Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given;

and the government shall be upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called 

Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

And the angel said unto them,

Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.  

For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:10-11

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Peace, love, and pawprints 

from our home to yours!

Ready and Waiting . . .

Christmas is almost upon us!  We are so excited, we can hardly stand it!  At the top of our wish list for Santa are toys, treats, and a third arm for Mommy.  We're sure to see the first two, but so far Santa's elves haven't cranked out the last item on our list.  This is the third year in a row we've put this on our list and we're starting to feel a bit let down.  We're still crossing our paws.   At least we look cute while waiting!

Jenna

Aunt Carol, please note your gifts are still UNwrapped under the tree . . . 

it's killing Mommy, but she's shown restraint so far!

Dixie 

(as if you couldn't tell with the tennis ball in the picture!)

Hunter

 It just wasn't going to happen to get all three of us in the same picture!

Mommy bought these cute dawg collars online for us.  Daddy thinks she's sissy-fied the girls with the flowers.  Mommy had a very hard time deciding what to order for the girls.  Perhaps she should have bought the bow tie for all of us, but she didn't.  Maybe next year . . . 

Merry Christmas!

Hunter, Dixie & Jenna

Barkin' Up a Storm!

I've been barkin' up a storm here at the dawg house, and Mommy's been bakin' up a storm.  Actually, she's only made two items this year.  She's not really big on baking.  She loves and appreciates beautiful Christmas cookies, but there is no way she is going to take on the task of trying to make them herself!  (Instead, she just waits for students to give them to her!)

She did made her special fudge last week for Daddy's co-workers.  That was quite a yummy undertaking, but as usual we weren't allowed to share in the fruits of her labor.  I personally think we ought to make a new rule that states nothing can be prepared in the kitchen unless the dawgs can eat it.  Don't you think it's a reasonable expectation that everyone who lives in the house should be able to eat???

The other treats Mommy made were DAWG TREATS!!!!!  Mommy usually orders a kit for dawg treats from her school when they sell pizza kits, but there wasn't a dawg version offered this year.  Mommy was super disappointed (not nearly as much as my belly, I can assure you).  She usually makes treats for the other canine members of the family and for a few friends.  Cousin Lucy, I'm sorry you miss out on this goodness each year.  Since our Mommy shops early and then ships gifts early, you always miss out on the best part of Christmas.

This year's treats were all natural, made from scratch!  Mommy followed a recipe she found on Pinterest.  The picture on the website shows cute little dawg bone shaped treats.  The directions for the recipe stated the dough would be very tough to handle.  Mommy went as far as pulling out the dawg related cookie cutters and the rolling pin and actually attempting to roll out the dough . . .

 . . . but then she decided that process was for the birds!  After all, we're DAWGS!  We don't care what shape the treats are in!  JUST FEED US!!!

The recipe is called Peanut Butter Bacon Treats.  Being the great Mommy she is, we have another ingredient added to our treats: CHEESE!!!  We have all of our favorites in one delicious bite: peanut butter, bacon, and cheese!  That's bacon in the mini food processor.  Yummmmm!

I'm sure you 'll never guess who was loving this entire process.  Of course you'll never guess because you don't need to!  We all know it's JENNA!

Dixie had a good time too . . .

 . . . but it was Jenna who somehow managed to insert herself a little more into the process.

I know Jenna told you recently she has a few gray hairs, but that's not what's on her head in this picture!  (Nor is it her halo!!)  Somehow she managed to end up with flour on the back of  her head.  Mommy truly was as surprised as the rest of us.  She has no idea when this happened, but Jenna stayed underfoot the entire time.  She licked the stove, the dishwasher, and then sat around drooling the rest of the time.  

Finally at the end of the evening, we were allowed to taste test the treats.  We give them five paws up!  They were yummy.  Mommy agreed.  Yep, she tasted them herself.  After all, they were totally natural and straight from her kitchen, so why not?

I think you'll agree if you're lucky enough to taste one.  Again, Lucy, we're sorry you're missing out.  Better luck next year.  

Hunter

These pictures were taken on Mommy's phone with sticky hands, so please excuse the poor quality!

Keep Calm . . .

Are you feeling stressed about the holidays?  Some people like our nerdy Mommy are finished with their shopping and have been for a while.  It's okay to have intense feelings of dislike for those people right now.  It's perfectly normal.  If you're feeling a bit stressed, just remember this little piece of advice from us:

Gone to the Dawgs

Our house has finally gone to the dawgs!  Well, if we're honest, it headed that way a LONG time ago!   Some of Mommy's friends and family make fun of her frequent house cleaning habits, but she has let the housekeeping slide over the past few years.  With the addition of each of us, she falls a little farther behind.  There are frequently black tumbleweeds in the kitchen from our shedding.  Seriously!  This is not an exaggeration!  (If you should ever receive any food from us that has a black hair in it, just remember it's the thought that counts and it was made with love!)

With the Christmas season in full swing, Mommy has noticed we have quite a few decorations that revolve around us four-legged family members.  There are several ornaments on the tree that honor us.

The paw print ornaments were made by Mommy last year.  This is Hunter's.

A s'mores dawggie

A new addition this year: a peppermint bone.

An ornament for the girls; there's a chocolate version for Hunter too!

This ornament gives new meaning to reduce, reuse, and recycle; 

it's made from a computer's motherboard.

The wreath that hangs on the kitchen door has dawg themed cookie cutters all over it.

Mommy really likes this wreath, but wishes she'd made the bow bigger.

We have a new addition to the wreaths in the house this year.  Mommy scored this wreath at TJMaxx and was thrilled to find it.  She saw it in a magazine a couple years ago, but it was terribly expensive.  She brought it home, took the ugly bow off, and replaced it with a plaid ribbon picked out by Daddy just for this purpose.  We think he made a great choice.  This wreath is hanging on the master bedroom door this year.

We also have a tree in the master bedroom that is made by the same company.  Mommy is considering making a small bow for the top of this tree, but she can't decide.  What do you think?

The best part of going to the dawgs is that even our friends know that we've crossed over.  These delicious treats arrived last week.  Our adopted Aunt Gwen sent them to Mommy because she knows how dawg crazy Mommy is!  So far, Mommy hasn't shared any of the peppermint bark with us.  Surely if we give Aunt Gwen a "bark out" she'll tell Mommy to hand over the treats . . .

Our stockings are hung by the chimney with care in hopes that 

Santa Paws will leave something fabulous in there!

We hope you have all of your decorations in place as you too wait for Santa!
Hunter, Dixie & Jenna

Like Father, Like Daughter

Mommy has noticed something about me lately that has her slightly bewildered.  They call me Daddy's Girl and that is becoming more apparent by the day!  I am starting to take after my Daddy in one particular area: GRAY HAIR!!!!  Seriously???  I'm only four years old!!!!!  This can't be happening already.  Hunter is twelve and hardly has any gray hair.  At this rate I'm going to look old before my time.  Dixie hasn't shown any signs of premature aging.  I thought we were twins.  How unfair is this?

Daddy says not to worry about it.  He has learned to live with his gray hair, and Mommy finds it attractive.  That's all well and good for him, but I doubt a male dawgie is going to think the same about me.  Since when has a man found a young lady with gray hair attractive??  Hmmpf!!!  The injustices of the world!

I guess I'll just have to take heart from the Book of Proverbs . . .    [sigh]

Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained though righteousness. (Proverbs 16:31)

Daddy says that's what got him through his younger years.  Either that, or Mommy is going to have to make me an appointment with her hair dresser!

Reluctantly working on my crown of splendor, 

Jenna

Negative Consequences?

I don't mean to focus on Jenna's bad habits or the illusion of her expanding backside, but . . . (pun might be intended) . . .

Recently Mommy was cutting up a stalk of celery to take to work as her snack.  She turned her back for just a second and heard a terribly loud CRUNCH!  You already know what happened.  Jenna had helped herself to the celery.  Lucky for us, it was a huge stalk.  It broke when Jenna chomped down on it giving us a chance to enjoy it too.  All three of us had a last minute snack that morning before Mommy left for work.

This was a new taste for us.  Mommy was surprised Hunter ate the celery too.  He used to be rather picky, but apparently his taste buds have changed as he's grown older.  Either that, or he's afraid of being left out!  Once again, Mommy immediately starting googling celery to make sure it's an okay treat for us.  Thankfully it is.  Whew!

When Daddy heard about Jenna's escapades, he pointed out that perhaps she too was concerned about the appearance of her backside.  He calls celery a negative calorie food and says it might be good for us to snack on.  Technically, celery does have calories, but not many!  Only time will tell if we're going to have a chance to enjoy this treat again.  For now, we might just have to stalk it up to a mischievous accident!  (Did you catch that one?)

Dixie Doodle

Looks Can Be Deceiving . . .

While trying to capture that perfect photo of me for Thanksgiving (and I still don't think she was successful), Mommy took this picture:

Daddy took notice of how skinny my body looks from this angle.  We decided I look like a wiener dawg with a long body and a REALLY BIG head.  Daddy already calls me TWD (Third World Dawg) sometimes because of how skinny I am.  I topped out several years ago at 101 pounds.  When I had my first ACL surgery, I dropped down to 85 pounds and have kept off the extra weight for years.  Over the last couple of years, I've gotten down to about 75 pounds.  Mommy tries to keep all of us slim and trim so we aren't carrying around extra weight on our bones.  She is especially aware of my weight since I'm old and have enough trouble moving around some days as it is.  But, jeez Mommy, that doesn't mean I have to look sickly!

Here's what I actually look like:

That's much better, don't you think?
Hunter


PS: If Mommy could develop a camera to make humans look this skinny, she could make a fortune don't you think?

Tis the Season

It's that time of year when we are just coming off the Thanksgiving Pig Out and are ready to move into the Bake a Million Cookies and Pies and Then Eat Them All By Yourself season.  Ahhhhhh!  These are good times.  As luck would have it, all of this good food tends to stick around longer than we intend.  A moment on the lips turns into a lifetime on the hips!  And speaking of hips . . .

Mommy caught Jenna in a compromising position recently and couldn't resist taking Jenna's picture.  I am thrilled to share the results with you.

We aren't sure what Jenna was doing or looking at.  She's never sat quite like this before and probably won't ever again now that we're publishing her rather wide-looking derriere for all the world to see.  Have no fear.  Jenna really doesn't look this wide in person.  She still has her supermodel figure . . . mostly!

Jenna's favorite sister,
Dixie

So Thankful

We are thankful for so many blessings in our lives . . . 

Our parents who love us like crazy and take care of us

Our siblings

Our grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends

Food to fill our bellies

Toys to play with

Warm beds to sleep on

Lots of love to you on Thanksgiving from our home to yours!

And the only picture Mommy could capture of the three of us . . .

Love to all,
Hunter, Dixie, and Jenna

Put a Cork On It!

Recently Daddy needed a door prize for the local Ducks Unlimited banquet.  He asked Mommy to make a wreath using some of the many wine corks they have collected over the years.  She was happy to help him out and so was I!

Mommy kept a close eye on me.  I guess I can't blame her.  Once when Dixie was younger, Mommy had allowed Dixie to stay out of her crate for the day.  Upon Mommy's return, she discovered little bits of cork all over the house.  Dixie had decided to stand on the sofa and help herself to the corks Mommy kept in a glass hurricane on the end table.  I guess Dixie thought they looked yummy.  I'll admit, they DO!  But I wasn't allowed to taste them.  Drat!   That hurricane has had a new home in the house since Dixie's taste testing adventure.

This isn't the first wreath Mommy has made to help Daddy.  Last spring she made a shotgun shell wreath.  It takes a special person to appreciate these wreaths.  It's a good thing I'm that person . . . er, dawg!  Mommy made her first shotgun shell wreath over a decade ago.  It's been hanging in our garage ever since.  I really prefer the empty shells over the wine corks.  The many smells attached to the shells are simply divine!

Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to win the cork wreath?  Or maybe I'll win and can use it as a new chew toy?  Hmmm . . .
Jenna


PS: Since we're on the subject of wine, we should make a toast to Aunt Kelly who is celebrating her birthday today!