Unfortunately, I am alone this New Year's Eve, separated from Hubby by several states. But I still feel very blessed, especially after thinking back over this year. Here are some of the things I am most grateful for:
--my husband, who has toughed out this marriage with me for seven years as of this month! This year has been the most difficult, but with a lot of prayer, God's grace, and our stubborn unwillingness to let a good thing die, we have held it together. That is an accomplishment worth celebrating! I love you, honey! xOXox
--my daughter, who just keeps growing and making me grow along with her! I love this ride we're on together!
--our garden, which was a new creation, a composite of Hubby's building skills and my daily tending to produce more than we could possibly eat. What a great, new, challenging adventure for our family! (Pardon me while I step away to go order seed catalogs right now!!!)
--our chickens, which were an outgrowth of our gardening adventure, and have both challenged us and blessed us. Hubby and I worked hard this summer on building their coop, which could still use some work, and working together (or trying to work together) gave us ample opportunities to develop our communication skills. :) And of course, as of this fall, those eleven lovely ladies have been blessing us every day with can't-get-any-fresher-than-warm eggs! I am now resolving to find the world's best recipes for quiches and meringues and omelettes and put them to frequent use!
--Maggie May, our Cocker Spaniel, who blessed us with unconditional love until Semptember 19, when she left this world behind to chase squirrels that are never caught while God watches from behind a tree. She was mine well before Hubby came along, but defected quite quickly, and then tolerated our family addition (aka Faith) very patiently in her old age. Altogether, she lived with and loved me for nine years, Hubby for almost seven, and Faith for over two. I called her my Angel Dog and couldn't have asked for a better animal companion, although I do ask her forgiveness for the times I could have been better to her. All in all, we shared some really good times together, and our family will miss her for a long time. She rests in our backyard, beneath a beautiful blue hydrangea bush that I anticipate will be even more gorgeous this spring. I talk to her when no one's listening while doing yard work. :) We love you Maggers!
--Moppett and Maisy, our SC shelter dogs, adopted out of grief and an attempt to honor Maggie (a found puppy herself) by helping other Cocker Spaniels. These two new additions to our family have certainly provided us with some laughs...and some frustration, but they are definitely worth it! Moppett, as his name implies, has a blond mop of hair that won me over immediately. He is all muscle, and we have discovered likes to climb the chain link fence! He also really enjoys chewing, jumping, and snitching food off the table, including a wedding cake I had baked for my cousin!!! BUT he is very good at keeping my feet warm in the bed and on the couch, which is an essential quality in a good dog.
Now Maisy is a sweetie. She is the little old lady of the house. Maisy is very mellow, except when hassled too long by Faith, which is understandable. Maisy is mostly blind due to cataracts in both eyes, but still loves to chase the chickens around the yard and keep them on their toes (claws???). She also enjoys burying her rawhide bones and protecting them from any and all intruders. She is very adept at digging under the chain link fence...and the front porch steps...and the house foundation...and the chicken coop... (Yup, that's right, we got a climber a digger. How great is that...not!!!) Maisy is very soft to pet, so much so that I can feel my blood pressure dropping the longer I pet her. And she has a talent for sneaking up and settling in the crook of your knees when you are napping on the couch. Another essential doggy quality. So, we lucked out with both pooches, and our family is all the happier for it! :)
More to come later, but I MUST sleep now!
No comments:
Post a Comment