Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!  I hope your hearts are bursting at the seams with joy this season.  Today our children at home opened their gifts bright and early.  Our family celebration, though, will be tomorrow as my daughter is arriving from MA.  I am starting to get excited.  Girls seem so much different than boys, don't they?  They are so unique and special, but in very different ways.  A lot of what I do goes un-noticed it seems when it comes to my boys. The girls really noticed and looked forward to the little things, stuff the boys don't seem to notice or care about.

However, I wish to keep at it.  I want them to be used to beauty and loving details so that they will seek it out on some level when they are grown.  I guess I am saying I want to set a certain standard.  I am NOT a perfectionist, no where near one, and I am not all that creative nor competitive.  So I am not talking about a standard that will make a nightmare for someone down the road.  I am just speaking of love, attention, and care toward things that give an extra special feel to a home, tradition, or celebration.

But I digress....
I was talking about our Christmas.  Our mantle is decorated very cute.  It's not quite what I wanted to achieve being our first few months in our new home, but it's well on the way.  Now that we can settle and stay, we can add to it each year until we have a cozy little wonderland.  ;0)

Our new pup sure puts a damper on things, too, as he chews, pulls and knocks down everything within reach.  Since he is a labrador, it won't be long before everything is in his reach.  We will be enrolling in puppy Kindergarten REAL soon and I absolutely cannot wait!  I hope to get some help with this biting especially.  It's unbearable, and getting his attention.  I find it hard to get his attention.  The way I feel in having dealt with him for 3 weeks is I am thinking I have gotten myself a somewhat dominant dog, not agressive, but dominant.  Not perhaps the best choice with a house full, but I am confident with a lot of work and dedication we will get thru puppyhood and enter into a fulfilling life long friendship with this sweet dog.  I want him to have a full and rewarding life, so it is imperative that he accept his role as bottom dog of our pack.  Imagine the life of a dog, loved by all due to his good manners and able to come everywhere we go, welcomed by all.  That is what I want for him.  NOT a lonely life of being left alone when we go on a family outing or in a kennel when we go away because he is too unruly.

He is doing great on his housetraining, though there are accidents still, and he sleeps in our bedroom on the floor atop his little doggie bed.  He's great with that.  Just the biting and chewing the house up...oh and having to  keep the cats and him apart.....ugh!  I'll keep ya posted on him and post pics as he grows, he's too cute, but camera shy for sure.

 
Back to Christmas..... ;0)

Today I am making cinnamon rolls and all the things that my sweet daughter misses about home.  Spiral sliced ham with brown sugar glaze, turtle pie for dessert tomorrow night, oh and peppermint hot chocolate--can't forget that!  Things that are particular to our family and she doesn't get elsewhere!!  We will be splicing wires and relighting the tree especially for her arrival (dog clean chewed thru one strand and throughly pulled a lot of them as well) She made such a point of missing and wanting things that it perked me right up and made me excited again to prepare for it.  She is also excited to meet Coopersaurus (puppy Cooper's nick name, and quite fitting!).  I was even able to borrow a small cheap camera.  Not the greatest pics perhaps, but better than my Canon Rebel with NO FLASH.  One day I WILL replace that, I really really will! 

I wish you all the peace and joy of Christmas, to overflowing in your hearts as we reflect on the miracle of Christ's birth and the hope and peace that brings to all who believe.  It would be very easy to be depressed and despondent this year, with several loved ones gone, and being in a new place where we are away from friends and family, but when reflecting on Him and what He's done for us and what that means I can't help but be thankful and joyous. I wish you all a blessed, adventurous and meaningful new year!!!