Toys...

Well, Christmas is over. Jacob got Heely's......and $2000 worth of additional toys. Luke got his fair share as well. The rest of us got Debt.....or traded money with each other.
Jacob and Luke got their paw prints from Penny in their stockings. It was sad and sweet all at once. Jacob is really missing her.
As soon as Thanksgiving lunch is over, I can't wait to get the Tree up and the house decorated for Christmas. Now, I can't wait to take it down. It is driving me crazy. Toys, new and old, ALL over the house. I could go three weeks without washing for the boys for all the new clothes and undies they got. I think Joe got a pair of socks from someone. I got some slippers.
Anyhoo....I get to spend the weekend cleaning up Christmas, putting new toys and games together and finding room to cram them somewhere. So exciting. No, really, I can't wait! Start the new year off with a clean living room and closets so crammed full we are afraid to open them. Hmmmmm.

Blog?

Ok, so I started a blog. I emailed friends and family about it. I've tried to keep mental notes of things you all may be interested in knowing. The usual, Luke is talking a little, Jacob is excited about Christmas, our dog died, blah blah blah......
Just in case your keeping track, I've gotten one lame response(although, much appreciated Meredith!) Even though I've only gotten one response.......I get countless emails and phone calls about my lack of updates. You people have a lot of nerve.

So, here is an updated BLOG for all you people who sit around and read blogs, daily.
Thanksgiving was painful, but it is over now, whew! Christmas is coming, so I'm starting to get sick. I'm sure it will be full blown pnuemonia by the big guys birthday. Jacob is so worried about Penny being alone in heaven that he is more focosed on that than the 'gimme toys!' thing that kids usually do. Luke is FINALLY starting to talk, He is 19 months old and has about a 10 word vocabulary, about half what he 'should' have. Joe is hunting every chance he gets. Even though he is technically NOT on a deer lease, he is on 3, that I know of. I have started a business with Arbonne International and love it! My goal is to have Joe Vincent retired from all the lawn work he does on the side so he can be home with us more. I think that is it. Maybe something exciting will happen this weekend and I can update on Monday! This will have to do for now.

Is it Christmas yet?

I have heard this question at least one thousand times since the 4th of July! Just as I hear the famous "can we go swimming?" from Christmas on! I love the simplicity of it.
That being said, I wish it were all that simple! But, since it is not, I must get ready for the day and put on a calm face so that I can "assure" Jacob and Luke that it really is all that simple! It is not the stress and madness that it really is. I wish I could keep it simple for them forever.

Magic

As we are drowning in Christmas everywhere we go, Santa has been on Jacob's mind. He is fascinated by the magic and mystery of this one man with such a big job. He has added a new expectation to his list of magic things he thinks Santa can do...send letters to heaven. With the loss of our dog, Penny, so fresh on his mind, Jacob wrote her a letter, took down his OWN stocking and hung Penny's stocking, with letter in it, so Santa would take the letter to heaven for her. He faithfully checks the stocking every morning before school to see if the letter is sticking out far enough for Santa to see. He is constantly reminding me that we have to bake "good" cookies for Santa this year, because he will be so busy. As if to say that I have baked mediocre cookies every other year...hmmm.
The simple love for his dog, the absolute amazement he has for this magic man, Santa, and his complete change in direction as for his thoughts about Christmas are so awsome to me. He wants to go sit on Santa's lap and ask him "can you really send letter's to heaven?" He has forgotten about the huge list of toys he made and the want for all things that every other kid has.
But in the magic of being 5, he asks me,"since Santa will be so busy, can you buy me heely's?"
I love it!

A boy and his dog

This Thanksgiving weekend started out like any other. Complete and total chaos and stress and way too much food. In the midst of all this, our dog got a little stiff. We thought the age (12) and the weather were playing hell with her arthritis. We soon found out otherwise. We had to put Penny down on Saturday. I have only seen tears from my husband one time in the entire 15 years I have known him. But this day would prove to be the second time tears would fall for him. The tears have continued to flow in this house for three days now. Penny stood in our wedding. She watched as we brought both boys home from the hospital. She was a true member of our family. Unlike some members of our family that you don't always want to claim...she was choosen. We raised her up like our child.
Our boy's, though, are feeling the sting of loss at an early age. Jacob is 5, and while he fully understands death, he is mad that she can't come back. Luke is not quite 2 and he still looks out the back door every now and then, just to see if she is there. He lays on her bed to watch TV. He feels the pain, too. He just can't express it or understand it. I can't either, so I can't expect it from my boys!!

New Comer

Please forgive me if I break any blogging rules, for I do not know them.
I am creating this blog to keep in touch with people in our lives that live far away, or perhaps down the street, but are just busy. Busy raising children, pets, building houses or working themselves into the ground. Possibly, all of the above!
So, Blog on...