Reflections on a New Year

I am starting my fourth year of blogging. I can't believe I have actually kept it up this long! I am currently editing my third book and hope to have it printed within the next month. I have really enjoyed this form of journaling and scrap booking for my family. But I really enjoy reading blogs from other family members even more. I check them on a daily basis and am always disappointed when they don't get updated as often as I would like. Then I realized that it has been a month since I have updated, so I don't have any room to complain. I think the reason I like it so much is that it keeps me updated on their lives. When I was single I could stop at my sister, LarRene's, house every day and get the updates on everyone. But now that I am married with children I don't get my daily updates and I feel like a drug addict who is going through withdrawals.

So here is a quick update for January.

I got a bonanza of hand-me-downs from my "other mother-in-law", Jeannette, when they were home for Christmas. She was cleaning out her closet, and since she has lost so much weight I became the beneficiary of her weight loss. It was like, Christmas and birthday and every other holiday combined. I brought home boxes and bags galore. The holidays were so crazy that I didn't get them unpacked until after the new year. But what a fun adventure! I must have tripled my wardrobe. It has been so fun to be able to pick out a new outfit every day. And I got some beautiful dresses that I have received lots of compliments on at church. So THANK YOU JEANNETTE! You made my new year great!

One of the reasons that I haven't updated my blog is that I have been sick for the past two weeks. Layne got it first about a week before I did. I have been taking these "fancy essential oils" and thought I wasn't going to get it. But I have learned that kissing a sick man is not a good idea. It got me really good. In fact my Dad even called in reinforcements and made me stay home from work one day. And he would have me 24/7 if he could. So you know it was bad. I even went home from church after sacrament meeting. I don't remember when I have ever done that. I feel like I am finally doing better, but I still am battling a little cough and snotty nose occasionally. Layne started to get better and then he got worse. I finally forced him to go to the doctor and he got an inhaler and some drugs. His cough is still terrible though. I hope I don't head back down that road!

Our dog, Crash, has been a source of contention at our house this month. Evidently this new collar that came with the in ground electrical fence, just isn't strong enough for a dog his size. He has been going right through the barrier. We have a neighbor a few doors down who called and threatened to shoot him the next time he was in their yard. (I would like to tell them to go for it and save me some money!) Later that day we got a visit from the sheriff giving us a warning. So, we have been trying to be careful and keep him in his kennel. About a week later we got another visit from the sheriff giving us a $57 ticket for our dog being "at large" in the neighbor's yard. We know for a fact that on that day he was inside all day long. But for us to take a day off to go to court isn't worth the $57. So I have ordered a "stubborn dog" collar for the underground fence that is supposed to work better for bigger dogs. And he is scheduled to have his "manhood" removed this week. Hopefully between the two we will be able to keep him in the yard. But if this doesn't do it, Crash will be losing his happy home.

My poor dad is having a really tough time with his balance lately. He was in the kitchen one day and stumbled and he caught his arm between his body and the island. It ripped the skin up pretty good and left him pretty bruised. Then a few days later I was in the office and heard a big crash. I ran to the living room and he was down on the floor. He was just turning to get something off the table and lost his balance. I don't know what to do for him. I am just glad that it hasn't done any more damage, but I am afraid that someday it will...