Thursday, April 20, 2017

I made the final mortgage payment

On April 4,2017 I sat down at my desk, took out my payment sheet and checkbook and wrote the check for our final mortgage payment. I had looked forward to the day I'd write that final check for so long that when that day came it was almost a surreal feeling. My hand was actually a little shaky and I felt kind of nervous--how crazy is that?? I actually wrote 2 checks...one for the April payment and the actual final (May) payment which was only $75.  But, still, I didn't feel completely FREE until the check cleared the bank. When I got the text notification from the bank that the check had cleared...well, THAT'S when I got excited. I looked around at the tralace and embraced the idea that it was ours, free and clear.
I know to some, probably most, it's not much...but this little acre of land and the tralace are home.  And, when I walk through the door and look around I'm happy.

I don't know if the time will ever come that we need to refinance for some unforeseen reason but for right now, for this space of time, we own our home outright and it's a great feeling!


A photo because no blog post is complete without at least
one photo, right?
I just had to share the happy news :)

I wish you all a wonderful day!

Rhonda

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Puppy birthdays!!

Holy cow...has it been a year already?? It's hard to believe a year has passed since our "boys" made their grand entrance into the world and our family.

I had preached and lectured the kids over and over again not to get attached because I was hardening my heart and we would not keep a single puppy. I have never allowed dogs in the house because it was just too much work to deal with the potty training, the messes and most of all, the hair and smell. I have always been a little grossed out when I've seen people out in public and they have pet hair on their clothes or things. I certainly didn't want to be one of those people...ewww, lol.
I guess I missed the flashing lights warning me of the karma train headed straight towards me because not only did we keep one puppy, we kept two. Poor Roscoe...I actually gave him to another family (oh, will the guilt never cease!!) because we had chosen Sam as the puppy we were keeping from day one. And we were only keeping ONE. As with every single puppy we rehomed, I asked them to please please return him to us if for some reason they decided not to keep him. I believe he was gone 7 or 8 days when the lady contacted me that he wasn't going to fit into their family because he was growling at the kids and they were terrified of him (hahahahaha--I still laugh about that because Roscoe was a cuddler then and he's a cuddler now). I don't know what was going on between their kids and our sweet Roscoe because he's never growled nor shown aggression in any way whatsoever before they took him or after. He was only 8 weeks old when they took him so your guess is as good as mine about what the issue was. I am just so thankful that they did give him back rather than trying to find someone else to take him or worse, send him to the shelter. I'll never forget how happy he was to see us the day we met the lady to bring him home. I decided right then that he was home to stay. And that's how we came to have 2 puppies.

To say that it's been a challenge is an understatement. Boy, is it an understatement! At first it was the incessant potty incidents that were the worst. Poop, pee, poop, pee, poop....you get the idea. I thought it would never end. Anything left within their reach was fair game to be chewed up destroyed.  Shoes (of course), socks, jackets, toys, home decor...you name it and they chewed it. I won't even talk about how bad the back yard got (I shudder at the memory). And then it got to the point that when we let them outside they were wandering out of our yard...disappearing for hours at a time, leaving me stressed to the point of tears. So, we finally got the backyard fenced thinking it would be the answer to our problems. And it has helped SO much. Unfortunately, Roscoe has found an escape hatch and has to be monitored constantly while outside, even in the fence.  And, a few months ago---presumably due to hormone---the fighting started. OMG...the fighting :( :( :(    With our 2 males and the male that my son kept that is here at least half the time, it was getting completely out of control. Now, we only allow one dog outside at a time and very little playtime between them inside.  Sam and Roscoe have appointments one week from today to be neutered (is it normal to feel so much guilt over taking a dog's balls away from him??) and we're hopeful that will greatly reduce the fighting for alpha status.
So, challenging? Oh, heck yeah! Worth it? ABSOFREAKINGLUTELY!  I look into their sweet little faces and my heart fills with love for them. I never thought I'd be one of "those people" and yet here I am and I wouldn't trade the furballs for anything.

So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our "boys" and here's to many many more!

Here are some photos of them at 2 days old and some taken yesterday on their actual birthday. Enjoy :)

This is Titan and he was the first born of the 8 puppies and
he belongs to our son, Garrett. 

This is our little Sam (Sammy, Sambo--he answers to them all)

There's our sweet Roscoe <3 
 And oh what a difference one year can make...here's the boys "all grown up"

Sam

Sam

Sam and Roscoe playing and loving one another

Sam and Roscoe love each other so much when they
aren't fighting, lol. 

Roscoe


Roscoe

Roscoe

Titan

Titan hiding under the table

Titan

Titan