ABBEY!

Tonight I am heart broken.  We had to put our little Abbey Jae down tonight due to a heart issue that was pumping fluid into her stomach.  It happened so fast, which is probably for the best.  I couldn't handle seeing her so uncomfortable and in pain. I have never felt such sadness.  Everywhere I look I am reminded of her and can't stand how much I miss her already.  You truly don't realize how much you love your pet until they are gone.  I have so many memories and I want to share them here because this is our family journal.  So, here goes:

1.  We got Abbey in Las Vegas.  I was missing my family and friends terribly so I was so happy when we got her.  She was so tiny and I remember feeling so much love for her as I watched her lay on the grass.

2.  The first few weeks we kennel trained her and she barked and whined a lot.  I was teaching and knew she would be home alone so I would call our house and leave her messages so she could hear my voice. 

3.  I always felt safe when I was alone because her bark was so intimidating.  Jon went hunting a lot during the season and I was so thankful to have her as my watch dog.

4.  She loved the water and when we would take her to Lake Powell she was always the first one off the boat.  I put her in a life vest because I thought she was going to drowned herself.

5.  I used to take her on walks everyday when we lived in our Treviso home in Vegas.  They had a cool path that we both loved to do after I got home from work.

6.  She ate my parents couch with the help of Stone, my parent's dog.  

7.   She has been so sweet and tender with my boys.  She has protected them, let them use her as a jungle gym, and loved them when they were sad.  Wherever the boys would be, she would be right there with them, unless the nerf guns came out.  She hated the nerf guns (or should we say Remi and his shots to her head).

8.  She loved food and would peruse the counter top on a daily basis.  She sneaked a lot of food out of the doggy door.  We got smart and started to put our bread on top of the refrigerator.

9.  We loved taking her camping and watching her in the river with the boys.

10.  If the front door was open she would sneak out for a stroll but she always came back.  

  11.  When we found out she was sick I was sobbing pretty hard.  She was in the front seat and I was in the back..She kept looking back at me trying to nuzzle my hand because she knew I was upset.  She wanted to console me, when really it should have been the other way around.  

12.  When we put her down she placed her head between Jon and I.  It is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do.  

I hope she knows how much we loved her.  Once I had kids I felt like she went down on my priority list, but I always have loved her.  She ruined our backyard but I didn't care.  Even though she crowded our bed, I am going to miss her smack in the middle of us.  She was a loyal friend and will always be my little girl.  We love and miss you Abbey!

Merry Christmas to All!

Honestly, December was busy.  Judd had his tonsils removed, Stetson had a little surgery, as well as Jon.  When you have met your deductible with having a new baby, it is worth getting everything done before the new year and another high deductible resets.  I have these  pictures out of order but if you want to know the truth, I don't give a snot.  I have been cussing at the computer for the last hour because it wouldn't down load my pictures from my camera.  I had to pull at the big guns....aka Jon...and show it who was boss.  Jon thinks I am a ding a ring because it is so easy for him to figure out this computer.  After all of the fuss I realized that I didn't take too many photos (lame) because I utilize my phone so much.  Now if I could just learn how to transfer photos from my phone to my computer.  I'm sure it is easy but for me it is like running a flippin' marathon.  I am my father's child.  So, here is Christmas....... 

Christmas Eve included making 3 stops.  1.  Grandpa and Grandma Bowen 2. McNeil's house (my sister) & 3. Grandma Kris for the nativity and pjs.

 Judd was several things during the Nativity.  One part was taken away from him because he decided to use his tail inappropriately.  He went from having a back tail pulled between his legs so he had a new front tell.  Can you see where it went from there :).

 Stetson was baby Jesus but I am not sure he enjoyed being swaddled.  Remi never got a part because he was ornery and too busy pinching and hitting.  

After the Nativity, Grandma Kris gave each family pajamas.  This year my boys all got Superman pajamas.  They were ADORABLE!

Our boys woke up at 9am for Christmas, or should I say we woke them up.  In my head you think that Christmas morning is going to be perfect.  Well, this year it wasn't.  Since we woke them up they weren't as excited as I thought they should be and then it went all down hill from there.  We pulled it together in the end but next year they are sleeping as long as they want to.  

 Remi is obsessed with Caillou.  Not to worry the doll is already missing a leg.  

 Our poor little tree.  We picked it out on a stormy, freezing, cold night.  When we got it home Judd couldn't hide his disappointment about the size of the tree.  He told us it was a Charlie Brown tree.  I don't know where he pulls these things from.  I loved our tree, and I think Judd came around!  Remi liked to redecorate it on an hourly basis and I let him.

 Henrey was exhausting.  He got himself in a lot of trouble this year.  I think if he ever makes snow angles out of flour again, he might get kicked back to the north pole :).

 See the little Nativity set on the black little table.  Remi and Judd loved it.  I would find the figures in some unusual (maybe even a little precarious) spots but I loved how baby Jesus was alway protected.  Don't mind the laundry needing to be hung in the back. It always seems to be there.