My favorite time of the year!

The weekend after Thanksgiving, we got out all our Christmas decorations.  It was earlier than usual for us.  This is because Daddy Scrooge is in a much better mood this Christmas season, and pulled everything out without even being asked.   We are all very thankful for this. :)  Actually, I am so thankful for my wonderful hubby (even if he does get a little grumpy over the holidays).  He is the most amazing husband and father!

Sandy

Our beloved Sandy died this week.  We are devastated!  Since I keep this blog for the girls I am going to share some of our favorite things about Sandy because one day they will enjoy remembering.  Some of you may wonder why I would spend so much time writing about a dog.  To us, though, she was never just a dog.  She was a part of the family. 

I remember when we got Sandy, almost 12 years ago.  She was around 2 at the time ( a guess because she was a stray).  Bret and I were in Stamford, a tiny dirt town were he grew up.  He was playing basketball at a park with a friend, and I was sitting on a park bench watching him.  It was then that I noticed this group of boys chasing a little white dog.  She wouldn't let anyone get near her, and upon closer inspection, I wasn't sure who would want to.  She was filthy, covered in fleas and ticks, and her eyes were matted closed.   However, after watching these kids making a game out of chasing her, I was starting to feel really bad for the dog.  I guess she sensed it because that was the moment she decided to jump into my lap and hide her face under my arm.  Bret looked at me and said "we are not putting that dog in our car!"  I think you know who won that argument.  :)

So Sandy came home with Bret and I on the pretense that we would find her a home. We were newly married, and after a trip to the groomers and several trips to the vet to get her back in shape, we were in love.  Sandy became our first baby.  She was sweet, affectionate, and (despite her size) very courageous.  We have more than one funny story of Bret flying out of bed and running for his pistol because Sandy was barking ferociously at the end of our bed trying to protect us from whatever noise she heard.   She physically attacked the vacuum cleaner every time I used it, and would come close to breaking her teeth on the car window trying to bite trucks that drove past us on the road.  The only time she was afraid was when it thundered, and then her only comfort was to be touching someone in the family.

She had her world rocked each time we brought  another baby home from the hospital, but she always adapted well and learned to love them.  They became her napping buddies when they were small and her playmates as they grew older.  One of her favorite things to do was to ride in the car, especially if we were picking the girls up from school.  She would search all the kids till she found hers and you always knew when that was because she would let out a little yelp.  The day we brought Huck home, she was not nearly as pleased, but she even learned to love him!  At least once a day, she would stopped being queen bee of the Moon family pets, and play with him. He loved her, and it was so funny to watch a 15 pound dog and a 60 pound Boxer wrestle. Her best move was to swing her body around and hit him with her butt, knocking him off his feet. Even when he got way to big for this to work, she would still try it.

When she got sleepy, she loved being rocked, and would sleep right up against me at night, even under the covers if it was cold enough.  She greeted us every morning by crawling up to our pillows and laying her head on our face or neck to get us to rub the inside of her ears.  Anytime we got home, no matter how short our time away, she was at the door barking and yelping to greet us.
 
She was spoiled rotten but brought our family so much joy and companionship!  We miss her terribly. 

Happy Thanksgiving

Boo to colds but yay to winter pajamas!

Just when you think you can't take the heat anymore, cooler weather shows up!  I love the Fall.  The only problem is that this is also the time of year when the girls start catching every cold and virus they come across.  It's been a sickly week in the Moon household.  Fever, vomiting, headaches, stomach aches, and stuffy noses, you name it we've had it! I woke up Sunday night feeling like I had been run over by a truck, Macey woke up in the same shape an hour later, Shelby followed an hour after that, and Abby woke up that way in the morning!  Sandy soon followed with an emergency visit to the Veterinarian last night.  The boys seem to be staying strong though! 

Poor Sandy is still in rough shape.  I must admit, when I got home and realized she couldn't even hold her own body up, I panicked.  At 13 years old, she has never been sick before!  I should have realized earlier that she was sick, but kids can sometimes take all your attention, especially when they are not feeling well.  Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in, and she will start getting better soon.  I sure do love that old dog! Thank the Lord for a compassionate Veterinarian who was willing to stay open for me.

The girls are enjoying their job as dog nurse.  Macey even donated her blankie to the cause.

Here is a picture I snapped of the girls in their snugly pajamas (just before we all came down with this horrible virus).  They always get so excited when it is finally cold enough to wear winter pajamas.

Dog Day

Dog day at Shelby's school was not what I was expecting.  I pictured all the kids taking their dogs to school or something like that.  Little did I know that our kids were going to be the dogs, and they were the cutest little puppies I have ever seen!  Of all the things they have done so far this year, this was by far the best. The teacher made the "dog ears" for the kids, and I must admit they were pretty plain.  Shelby was having none of that!  After all, what a disgrace it would be if she should look like a boy dog! Being last minute, the only solution I could think of was pinning her brown bow right in the middle of her head.  She loved this idea!  The kids were hilarious telling their "dog" story and singing their songs.  Grandmas (and Grandpa if your checking), you must watch the video!  It's posted in the blog below, and it is so funny.

Dog Day Video

Joy

My girls bring me such joy!  Everyday they bring a smile to my face and fill my heart with such love and happiness.  It's the little things that happen each day that I don't know how I ever lived without... the funny things they say, words they mispronounce, expressions they use but don't understand, faces they make, the way they sing and play in the bathtub because they don't realize I can hear them, Shelby's naked butt pressed up against my shower door while she plays house with the shampoo bottles, the pouty face Macey makes every night when she starts to get tired, the funny way Abby reenacts her entire day for me, and all the silly things they giggle at.  Those are just a few of the things that I get to experience each day.  How lucky am I? 

When I walked in at bedtime the other night and found my three girls snuggled up in bed together, my heart just filled to the bursting point.  Oh how I love my girls!