Holiday Spirit

The holiday season really kicked off this week with a variety of fun activities on the calendar.  While we enjoyed several events, we also had a fairly quiet and relaxing week.  I'm trying to ensure that we enjoy all that the holiday season has to offer including some quiet evenings just enjoying our decorations at home. 

The fun all kicked off last Sunday.  We were up early and on the road by 8am for the drive north to the Roscommon County Animal Shelter for pictures with Santa.  

It was a sunny morning with clear roads and beautiful blue skies on our drive.  With snow on the ground for a large part of our drive, it made for a magical winter drive.  We arrived at the shelter with a light snow falling as I wrangled the dogs out of the car.

We received a warm welcome from all of Peaches' shelter friends and the girls and Smokey were very excited to get lots of love and treats before they finally settled in for their pictures.  They all did such a good job for the individual pictures, but I was really pleased with how well the group picture turned out.  

We left the shelter with three doggy goodie bags, lots of pets for the dogs, and a hug for me.  We always feel very loved after our trips north, and this trip was no different.  

Originally I had thought we might be able to get out for a little hike while we were in the area, but we didn't have enough time since we had to head south for a family Christmas party.  We did have time for a quick stop for a walk around Clare on the way to the party, though.  It was festively decorated for the holidays and the perfect spot to get out to burn some energy and stretch our legs.  

After our stop in Clare, we continued our journey to our family Christmas party.  This party is one of the few times each year that we get together with my grandma's family.  With her and all of her siblings gone, it's kept alive by my dad's siblings and cousins.  It's been a tradition to have this party for as long as I can remember, and it's always nice to see family that I don't see often.  We had a nice potluck meal and I had a good time visiting everyone.  Finally, it was time to head home.

After getting home, I fed the dogs dinner and then loaded them back into the car to run a couple of quick errands before heading to Toys for Tots night at the Wonderland of Lights at Potter Park Zoo.

This event is usually held on a Saturday evening, but I really liked the fact that it was a Sunday this year.  The zoo was much less busy, which made for a much more enjoyable visit for me.

After dropping my toy off with the group of Marines on site colleting them, I took a nice stroll through the zoo.  While I wasn't as impressed with the light displays as I had been in the past, it was still a nice walk.  I heard the tiger roar, saw the penguins swimming, and enjoyed a s'more at the campfire along the way.  Then, after my short visit, I headed out to the car to make the drive home.  

It had been a full day, and I had really enjoyed all of our stops along the way, but I was ready to get home for the evening to rest up for the work week ahead.

Monday was a fairly uneventful day.  At the end of my work day, I had to take Smokey out for a follow-up appointment with Dr. Jason to check on his eye cyst and determine next steps.  The office was so busy when we arrived and had a couple of unexpected emergency appointments, so our appointment took longer than I had expected.  But everything went great and it was determined we could move forward with surgery for his eyelid and shoulder cysts.  They completed bloodwork and chest x-rays while we were there and we scheduled his surgery for later in the week before we left.   After his appointment, we came home and everyone ate dinner out of one of our brain games and then settled in for the evening.  I had hoped to get out for a walk, but we just ran out of time.

Luckily our Tuesday went pretty well, and when I finished work for the day, I was ready to get everyone out for a good walk.  So off we went for a walk around the neighborhood.  We walked just over three miles and were all pretty happy about it.  Afterward, everyone ate dinner in their snuffle mats and then we took a drive.  We made a stop at Biggby Coffee for a hot chocolate and three pup cups on the way home, since they were donating $1 for everyone drink purchase to the animal shelter for Giving Tuesday.  Everyone enjoyed their special treat...even though the picture didn't turn out very well.

On Wednesday, we had a Winter Weather Advisory starting in the early evening as a big storm system was moving into the area.  I decided that I really needed to make sure that we got out for a walk before the snow arrived, so I took the dogs out for a nice long lunchtime walk around the neighborhood. 

With the storm moving in and with Smokey's surgery scheduled for Thursday morning, I didn't know when we'd be able to get out for a nice long walk again, so I was glad that I had made the time on my lunch.  After a walk, lunch, and a mid-afternoon Kong, the dogs settled in for a nap while I finished my work for the day.

When 5 O'clock arrived, the storm hadn't started yet so I decided to run a couple of quick errands.  We added a stop at Soldan's to our trip, and I made sure to take each dog in for an individual trip.  They all walked around the store, said hello to the employees, and picked out a treat to take home.  I know that they all loved their visits, and I picked up a few extra goodies for their Christmas stockings while I was there.  As I loaded the final dog into the car, the snow started to fall.  We made it home quickly and were all settled in for the evening before the wind and snow really picked up.  

I enjoyed watching the snow fall as we sat inside with the lights from the Christmas tree sparkling.  I really do love to watch the snow fall from the warmth and safety of home.

After a snowy night, I was up early on Thursday to get Smokey up and out to the vet for his surgery.  We had a decent amount of snow on the ground and I was out at 6:45am shoveling the driveway to clear it out before I left.   When I finished shoveling, I loaded everyone into the car and headed out toward Mason.  

Smokey was in a pretty sassy mood when I dropped him off, but he was also really happy to be getting lots of love.  

When I headed out to the car for the drive home, I found Peaches happily sitting in the driver's seat.  It was too cute not to take a picture.

As we made the drive home at sunrise, I couldn't help but appreciate the beauty of the snow on the trees with the beautiful cotton candy colored clouds in the beautiful blue sky.

I finished shoveling the sidewalks when I got home so that the girls could spend a little time outside running around, and then I headed inside to start my work day.  It was such a quiet morning with just the girls here and they napped the day away while I worked.

Smokey made it through his surgery like a champ, and I was able to pick him up around 2:30 so I took a late lunch to make the drive out to get him.  Since the cyst on his shoulder was quite sizeable, it took a lot to remove it and then stitch him back together.  He's going to have quite the scar when he's all healed, but it is so nice to see him with that cyst removed.

I finished my workday after getting Smokey settled in at home.  He was sleepy from his surgery and happy to take a nap.

Then after work, we headed to Marshall for our annual holiday trip there.  Each year I pick a day to travel there for a hike on the North Country Trail and to check out all of the pretty lights in town.  I decided earlier in the week that this would be the perfect day for it. 

Thankfully the roads were clear for the drive there, and we were able to get there just after sunset.  Since Smokey was unable to join us for a longer walk, I made him a cozy little spot in the car to rest while the girls and I got out for our walk.  

The riverwalk was snow covered, and with Smokey waiting for us in the car, I knew we weren't going to do a long walk, but I was excited to get out on the trail.  We started from the parking lot and followed the riverwalk to Marshall Ave, where we turned around and headed back toward the car.  We had finished 1.25 miles, and I did a quick check on Smokey before deciding to walk a little farther.  So next we headed along the riverwalk in the opposite direction toward M227 which added another 1/2 mile to our total.  

After completing our 1.75 miles,  I loaded the girls in the car and drove toward the Calhoun County Fairgrounds for our trip through the Merry Mile.  The North Country Trail runs along the sidewalk through a neighborhood just a block away from the fairgrounds, so I parked along the street and got all three dogs out to walk down the NCT along the sidewalk through the neighborhood.  I figured Smokey could use the chance to stretch his legs, sniff around, and take a potty break, and I was right.  We walked down the block and back to the car to get one final 1/4 mile on the trail for a total of 2 miles for the night.   Then I loaded everyone in the car and drove the block over to the fairgrounds.

This was the first night of the Merry Mile at the Fairgrounds and I was happy to see that it wasn't very busy.  

We tuned to the radio station recommended for the drive and I rolled down the windows so the dogs could stick their heads out while we made the drive. 

They all seemed to enjoy the drive, and I enjoyed it too.  I always enjoy our visit here and it is always an nice addition to our holiday fun.

After we finished our drive through the Merry Mile, we had to make a stop at the Holiday house before we left town. 

Normally, we'd take a walk down the main street through town before leaving, but I decided against it since Smokey couldn't join us.  I just love how festive Marshall is for the holiday.  I grabbed a quick dinner at the barbeque place in town before making the drive home.  It had been a really nice way to spend our evening.

Friday morning we awoke to a beautiful sunny morning.  We have been following a daily routine for a bit, and to keep Smokey happy while he's healing, I've continued the routine with a couple of additions.  We start with breakfast and a potty break followed by a nap.  Then mid-morning everyone gets a frozen stuffed Kong or bone to enjoy, which is usually followed by another nap.  I take him out front for a quick potty walk and then lunch is served in a brain game.  The afternoons are usually quiet until late in the day.   Mina is really loving the mid-morning Kong break and is happy to put herself on the dog bed right next to Smokey to finish hers.

On Friday after work, I decided to take each dog out for a walk individually.  I started with a quick walk down the block with Smokey.  I'm limiting him to a quarte mile walk, which seems to be just enough to give him time to sniff and potty.  Next I took Mina out for her walk, followed by Peaches.  

After their walks, I got the dogs into the car so we could visit the Holiday in the Square event down the street.

Each dog got out for a short visit, and I enjoyed a s'more and a hot chocolate.  The dogs were very well-behaved, got lots of love, and a couple of special treats.  It was a good way to get them a little extra excitement in their day without a lot of work.

Afterwards, I ran some errands, picked up a few groceries, and then headed home for the night.

Saturday was a day full of fun.  My morning started with our Saturday morning shelter dog walk.  We walked four awesome dogs, included Boo, who is a very sweet girl.  Afterward, I enjoyed lunch at the shelter during our Volunteer luncheon.  It was a nice lunch and it was nice to spend some time talking to some of my fellow volunteers.  On the way home, I made a quick stop at the South Lansing Farmer's Market Winter Market to pick up a couple of goodies.

After a late lunch and a little time at home, we headed out to the Old Town Krampus Nacht.  We really enjoyed this event last year, so I was excited to take the dogs again.  I parked as close as I could find, and I took Smokey out first.  He was pretty happy to be out meeting new people and smelling all the smells,  But his favorite stop was definitely at the Fur Real Dog Snacks booth where he was treated to some chicken feet.

After I got Smokey back to the car, I took the girls for their visit.  They had the best time and got all kinds of attention.  We got in a nice walk around Old Town before I took them back to the car. 

We decided to make a visit to Preuss Pets while we were in Old Town.  It's always so fun to stop there and everyone enjoyed their visit.  I think Mina could stare at the ferrets all day.

On the way home, we swung in to Frances Park for their drive thru holiday light display.  Then we came home for dinner and a relaxing night.  

This morning we had no early morning commitments, so we lounged around a bit.  The dogs got their mid morning Kong while I had a late breakfast.  Then I got everyone out for a walk.  It was a beautiful, mild, sunny morning.  It felt almost like spring.  After their walks, I fed them lunch.  Then I got them settled in for the afternoon.  

I spent my afternoon with Nicol, Tyler and Fiona.  I met them at the Wharton Center for Fiona's first time watching the Nutcracker ballet.  I was so excited for this day and it did not disappoint.  

She got all dressed up in her pretty blue dress and was so excited to see the ballerinas.  It took me back to a three year old Nicol and our first time watching the Nutcracker at the Wharton Center.  At that time it wasn't just her first time at the ballet, it was mine too.  I remember how excited I was to be there and to take Nicol and  I'll never forget how she stood in the aisle wanting to dance in her little pink dress.  We both loved it so much.  And that led to me buying her her first Nutcracker.  We've seen this ballet together many times over the years and her whole Christmas theme at her house is Nutcrackers.  Every year I still buy her something Nutcracker themed.  This ballet is an important part of our lives.

This year, taking Fiona to see this ballet, it was special.  Her mom has read her Nutcracker books so she knows the characters and she knew who they were when the entered the stage.  She was so excited to see Clara and to watch the Nutcracker fight the Rat King.  And she knows the music.  She watched with wide eyes for the first act, we took a walk around Wharton Center during Intermission, and she sat on my lap for the second act.  She gasped and clapped and didn't want it to be over.  It was such a wonderful moment for me.  I don't think I'll ever forget it.  

After the ballet we had dinner and then it was time for them to head home.  Fiona was sad to go and asked if I was coming to their house with them.  We promised her that grandma will be joining her for another fun Christmas event soon.  The rest of our evening was quiet and uneventful.

I'm excited about the upcoming week and the fact that I'm only working two days plus I have some fun planned.  I hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoy some holiday spirit.