilled he has the opportunity to experience being a teenager in America.

He's happy.

Maisie has her final cheerleading event Thursday and then she will be trying out for the fall play at school.  

Seems like just yesterday she was getting ready to sing "Like a small Boat on the Ocean" at the Winterset Stage in that purple dress...

Jayson continues to crack me up with random statements about everything from Roblox, the future and technology.  This kid can type like nobody's business and was teaching me tricks to Google Earth as he showed me around China the other night.

Ross is almost finished with Football and is definitely ready.  Every sport gets to the point where you're DONE.  

He's there.

And as time passes we age and evolve as well.

Bring it!