It's coming up soon! How quickly it approached after Halloween. It's pretty early this year. Usually falling in the last week of November. But this year, it's on the 22nd. That's barely 3 weeks into November. It means a long Christmas season, but the short Thanksgiving season is throwing me a bit.
We bought a new Christmas tree to put up this weekend. I am too excited about it. It's beautiful and will last us years. Last year's was perfect for our apartment, but we needed something taller and fuller this year. So a great deal came up at Garden Ridge. I jumped on the opportunity. I will show pictures after we get the place all decorated. It'll also be our first year for outdoor decorations. We had a little strand on the balcony last year, but this year we get to have the full shebang of lights and yard decor. So excited!
But back to Thanksgiving. I feel like every year we have the same tradition - and I love it. Starting a couple of years ago, the Longs joined in my annual celebrating and it feels even more complete now. Thursday morning, I wake up to the parade and a yummy breakfast (this year I am planning on sausage pancake muffins) with a cup of coffee. This year I will do a little cooking too to help my mom out. She has trusted me with the sweet potatoes and green bean casserole. This is a huge deal. Huge.
The first meal will be with Phillip's family. We eat something in smaller scale. Last year was at Texas Land and Cattle (they have a DELICIOUS modern take on the Thanksgiving meal). This year we will be guests at his grandmother's housing community. Excited for her to show us off to her friends and for us to spend time with her.
The second meal will be with my family. We have a later meal. That's partly due to the addition of another family meal for us, the Cowboys game, and the fact that it has always been more of an early dinner rather than a lunch for my family. So it all works out.
After dinner, the game, looking through the Black Friday ads, and possibly a nap, the Morrisons come over for dessert. They bring theirs and we add it to ours. The rest of the evening is spent nibbling on sweets (and maybe some leftovers), catching up, lots of laughing, cigar smoking for the guys, glasses of wine for the girls, and just talking.
Some years we have more guests, some years we have less. Some years the times change up. Some years we bring friends, extra family, or even our significant others to "meet [both sets of] the parents" for the first time. Some years we tell meaningful stories and some years it's just joking around.
Regardless, we hold our tradition together. We listen with our hearts. We laugh until we cry. It brings us together and keeps us together. Everyone is welcome and those unable to make it are always missed.
This is our Thanksgiving.
And I love it.
It's home.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Master Ashley
Well hello readers. I know after my rather somber post last week, you've probably been wondering how on earth I have been doing since?? Well GREAT!!!!
Friday, I found out that I was accepted into graduate school! Yes!!! In January, I will start in the Texas Woman's University's Health Studies Masters Program! Hooray!!!!
I am so excited to start this new chapter in my life. I'm already making a list of things to do/buy before I start and am obsessed with advising resources, rec center activities, text books, and more. I am so ready!!
Now in the next 6 weeks or so, I plan on reading some of my text books from my undergrad. I need a refresher and I'll have plenty of cozy reading time as the weather gets colder. It might get below freezing here tonight!
God sure does answer prayers. :)
P.S. Great job Aggies yesterday beating #1 ranked defending champions Alabama!!! So proud to be an Aggie!
Friday, I found out that I was accepted into graduate school! Yes!!! In January, I will start in the Texas Woman's University's Health Studies Masters Program! Hooray!!!!
I am so excited to start this new chapter in my life. I'm already making a list of things to do/buy before I start and am obsessed with advising resources, rec center activities, text books, and more. I am so ready!!
Now in the next 6 weeks or so, I plan on reading some of my text books from my undergrad. I need a refresher and I'll have plenty of cozy reading time as the weather gets colder. It might get below freezing here tonight!
God sure does answer prayers. :)
P.S. Great job Aggies yesterday beating #1 ranked defending champions Alabama!!! So proud to be an Aggie!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
One of THOSE Nights
Tonight is one of those nights.
One of those nights I feel like the laundry pile is too big to conquer. The cleaning will never end. The dog will never be happy. The fridge will never be full enough. The money will never be plentiful enough. My work will never be good enough. My ambitions are out of reach. Goals will never be accomplished. And so on and so forth.
Yes. A whoa-is-me kind of night.
Every once in a while we are all aloud to have one of those nights. A night for a pity party. A night to cry. A night to crumble. A night to pray. A night to be open to realizations. A night to welcome faith into our hearts.
Last week I had another one of those nights with my dad. I suddenly burst into tears over something seemingly unimportant. But when things pile up, sometimes it takes a single straw to break the camel's back. I remember him turning to me and asking "What is really the problem?" And I realized, that sometimes the load of life gets too heavy and you just need a good cry.
Is there something huge weighing me down? Doubtful. Life is pretty great. But you know, sometimes it gets to be too much to handle. God designs it that way so we can always remember to rely on Him instead of ourselves. He reminds us that He has created all of this and we still need Him to get through it - no matter how blessed we are.
I wanted it all. I have it all. Prayers answered. Check. But that doesn't mean I don't need help getting through it. "Perfection" has its limitations and it doesn't guarantee that I am perfect - because no one is.
Life will always be tough. I will always want more. My husband will always need more "training". My calling will never be fulfilling enough. Goals accomplished will always yield more goals that have yet to be completed. My to-do list will never be done. I will always want more. That is how I am.
My family, friends, and husband have always encouraged me to be a dreamer - and I am a big one. I dream big, want more, strive for the most, and will stop at nothing.
So nights like tonight, I take a step back. I realize that not everything needs to happen all at once. I need to stop and smell the roses (ie enjoy the process as much as the outcome).
Contentment has never been a strong suit of mine. But I am trying. Nights like tonight make me realize I still have a long way to go. Thank you family and friends for being patient.
One of those nights I feel like the laundry pile is too big to conquer. The cleaning will never end. The dog will never be happy. The fridge will never be full enough. The money will never be plentiful enough. My work will never be good enough. My ambitions are out of reach. Goals will never be accomplished. And so on and so forth.
Yes. A whoa-is-me kind of night.
Every once in a while we are all aloud to have one of those nights. A night for a pity party. A night to cry. A night to crumble. A night to pray. A night to be open to realizations. A night to welcome faith into our hearts.
Last week I had another one of those nights with my dad. I suddenly burst into tears over something seemingly unimportant. But when things pile up, sometimes it takes a single straw to break the camel's back. I remember him turning to me and asking "What is really the problem?" And I realized, that sometimes the load of life gets too heavy and you just need a good cry.
Is there something huge weighing me down? Doubtful. Life is pretty great. But you know, sometimes it gets to be too much to handle. God designs it that way so we can always remember to rely on Him instead of ourselves. He reminds us that He has created all of this and we still need Him to get through it - no matter how blessed we are.
I wanted it all. I have it all. Prayers answered. Check. But that doesn't mean I don't need help getting through it. "Perfection" has its limitations and it doesn't guarantee that I am perfect - because no one is.
Life will always be tough. I will always want more. My husband will always need more "training". My calling will never be fulfilling enough. Goals accomplished will always yield more goals that have yet to be completed. My to-do list will never be done. I will always want more. That is how I am.
My family, friends, and husband have always encouraged me to be a dreamer - and I am a big one. I dream big, want more, strive for the most, and will stop at nothing.
So nights like tonight, I take a step back. I realize that not everything needs to happen all at once. I need to stop and smell the roses (ie enjoy the process as much as the outcome).
Contentment has never been a strong suit of mine. But I am trying. Nights like tonight make me realize I still have a long way to go. Thank you family and friends for being patient.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Election Day
Today we voted together.
Isn't that cute?? Phillip wasn't going to vote, originally, but by peer pressure, he did. I told him I was going first thing this morning, and low-and-behold, he joined me. A phone call from his mom early this morning told us where to vote and that lines were short.
It turns out, when I registered to vote as a "Long" that I changed my address to the "Big" Longs'. A lot of our mail goes there and that's kind of what we have chosen as our permanent address until we buy a house. So we had to drive all the way out there this morning to vote. But we did it. And we feel accomplished.
We voted together! Isn't that cute??? :)
Isn't that cute?? Phillip wasn't going to vote, originally, but by peer pressure, he did. I told him I was going first thing this morning, and low-and-behold, he joined me. A phone call from his mom early this morning told us where to vote and that lines were short.
It turns out, when I registered to vote as a "Long" that I changed my address to the "Big" Longs'. A lot of our mail goes there and that's kind of what we have chosen as our permanent address until we buy a house. So we had to drive all the way out there this morning to vote. But we did it. And we feel accomplished.
We voted together! Isn't that cute??? :)
Thursday, November 1, 2012
The Cone of Shame
Our puppy dog got the big boy vet appointment yesterday. Yes, he is no longer able to continue his gene pool in the form of a litter of puppies. He got neutered.
Aside from the fact that our wonderfully sweet puppy dog put on an embarrassing aggression show with snarling, barking, and biting, he did so well! Surgery went great. Blood work all came back perfect. He has all of his vaccines current. Annual appointment went without a hitch and they were able to do it while he was under (I'm sure a great thing for his vet).
He has a wonderful vet that we absolutely love. They are more expensive than most, but you get what you pay for in this case. She has bee instrumental in getting his weight back up (more on this in a second), patient with his awful attitude, and helpful when we've asked the silly questions. She has Australian Shepherds (probably the closest related breed to the border collie) so she knows exactly how to train/help/guide Murphy. Plus, she has the same name as him! Yes, her name is Dr. Murphy! How perfect is that!?
Since surgery, he is already back to his normal self. He still dazes off into the distance more than usual and hates the cone. He has to wear the cone for another 6-9 days. Older dogs - and aggressive ones - need the cone to keep them safe and handlers safe. Aggressive dogs tend to be on-edge with anxiety and surgery adds to this. Murphy did get pain pills that he doesn't seem to need at the moment (but don't worry, we are finishing the prescription as told) and we specially requested sedatives. This isn't a common post-neuter prescription, but we wanted it. Murphy is so hyper and we were afraid if he were his "normal" active self, he might bust through the stitches. Our puppy, when he gets hyper, digs like crazy, jumps super high, and flips in the air. The sedatives are definitely helping.
Last night he and I spent the night at my parents (without Phillip). Phillip wanted to come but because of work, he was unable to. He helped me drop him off at the vet and then left. I wanted to be close to his vet and their recommended emergency vet just in case. Plus, they have a slightly smaller backyard and ability to have him out in smaller increments. It worked out really well and we came home this afternoon.
Oh and back to the weight news!!! HE NOW WEIGHS 42 POUNDS!!! That is the most he has ever weighed!!!
He has always had weight/GI issues but now we have the perfect food formula and apparently his weight is improving from it. If you recall, his intestinal bacteria and poor diet made him lose 6 pounds in 3 months. Any weight loss for a puppy is detrimental, and that much was scary. At his lowest, he was 31 pounds in June and you could easily see his bones through his thick coat. But now, he is full, heavy, and happy. He has gained 11 pounds in 4 months. He is now in the male border collie weight average - still on the lower end, but still. It is a victory. And, his coat is the prettiest we have ever seen.
Murphy will be recovered within 2 weeks. All back to normal. We already can't wait for him to get his cone off. He is just so pitiful and runs into everything. Some things we ARE thankful for: Murphy is really good at taking medicine, he has yet to try to get the cone off his head, and he seems to not be feeling any pain. He takes meds with peanut butter on a spoon that we feed to him. Better than any animal I have ever seen. The cone is an accepted nuisance to him and he hasn't even tried to take it off. And the pain doesn't really bother him. This morning, like the mornings in the near future most likely, he did wake me up to go outside and get medicine. That was a little unusual since he typically sleeps without a peep until we wake him up. But it is definitely understanding. And, with the exception of a near-accident on my parents' doorstep last night when he was really excited to see my dad, he hasn't had any accidents. That's good news.
We're pretty positive about his recover and can't wait to have him off medication and without a cone. His new trick he learned today is throwing his bone in the air and catching it in his cone. He is incredible smart and has alreayd got this game down. See what I mean about accepting the cone and moving on? If you can't beat em, join em. Right?
Hopefully he keeps recovering well. Thanks for your concerns!
Aside from the fact that our wonderfully sweet puppy dog put on an embarrassing aggression show with snarling, barking, and biting, he did so well! Surgery went great. Blood work all came back perfect. He has all of his vaccines current. Annual appointment went without a hitch and they were able to do it while he was under (I'm sure a great thing for his vet).
He has a wonderful vet that we absolutely love. They are more expensive than most, but you get what you pay for in this case. She has bee instrumental in getting his weight back up (more on this in a second), patient with his awful attitude, and helpful when we've asked the silly questions. She has Australian Shepherds (probably the closest related breed to the border collie) so she knows exactly how to train/help/guide Murphy. Plus, she has the same name as him! Yes, her name is Dr. Murphy! How perfect is that!?
Since surgery, he is already back to his normal self. He still dazes off into the distance more than usual and hates the cone. He has to wear the cone for another 6-9 days. Older dogs - and aggressive ones - need the cone to keep them safe and handlers safe. Aggressive dogs tend to be on-edge with anxiety and surgery adds to this. Murphy did get pain pills that he doesn't seem to need at the moment (but don't worry, we are finishing the prescription as told) and we specially requested sedatives. This isn't a common post-neuter prescription, but we wanted it. Murphy is so hyper and we were afraid if he were his "normal" active self, he might bust through the stitches. Our puppy, when he gets hyper, digs like crazy, jumps super high, and flips in the air. The sedatives are definitely helping.
Last night he and I spent the night at my parents (without Phillip). Phillip wanted to come but because of work, he was unable to. He helped me drop him off at the vet and then left. I wanted to be close to his vet and their recommended emergency vet just in case. Plus, they have a slightly smaller backyard and ability to have him out in smaller increments. It worked out really well and we came home this afternoon.
Oh and back to the weight news!!! HE NOW WEIGHS 42 POUNDS!!! That is the most he has ever weighed!!!
He has always had weight/GI issues but now we have the perfect food formula and apparently his weight is improving from it. If you recall, his intestinal bacteria and poor diet made him lose 6 pounds in 3 months. Any weight loss for a puppy is detrimental, and that much was scary. At his lowest, he was 31 pounds in June and you could easily see his bones through his thick coat. But now, he is full, heavy, and happy. He has gained 11 pounds in 4 months. He is now in the male border collie weight average - still on the lower end, but still. It is a victory. And, his coat is the prettiest we have ever seen.
Murphy will be recovered within 2 weeks. All back to normal. We already can't wait for him to get his cone off. He is just so pitiful and runs into everything. Some things we ARE thankful for: Murphy is really good at taking medicine, he has yet to try to get the cone off his head, and he seems to not be feeling any pain. He takes meds with peanut butter on a spoon that we feed to him. Better than any animal I have ever seen. The cone is an accepted nuisance to him and he hasn't even tried to take it off. And the pain doesn't really bother him. This morning, like the mornings in the near future most likely, he did wake me up to go outside and get medicine. That was a little unusual since he typically sleeps without a peep until we wake him up. But it is definitely understanding. And, with the exception of a near-accident on my parents' doorstep last night when he was really excited to see my dad, he hasn't had any accidents. That's good news.
We're pretty positive about his recover and can't wait to have him off medication and without a cone. His new trick he learned today is throwing his bone in the air and catching it in his cone. He is incredible smart and has alreayd got this game down. See what I mean about accepting the cone and moving on? If you can't beat em, join em. Right?
Hopefully he keeps recovering well. Thanks for your concerns!
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