It's all UPHILL from here!!!!!

Yesterday was the start of the days getting longer, the beginning of life coming back. It's actually a very exciting day for me! Winter is NOT my favorite season. Especially up here in Minnesota!

BUT...the dogs absolutely LOVE winter, the snow, the cold (I think?? Maybe minus Crackers) and yesterday was not exception. I had to get out and go for a LONG HIKE. And of course take some pictures :)

 Maya the red dawg will be leaving us in a week. She is ready to be someone's dog and work stock :) We will miss her, but I have to say it will be nice to be down to our 6 dogs. 6 dogs...sounds weird. :-/

In case you have noticed...there isn't a Christmas photo yet...I am working on it. Rather, working on getting the motivation. It seems weird without Ace...but today I am going to try to come up with something cute and get the pups all together...because I will regret it if I don't :) Plus...people are bugging me :) It's neat to know all my dogs put smiles on everyone's faces :) 

 BETTER BE PREGGERS!!!!

Poor Stink...she never gets the ball...or rather can't KEEP THE BALL :)

  ANYWAY...back to the Solstice...I really get excited about the 21st...

 Time for renewal...time for gratitude and enjoying your blessings.

 Zero degrees outside??? NO PROBLEM FOR THIS TERRIER! BRING IT ON!!!!

 Time to look back at the year...

 And look forward to the next...the opportunities we have been given, and will take. (the four eared BC...very rare)

 And to cherish those special moments...

 Celebrate!!!

 Maybe a little too much :)

 And just realize, even if the year has been less than perfect, you are here...you are healthy...

 And there is another year :)

 And Even still constantly looks like she is tweaked out on meth...

 There is always hope...that's what it is all about :)

 I don't even know what face this is...

 This dog has more zest for life than any other being I have ever met...seriously. She's just so...HELLLLLOOOOOO WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And then there is her littermate...

I got this sh*t under control...ALL OF IT...

If I didn't SEE Zip bred, I would have thought that she had two sires to that litter...LOL :)

Oh sorry...distracted. SOLSTICE!!!

What were we talking about...Oh HOPE!

Hope for a new path (if you want that!!!)

And people who are willing to support you on that path, no matter how insane it might seem!

A time to just pause...

For a few brief moments...and take it all in :) 

I think that is such an important thing...we, as humans have that ability...to really examine our lives...

Happy Solstice! I hope you all take some time to rest and examine, and enjoy those little moments that really make life what it is. 

And sing Christmas Carols with your dogs! Cause they will all give you the super mega cute "head to the side" move...

 FA LA LA LA LAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love my dogs ;)

I love my family :)

My sisters house :)

I love my adorable nephew!!

Even when he is spaced out watching TV :)

He has a lot of his aunt in him :)

And you can take him skating and act like a complete dork and he loves every minute of it!!!!! :)

And I love my dad :) Who is just an amazing man...kinda weird like me, and the older I get the more I realize just how much I act like him...it's scary sometimes.

On a walk in Missouri...with my dad, sister and nephew...through the woods I called home...these pictures...that are so, not posed, so just natural. These are the ones I treasure.

I had a really amazing thing happen to me while I was home...I was skating with my family...and I then helped my nephew skate...on my own I was doing awesome (pretty proud of myself TYVM)...but as I grabbed onto his hand...it became MUCH harder...because he was depending on ME, to help keep him up. It was tough, it was hilarious, and it made me really appreciate my dad...every weekend we went skating when I was young. My dad held my hand, kept me up and he did that for HOURS...and he enjoyed it, he smiled, he put up with me slamming him into the side of the rink, and he fell on my skate right in the middle of his back. Poor dad...but he did it. Because he was our dad, and we were his daughters...

Kids...help you appreciate your parents...they help you realize just how absolutely amazing your parents are, what they did for you, those little things that, as a kid, you didn't realize. But as an adult...you see them as colossal. 

I need to spend more time with my nephew...so I can appreciate my father even more...

I need to spend more time with my dad...because time is the best gift I can give...

I need to spend more time with my family in general...time time time...more priceless than anything...

So...my dad..

He's absolutely adorable...and dorky, and just perfect :)

He's amazing really...absolutely amazing.

Cherish...cherish it all people...we have one life, it's important that we appreciate these things :)

Off to take a photo of my 6 dogs, because it's what we have that counts :)