Martha vs. Motherhood: The best gift for Christmas!

So, I haven't been on here for a week. Last weekend Allen & I were busy celebrating our 5 year wedding Anniversary on Saturday. We had a great weekend. Spent the whole weekend in trees, deer hunting of course! Allen ended up with a large doe Sunday, and we mainly just passed up other yearlings over the most part of the time. On Saturday morning, it was sooo quite outside and still and calm. We had not been seeing much of anything, so we were goofing off in the stand, when Allen whispers, "Don't move" to me. So I am looking all around, careful not to move, and finally, I look down and see what is going on. Two small yearling does are right below us. Man, I wish that I had my bow with me, was the first thought in my mind, but you cannot bow hunt in first shot gun season. So, we are standing still, kind of like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation scene where they all freeze for the cops in their living room. The first doe just keeps getting closer and closer until she is 1 foot away from the ladder. Her eyes were bulged out, and she was trying to wind us, and catch our scent. Luckily the wind is completely still, and we are wearing scent lok stuff to mask our scent. The doe just stands there, and the whole time I am just grinning from ear to ear, and ready to just jump and yell bugga bugga boo! at her... but I don't because I think Allen is going to just pick up the gun, and shoot. So, the does finally decide that they do not see anything, just go on down the field, milling around, and disappear.

They rest of the weekend/ week was a blurr. I spent the whole time shopping for stuff for Thanksgiving dinner. We had my mom, my sister, and Allen's grandparents over for lunch on Thursday, so I was running around the house, cleaning and getting my Christmas decor up. ( We do Christmas at their houses, so I thought I would have our stuff up for them to see) I set up a new tree this year downstairs in our family room for Allen. It is our hunting/lodge tree, complete with moose, santas, and shot gun shell red and green lights - all real. Allen really likes it. It kind of warms up our family room. My most favorite decoration has to be one other thing that is new this year. It is Allen's childhood wood and rail sled that now rests on our front porch, dressed up with christmas garland. It is an antique, it was old when he used it when he was little, so now after surviving years of abuse behind a three wheeler on Borah Lake frozen over, it is now retired to us.

This weekend has also been a blurr. Not much deer camp going on, just relaxing and going to walmart - I hate that place! People this time of the year in my opinion get stupid and rude. They can be walking in the store, and ohh, look shinny! and they are now gone. SO, then, you walk through, and say excuse me, and they just look at you like you called their dog some God awful name. UHHHHH!!! I hate this about this time of the year!

Anyway, this weekend recap..... So sitting around doing nothing Friday, until Friday afternoon, we decide to get out the clear christmas lights, and string them on the bushes in the front yard. Allen volunteers to help, and boy does he help me out. He found the timer and lights that I have looked all week for in the garage, in a box I never saw. Allen, then strings up the lights, and goes in and samples the homemade herman sourdough bread rolls that I had just made... talk about multitasking... Anyway, we had been to town earlier, and went to Rural King, to pick up some Andy's to fix chicken strips with and I pick up my weekly trader to look at. - I really go to Section 1 to check out the dogs.. we have been looking for another Missy Dog, except a chocolate one for a long time now. I find some, but Allen does not like the price, so we go home, and are now stringing up the lights. We go inside and are kind of anxious, I'm looking through the dog section again.. we see chocolate labs, and went back and forth, calling and checking on getting a male to simmer Daisy down, and possibly breed her next year, but decide at the last minute to call the Min Pin ad, and just check to see what they have. Allen calls and finds out they have 1 chocolate male and 1 rust male left. We had orig. wanted a female, but I thought that a male would be better in the house to have with Missy, even though she is fixed. - no other female dog to compete for territory with. So, Allen asks me, do you want to go in the morning, and pick him up? "NOOO!" I whine, so, Allen asks the lady if it is alright to pick him up tonight, or else his wife is going to shoot him. She says it is fine, and she will meet us in Cisne at the Citgo, 10min from her house to make it easier for us. So we agree, and set off to pick up our new baby.

We get there, wait, wait, and wait... then the lady pulls in with a little chocolate blobb in her hands. He was soooo tiny! I don't even remember Missy being this tiny! He had the biggest ears, since they have not yet been cropped. He is not old enough yet. We had been having a time coming up with a name on the way to pick the baby up, and when the lady handed me him, she said she had been calling him Toby for now.... So, now, introducing, our new little man..........Toby!

He is maybe 1.5lbs, and cute as can be, one ear up, and one still loppy for now. He is 8 weeks old, and was born exactly 2 days before Missy turned 3. Anyway, I have to get upstairs now, and get supper on, and take Toby Dog out to potty, which is going really good for now. Here are some pictures of him, and I will have more pics from around the house up later. Have a good Saturday! and Happy Late Thanksgiving!