Merry Christmas Dakota

Dakota loves being with her people. So much so, that if we are doing stuff out in the yard and make her stay inside she barks and jumps at the windows trying to get out with you. She really just doesn't want to miss any fun. This was true yesterday when we were putting up the Christmas lights. Since it was such a beautiful day, we brought her outside with us and tied her to one of the trees. She spent the morning barking at every cat and squirrel that was anywhere on the street, and chewing on some branches that had dropped into the yard (one of her favorite activities). It seemed like a great day for her. But when we were done with the lights and I brought her inside, I noticed that she kept rubbing one of her eyes with her paw and that it was watering. I figured she had gotten something in it, so I --hoping to get what ever was bothering her out. We then left for the ward party.

When we returned home, eye was all swollen. I gave her some Benadryl hoping it was allergies. But when I got up early the next morning, her eye looked really bad. It was red and swollen, and really had me worried. So I got online to research what to do about eye problems in animals. Everything I read said that if an animal injures their eye you need to get them into a vet within 12 hrs or they could lose their sight. This was not good. Since it was Sunday, our vet was closed. I really didn't want to spend the money to take her to the emergency vet clinic, but I also didn't want her to lose an eye because I was cheap. So I put Dakota in the car and took her to the Emergency Animal Clinic on 249. There they put some dye in her eye and then examined it with a special light. It turns out that she had scratched her cornea. So they gave us eye drops, antibiotic, a pain killer and put a big cone around her neck so she can't rub her eye and make it worse. Poor baby. So I paid the bill--$228, ouch!--and took her home.

Dakota did not like the cone, and she looked pretty pitiful in it. It took her a while to adjust walking around in it and she would run into everything. I was sure she was gong to break something in the house or injure herself--as she would often catch it while she was running. This was actually pretty amusing--especially when she was outside. Dakota has a path in the backyard that she likes to run around. This path goes between two of our trees. So the first time I let her outside with her cone on, she ran her path and hit the cone on the trees as she went through. It was so funny. I had to take the cone off and get out all the pieces of bark. And it took her a couple of day before she adjusted to her extra width. At least we get some laughter along with the big vet bill. Some times you have to grab onto any silver lining you can find!

I didn't get a picture of Dakota in her collar, and it didn't come back from the Vet's when we kenneled her over Christmas. But this is pretty much what she looked like:

It's Beginning to Look a lot Like Christmas

Today was a busy and festive Saturday which marked the begining of the Night of Lights as well as our ward Christmas party.

Our morning was spent putting up the Christmas lights outside, and we had beautiful weather for it. Greg had been in Utah during the week, and got home late Friday evening so I let him sleep in a bit. But once we got to work, everything went pretty fast in spite of the fact that we were missing Joe's help. We bought some new extension cords for the Christmas lights at Costco a while back that made the electrical connections easier this year. I had originally thought we would scale back the amount of lights we put out, but in the end we ended up doing about the same as usual because we have mastered a very nice looking system. And when we were done the yard looked really good.

After we were finished with the lights, we went to the ward Christmas Party. This year we experienced a Night in Bethlehem. The activities committee had done a wonderful job creating a village in the cultural hall--with shops that offered simple foods of fruit, olives, cheese, eggs, meat and bread. My favorite was the meat market, which staffed by my three favorite butchers--the Bishopric. Greg, Don and Chuck all looked great in their biblica attire (although I thought the Bishop looked a lot like Lehi. Everyone laid blankets out on the floor and enjoyed good company while they ate.

Then we watched as Joseph and Mary went throughout Bethlehem, looking for a place where Mary could have her baby. All the inns were full, but they were allowed to use a stable and there Mary brought forth her first born son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. It was a beautiful presentation that included some wonderful musical numbers, and really helped you feel the spirit of Christmas.

What a great way reminder of the true meaning of Christmas! I hope it stays with us all season!

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

It did something tonight that it has only done twice in the 17 years we have lived in Houston--it snowed! And I'm not talking flakes that melted as soon as they hit the ground. It actually stuck to the cars. Wet, dense snow that you could scoop up and make into a snow ball. I know because I did, and then I hit Erin with it.

This what it was like the first time it snowed for us in Houston back in 2004. The snow flakes collected on our plant coverings, but melted when they landed on the ground:

And this was tonight:

You wouldn't think someone who grew up in Utah would get so excited about this little bit of snow, but I did. And although it didn't last for long, it was sure fun while it lasted!

Happy Birthday Joe!

Joey turned 20 today, and I couldn't even wish him happy birthday. Times like these I really don't like this mission thing! But then I remind myself how wonderful this experience has been for him, and I get over myself. Slowly. Another thing I am struggling with this mission thing is sending gifts to Joe. He has always has been kind of hard to buy for, and now that he is a missionary I am never quite sure what to send him. I mean really, what does a missionary need. But for his birthday we sent him a new tie, a new sweater, and some microwaveable cakes with candles. Rachel also sent him a CD that BYU sent to her. Hopefully that was enough for him to feel loved.

Joe loved his cake!

We sure do wish we could see him today and celebrate with him. But at the same time we are happy he is in Denver instead. He is an amazing missionary, and we are extremely proud of him!

Final Bug Project

Erin finished up her bug project for biology last week. This means I never have to catch bugs again!

Everything was going pretty smoothly for the project. She had caught most of the needed bugs and was even able to give trade her extra cockroach for a moth. When she started to put her bug project together, she discovered a problem that made her she wished she still had that extra roach. Turns out the one she kept had molded. But we had planned to go bug hunting for her last 2 bugs, and this just meant we needed 3 instead. So for Family Home Evening last Monday we collected bugs (favorite activity ever!). We found an earwig and a termite in our yard, and went to the McLemores to look for one last bug in their pool. Unfortunately their filters were clean, but Tyler saved the day when he showed us where a dead cockroach was. So we went home, Erin pinned and labeled all her bugs and she is finished!

Hurray for the end of bug projects! I hope to never put a bug in a Ziploc bag again.