Merry Christmas Eve!

It is Christmas eve, and for the first time in three years, we won't have a white Christmas.  Last year, we had a very snowy white Christmas, we also had snow the year before.  Today, it is just clear and cold.  I have mixed feelings about it.  I love the snow.  I don't love the driving around in it.  The Pacific Northwest gets some snow every year, and every year we are just as unprepared for it.

Part of it is our geography (Very hilly) and part of it is the actual snow itself.  Normally when it snows, it is a little wetter here, and we have fluctuating temperatures, so it gets slushy during the day, and then freezes at night, which makes for very icy roads.  Two weeks ago, we did have a nice snow day.  Other than two unlucky people ending up in our ditch before the snow was done, we had a very fun and uneventful day.  Below are some pictures of what we do on our new little farm in the snow...

This is early on in the day.. when we had just a bit of snow.. Notice the tracks on the lawn.. made by Macgyver..

This is a picture of the small garage in the front and the barn in the back... notice I now have FENCE posts in.. Yeahhhhh... These will be for the paddocks.

This is what Macgyver and Paco did most of the day.. Tear up all the nice snow in our mammoth parking lot..lol

Since one of the quads is taken apart right now for rebuilding, Oldest son decided to try out the Honda scooter in the snow.. He wiped out right after this picture.. and no he was not harmed in any way.  he was going about 2mph. Yes, I did yell at both him and Macgyver to get their helmets on.

Here is Paco on my quad.. he had a great time with it.

Here is oldest deciding his car might do better to keep up with the others.

Even Hurley and Sissy got in on the play.

Have a VERY Merry Christmas!!!!!

Hercules! Hercules!!

He came to us with the name Hercules!

Now he is known to us as Hurley.  We absolutely love this new addition to our family.  I was going to wait until Saturday, when our two week trial period was over to post this, but I just can't wait!

I have wanted a Basset for some time, and I am so thrilled that he was kind of an early Christmas Present to myself.

We found him at the Basset Rescue of Washington.  A wonderful woman named Pat runs the rescue.  You can read about them HERE.

This is our picture when we picked him up here!

He has settled in so well.  It is like he has always been here.  Bella and Mack are slowly warming up to him, Bella will be the last hold out on this.  She is so funny about it.  She wants so badly to play with him and like him, but she just can't get over herself.  She is the princess Jack Terror after all.

Here are a couple of pictures of our new family member!

 

I will post more pictures soon,
I hope everyone else gets what they want for Christmas!

Christmas is coming

First off, Thank you for those that commented on my last post. 
I know that I was whining a bit, and feeling a little bad.  My mom has been gone for 4 years now, and sometimes the losses my family has had, is a little overwhelming.

I have decided to pull myself up and out of the funk and am concentrating on the good things.

This week is a little crazy, since I don't get any time off except for Christmas day.  I usually have Christmas eve off, but with our crazy year I have used up my PTO and then some.

Every year, Christmas seems to sneak up on me more and more.  This year is no different.  I am looking forward to Christmas Day this year, however.  We will have our good friends, the baby, my younger sister and the boys at our house.  My oldest is bringing his wonderful girlfriend and their new dog.

This cracks me up because we will have 5 dogs in the house for a time on this day.  What I haven't blogged about yet, because we are still on our two week trial is the addition to our family.  I promise that this weekend, I will do a post on that and include pictures.  This coming Saturday marks the end of our trial period and then he will be permanent.

Back to Christmas is coming.... I have caught up on most things, and I only have a few last minute things to do to prepare.  I got some barn time in this last weekend, and on Sunday, Macgyver came and helped me with Barn chores.  This was pretty encouraging as he normally does not come to the barn with me.  I really appreciated his help, as I was cleaning stalls for my trainer/friend because they were down South doing Christmas with parts of their family.

I am putting together some treats for the horses tonight, and plan on going to the barn after work.  I will not ride probably until Saturday, and that is okay, since one of the girls are riding him today and another advanced Student is taking her lesson on him tomorrow. 

This is a new development for me.. sharing him.  I have been very reluctant to let anyone other than my trainer and her daughter ride him.  I have really not been good at sharing, and really it has been fine, since I pay the bills for him..lol

This Christmas week is a little different too, since I am working on Christmas eve.  We are planning on having a very low key evening.. but we are going to observe some traditions.. Any one else having a different Holiday this year as opposed to years past?

One of our favorite traditions on Christmas eve, is opening one gift.  Everyone gets to choose one item to open "early".  There is much agonizing over which one to open.  It usually starts out with our youngest declaring he "knows" what is in each gift, and him trying to pick out what he "wants".. Some years, he is right on, and others.... which are far more hilarious, when he is completely off and opens something he didn't expect! 
We do this after dinner, after the dishes are done and dessert is served.  Once the gift is opened, we make popcorn and drinks (hot chocolate for the minors, and baileys and hot chocolate for the adults), and put in our traditional holiday movie.
We watch a Christmas Story every Christmas eve.  It is one of our favorites, and we all know it by heart..

After the movie, I make up our traditional Christmas morning breakfast, and then we might play a game or head to bed, depending on how late it is.
Then the elves get busy on the Santa Gift and stockings, and on Christmas morning, the boys open their Santa gift and stockings before breakfast. 

Does anyone still do Santa gifts for their older Children? 
This gift is usually the "big one" in our family.
I remember almost every Santa gift I have recieved from when I was little... Some of the more lavish ones..

When I was 15, I received a Saddle, Bridle, and Saddle pad.. This is a story in itself, and I will do a separate post on it.

When I was 17, I received a Big white fluffy robe, with car keys in the pocket.. again.. another story in and of itself... that was a very memorable Christmas

This year, our oldest is 19, so his Santa gift is not as big.

The youngest is receiving a small "gift to open" because his big gift is his snowboarding trip.  The snowboarding trip is actually 8 weekends of snowboarding.. transportation, lift ticket to Baker, and spending money.. all in all about 500.00.. so that is his "Santa" gift.

A couple years ago.. it was his 85cc yamaha dirt bike
and The oldest received his Yamaha Keyboard.

Does anyone else go over the top for their kids on Christmas?  We do, and I think it is a direct link from how my Christmases were for me... Anyone else have extravagant Christmases growing up?

Time to get back to work, and finish making my to-do lists for the rest of the week!  Happy Christmas week to all.. it is only three days away now.

Post Holiday Something

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

I know that we did.  I know because I had thirteen wonderful people in my house eating dinner and I spent the day cooking with my mother-in-law.  They leave today and I am sad.

My own mom passed away four years ago, and I made her wonderful cinnamon rolls on Thanksgiving morning, which helps me to remember how absolutley wonderful she was and it makes me also miss her so much more!

Having my wonderful mother-in-law here makes it better.

MacGyver is from Alaska.. a small town in Alaska.  His parents came down last week to spend the holiday with us and it was fabulous.  We visited, they shopped, and then we ate, and ate, and ate some more..

This last weekend his mom helped me do something I have been wanting to do for a year.  Set up my sewing machine and get sewing!  I made two dog toys last night and I am going to make several more this week.  Then I will tackle a REAL pattern and see what happens.

I have wanted to learn to sew for a very long time.  I am so excited to be learning now, and can't wait to get started and take some classes!

My first real pattern project will be pajama pants.  Wish me luck, I will be cutting my pattern out this week and attempting to sew them together this weekend. 

I know that one of my motivating factors in learning to sew is horse related.. I really want to be able to make some cool stuff for my horse, and for me to wear.  I am nowhere near being ready to tackle anything difficult, but I am really looking forward to figuring it all out.

I noticed last night while I was sewing the little dog toys, I was hooked!  Totally hooked.  I have a very nice simple beginner machine that my lovely Hubby got me last year for Christmas and I never had the time to get it set up and working since we embarked on the real estate craziness this last year.  Now that we have a house,  I am planning on really taking on some of these cool projects I see everywhere!

This week's Joy

A great deal of things brought me joy this week.

Being able to finish up the house projects has brought me joy. 

But These guys are who REALLY brought me some joy this week!

She just makes me smile!

he has been such a helper and his honesty this week about how upset he still is over losing his dad when he was so little.. really impressed me.  It took a lot of guts for him to open up to me like that.  I love this kid

McGyver.. cause he is INCREDIBLE guy.. and the way he has tuned in to Paco.. made me fall in love with him even more.  He is a pretty amazing guy and brought me much joy by finishing up a mirror.. which I will post all about this weekend!  Our first Transformation!!!!

Bubba Started High School

No real news on the Real Estate Front.. Well there is actually but I am trying not to jinx things by talking about it.. sooo.. since we are ever all consumed with that topic these days.. and I am really trying to focus on something other than the fact that three months later, summer is over and my youngest has gone back to school while living in the trailer.. NOT what we had imagined!

Back to school.... he is in 9th Grade.  This is where things start to count.  Really count.  The fact that my baby is now in high school is really kind of freaking me out.  I have a grown child and one in high school.

HOW DID THAT HAPPEN??????  I swear I have been paying attention.  I don't feel old enough to have these boys who are now almost men... How can I reconcile that I still feel like I am playing at being a grown up sometimes and the fact that one of my babies is now a "grown up".. only in the legal sense.. otherwise he is still a clueless teenager.

Beautiful boys.. How I wish they were still little.  I will have to post my favorite pictures of them soon.. but alas.. everything that is not digital is still in storage.. so for now.. I will have to post a couple of pictures of them that I like..

 Paco pillow fighting with the camera

 

 Cody playing the guitar at my wedding a couple of years ago

Handsome man!

I really miss them being little, but I love the people they are becoming.. dumb teenage stuff and all.

High School will be interesting with the youngest.. he is VERY different from his brother..  and when I need to snuggle a little one.. I still have the bug:

Happy Thursday.. I am keeping my fingers crossed for good news today.

Velvet Cows

We are going to miss another closing.  For some weird reason, I am completely calm about all of this today.  I know that I will probably start hyperventilating on Sunday when it hits me that we don't have a house to move into and I will be dropping young Padewan off at School each morning and picking him up from my sisters each day when I drop off the baby. 

Since we were supposed to move this weekend and that has been cancelled, my sister informed me that I would be going to the fair with her.  I don't seem to have a choice in the matter.

My husband has told me that He is NOT going.  He hates crowds, lines and inflated prices on any given day, but put them all together at the fair grounds.. that is a recipe for a very unhappy husband.  So.. it will most likely just be the sister, the baby (hers), the teenager(mine), and myself. 

I Heart Fairs....I love to look at the horses and feel that Beau is more beautiful than any of the horses at the fairgrounds.  I love to see all the different dogs, chickens and goats.  We love to see the pigs and most of all.. we love to look at the cows.  Dairy cattle are just cool to me.. especially the Jersey cows.. I think their coats look like Velvet.. I used to call them Velvet Cows when I was little..

See this:

 

They are soooo sweet looking!

I wanted to take one home and keep it in the backyard.  I used to believe that I could have random amounts of animals at any given time in my backyard.  My parents disagreed.. They were absolutely NO fun!

Going to the fair is so much fun for me.. and to get to go with the baby for the first time is a huge bonus for me.  I get to be the nana that took Ally to the fair.  

Paxton just wants to ride the rides, so I am not sure how that will work.  Unless he can take a friend, and that friends parent gives them money for a wristband and food.. Paco will be solo.

Since we are not moving.. I have many things to do.. and less to do.. It is bizarre how that translates.

I have to cancel the horse moving, and let my current place know he is staying for another thirty days.. and I have to call the school and see what we have to get for supplies and schedule.. since he is not changing districts.. and I have to rifle through the storage units to try and find my passport..

I have been saying my favorite prayer all morning.. "Little Jesus, lost and found, please bring my "passport" around."

I believe very strongly in prayer... even though I have moved away from my church.. and that means more than the physical location.. my faith is under a test right now and I am really finding that I yearn for another church now.  Another topic for another day.

The little Jesus prayer has brought most things back to me.. including my son's bike that was stolen a few weeks ago.. I said that prayer every day for three days.. and someone found the bike and returned it... so.. saying it sure couldn't hurt since I have to "find" the box I put it in... about three months ago.. thinking it was a temporary thing...

We are looking at a house this evening that has "wife's dream house" written all over it.  I am hopeful but not excited, since my hopes have been dashed far too many times this summer.. but I continue to be optimistic, because the alternitive is just too crappy to think about.

Thursday is the day before Friday.. which means the weekend and the Fair are just around the corner.. Hmmm Roasted corn on the cob, Fair Burgers and Scones.. Here I come!!!.. and hopefully I can pet a Velvet Cow while I am there.

I love me a Friday

I love Friday. When you work the standard work week of five days, Monday through Friday, Friday is the end of the weekly journey at work.

I like my job. I love my time off.

This weekend is the annual family reunion weekend. Which means that it won't be the sleep filled, relax by the fire with a glass of wine, stare at my cute husband while he fiddles with the fire, kind of weekend.

Instead, it will be a weekend filled with sharing an RV with my sister, her boyfriend, the baby and my teenager. It will be filled with Jello Shots, Captain and Dr. Pepper, potluck and Horse shoe tournaments. It will also be filled with long grass, fires, grilled oysters, duck dashes and raffles. It might be filled with a couple of brawls.. (They are a bit redneck), and several hangovers. It will also be filled with laughter, babies, kids crying, back slapping and trash talk over "throwing the shoes".. or as one of my most favorite cousin puts it.. "throwing the hornnnnssss".

I have some messed up family members.. but boy howdy are they fun, entertaining and would give you the shirt off of their back.. literally.. if you needed to wipe up a spill or something.

I promise to take some photos.. I am bringing both the little Nikon and the big Lumix and hope to stay sober enough at least for a few hours to snap some family memories.

Here are a couple of photos from past reunions....
Sister pre-baby with her other baby Booker.. He is much bigger than Sissy.. and we think he is pretty cool
Because someone dared him to do it.. and Doc doesn't take a dare lightly..


Favorite cousins son.. who is now 16.. and this kid will be famous.. He is the most comedic kid with the best timing I have ever known.. They call him Derf..LOL.. and Chainsaw... and B... and a host of other nicknames.. He races dirtbikes like my son.. but he is much faster and has a lot more guts that the P does. I like him almost as much as my own boys.. He totally cracks me up.

Till Next week.. enjoy your family and weekend and I hope someone out there will get to have a small fire and a nice glass of wine.. and sleep in and stare at their cute other half.. while I go tend to the reunion.

Ciao...