Christmas Morning

Historically, I struggle with keeping my blog updated during December and January is overwhelming to me.  Posting during the busy holidays is next to impossible and then there is the thought of trying to give a Christmas update!  I think I might just hit the highlights.  Or, I might just post pictures without much commentary and let you use your imagination.  We'll just see where the posts take me...

We enjoyed a quiet Christmas at home with just our little family this year.  It was a busy week and a a half.  We were running everywhere and enjoying so many people that we love.  I was thankful that we were able to just enjoy our family on that special day.

 

Fred grew his beard out for the Mountain Man Rendezvous that he and Jonathan went on right before the new year.  

Sweet Mollie loves being the center of attention.

Our holidays were crazy, so Jessie decorated my tree for me! Thank goodness or it might not have gotten decorated.

We had a busy, but wonderful Christmas.  December just about did me in, but it was worth it.

A Look Back at Christmas Morning 2014

Last November, I posted my 30 Days of Gratitude and then I started a recap of Thanksgiving.  After that, I took about a 4 month sabbatical from my blog.  I can't even give you a good reason.  Mostly, I got behind and felt overwhelmed.  I never recapped Christmas.

So, I'm going to start December off with a few pictures from Christmas morning at our house last year.

The stockings were hung with care.  We had a couple of extra stockings (that you can't see) for Grandma and PawPaw Larry.

Here is our modest little tree.  There were more presents tucked around the corner.

One of our favorite ornaments

A house divided.  Most of us are dog people.  And, then there is Jessie.  She is cat people.  

We enjoyed having Grandma and PawPaw Larry spend Christmas with us last year.  We had such a nice Christmas.  We tried to make it a very memorable and special Christmas for them.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 6

I am thankful for this crazy dog!  Mollie loves to get up early in the morning with me and makes sure that she gets her morning Greenie.  If it is the weekend, there is a good chance that I will wake up to her whimpering and whining beside me.  All that whining is code for "Hey you, I need a treat.  I'm used to getting one at 5:45 a.m."  She is the sweetest dog in the world and I wouldn't trade her for anything!

Dog People

In life there are two kinds of people, dog people and cat people.  

We are all dog people in our house.  All of us.  Except for one.  She is cat people.   

I am dog people. Once upon a time, when I was a teenager, I thought I was cat people.  Turns out, I only liked MY cat, Miss Kitty. 

Nope, I'm dog people.

Harvey

This is Harvey.  I met Harvey this week while I was visiting a lady from my church.  He is a 9 month old chocolate colored Shih Tzu.  I am in love with Harvey.  He is crazy and sweet.  Would it be wrong for me to drop by and visit this lady every night?  Do you think she would figure out that I really like her, but I am head over heels in love with her dog.  He is so precious.  If you see reports of a dog named Harvey missing in Frisco, do not... I repeat do no check at my house.  I just might have stolen him.  He is THAT cute and sweet.

Plague of the June Bugs

Say What?  The sky's the limit this month!  What does this mean, exactly?

 My fortune says that the sky is the limit this month, but I don't know what that means.  Sunday night, I walked over to my friend Cara's to to help her build a balloon arch.  It wasn't as fancy as it sounds.  I started walking back after dark.  As I walked down her street, it was a nice spring night.  As soon as I turned on Galley Street, I was pelted by June bugs.  I had to keep my mouth closed so that I wouldn't accidentally swallow any.  Once I got inside, I could hear them hitting my bedroom window.  It was like the locust plague in one of the Little House on the Prairie books - I can't remember which one.

Then on Monday night, I took Mollie for a walk.  No June bugs this time.  We must have managed to get inside before June bug haunting hour.  But, I discovered a very important lesson about my pooper scooping bags.  I ran out and I bought green scented bags - just like my old ones.  One important difference.  I bought my old bags at Petco and my new bags at Walmart.  Lesson learned.  Never buy cheap pooper scooping bags.  Mollie and I were walking at a nice pace.  I wasn't letting her stop to smell or dawdle.  All of a sudden, she came to a hault and there was no continuing on.  She had business of the number two variety to do in someone's front yard.  I pulled out my new bags - two - I like to double bag.  The cheap bags wouldn't open for anything.  I finally got one open, but it seriously took a very long time. 

So, I ask you.  Is the sky really the limit?  What does that mean.  Does that mean that my luck is going to change?  Does that mean that I can listen to country music on the way in the morning or will Jess still ask to listen to show tunes or Disney?

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 9

I am thankful for the 16 years that we had with this sweet, neurotic girl.

I still miss her...

And, that's all I have to say about that.

30 Days of Gratitude - Day 4

I am thankful for this crazy girl.  We love our Mollie so much.  Right now she is driving me crazy.  I didn't make it out to PetSmart to buy her favorite Blue Buffalo dog food.  I bought her some Rachael Ray Nutrish dog food from Walmart instead.  Apparently, Mollie doesn't think Rachael's dog food is delish!  She went all weekend without eating and now I've been putting grilled chicken in her food bowl to get her to eat some of her food.  What a spoiled girl.  Gee whiz... what we do for our four legged babies.  We wouldn't have it any other way, though!

Meet Nimrod

Meet Nimrod.  Here he is lying on Jessie's bed while she sleeps.  I was walking back and forth between Jonathan's room and the living room.  And, he was just staring at me with his creepy eyes.  He is a creepy, weird cat.  Bless his little heart.

Jess was supposed to be "fostering" him.  Every time we talked about how he wasn't working out.  She would talk to his original owner and she would push for Jess to try just a little harder.  Before I knew it, this arrangement became more permanent.  It seems that no one was looking for Nimrod a permanent home.  And, there is a reason that he is called Nimrod.  He is not sharpest tool in the shed.   (I'm not sure if they named him after the Nimrod in the scriptures or the way that we currently use the word. But, my money is on the current definition of the word.)

There is also a reason why I am not fond of males (animals, that is).  I guess he can still smell our Princess, so he has proceeded to "mark" his territory.  Nothing smells worse than cat urine.  Most of his marking has been in Jessie's room where Princess spent most of her time.

I guess I'll never get that dog I really wanted... now that we are keeping Nimrod!  I love that Jonathan calls him Nimmie. Because, who names a cat Nimrod, after all.

I Want Another One

Let me tell you, I still use my paper calendar.  I can't help it.  I have my work meetings and appointments on my Outlook calendar.  However, personally, I need a good old fashion calendar.  I need to see it all laid out before me.  So, how sad has it been to look at Gracie's birthday all week.  All week, there has been a reminder that she should have been 17 on Monday.

She was crazy and annoying, but I loved her and I still miss her.  I haven't done anything with her ashes yet. They are hidden deep in the bottom of my dresser drawer.  Weird. I know.  At one point, I thought we've waited so long, we should just do it on her birthday.  Now, I guess we could just go ahead and do something with them on the one year anniversary of her death.  Which basically means I am procrasinating and there will always be a box of ashes in my dresser drawer.

I have decided that I am ready for another dog.  Not sure how I am ready for another dog if I'm not ready to take care of Gracie's ashes.  So, I said that I was never going to get another Shih tzu (I love them, but the grooming on two Shih tzus was killing me).  Then, I said that if I ever got another Shih tzu that I would never get another black and white Shih tzu. I now have dreams of cute little bug-eyed black and white Shih tzu.  I would probably rescue a dog rather than buying.  So, a black and white Shih tzu might not be in the cards, but it sure would be nice to have another Gracie-like dog hopping around our house again.

Miss Mollie

Happy, Happy Birthday Mollie!  Miss Mollie turned 6 on Sunday.  We love that crazy girl.  We are still on the fence and can't decide if we want to bring another dog into our home.  For right now, we will just stick with being a one dog and one cat owner.  So, if you have a small dog, bring her over!  Mollie likes to have friends come and play.

Gracie Photo Bombs

While sorting Christmas pictures, I found these sweet little photo bombs from our Gracie. 

We miss her so much!

Our cat, Princess is checking out the presents while Gracie is on her bed taking a much needed nap!

There is just a small glimpse of our sweet girl.  Probably headed for the doggy door.  She could care less about all the Christmas hoopla.

 This one is my favorite!  Her cute little booty heading out the doggy door.  It is a wonder she made it outside to do her business.  Usually, she was headed that way, but didn't quite make it.

We all miss our sweet girl, but know that we did the right thing.  We still have her ashes that we need to bury and that will be hard.  We were lucky to have such a wonderful dog for 16 years.

Saying Goodbye

We said goodbye to our four-legged pal, Gracie, on Saturday.  It was a sad day.  Gracie has been a part of our family for 16 years.  She is almost exactly one year younger than Jess.  Neither one of my kids know life without her.

Choosing to put her to sleep was dramatic and sad.  I didn't think it was fair for me to choose to end her life.  I felt that she needed to die naturally.  In the end, Gracie just didn't have any plans to die naturally and was suffering.  Thursday night was very rough and Fred said that we needed to let her go.  And, I angrily explained to him that he would be doing it by himself.  However, my heart softened.  I knew he was right and I certainly knew that I owed it to Gracie to be with her during her last moments.  She has been dependent on me for everything these last couple of years.  How could I leave her when she really needed me?

We didn't take her to our regular vet.  We took her to a friend's vet in East Plano.  Gracie is petrified of riding in the car.  She didn't make a sound the entire drive. The vet was so sweet and compassionate.  She made sure that I knew that we made the right decision and that I didn't feel guilty.  The act of euthanizing her was so sad and awful.  I will remember it forever.  When it was finally over, the sweet vet led us out the back door and told us we could call on Monday and let them know what arrangements we wanted made for Gracie.

It feels so different not having Gracie.  We miss her so much and there are reminders of her everywhere.  Having a senior dog is hard.  I wish we hadn't had to experience the last two years, but they were also really sweet years.

Mostly, I want to remember the crazy dog that drove us all nuts.  The dog that slept at the foot of our bed for way too many years.  The dog that stayed close to the kids waiting for food to fall.  The dog that loved to eat crayons.  The dog that stayed ever vigilant when Fred was out of town.  The dog that sat on my lap at all times.

We love and miss you, Gracie.  Our home will never be the same.

Little Miss Gracie

My sweet Gracie is 16 years old.  I took her to vet on Saturday and found out that she now weighs 6 pounds.  That is no good for a little Shihtzu that once weighed 12 pounds in her heftiest days.  It is so sad watching your family friend get old.  I always thought I would know when it was time to put her down.  Sadly, I don’t think I will.  Fred and Jessie keep telling me it is time.  Jonathan and I, we are in denial.  We believe her quality of life is ok.  We’ve changed her food and we’re trying medicine.  And, we’re cleaning up lots of accidents.  The saddest of all is holding her in my arms, because you can feel bones – lots and lots of bones. 

You know I love this dog, because I’ve switched her to canned dog food.  This food is expensive, but that is not where the love comes in.  I swore I would never feed one my animals canned food, because it is so disgusting.  It stinks… it makes my house stink… it makes them stink… worst of all, it makes Gracie’s poop stink (she has fecal incontinence).  I just go around spraying Febreze Apple and Spice room spray.

She has been eating better and that is what counts.  So, hopefully, little Miss Gracie can be happy for a little while longer.   

September in Pictures: Do Not Be Afraid

 

That poor kitty seemed apprehensive, but sat calmly for a little preschool loving.

 

 

"Character is the one thing we make in this world and take with us into the next."

 

-Ezra Taft Benson

Sweet 16

Our Gracie celebrated her 16th birthday on Sunday.  We got her when our little Jessie was just a year old.  Jonathan was excited when I announced that it was her birthday.  For whatever reason, that has always been my goal for Gracie.  I wanted her to live to see her 16th birthday.  The first thing Jonathan asked was if we thought she would see her 17th birthday and what about her 18th birthday.  We just told him it was unlikely she would make it to her 18th birthday and that we would have to wait and see on her 17th birthday.

Who knows how long our girl has left.  She is small and frail and not as spry as she once was, but she is happy and healthy and that is what counts!

Angry Dogs

Mollie went to the vet on Tuesday.  She has gained a little weight and had to bump up to the blue box of heartworm pills.  She and Gracie have always shared the purple box for skinny minnies under 12 pounds.  Mollie now weighs 12.5 pounds.  Her vet wasn't concerned with her weight, but I have noticed that Mollie and I have both added a little weight over the winter months.  Gracie's weight has slipped to a very fragile 8.2 pounds, and I think Mollie is putting on some sympathy pounds.  Mollie and I talked about how shameful it is that we haven't been watching our girlish figure and vowed to exercise more.  Sadly, the weather hasn't cooperated.  We went for a nice brisk walk on Tuesday and then Wednesday and Thursday were wet and cold.  Today was a nice day for a walk, so we went right after work, since everyone in our house was going different directions and didn't expect dinner.

I have read the Cesar Milan books and watched his videos.  I know how these walks are supposed to work.  I keep my girl on a short leash and we are about the business of walking.  We don't sniff.  We don't do our business, unless it is 2.  I figure that kind of business is serious.  The other kind of business is about letting every dog in the Preston Lakes subdivision know that Mollie Fortenberry was here.  Kind of like writing your name on the bathroom wall.  And, let me tell you, Mollie is the kind of girl that would write her name on every bathroom wall, if I would let her.

Mollie is the sweetest dog ever.  I really didn't realize how grouchy Gracie was until we brought Mollie into our lives.  She loves everybody and loves every situation (except swimming).  After using her best manners, I did reward her when some moms asked if their toddlers could pet her.  She was super sweet and so were they.  I was feeling quite proud of myself as the master of the beautiful dog that I had on the leash.

Now, this brings me to my complaint.  We have a duck pond in our neighborhood.  I love the duck pond.  My kids have enjoyed it and so have both my dogs.  Plus, I have enjoyed it as an exercise tool.  However, I often avoid it, because it seems more trouble than it is worth.  Once, I was walking my Gracie around the duck pond when I was warned by an older gentlemen to be careful.  I didn't quite catch his drift until I realized that I was approaching an area where his unleashed dog was and she attacked my unsuspecting Gracie.  There are no ifs ands or buts about it that is completely wrong.  There are leash laws and your dog should be on a leash.  What if my Gracie had been a small child instead?

Now, my next complaint is me being cranky. What makes me uncomfortable is that we usually meet dogs that are on leashes, but they are big and unfriendly.  So, their masters have to use all of their strength to hold their dog back while me and my happy dogs pass through.  It is uncomfortable for everyone and if we are making laps around the duck pond then you have to meet them several times and that makes it even more uncomfortable.  Tonight, we met two dogs, and neither were friendly towards other dogs.  One was a smaller Benji looking dog.  I noticed that the owners moved off to the side and surrounded the dog.  This dog made all kinds of growly noises while we passed.   Just seconds later, we met a lady with a beautiful 3-legged Husky that would have given anything to have eaten Mollie for supper.  I know that both of these families had the right to enjoy the duck pond, but I just want to enjoy my nice little pond without having to dodge angry dogs. 

I guess, I feel like there are areas in our neighborhood where they would be less likely to encounter other dogs.  However, maybe I need to be the one that is more tolerant.  Maybe, the duck pond is just an easier area for them to get their unfriendly dogs out of the way and let people pass by.  I guess I just need to be less cranky. The moral of my rant is that  I should learn to be more like Mollie and less like the 3-legged Husky.

P.S.  I am not sure how much I am going to be able to post.  My computer is not a happy camper.  I think it needs professional help, but Fred is trying to fix it instead.  Just in case you were wondering, he doesn't know what he is doing.

Crazy Mollie

This is crazy Mollie!  She is beautiful when she is freshly groomed, but give her about a week and she is stinky, messy and dirty.

We also can't have nice things or fun toys.  This was her little toy that she got from her four-legged pal Josie.  She ate half his face! 

I don't know what we are going to do with her.  I guess we'll keep her, because she is the happiest little thing I have ever met. 

Saturday, she escaped while we were unloading the groceries.  We didn't realize that the back door was open.  Literally, we discovered her missing within minutes.  We started walking through the alley looking for her.  I told the kids that I thought we should go to the pond, because that is her favorite place.  I was so scared, but in less than 5 minutes we found her.  She came strutting up to Jonathan like she was big stuff.  Did I mention that she was bad, too? 

But... I guess we'll keep her!

New Adventures of Old Gracie

 

Our Gracie is 15 years old.  This is my first time to have a pet of such an advanced age.

 

She requires eye drops and arthritis meds daily.

 

She poops often and doesn't even know when she poops (or at least acts like it).

 

And, not to be forgotten, she now has to be taken out for "potty" time like a puppy.  I take her out on a leash and the entire neighborhood can hear me squealing in a sing-song voice, "C'mon Gracie, let's go tee-tee."  It is important to note that many years ago, I was potty training a toddler and a puppy at the same time.  I don't recommend "tee-tee" as your potty word for a dog.

 

We have a doggy door and have had one for the last 13 years.  During the cold snap, Gracie was having a lot of accidents, so I started taking her out in the backyard on a leash.  She has now come to expect it.  She won't even try to wiggle her old lady body through the doggy door.  Even Mollie knows that we will all go outside together every morning and every evening (and in between). 

 

This morning (Saturday), I was greeted at 6:30 am by both dogs.  Gracie was standing beside my bed staring daggers in me.  She never barks.  Just stares at me.  Finally, Mollie started whimpering.  I guess she thought she better help the old girl out.  Why do I have a doggy door, again?  I have now conditioned both my dogs to think that I will physically take them out in the backyard every morning - even on the weekends.  Gracie was hopping around, so I know she was feeling good and could very well have made it through her door. 

 

I just try to remember that this is only for a short time, and not-so-long from now I will miss my Gracie and these early mornings.

Season of Joy: Day 13

Mollie's Christmas Shirt

It is time to pull out the warm shirts!  I tried to take a picture of Mollie's "Happy Howlidays" shirt, but she was too tired to pose.  A dog's life is so "ruff!"