Have Fallen into Winter

I have meant to write so many times this fall, but once again my life was a blur of puppies, football games, holidays, and work. We had a gorgeous warm fall that just seemed to fly by, and are now entrenched in cold and snow. We were either at U of I football games, or at the lake closing the house for the season. It was Katy's last year as an Illinette, so each game was a sad countdown ending with Dad's Day and Senior Day on the same weekend.
Senior girls crying after the Three in One for the last time, but there is a Bowl Game yet.

Dad and Katy after playing drinking games at the apartment. Both were pretty tired and emotionally worn out after their last Dad's Day game and miserable loss.

One weekend we had the AKL reunion and grand re-opening of the new house. John and many of our old college friends were down for the weekend. Good memories were had by all.
Then Homecoming before the last home game. Many fun tail gates with old friends, and a chance to finally meet Rich's parents and extended family. Katy even got her new Yemm car!!!Even though we had many close games that we lost, including one to Michigan in the third overtime, we won our sixth game against Northwestern at Wrigley Field, and thus became bowl eligible. So Katy will be leaving the day after Christmas to get on a bus for 18 hours to Houston for the game on the 29th. We thought about going, but with the economy being so bad, we thought we better just watch it on TV. The basketball team has also started off with only one loss in overtime, so I am still hoping for a Final Four year!
After one of the football games, we rushed back on Sunday to show the pups, and were able to sell the two girls on the same day. Both have great homes, and the families really love them. We saw them two weeks after selling them for their last shots. Sally, now Gracie, lives in WI, and has already been hunting. Serenity, now Rascal, has her own dogie door and fenced in yard and a loving elderly couple who spoil her. Last weekend we also sold Butkus to an old employee and client of ours. They had lost a young GSHP a few weeks before, and Jorie, one of our receptionist brought him out to show Sue. He had almost found a home over Thanksgiving, but the family had two young children, and the wife thought she couldn't handle them and a new puppy. Butkus learned his lesson, and really sold himself by being calmer, and very loving. This time he found a home!

So we only have two boys left. Gary, our trainer, took them out the other day, and said both will be great hunters. I have been taking them with Maddie and Dip to the dog park as often as I can. Speaking of dog park, over a month ago, I was tackled by three huge dogs while I was out there with my pups. I was thrown into the air and landed on my tailbone and head! For the next three to four weeks, walking or climbing stairs especially, was extremely painful. I felt like three offensive linemen had hit me, and I don't understand why people do that for fun. It gave me a whole new understanding of pain watching the football games, I can tell you that.

The most upsetting thing that happened though was that in Africa my sweet little Evy became very ill. First she had a seizure, and finally was treated for typhoid fever! She is now fine, but it was very scary knowing how ill she was, and how far away they are, and how helpless I was. Roxi describes the entire ordeal far better than I could on her blog. All I can say is thank God for being with her, and curing her.

In a few weeks she'll be one year old. She doesn't even know us. Christmas will come and go, and no little voices of glee or excitement in my house. With Maddie, our puppy, I have decided to not even decorate this year, because she'll just eat everything. but deep down, I'm not in the mood to go through all that work for a childless house. Last year it was so much fun decorating the tree with Anni, and watching her tear into her princess presents, that I fear this year will be pretty disappointing. Katy and Rob just want and need money, so the only gifts will be for my folks. I spent a cold night, or I should say morning, on Black Friday to get a new TV/ Wii combo at Best Buy for our gift to each other. So instead of grandchildren this year, I'll have to settle for grand puppies. Thus my little Charlie Brown tree on the table will work out much better. And I will just have to remember that Christ is with those I love so far away.

Besides my puppies, my folks now have a new Bogie pup. We had to put their old Bogie down because he had liver cancer. A very difficult decision for my parents. SO while I was placing ads to sell my pups, I found them a duplicate Bogie, so no one at Winsdor would know that Bogie I was gone. The new puppy is darling, and looks just like the old Bogie, only lighter and full of energy! He and Maddie love chasing each other when ever they can. Thanksgiving was nuts with those two lapping the house repeatedly. A small but thankful Thanksgiving. At least we didn't make a trip to the ER or get robbed like last year!

Well at least that is a brief update on my crazy life. So much excitement in so little time. After Katy graduates this spring, life will be so boring without all the football weekends to look forward to. Maybe I'll go back to doing more theatre things. Oh, by the way, I am teaching drama at the community center. It is sad and rewarding. It has taken some time to get their imaginations going, but I am finally seeing a little success. One little boy hugged me and said how sorry he was when I was gone because of previously mentioned dog wipeout. It warmed my heart. It is nice to be missed.
Katy will be home in a few days, and she, Rob, and Steve will go pheasant hunting with Dip in Iowa, while I puppy sit. Then Christmas, Bowl game, New Year's, Katy and my Dad's birthday, a trip to Florida for the DVM convention, my birthday and Rob's birthday. Looks like life will just keep swirling by unless I have another dog wipeout. Bless all and all of mine. Thank you God for all your gifts and blessings, and for your Son, the REASON for the SEASON despite what the ACLU says. Especially thankful for the election results which hopefully can save this great country from those who are trying to destroy us from within.

I feel like taffy

Sorry, I know it has been a long time since I've written, but my crazy life has gotten a lot crazier again. The entire time Roxi and family were gone, my ribs hurt so much, I could barely get anything done at home. We did do Dad's Day with Katy at U of I,
which was a lot of fun, but I mostly just tried to heal.
We celebrated Thanksgiving here Thursday, with my folks, Rob and Katy, and were going to do round two on Saturday. Friday, we madly tried to decorate for Christmas before they got here that night. Tree up, packages for Anni wrapped, lights outside, etc. Saturday we took Anni to see Santa at Wheaton Drama where one of my best friends was playing Mrs. S. Anni had a nice time telling them in great detail everything she wanted, but sitting on the old man's lap was out of the question. We went home to await my folks arrival for the repeat dinner, when we got a call that my Mom's thought she was getting a head cold and didn't want to give it to Roxi or Anni, so they would stay home. This was disappointing since it was the first time in over two years the entire family would be together for a big meal.
Then, all hell broke lose. My Father called saying Mom had fallen taking out a pot of chili. Long story short, after cleaning up the mess, and getting her on her feet, it became apparent that she had broken her left elbow, so Katy and I took her to the ER. Our fears were realized, and she is going to have a repeat surgery next Tuesday. While we spent five hours at the hospital, my Father proceeded to down a bottle of Early Times. When I finally got Mom settled at the Johnson Center, I had a tough love fight with him, and came home.
When I called to inform Rob how Grandma was, I found out that my car, that he had borrowed to show condos in the city had been broken into, and all of his valuable stuff had been stolen!! He had a big interview on Monday, and his computer, camera, passport, credit cards, etc were all gone. When he finally got home at 2:30 am after waiting for the police report, the dogs got into a fight and woke up those who had actually fallen asleep for a few minutes.
After going to church Sunday morning and visiting Mom, we did eat our dinner, and Katy took off for school again. I had gotten a call from my Dad right before we sat down to eat, and I just let him leave a message. On hearing it, I found out that he had fallen out of his motorized chair the night before and laid on the floor, bruised, and passed out until 4:00 am, when he called the paramedics to help him get into bed. He slept most of the day, and was very sore, and sick. He needed me to come over, and we had another tough love discussion about his drinking, only this time he was sober to hear it.
The next morning he called them again to take him to the ER because his pacemaker was hurting him. After rushing to the ER again, he was fine and I brought him home. The next day after getting Mom to her surgeon and scheduling the surgery, I felt like climbing into bed for another month, and not getting out.
In twelve hours we went from Santa Claus dreams to ER and robbery nightmares. It just proves that God laughs at our best laid plans, In spite of the anxiety I was feeling, God did show me that he did not give me more than I could handle. I also met people who were dealing with far worse situations, which always makes you feel like you should not complain that you feel like you are living the life of Job. At church, we prayed for a family whose son was killed in an auto accident. I had to pick up a dog for work, because the family had to take their son who was born with cancer into the hospital for another chemo treatment. My boulders suddenly seemed like pebbles compared to others problems.
So all I want for Christmas now is that Daddy continues to stop drinking, Mom has a quick recovery after her surgery, and Roxi has a beautiful, healthy baby girl, that Roxi feels normal again soon, and Rob gets the job he wants so badly.
We had one day of fun this Saturday going down to see Katy dance at the last football game and a basketball game. It was a full day, but it was a nice distraction. Now she has finals before she can come home for Christmas.
I hope to share great pictures and happy memories of Christmas soon. But right now I am just trying to find myself after being pulled like taffy into too many directions. And I wonder why I can't make sense of my life sometimes. Maybe it's because I just feel like I'm moving from one crisis to another. You can't stop to smell the roses when you are running them over. I just want to slow down this precious time I have so I can make memories of Anni, Katy, the new baby, the holidays with family, including my parents that at times are more time consuming and trouble than a child. The only good thing this last week has brought is I lost a few pounds from being stretched like taffy!