Keeping busy.

I've been keeping pretty busy the last couple of weeks. Making gifts, sending cards, getting ready for our puppy (who comes home this Saturday!) formulating a business venture and many many other things. It seems that there is a never ending avalanche of responsibilities rolling over me and this time of year it's at its worst. I'm tired, I could sleep for days I'm sure... ok, probably not but I feel like it so I'll push through, handle the S.A.D. and enjoy the season and my awesome family.

Maddie (our golden) got a great Christmas present this year. It's very cold outside, and she's very old so she's been staying in the house... well, she's stinky and I was tired of smelling her. We took her to the groomer yesterday and she got a full makeover. Clippity Dippity Cuts did a fantastic job and I'll be taking her back again. No more stinky dog in the house!!!!!

We've taken quite a few pictures the last couple of weeks so I'd thought I would share some of them.

Trying to get a few shots of Christopher for our Christmas cards. He wasn't cooperating but ended up looking very cute and adventurous.

We took Christopher out in the snow. He was not happy and started crying, it was probably just too cold. When we got him inside he was very upset at us and wanted to go outside again. He just couldn't make up his mind.

He made a snow angel... or we made him make one.

Getting closer.

That's right. We're getting very close to the 20th. The day we get to go and pick up our puppy. I'm very excited and just trying to get everything together so that when the little guy gets here he'll have all his needs taken care of. It'll be fun taking him on all our Christmas stops, as I can't see leaving a puppy we've had for just a few days home alone. Here are the pictures of the litter. We'll be getting one of the boys! Less than two weeks, I can't believe it.

I've started working on Christmas cards today, and wrapping some gifts. I only have two that require any shipping which makes it easy on me. Most friends and family will be getting tasty treats made by me, saving me precious money and making the gift that much more special. I hope you are all well out there in the world and enjoying the season!

He didn't have a chance.

Poor little Christopher. He didn't have a chance, what with my side of the family being completely allergy ridden. It started small, he reacted to cinnamon... getting a little red around his mouth and his face just a tad splotchy. Then it carried on to strawberries, citrus and egg whites. All these foods we avoid as well as we can. No life threatening reactions to them, simply a very red and bumpy goatee with some mild splotchyness of his face.

Well the other night I was eating a peanut butter and honey rice cake. I broke off a tiny little piece, maybe a pea size worth of peanut butter on it, the first time I'd be giving any to Chris. Within two minutes of eating it his lips were swollen and blistered and his face had red angry looking bumps wherever he touched it with his little peanut butter hands. It was the worst reaction he's had. I was scared and I watched him very closely the rest of the evening. It slowly cleared up but I'm keeping it as far away from his as I can now.

I feel so bad, there are so many foods he can't eat, yummy foods. He CAN eat wheat.... as far as I know. I won't be able to start deducing if he's got a wheat issue until he can tell me how he feels when he's eaten it and he becomes more "regular." Hopefully he'll grow out of them and will someday be able to eat cinnamon, eggs, strawberries, citrus and peanut butter. For now though, they are off the menu.

Terry Goodkind Fans.

If you're a fan of Terry Goodkind and have been reading his Sword of Truth series than you may be interested to know that there is a television series based on the books running right now. It's pretty good for a TV short series, and better than I expected it to be. Just putting the word out there.

A little side note, the new season of Top Chef started running last week. I LOVE this show. Wednesdays on Bravo. Watch it.

Chugging along.

Adam is home after a long week of being gone. He went to Minnesota to visit family and get a little business in. His first day out hunting he downed his deer, a nice young (not to young,) buck that will be tasty to eat. I'm glad to have the extra meat in the freezer as it means less money out of my pocket. So, all in all he had a good time and is happy to be home.

I had an uneventful week. Went shopping with my mom for Christmas gifts, took a Quickbooks class... cooked, cleaned a little. Christopher got to play with Katie and spend some quality time with the grandparents. (He also got to play with Beckett and Grason today, so he had a busy week.)

I've started a gluten free blog. Living Without Wheat. It's not much and I probably won't post more than once a week but I thought it was important that I share what I know about eating gluten free, and that it might be fun to have a food blog. I'm open to recipe suggestions so send them my way if you have any.

It official, WE'RE EXPECTING!!!

I just found out that we're expecting. That's right, December 20th 2008 our baby will arrive. He's tiny yet and we won't have pictures until he's 5 weeks but we're very excited. We'll be getting a little boy from the L litter. Talk about a Merry Christmas. I can't wait. You can check out Geyer German Shepherds to see his parents in the meantime. We'll keep you posted and let you know when pictures of him are up. December 20th can't come soon enough.

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman

Halloween was fun this year. Christopher is still a little young for the run of the mill trick-or-treating so we headed to the mall with him. We met up with Jen, Joel, Matt, Ashley and Brandi... with all the kids so we had quite the little group going. Christopher is such an observer that with all the commotion he barely said a word the whole time we were out, was to busy watching everything. It was a fun day, spent with friends.

Helping mommy carve the pumpkin.

My handy dandy work.

Christopher was rather upset that Geoffrey the Toys R Us girrafe walked away.

Walking on daddy's feet... think he was trying to fly.

The boys, waiting on the girls.