Puppy Love

 It was a very pleasant day on Thanksgiving 2020. 

Every year gets sweeter and easier with the kids. Every year Caleb dares to try one more item  of Thanksgiving plate.

We had a smaller Thanksgiving this year, with our immediate family and John's parents. It was perfect though, and we could have fed a dozen more with all the leftovers! :) 

Evie and I went on a walk in the forest with Lucy in the morning and I have to say, we attracted a lot of attention with our cute little puppy. 

Actually, it occurred to me that we have entered a whole new world: the world of dog owners. Whenever we passed another dog on the path, there was always polite, interested conversation and attention.

  "How beautiful she is!"

 "How old is she?" 

"What's her name?' 

"Is she a golden retriever or a mix?" 

Evelyn loved all the attention, and I told her this is sort of what it's like when you have a baby: Everyone comments and you feel a special bond with other parents. 

Now we enter the world of Dog. 

John has been floating around in somewhat of a puppy nirvana. He is on cloud nine every time he lays eyes on his little Lucy. He is in love, and it makes all her potty accidents and nipping worth it to see him so happy. 

There have been some really sweet memories already. 

But, I insist that every creature in our home is a clean one. 

I have always been the Mom who bathes her children nightly. I believe that the human body needs a good daily scrub, and my sentiments are no different when it comes to furry family members. I have a very keen sense of smell. 

 One night I wanted to expedite the cleansing ritual so, somewhat exhausted, I came up with the idea of putting the puppy right in to the bathtub with Caleb.

He thought it was incredible. And soon, James was stripping down and wanting to join the action. When Levi heard the fun that was taking place, he quickly tore off his clothes and stepped in. Needless to say, it was a crowded bathtub! There was a lot of laughing, and water and a puppy who was not super thrilled by all the attention she was suddenly getting. 

Leaping out of the tub, Lucy went running down the hallway. 

"She's escaped!" yelled Levi.

 "Get her!" cried Caleb. 

The three boys jumped out of the tub as well. Naked, the three of them ran down the hallway after her. It was a sight to see, a saturated puppy being followed by three naked, dripping wet boys. When they finally tackled her to the ground, Lucy submitted, and I think she was just glad to be wrapped up in a dry towel. 

Levi has really impressed me with the way he shows genuine care and love for Lucy. He walks around the house carrying her across his arms and Lucy is very content with him. I can already see a beautiful relationship between a

 boy and his dog. 

James is more of a "small creature" type person. The dog's activity intimidates him and he is unsure about having a dog share his space. 

Speaking of James, he lost his first two teeth the same week! 

Evie's "lifelong" dream has come true with the adoption of Lucy. However, she still has affinity and commitment to Bob, the neighborhood cat. She often rotates her affections between the two throughout the day, and it makes me happy to see that she has not abandoned her first love. 

Big Bob.

And then there is Caleb. His easy going, lovable personality makes appreciating and loving a dog second nature. However, he is enthusiastic about most things in life, so his attention and affections are sporadic throughout the day, but they are genuine. 

My big "shift" in caring for Lucy is early morning, when I naturally get up anyways. I miss my quiet solo time, but I'm not surprised at the loss. I knew taking on a puppy would be a transition and I knew there would be added work and sacrifices that come with it.

 However, John does take on most of it, and seeing the joy and life it brings to him and our family is worth it. Perhaps one day Lucy will be content to just sit contently on my lap in the mornings instead of nipping at my heels and yelping for attention. However, because I have the benefit of going through various seasons with my kids, I know that this too, will evolve into something new eventually. 

For now I will savor the quiet puppy snuggles and delight in watching my kids (and husband!) glow in the aura of puppy love.  

We topped off our Thanksgiving weekend by finding "the perfect" christmas tree. Lucy was very excited to go with us on our hunt, and I realized that adding Lucy makes every outing just a little more exciting :) 

(psst...and I'm falling in love with Lucy too ;) 

A FULL FALL: Halloween, California Adventures and Lucy

 When I pause and think about all the things that have happened this past month, I am met with so much goodness.  

John and I are forging onward in life. We are two months in to this homeschool thing. It's so easy to recognize all the things that were "missing" this fall. But when I step back and really consider my life, I see the abundance. 

 We are spending a lot of time together as a family. 

We are having adventures. 

We are cultivating new friendships and community. 

We are alive, and healthy and free. 

There is so much that is not missing. 

Family Pictures 2020!

He really is the best Dad ever.

Such goodness in this life. 

Evelyn Grace, age 8

James Gregory, age 6

Levi Robert, age 6

Caleb Ron, age 6

Being mama to these four is an honor. 

15 years married, and going stronger than ever. 

Little did I know what was ahead.....

This picture captures Caleb perfectly. 

Yep, these boys are the best!

And so is this girl.

My handsome dudes

Life is good. 

Trick or treating was memorable this year for sure.  Despite the times we are in, I was determined to make it as "normal" as possible for my kids. 

It actually turned out to be better than ever. 

Three ninjas and a queen.

Halloween night was full and bright

Sugar RUSH! These kids had better pay their taxes ;) 

Many people in our neighborhood put out festive tables at the end of their driveways; and being a rather mild weather evening, people were out and about, sitting around bonfires and chatting with friends. Many houses had great decorations, spooky music, king sized candy bars and some adult beverages to pass around. 

Everyone seemed to be in an especially good, friendly mood; it was so nice to feel community again, something that has been lacking for so many months now. 

My aunt Robin and my mom came to visit at the end of October. They helped me with homeschool, (assisting in a STEM project I put off until I had more hands on deck) Building four catapults was no easy task; but in the end, we successfully completed four popsicle stick contraptions. 

They also carved FOUR huge pumpkins.  

A few days after Halloween,  our family fired up our sprinter van and drove down Highway 101 to the California Red Wood forest. My amazing mom rode with us seated in the back with the kids the whole time.  She assisted them with school work and typing; she made the hours of driving delightful for everyone. 

On the way we stopped in Bandon. We visited a  Safari zoo, featuring exotic animal petting. We were practically the only ones in there; upon entering, we immediately had an entourage of deer, goats, sheep, llamas and donkeys following close behind us, hoping we had a treat to share. 

Everyone likes to follow my mom around

Just another  lynx

So many animals 

The furry Opossum 

A foxy friend

The female lion, Queen of the Park. 

Excuse me 

Herding Sheep 

Well hello Mr. Ostrich 

The second day we made it to Klamath, California and spent the afternoon at "The Trees of Mystery," a roadside attraction focused on the Redwoods and the tall tale of Paul Bunyan.

Roots this big belong in a theme park

Hanging out among the trees of mystery

crossing the sky bridges 

"The Cathedral trees"

The "Brotherhood Tree"; 3000 years old and going strong

                                                               Taking the gondola to the top!

Bros at the top

The view from above

Later in the day, we stopped at Jedediah State Park and walked among the trees in a magical grove of Redwoods called Stout Memorial Grove. Walking through this forest at dusk took my breath away. 

I love this picture of daddy and daughter. 

Climbing into the unknown

Grandma and her crew

Our final day was at Crater Lake. 

It is the deepest lake in the United States and was formed by the aftermath of a volcano thousands of years ago. 

 

It was pretty chilly at the top, but it was worth the stop. 

We arrived home on the fourth day with dirty laundry and a slightly damp and very sticky van. 😛  The boys were happy to just roll around and play football in the family room and eat more Halloween candy. We bid my mom goodbye. She is always such a huge help, and John and I always appreciate all the room to exhale she gives us when she is here. 

Then we discovered mushroom hunting. 😋😃😃😃😃🍄

Some friends told us about a secret place in a forest where chanterelle mushroom grew in abundance.  That sounded way too cool and magical to pass up. 

And so, we began our next adventure. 

James was probably the least thrilled about this excursion.
 Being wet and cold in a forest searching for fungi was not his thing. 

    spotting gold. 

The search is on

It turned out to be quite an adventure, and I wasn't disappointed. We probably collected $60.00 worth of chanterelle mushrooms, which John promptly made into a steaming pot of Hungarian mushroom soup 😄

And then the next day, we added another member to our family, one that John had been dreaming about for 30 years: Lucy.

It was time, and despite my resistance and hesitation, I knew that this was it. It is the perfect time to jump into the puppy world. 

Evelyn and John were the biggest advocates for the dog, and I have to say, after caring for three triplet babies and a toddler, a puppy really hasn't been a catastrophic addition. 

If we were going to get a dog (and we were........John made me promise on our wedding day :) ) now was the time. With everyone home, Lucy is pretty much taken care of the entire day. And her poop is nothing compared to the diaper explosions I've dealt with in life. 

She is cuter than I imagined and what makes it worth it is seeing how totally in love and happy my family is, especially John. He is on cloud nine, and he looks at her like he looked at our infant kids. ;) 

Ok, you are cute. 

Her new baby

Welcome home our fifth child

    

All of a sudden home school is a lot more fun

Never wake a sleeping baby