Christmas 2019

Our first Christmas NOT having all our kids home--a bit sad but we survived.  Carlie is doing amazing things in Canada and is so happy so how can I complain.

We made the most of our Christmas Eve by having the missionaries over for dinner and games.  I got them each matching cactus ties, tie clips (that I made) and cactus socks.  These guys are THE BEST!

We then did our annual traditional Christmas PJs, cookie-ditching, Christmas lights drive, and Sonic shakes:) . We got to talk to our missionary on Christmas morning--she called us first thing and we all opened presents together.  

BEAGLE PJ PANTS!!!

My new engraved watch AND holding the phone
with Carlie FaceTiming:)

Zelda tie!!!

All the sharpies and highlighters
any girl could want or need...
what a nerd:)

Christmas is EXHAUSTING:)

We then headed out to see the new Star Wars movies at Harkins--REALLY GOOD!!!  Then we did something a little different and headed up to a cabin in Pine.  So we actually enjoyed a white Christmas this year!!!  This cabin actually belongs to Chris's boss--Joel.  He had lots of fun stuff up there for us.  Our favorite part was driving around on the golf carts!!!  The boys had snowball fights every chance they got--as a result, I stayed INSIDE the cabin:)

No, he's not pooping.  He's
just showing off his pink cougar boots:)

Diamond Queen 12U Champs!!!

December ALMOST kills me...AGAIN:)

So this year, I really attempted to make December less stressful--no show for any of my kids.  Which did make the stress a tad lower but that first week of December is ALWAYS like a punch in the stomach for me.

The first Saturday of December is alway my piano recitals--4 back to back 45 minute recitals starting at 9:00 am.  Chris is always gone this time of year because the dang ol' Pearl Harbor Attack happened on December 7, 1941--ain't no way to rewrite that history.  This Saturday (Dec. 7, 2019) just ALSO happened to be the Softball Championship game for the 2019 fall season.

The Championship is the best of 3 games.  We lost the first game the Wednesday prior to this Saturday which meant we had to win back-to-back games on Saturday.  We were up at 6:15 am to make sure Tatum had a good breakfast and then she was out the door at 7:00 to head up to the field with Coach Scott & Chloe. 

2 minutes before my first recital began, I heard my poor dog YELP loudly and over and over again in the yard.  I ran out there to check out what happened.  It appeared that he blew out his knee and he was hobbling around.  Great.  I grabbed him some aspirin and a busy bone and then left the poor guy outside.  So there I was, running recitals and getting text updates about the game AND worrying about my poor dog in the yard--I thought my head was going to EXPLODE!!!  UGH!!! 

We won the first game.  Then won the coin toss which made us home team for the second game.  Dog was fine. 2nd recital begins.

Play by play texts coming--Tatum made ALL 3 OUTS in ONE INNING by herself!  Lots of other great plays made.  3 outs away from winning...THEY DID IT shutting the other team out 6-0!!!  End of recital #2.  Dog was fine.

Recitals 3 & 4 run smoothly.  Dog is fine.  Tatum and Chloe make it back from their Championship games in time to play for the 4th recital.  All was good--minus my dog blowing out his knee (which he did but no surgery is needed and he will heal in 3-6 weeks).

After the game, we quickly loaded up in the car to get Max to his acting coaching in Phoenix.  WHAT. A. DAY!

Way to go girls!  The nice girls won this time!  (Seriously, the other team had some SERIOUSLY SNOTTY girls!  And the pitcher most likely hit one of our girls on purpose so it was really great that the DQ girls SHUT THEM OUT in game 2.  Way to be passive aggressive and getting them back where it REALLY matters:) . And there is definitely no other Head Coach who deserved this win more.  Good ol' Coach Scott has put his whole heart and soul into multiple seasons with these girls--couldn't even count how many hours of sleep this man has lost over planning drills, game strategies, etc...

Chloe & Tatum.

Marlee, Chloe, Laila, Chloe M., and Tatum

Tori, Tatum, & Mackenna

Tatum and Tori

Tatum, Tori, Elle, and Makenna

We celebrated that same night at Coach Scott's house with a great big bonfire and pizza.  Perfect way to end an amazing season.

Puppies! Puppies! Puppies! Fall 2019

It's pretty much ALWAYS puppy season on the Reservation.  It's dangerous to go help out at any house on the Rez because you're pretty much guaranteed to find puppies.  

We helped out on a property cleaning up.  I went over to a neighbor's house to check in on my friend whom I had taken puppies from earlier this year.  Turns out, she had 3 momma dogs who all had puppies within a week of each other.  

Momma #1:  Chihuahua mom with no given name so I named her "Jujubee" or "Juju" for short.  She had puppies that were promptly eaten by coyotes.  I'm not sure how she got away but she was definitely not thriving or doing well on the property.  I honestly looked at her and thought, "Oh yeah.  This dog is gonna die soon."  She was STARVED and was still producing milk.  But upon learning that she had just had puppies (and NOT parvo) I decided to take her.  Juju came to live with me for a couple of weeks.  She more than doubled her weight and then went to be fixed/treated/ and adopted by the sweetest elderly couple with no children at home.  This dog seriously went from coyote food to Queen Bee as this couple treats her as their own child--she has plenty to eat, goes on daily walks, has a fancy collar, and sleeps IN the bed with them.  Honestly one of my most favorite rescue stories.

Before/after pic

Living her BEST LIFE!!!

Momma #2:  This poor momma had 4 puppies but she began having seizures shortly after they were born.  The momma passed away and so did 3 of her pups.  The last surviving pup was taken in and raised by Momma #3.

Momma #3:  Again, no given name so I called her "Jilly-boo."  (All these names come from a family favorite children's book--Skippy Jon Jones).  This amazing momma took in the orphan along with her 2 babies born and she did a TREMENDOUS job raising them.  She was an excellent mother.  Potty trained from day one of having her so she pretty much had run of our whole house because we trusted her completely.  Her pups were just days old when I found them.  So they spent pretty much their entire lives in my house right up until they were adopted between 8-10 weeks old.

Nutella

Ivy

Violet

These 3 cuties grew up before our eyes and turned into these adorable pups:

Momma of the Year--Jillyboo!

It was a ROUGH day when I had to take Jillyboo back to her home on the Rez as the family wanted her back.  It broke my heart when she tried to jump back into the truck with me.  But she was never my dog and I promised to bring her back.  I cannot bring myself to go back to the property to check on her.  I sure hope she is still alive.  I tried getting her fixed but she had tick fever and the vet could not fix her.  She needed medicine but the owners would not give it to her.  So this is one of my failure stories.  I'm sure there will be many more stories like this as I continue to move forward.  

After many many hours working on getting puppies adopted and females spayed and returned home, I was feeling like I was making some progress--I had taken 9 females out of the reproduction ring on the Rez through adoptions/spays--then BAM!  I get a text telling me that there were 11 MORE PUPPIES BORN.

So here I go again.  I went to check on the puppies shortly after birth.  They were fine and in a good place.  I had a date that I would come back and get them.  I had just gotten rid of my last foster pup on a Sunday, Rocco had surgery on Monday, then on Wednesday, I got a text from the owner telling me the puppies HAD to be moved that night!  2 weeks earlier than I had anticipated.  But they were in danger so Chris and I went out to the Rez that night--forgetting any flashlights and with only our cell phone lights--and rounded up the 11 puppies and their mother.  So I had a DOZEN extra dogs at my house for a month!!!  I named them all the reindeer names and the shelter had them ALL ADOPTED within 3 days of their availability!!!  Seriously one of my most favorite litters EVER!  They are lab mixes and just had the best personalities.  They were a TON of work and I just loved them.  

We had to put our 15 year old beagle, Sofia, to sleep this September--it's was a TOUGH fall for me all around with my dogs/puppies.  I knew instantly that I was going to keep one of the 11 puppies.  I let Lost Our Home know right away that I was keeping one.  They were extremely supportive of it and even took care of ALL of my pup's shots and surgery and would NOT let me pay for anything.  I have been fostering for them for almost 3 years now and they thought it was the least they could do for me.  So MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME!!!  I got my new little girl--Lola Mae!!!

Helping me wrap presents:)

We had to put a cage around our tree this year.
She was eating all the ornaments!!!

My male beagle, Rocco, has always been a submissive dog to a fault!!!  Seriously will roll over and show his belly to anyone!  I stopped taking him to the dog park because every time I turned around, he was getting beat up or mounted!  And so the pattern continues as we can see that he willingly takes the smaller dog bed over HIS OWN large bed...

Me and my pathetic pups:)

Halloween 2019!

Halloween is about a 6 week celebration in our house.  We start setting up mid-September.  I saw this great idea on Facebook about "Doll in the Hall" instead of the "Elf of the Shelf" and could NOT wait to start this tradition in our home as we are SOO over the Elf thing:)

So we found our doll at our local Deseret Industry and we named him "Gage."  (Just like the Gage from Pet Sematary).  And we had the BEST time moving him around from day to day.  

Gage started off in Max's room.  Max got home late that night and apparently wouldn't sleep with Gage in the room.  So Max moved him to the kitchen--RUDE!--he really shouldn't have touched the doll.  He was lucky that he didn't die 7 days later:)

Gage also rode to school with the kids:  (Ethan has this pop-out cup holder middle section in the back seat of his car.  It was as if this seat was made just for Gage!  He fit perfectly!)

Here were a few of his other favorite places:

These we "mysteriously" left out on our countertop...

AND THEN...just when we thought that "Doll in the Hall" couldn't get any better...BAM!  This little girl showed up on my husband's desk at work.  OH MY HECK!  How I wish I could take credit for this idea too!  I actually wanted to keep this doll because I thought she was so beautifully painted but NO WAY!  We do NOT disrespect Halloween traditions.  We promptly passed her on to another house (and parked across the street to watch--we laughed until we cried:) .

It was SOO MUCH FUN that we decided to get a few more of these dolls out there in circulation to deserving families (that didn't have young kids that would be freaked out:) . Many people don't know that my husband is an AMAZING artist.  He created these beauties:

We actually kinda hoped that one of these dolls would end up back to our house but they didn't.  But that's okay.  We'll paint more for next year:)

We once again went to the 13th Floor Haunted House in Phoenix.  On any given day I would take a bullet for any one of my kids but here...they are my human shields:) . Max actually held my hand through most of the house.

Halloween Day/Night:  The students are allowed to dress up for Halloween at Heritage so they take full advantage of this:

Max-Rocky
Tatum-Crayon
Ethan-Burger King Employee

Max and Ethan had big plans for the night.  It took weeks to plan out their costumes.  It's NOT about the candy AT ALL for them.  They are seriously just out for the reactions.  (Ethan even carried around candy inside his costume to hand out to little kids who weren't too afraid to come up to him:) . Tatum still wants the candy and went out with a friend just for this reason--she was a "Plague Doctor."

Max and Friends

Then the Branch Missionaries asked Max to come for a "special visit" where all the missionaries in our area (including sisters) would be.  Max of course was on board.  Ethan drove him over there and even though I was not there, I was told that he "nailed it."  There was cussing, screaming, crying, a possible broken toe from trying to run away (turned out to be just a bad sprain thank goodness:) It was a PERFECT way for Max to wrap up his favorite night of the year:)