Thankful

We started our week ready for the short work week ahead.  Mina happily slept in and enjoyed a lazy Monday morning while I worked.  

The weather was beautiful and I took advantage of it by spending my lunch outside with the dogs.  I had a few perennials that my mom had given me that I needed to plant and a few other odds and ends to wrap up in the yard before the weather changed and winter arrived.  It was such a nice break from my work day.

After work, I took the girls and Sanford for a walk around the neighborhood and then put them back outside while I finished putting the last of the Christmas lights up.  Then, after I finished the lights, we went for another walk around the neighborhood before heading inside for dinner.  

While the temperatures were still mild, Tuesday brought us rain all day.  Somehow I got lucky and all three dogs were happy to nap most of the day.  It was a quiet day of work and watching the rain fall.  

It was still drizzling when my day of work ended, but I knew that I had to get out for some exercise with the dogs.  I wasn't sure where we were going to go, but I knew I wanted the ability to go inside a store for at least part of our trip.  I had thought about a trip to Lowe's or Home Depot, but ultimately I decided to head to Old Town and Preuss Pets.  

I got each dog out for a solo trip into the store followed by a walk around the block in the sprinkles.  By the time I had finished the last trip with Mina, the rain had mostly stopped, so I got everyone out for a walk in Old Town.  It was such a nice night, especially knowing what would soon be heading our way.

On the way home, we stopped downtown at the Capitol for a visit to the State Christmas tree.  I think this year's tree is one of my favorite in recent years.  

Of course we had to walk down to the Christmas ornaments too.  It was a nice night to enjoy the holiday season in downtown.  I love how pretty it is at the holidays. 

Wednesday arrived with strong winds, much colder temperatures, and the promise of snow.  I had decided earlier in the week that we wouldn't be holding our normal Wednesday night walk due to the holiday because many people are unavailable and we don't always have many dogs.  Instead, I had planned to work through my lunch so that I could head to the shelter around 4pm to walk any of the dogs that were still there.  It's kind of a favorite tradition of mine to actually be able to walk the dogs myself on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

Due to the threat of bad roads later in the day, I changed my plans and decided to head to the shelter for my lunch instead.  The wind was brutal, but I was ready for it.  When I arrived, there were only two dogs available to walk and another volunteer had Brussel Sprout out for a walk, so I just needed to walk Jackson.  He's my favorite, so I was happy to take him.  We had a really nice walk with a stop at Family Farm and Home and he did such a good job.  It was a nice two miles and I was really glad I was able to get him out of the shelter for a break. 

I had taken Sanford and the girls along for the drive to the shelter to gwt them out of the house for a bit.  Sanford hung out in the shelter and the girls napped in the car while I walked Jackson.  When I was done, the girls got to go into the shelter to say hello to their shelter friends while I grabbed Sanford.  Then I took them for a little walk before we made the drive back home.  We took one last walk around the block when we got home before I headed back to work.

The dogs were happy to have had an adventure and eventually everyone settled in for a quiet afternoon while I worked. 

I was so happy that I had been able to get out before the snow moved into to the area.  And I was happy to settle in to enjoy the peace of a snowy day while I finished my work and then spent the evening relaxing with the dogs.

I awoke on Thanksgiving morning to windchills in the teens and two dogs ready for an adventure.  I wasn't so sure that I wanted to go out into the cold, but these faces convinced me that I needed to get out of bed, bundle up, and head downtown for the Turkey Trot.  

I never used to be able to participate in this 5K, but with changes to my Thanksgiving schedule over the last few years, the Turkey Trot has become a new holiday Tradition for us, and I love it. 

We always start at the back of the pack and then Peaches drags me trying to pass as many people as we can.  This year she dragged me a little less, but we were able to keep a nice pace.  All three dogs did such a good job with the cold and the crowds and they got lots of compliments along the way.

We finished at 59 minutes and 44 seconds which is slower than previous years, but I was just happy that we had gotten out and finished!  

After finishing the Turkey Trot, I headed home to make the mashed potatoes and dressing for our Thanksgiving feast.  The dogs had an early lunch and then laid down for a nap while I cooked.  When everything was ready, I got the dogs settled in for the day and then I headed out the door to spend Thanksgiving at Nicol's.

We spent the afternoon watching the Lions game and then enjoyed a delicious Thanksgiving feast.  Plus there was lots of quality time with Fiona.  One of the best parts of the day was when she insisted we all go around the table and say what we are thankful for this year.  Her answer was Picasso, which made me smile.  I'm thankful for so many things, but mostly for everyone that was around that table with me, and, of course, my girls too.

I started Friday morning with a trip down the street to the Christmas tree lot on the corner to pick up my Christmas tree for this year.  Then I came home to get the dogs for the ride to the shelter to meet Sanford's foster mom who had returned home a couple of days early.  While we waited for her we walked around in the grassy area along the parking lot and the girls got in lots of sniffs with all of the new smells.  

Once Sanford was on his way with his foster mom, we headed home where I put some veggies in the oven to roast while I got the girls out for a walk around the neighborhood.  When we got home, I fed the girls lunch, loaded my car, and then got the girls settled in for the afternoon while I headed to my cousin Josh's house for a family Thanksgiving with my dad's family.  We haven't all gotten together for Thanksgiving in such a long time and it was so nice to all be together again.

Fiona especially liked the fact that there were other kids around her age there and lots of new toys to play with too.  She had a great time.  I'm really glad we were all able to spend some quality time together. 

Saturday morning, I got out early to run some errands and to get the girls out for a walk.  Since I was heading to the mall for the South Lansing Farmer's Market's Holiday market, we were able to get out for a nice walk at Sharp Park.  It was a beautiful morning for a walk.

After my visit to the Holiday market, I headed out to Eaton Rapids to meet up with my friend Chuck who had some meat to give me for Peaches.  It's been forever since I've seen Chuck and we had a nice visit.  I made a couple more stops along the way, filled up the gas tank, got a few snacks, and then headed home to watch the big Michigan vs. Ohio State rivalry game.

The girls and I ate lunch then we snuggled up as we watched the game.  Sadly we didn't win this year, but I guess you can't win them all.

During the game, snow moved into the area and I was happy to be hunkered down in the house.  I finally got the tree into the tree stand after the game was over and got the lights on the tree, then I sat down to enjoy the pretty glow of the lights.  

Before I went to bed, I got a quick picture of the Christmas lights in the freshly fallen snow.  It is just so magical.

The snow continued through the night and I was happy to have no plans to leave home this Sunday.  We've spent a quiet morning relaxing and watching some cheesy Hallmark holiday movies.

I got outside to shovel the sidewalk before lunch, and then I spent a little time playing with the dkgs in the snowy backyard.  

I've got some more decorating and cleaning to do today and I'll be starting that soon.  I'm really looking forward to a nice day at home filled with holiday spirit, snow, and sunshine.  And the bonus is that I have a vacation day tomorrow, so the fun and relaxation can continue!

Tomorrow we welcome December and the final month of 2025.  Time sure is going fast.  I really hope that things slow down a bit this month so that we can take full advantage of holiday season.