Giving Thanks

It is so hard for me to believe that the month of November is nearing its end and we are only about a month away from a new year.  I hope you all enjoyed a nice Thanksgiving weekend.  I know it was different for many of us this year, but what better time than November and Thanksgiving weekend to remember to be grateful for all that we have.  I have made a point this month of finding moments to be thankful every single day.  From silly things like tacos to more abstract things like perspective and the arts, to the most important things like my girls, I have so much to be thankful for every single day. 

This week was a quiet one for us.  I did work early in the week, but was happy to have a long weekend.  The weather this week was mild so we were able to get out for some nice walks every day and Peaches was happy to snuggle up on my lap while I watched the annual Gilmore Girls marathon on UPtv each night. 

It's become our nightly ritual all week long for her to climb into my lap and she's loved every minute.

The work week flew by and Thanksgiving arrived.  With no family gatherings to attend this year, I cooked a small dinner.  But before dinner we got out for a nice walk.  

The girls were happy to help me with meal prep and of course I shared some cauliflower and brussel sprouts with them.   Since I didn't need a huge meal, I only prepared a turkey breast with mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy, and the veggies for the meal.  I was also thankful for an easy day of meal prep!  

We ate a quiet dinner. and after I was done. I had a nice call with my parents and with Nicol and then settled in to watch The Wizard of Oz.  It was a wonderfully peaceful day and I enjoyed it very much.

After a quiet day at home on Thursday, I had some fun plans for Friday night...but first I had some things to check off the to-do list.  Friday morning was spent cleaning up my Fall decorations and starting to decorate for Christmas.  Also, a month after my car accident, I finally got a vehicle thanks to the help of my awesome car guy, Chuck.  It's a temporary car to get me through the Winter and to give me time to find the perfect replacement Jeep for me.  While it's not a Jeep yet, I'm certainly thankful to have a car in the event that I need it.

Finally Friday afternoon arrived and Vanessa picked us up for some Holiday fun.  The girls and I jumped into Vanessa's car and headed off for a little geocaching on the way to the Magic of Lights event at DTE.   After a stop for some salted caramel hot chocolate, we arrived at DTE and enjoyed our drive through the light display.

As we were driving home from DTE, we decided to make an additional stop at Crossroads Village for the Christmas at Crossroads Holiday Magic Drive Thru.  It was only slightly out of our way so why not add a little adventure to the day?  We arrived at Crossroads Village and got within a 1/2 mile of the entrance before coming to a complete stop.   It took us over an hour to make it to the entrance, but we were glad that we had stuck it out and made it in for the light display.  

The light display at Crossroad Village was excellent and we enjoyed the Christmas music playing through the village as we drove through.  Thanks to the mild weather we were able to roll the windows down and take it all in as we drove through the display.  We were definitely not disappointed with our detour.  

On Saturday, I was excited to be able to get together with Katelyn, Emmalee, and Vanessa for a walk with the girls.  Emmalee was in town for the weekend and we don't get to see her much, so we always try to make an effort to get together any time she's home.  

Of course, wherever Katelyn goes, Arlo joins as well.  We were happy to see him too.  Poor Arlo was the only boy to join our group for the walk, but he didn't seem to mind too much.

It was a beautiful day, mid 40s with sunshine, for our walk along the Riverwalk and I even got to walk without a dog for a bit.  That is a rare occurrence, but Emmalee was happy to walk Peaches and Maddie always prefers to walk with Vanessa.  We had a great walk and the girls were happy to see all of their friends.

On our way home from our walk, we picked up our fresh cut Christmas Tree and some tacos from the taco truck so we could settle in for a nice evening at home.  I got the lights and garland on the tree and enjoyed my tacos while enjoying the sparkly lights and the wonderful smell of the tree.  

The weather today was near 50 and sunny so we were able to spend some quality time outside.  I was able to mow the lawn one last time to help mulch the leaves in the backyard and do a little additional yard clean up.  The yard is definitely ready for Winter now.  I was also able to do a thorough cleaning of the new vehicle and take the girls for a nice walk at dusk to enjoy some of the neighborhood Christmas lights.

I spent the rest of the evening continuing to decorate the house for Christmas.  I still have a couple of finishing touches to make before I'm done, but I'm officially ready to enjoy the Holiday season.  The next few weeks, we have plans for some fun and safe Holiday adventures, but I am also looking forward to the peace and quiet of the Holiday season at home.  I hope that you all enjoy our upcoming Holiday season too. We look forward to sharing our adventures with you.

A quiet week at home

We've had a very quiet week without much adventure.  It's been strange because I haven't had a car in just over three weeks.  Since I'm working from home and had stocked up on food due to the rise in Covid cases just before the accident, I haven't really needed a vehicle.  I also know that if I did need anything, I have friends who are willing to help.  And Vanessa has helped getting the girls and I out for some regular adventures which I have really appreciated.  The girls have appreciated those adventures too!

Honestly, with the current Covid situation, I'm not really in any hurry to go anywhere, so even if I did have a car, I wouldn't be doing much. So we've settled in to a nice routine at home.  The weather has still been decent, so Peaches has enjoyed time outside during the day while I'm working.  For my lunch, we have been taking a mid-afternoon walk which we have all thoroughly enjoyed.  Most days after our walk the girls settle in for a nice afternoon nap until I'm done with work for the day.  The girls have been demanding their dinner earlier than normal, so they eat dinner while I make my dinner and then they nap while I eat.  Each evening Peaches will bring me a toy to play with her for a bit or the girls will get a special treat in a Kong, and then we settle in for a peaceful evening.

Some days I walk Peaches and Maddie together, others they each get a solo walk.  I've also allowed Maddie to pick the route we take on our walks together, so she determines where and how far she walks.  What I have discovered is that she definitely knows the way home and when she is ready to end her walk, she will head back toward home.  I know Peaches enjoys her walks alone with me because we can go faster and farther than we do with Maddie, but she has also shown a great deal of patience on the walks when Maddie joins us.  We both need patience because some days those walks with Maddie are painfully slow.  But I appreciate every day that Maddie gets excited when the shoes come out of the closet and she insists on joining us.  

I've also tried to change things up occasionally, so the the girls and I had a little slumber party one night.  I piled all of the dog beds onto the floor in the office, added my sleeping bag and some pillows, and we snuggle up together with the lovely glow of the Thanksgiving tree.  It was surprisingly comfy and a fun little change of pace.  

In addition to doing some yard work throughout the week, I've also started doing some small little things around the house in preparation for painting and making some additional updates. I am not a DIY kind of person because I don't have much talent for it, but I'm trying!

Normally the Friday before Thanksgiving we would have been downtown for Silver Bells in the City, the Electric Light Parade, and State Christmas tree lighting, but with Covid, the in person event was cancelled.  So instead we ordered a pizza and settled in for a relaxing Friday evening at home watching, Silver Bells in the City Home Edition on TV.  

Saturday arrived and I had planned a day at home, cleaning, and doing some work around the house, but lucky for us Vanessa reached out to see if we needed an afternoon adventure.  Of course we said yes!

She arrived to pick us up and we headed out for a walk at a rarely used trail on the West side of town and some geocaching fun.  Maddie and Peaches were both thrilled to be out of house exploring a new area.  I was too!

It was a gorgeous Fall day to be outside and enjoying the area.  We finished our walk, but before heading home we decided to do a little more geocaching.  We ended the day pretty successfully with 10 finds!

After a day of adventuring, the adventure dogs were happy to head home, eat dinner, and settle in for a quiet night.

I'm hoping that this week will be the week that I will get my new(to me) vehicle.  I am extremely lucky because I have a great friend (and car guy) who knows someone looking to sell a vehicle that will work great for me and the girls until I can take more time to find the right permanent vehicle.  Since we're living through a pandemic, we won't be traveling much through the Winter, so I just need something to get me around town until I can spend some time looking for my future Jeep.  I am so thankful for Chuck and his help because I had no desire to car shop during  Covid!  

This week we will celebrate Thanksgiving quietly at home. I'm sad that I won't be celebrating with family, but we are going to stay safe.  I'm excited get my Christmas tree and to spend the day decorating for the Holidays.  I hope that you all enjoy a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. 

Happy November

Without a vehicle, our November adventures have been limited, but I am trying to keep the girls happy and active any chance I get.  To start off the month, I decided to try something new and decorate a fall-themed tree.  I've seen another in my neighborhood on our daily walks and was inspired to give it a go myself.  I am really happy with how it turned out and it definitely makes the days in my home office a little more cheery.  The only problem...Maddie has decided she wants to rub her head in the branches on a regular basis, just like she does with the trees outdoors.  This has never been a problem with Christmas trees in the past, but life with Maddie has always been a bit unpredictable.  She nearly knocked the tree over one day while I was on a Microsoft Teams meeting for work, so I turned off my video and pulled her out of the tree.  Never a dull moment!

The girls have settled into a good routine and with all of the nice weather we've been having, they have spent lots of time outdoors every day.  We need to take full advantage of 70s in November every chance we can!  Melanie and Peaches love to be outside exploring the yard or playing with the neighbor's new puppy.  And after a bit outside, they come in and settle in nicely.

Plus after a day full of fresh air, lots of play time, and a good walk, they like to spend the evenings snuggling.  

In an attempt to really enjoy the weather and get the girls the exercise they need,  I've been taking Maddie on walks by herself so we can go at her pace and then taking a separate walk with Mel and Peaches.  One day we even discovered a new park within walking distance of home, right along the river.  It was beautiful and I can't believe I wasn't aware that this place even existed.

Melanie has also been enjoying some nightly snuggle time with Maddie, I just can't stand how cute they are!  Maddie has been so good with the puppy, and honestly, Melanie has been gentle with Maddie too.  It warms my heart to see.

We're also grateful for a weekend adventure with Vanessa and yet another new park we have found to explore.  

Over the weekend, in addition to an adventure with Vanessa, I was able to wash and air dry all of the dog beds, do some yard work and leaf clean up, and even got the outdoor Christmas lights up while wearing shorts in November.  

I have definitely enjoyed the reprieve from cold weather and the ability to take some really nice walks around the neighborhood and feel productive...all while waiting to figure out my car situation.  But nothing lasts forever and colder temperatures moved in mid-week.  However, we didn't let that dampen our spirits because Melanie had a very exciting meeting scheduled with a family.

So after a good walk and lots of special treats throughout the day, we partook in our adoption eve tradition of an ice cream party.  The girls really love that tradition and thoroughly enjoyed their special treat.

Wednesday morning arrived and we prepared for the drive to Battle Creek to meet Melanie's potential new family.  Vanessa joined us for the trip and she and Peaches walked around the park while I spoke with the family.  Of course, Melanie charmed her way into their hearts, and after completing the adoption paperwork, she walked away without one look back, headed to Illinois for her new life.

I had taken the day off and couldn't imagine not taking some time to get out for a little fun and exploration with the girls.  I had spent some time looking for a couple of places to visit and do a little geocaching along the way as well. 

There aren't a lot of areas to hike in the counties in southwest Michigan.  Most of the area is just very small towns surrounded by farmland.  But I looked at my list of most beautiful spots in each county and found what I though would be a good place for our first stop-the Rawson's King Mill County Park, the most beautiful spot in St. Joseph County.  

We arrived only to find that the park is technically not dog friendly, but there was no one else there and it was a tiny park, so we got the girls out of the car for a little walk and exploration.  The park is very pretty and we saw a beaver and some goats during our short walk.  

Our next stop was the Langley Covered Bridge.  It is the longest of Michigan's remaining covered bridges and was listed as one of the top 10 things to see in the county, so of course we had to stop.  

We made a few other short stops during the day.  One of my favorites was Culbertson Cemetery, the cemetery in the middle of the road.  It was a cool little spot.   This was our last stop on our journey south and it was now time to start heading back toward home.  

We made a quick stop for lunch at a gas station advertising hot sandwiches and chicken dinners, and while the chicken sandwich left much to be desired, the potato wedges were delicious.  Our journey continued until we reached Nashville where we needed to stop for a geocache and some ice cream from Mooville.  

We arrived at home shortly after 5pm and the girls ate dinner and then settled in for a quiet night at home.  It's definitely been a bit quieter without Melanie here, but I've heard from her new family and she is settling in well.  They adopted a second pup from the rescue on Thursday(which was the plan all along) and the girls are settling in together nicely.  I love a good adoption success, but this is one of the best.   Just look at how cute they are!

After a quiet Friday the 13th, we were excited for a Saturday geocaching adventure with Vanessa.  We explored some parks close to home and did a little bushwacking through the woods.  

In total, we walked just over 3.5 miles and spent a great Fall afternoon in the woods. We finished our adventures with lunch at my favorite taco truck.  It was a great day.

The next few weeks should be quiet around here as we move into the late Fall and the Holiday season.  I'm not sure what our adventures will look like as we move toward the Winter, but I am really looking forward to the peace of the upcoming season with my girls.   Hard to believe that we are less than two months from the year-end.