A dog named Carlos?

So, if you refer to the post lower in the blog, you will see how I felt/feel about dogs. Well, something has changed. Last weekend a little dachshund dog was found in Mike & Paula's yard (Kelly's cousin). The dog did not have a collar and was shivering and cold and looked a little underweight. Mike went door to door in the neighborhood and asked if it was their dog or if they knew anyone with a dachshund, no luck. The dog spent that night with Mike's sister. The next night we went to see the pup - super cute, how could anyone not know that he was missing? That same night, Kelly went with Paula to a Vet's office to see if he had a microchip - he didn't so Kelly brough him home to our house.

Paula had already put a "Found Dog" post on KSL classifieds and had contacted the animal shelter to see if anyone had been looking for a weiner dog - nope. I also called two shelters that next day and no one had been looking for one. I've posted found dog ads on 5 websites and we also put up Found dog posters in the neighborhood where he was found. We've had a few phone calls and emails but for people looking for poodles or pomeranians, not a dachshund. I've also spent time, daily, searching local classifieds for lost dog ads. Nothing. Short of leaving him at the shelter (who, by the way, have our info if someone is looking for the dog) we have done what we feel we can to find the owner. I can't believe that someone is not out there, actively looking for this cute dog.

So....it looks like we now have a dog. Maybe it was meant to be. One of my best friends has two daschsunds and I do love being around his dogs. This dog is growing on me and for some reason, I am his favorite person in this house.

Those of you that know me well, know that I obsess over EVERYTHING and this is no exception. The dog is here, in a good home and is well taken care of. I feel like we have done everything we need to do to find the owner but they don't seem to be looking for the pup (I seem to obsess over this the most). I'll continue to look at lost dog ads for a while but in the meantime, this little Carlos is growing on me.

Wish me luck and I'll post pic's later, once I'm a little more certain he is ours to keep.

The Eve's

To start - a little history...Growing up, I always spent Christmas Eve at Grandma & Grandpa Williamsons house. Christmas Eve was filled with tradition that changed and evolved over the years. There was always great food, and hanging out with all of my cousins. The Grandkids all had an individual stocking that Grandma would fill and hang from the staircase. The kids always played out the story of Christmas as Uncle Leonard read from the bible. We would raid my Grandmothers closet for robes, hats and nightgowns; use her perfume bottles for gifts for the baby and the youngest grandchild was always baby Jesus. As we grew up, Grandma's house kept getting smaller as our family grew larger, we eventually changed our traditions and each family started to create traditions of their own.

I found myself wanting do continue doing something on Christmas Eve, I wanted my kids to have something to look forward to each year and remember in the years to come. Over the past few years we've started a Christmas Eve party at our home that includes both sides of our families. Our parents, siblings and cousins (who, really, are more like siblings) come over each Christmas Eve for food, fun & laughter.

One of the things that we traditionally do is a White Elephant gift exchange. There are some tried and true gifts that make the rounds each year and always a new one that shows up that everyone wants (usually a Gnome and somehow, every year, Diane scores it).

This year (or should I say 2009) we also had Kelly's family (and Megan & Ian) over for New Years Eve. Tracie's family was here from Denver so we decided to have everyone over again to hang out while they were in town.

Below are a few pictures from both Christmas and New Years Eve. Blogging lesson #1 - I need to take more pictures!!!

Christmas Eve - the White Elephant gift exchange begins...

Batman, Adult, Underwear are the hot ticket item of the night. Mike Gillespie, enough said.

New Years Eve - Black Jack game, went on for hours. This is my sister Megan and her husband Ian.

Minutes before the strike of Midnight. Emma is sound asleep, on me and its way past Grandpa Dennis' bedtime!