Remembering...

My mom sent me these pictures from 30+ years ago.  Pictures I've seen before, but have found new meaning now that I'm a a mom.  Below, I'm sitting on Santa's lap down in my Grannie's basement apartment (my sister now lives down there.)  I love how Santa is reading the Christmas story to me.  Nothing like mixing it up!  I see a lot of Pyper in this one. 

 Here I am at 3, Pyper's age.  I see a lot of Pyper and Raegan in this picture.  I remember that bucket...particularly catching a garden snake while my dad worked on our home's cement and stone stairs out in the front of the house.  I remember my dad catching the snake, and I put it in that bucket, but let it go because it smelled so bad!  Ha!  The things you remember...

I'm between 9-10 months old in this picture.  Walking between Grannie and my mom.  Clearly, I don't remember this, but boy do I remember my Grannie.  December 5 marked 5 years since she's been gone, and I miss her daily.  More so during the holidays.  Like when she misplaced her false teeth on Thanksgiving Day in 2007 and was so upset that she wouldn't be able to eat (one of her favorite past times.) Or making haystacks for Renae and I as her special Christmas treat.  I made them this year for the girls, put them in the freezer for Christmas and told them of how she would be so pleased that we were carrying on the tradition.  My favorite memory was the Christmas of 1999 when mom, dad and Grannie came down to my apartment in Cleveland, Tn and we baked cookies and danced in my small kitchen.  I am hoping to build memories like that for my girls. 

Dog-Gone Good Biscuits!

Aunt Nita gave Pyper a bunch of cute cookie cutters for her birthday this year.  She knows our 3 year old loves to bake.  Then, we received in the mail from Nita a recipe for dog biscuits and a sample of the ones she had made for her labs.  Knowing we were going down to the German Shepherd rescue on Sunday to drop off all the donations we collected, I thought this would be a nice touch.  Jenn and I made up the batter, and it was such a mess!  So much so, that I called Nita to make sure I hadn't done something wrong!  But, I listened to Nita's advice to let them cool (we put the batter in the fridge over night), and the next day, Jenn and the kids set out to rolling out the dough, and cutting the biscuits using the cute dog, bone and paw shapes.  Jenn called me hours into the ordeal and told me that I owed her...BIG!  She ended up making 257 biscuits, and the kids lost interest after about 20!  ha!

 The ingredients are all natural, and so Shannon tried one out.  I expect him to start barking any minute...

 A box full of biscuits for the homeless dogs to enjoy.

 All wrapped up in a pretty box for them!

Here is some food I bought for them, along with dog bowls, rawhides, dog beds (I made!), collars donated from the local pet shop, treats and some medicine from the pharmacy for some sick pups.  I hope these precious pups have a blessed Christmas!