An Ode to Grace.

Yesterday, we said our final goodbye to Gracie Lou.  Our beloved pup, of almost 15 years.

And I say puppy, because anyone who knew Grace knows that she never really grew out of "the puppy stage"... one of the many things about her that was so unique.

She's the only dog I knew who loved garden vegetables, became "fake pregnant" -- lactating and all -- not once but twice, and who had a LOVE for us the size of Texas.

If you're not a dog person (or pet person), I don't expect you to understand... but if you are, then you know that a dog is part of the family.  That's why saying "goodbye" is so hard... you are losing a part of your family.   And the funny thing is, Grace was never really intended to be "my" dog.  Zac and Lance bought her together...  a bird dog, to hunt with them and retrieve waterfowl.  But when Zac & I got married and bought a house, she needed to be rescued from her outdoor kennel life and given some love, and so she moved in with us.

I've combed through my computer and found over ONE THOUSAND photos that I've taken of Grace from the last 15 years.  And somehow, I don't have a single photo of her as a puppy... but I've got plenty of others to share...

If you've never had the pleasure, meet Grace:

a dog of many expressions.

a LOVER, always in your face and at your feet.

a helper, always by your side, for any and all projects.

playful; she would spend hours playing fetch with her duck.

an adventurer... she loved wood walks in the winter & water play in the summer.

my walking buddy.

a protector, especially of small children, and a FRIEND.

She was alwayyyys hungry.

And her most favorite thing to do in all the land, was to drink water straight from the facet.

Grace has been with us through the best of times, and through the worst of times.

We will miss this pup something fierce, but I am so thankful for all the joy she brought us, and all the precious memories that we've made with her.

Give your pup an extra squeeze today.

Man, this week was a parenting doozy.

I usually try to keep this space light & happy, but sometimes life isn't light & happy.  Sometimes it downright sucks... which was the case for us this week.

So I'm gonna vent a little bit in this space... and then I'll try to change my crappy attitude by the end of my rant, and hopefully feel better since getting it off my chest.

Ellis helped us earn a new Parenting Badge this week.  The one that reads something like: "We Survived Hell Week!"

Between vomiting, scary fevers, uncontrollable coughing, rapid breathing, wheezing, doctor appointments, WAITING AT THE PHARMACY FOR TWO HOURS (<--- can you tell that one really fires me up?) nebulizer treatments, steroids, antibiotics, constipation, then diarrhea, trying to get him to eat/drink & no sleep... this momma and daddy are TIRED.

You know, I really used to love the changing of the seasons that we get to experience in northeast Wisconsin, but I'm starting to despise winter, because these last two years have been nothing but sickness in our home.

I know - because I've been told many times - that babies who go to daycare are allegedly more sick early on, but once they go to school, they are supposed to have immune systems that could fight off North Korea.

And I also know - because I've been told many times - that even "healthy" kiddos will have 7-12 different colds/viruses/sickies a year.

But when your baby is sick more than he's not sick, you start questioning what YOU are doing wrong.

And, trust me, I also know that we could have it SO much worse.  And honestly, I really do pray for all those families who have kiddos much sicker than ours.  My heart breaks for you.

But when you're in the trenches, it sucks.

When your baby is having trouble breathing, it sucks.  And it's downright scary.
And when you're on your 7th day of sooo little sleep, even snagging a hang nail on your sweater will make you cry.

Multiple times week, I've had to physically shout say all of my Blessings out loud... and remind myself that if God brings me to it, he will bring me through it.

Friends, if you're in the trenches this week, remember this: If God brings you to it, he will bring you through it.  And keep repeating it until you believe it.

And, I'm also giving you a big, sterile - free from bacteria/living microorganisms, totally clean internet HUG, so that you don't get whatever virus was in our house week.

Christmas Time | 2018

What a month December was!

We spent all month getting ready for Christmas, starting with getting the tree (click here if you missed that post).
We kept our tree pretty Plain Jane this year, with shatterproof ornaments, because I didn't know how Ellis would be with it.
Overall, he was pretty good with leaving it alone, but a few times I would find a random ornament tucked away somewhere in the house, and I'm pretty sure it didn't walk off the tree by itself :)

My mom had a brilliant idea to give Ellis his own felt Christmas Tree, that he could decorate and re-decorate as much as his little heart desired.
Also, she HANDMADE this and all those little ornaments... isn't she awesome?!

We used Kelle Hampton's Holiday Bucket List this year to get in the Holiday spirit & we checked quite a few things off the list, including:

Making a red & green paper chain garland count down to Christmas, as well as homemade paper snowflakes that we hung in the kitchen window.

Ellis was a huge help, clearly.


We took a ride one evening to go look at Christmas lights.   Ellis would shout, "Ohhh, pwwwretty!" and "more, more, more!" It was so stinkin' cute.

We tried to visit Santa a couple times; neither time was well received by Ellis.  About as close as Ellis was willing to get to Santa, was Santa's mailbox.  Maybe next year he will actually sit on Santa's lap?

We decorated Christmas cookies.

We watched Christmas movies in the "big bed" (our bed).

We all wore matching Christmas jammies as a family, and Ellis had coordinating jammies with his cousins as well. <3

And then, Christmas morning... 

Ellis slept in until 6:00AM!  This is a major improvement from his usual 4:45 AM wake ups.  It was a Christmas miracle!

This first thing Ellis did was inspect Santa's cookie plate... Santa ate them all up and only left two sprinkles behind, which Ellis promptly ate.

He got busy unwrapping gifts right away...

That kitchen & this snow globe were the fan favorites (his crossed eyes, haha!!)

The day after Christmas, it was a balmy 40 degrees, so we even got outside to play.

^picking up left over corn to feed the deer

And then, to rejuvenate ourselves after the hustle & bustle of Christmas, we wrapped up the week with a mini-staycation.  We only traveled about 50 miles from home, but it might as well have been Disney World...

I mean, jumping on the bed & swimming in the pool.  Best gifts we could have ever given him.
I hope he's always this easy to please :)

***********

I'm so grateful for all the memories that we've made during this season, and all the wonderfully festive celebrations that we got to participate in this year.

I think we had 6 Christmas celebrations in 5 consecutive days... and all you parents out there know that the holidays with a young kid(s), is not for the faint of heart.  Still though, it's so fun to experience the joy of Christmas through the eyes of a child.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season & tucked away some new memories.

May 2019 bring you bountiful blessings, health, and happiness!

Family Photos 2018

If you caught Kasey & Ben's blogpost, you already know this, but when Kasey posted about their Limited Edition Cozy Cabin sessions on Facebook, I tagged Zac and told him I wanted it for our anniversary.

Truly, there is no better gift for me than a photo memory; I've talked about that before here.
So I was elated when Zac surprised me & booked it all on his own!

Take a peek at some (ok, like 30) of my favorites:

All photos by Kasey & Ben Photography

Couldn't you just EAT HIM UP!

Thank you Kasey & Ben!  We will cherish these forever.

And MERRY CHRISTMAS to all our family & friends.  We wish you the blessings of peace, the beauty of hope, the spirit of love, and the comfort of faith this holiday season.