On the lighter side...Here is the view out my parents back door.  When we visited Utah in the summer we arrived late at night, too dark to see anything.  When my #3 child went out the door to play he stood on my parents deck and said, "WOAH!! THERE'S A MOUNTAIN IN THE BACKYARD! AHHAHA!"  I didn't realize how unfamiliar my kids are with the mountains since we live in the Midwest until then, but didn't think to take a picture.  When we returned home and I told my friends about this moment they we were just as curious about this marvel and wanted to see a picture.  When we went back in December I made sure to take a picture.  To be honest, it really isn't much of a picture as far as showing off "mountain's majesty", but maybe because it is so familiar to me.  We would hike around on it fairly often; and in horror to all dwellers on flat land- scramble up cliffs without any ropes.  It's just what you do when you live next to it.  To be fair, I shudder a little when I see big trucks drive out to the middle of a frozen lake, are you sure that's really safe?

Here is another view of the mountains from a park where we went sledding (sliding in Minnesota) that is not too far from my husband's parents' home.  We had a great time and a few had some close calls where they nearly landed in the creek at the bottom of the hill where all the trees are clustered along the banks.  Living almost dangerously is always fun.

Every once in awhile something happens or someone says something that I think I should file away and someday write a movie script with all of these things.  Like when my #2 child's teacher flooded the classroom a couple of years ago, or the other day when he came home and said at recess a boy got stuck in a tunnel they dug in the snow and the same day someone threw a huge ice chunk at someone's head for no reason but he didn't see it actually happen because he was too busy staring at the light pole that looked like it could fall down on top of him at any minute, or when we ended up unintentionally with box cutters as a white elephant gift the day before we board a plane (we traded) or the Valentine's Day (close to Valentine's Day) I saw two earthworms mating, or that my daughter hates basketball because every time she has had to play basketball for school since first grade she has gotten hit in the face.  While in Utah I had another one of these experiences.  At first I didn't chalk it up to that.  Honestly I was upset at first, but realized I need to take it for what it is. Here you go.

After the funeral the congregation of my husband's father prepared us a luncheon.  After this lunch in the church gym (yes, the church has a gym, for you guessed it, basketball games, which my daughter will not be participating in no matter how much her peers and leaders kindly encourage her) ...My father in law offered flower arrangements to any interested.  I had a few people ask me if that really was okay or if I would feel bad.  No, of course not.  I don't want to carry anything like that on the plane nor try to pack it in my suitcase.   My husband's aunt (mother's sister) found out that one women from  the congregation wanted to have just the roses out of the arrangements to make my father-in-law a dried wreath.  That right there is a little funny, what MAN wants a dried rose wreath? The aunt thought this would be a great idea.  I asked her to wait and see if anyone wanted the arrangement first before she picked it apart, but that only sort of worked.  Anyway, I'm not even to the best part.  A few others claimed some flowers and some were saved for the next days church service and Christmas program.  I told everyone who made us lunch thank you and the women who likes to make dried arrangements told me all about her plan to make a wreath for my father-in-law.  I nodded politely until she said,
"I think I will probably swing by the cemetery to get some off the casket.  People spend so much money on  those arrangements for them to only be buried in the ground.  I like to take them and make dried arrangements so the flowers can last longer.  You wouldn't believe how many flowers it takes to make a dried arrangement, especially a wreath made entirely of roses.  It can get expensive to buy so many from a florist. They shrink so much when they are dried.  I go to the cemetery quite a bit to pick up flowers.  People leave such nice arrangements and they are only going to freeze in this weather so I might as well take them and preserve them and make a gift for someone."
I was shocked beyond words and said nothing and left.  I may have made a trip to the cemetary if the bulldozer wasn't already there and running as we left the graveside service.  I couldn't even mention it until the next day and told my parents about it.  They said, "Oh, there's been a lot of letters to the editor about that lately.  A lot of people have been writing saying flowers and stuffed animals have been stolen from their family's grave stones.  And now you know who it is."  I could spot her in a line up, but I don't know her name.  My brothers that overheard pulled a face as though they had eaten something bad tasting.  I was mad and ready to write my own letter to the editor of my small hometown paper.  People spend that money, albeit exspensive, knowing full well that the arrangements will only be buried and wilt or even freeze, and that is their intent; not for someone to steal it.  It is stealing.  I thought some more about it and decided it is so awful and tacky that it isn't even believable.  It's going directly to my someday in a movie file in my brain.

I've wanted to do this for awhile, but just haven't been able to yet.  My sister posted something nice, like usual, so I didn't feel like I needed to right away anymore (and that's good).  As many of you know, but maybe not all, my husband's mom passed away in December (officially December 12).  It was sudden and a shock to everyone.  She developed a blood clot in her lung after a very minor surgery a couple days before.  Fortunately all of her children, and her husband, and her parents were able to say their goodbyes and be there together.  I flew over with the kids later for the funeral. 
I think I told her and I hope I told her what I appreciate most about her, but when someone goes it doesn't feel like I've said it often enough.
I loved that she sang to my kids.  She knows numerous songs and that's one area I've never been good at, but loved watching.  I think she might have thought I was a little weird when she would ask what we wanted to do when we got together and I say, "oh, just sing songs with them, they'll love it."  I asked her to write some memories of her childhood years ago and my favorite one was that she remembered falling in a hole in the ground and couldn't get out, but she didn't care, she knew someone would come and help her eventually, so she just stayed there and sang songs to keep herself busy until someone came.  I think my husband is just like that- never worried, never upset.  He is also like his mom in the way that they both like everyone they meet and can't find fault with anyone.  I think the thing I appreciate the most is best illustrated by telling about the time when I realized it.  One time my husband's dad was going on a business trip (the same time my husband was going on a business trip) and decided to layover in Minneapolis so my husbands mom decided to come to and stay with us; since we would both be without husbands why not keep each other company.  I said sure.  I knew it wouldn't matter too much if I had my house spotless before she got here or not.  I didn't have to worry about what she would think of my housekeeping skills or childrearing skills or whether or not I was taking good enough care of her son.  That is what I appreciated most.  She also helped us put in our garden which was really nice. 
To remember her, I chose some birds to go on her casket piece, one for each of her children, to remember as the happy singing songbird she is and another of my favorite things- she called her children her "little chickadees".  (I'm going to either save it for a Christmas tree ornament or find a glass upside down vase thing to keep it in -what are those called?).
The funeral was nice and of course we all cried and cried.  It was nice to see many, many people there.  She had a lot of people who loved her.  The hardest part, and honestly, the most beautiful part was seeing my husband's father weep at her casket.  Sometimes, I think death shows us how much we really truly love, and love is a beautiful thing.
We know it's only temporary until we see her again.  It isn't hope for us, we know.

In honor of her here's some photos of happy memories.

More adorable pictures of my kids and our dog.  It seems like she grows bigger just from morning until evening and we are all enjoying her.  I videotaped her with our neighbor's dog, but I will spare you unless I get requests.  Our neighbor's dog likes to teach her how to chase a stick and it's sooo cuuuute!!!

Taking care of a dog has pretty much consumed our lives so I don't have much to write about.  My house is actually probably the cleanest it has ever been because I don't have any time to start any of my numerous projects running through my head and no one wants their stuff chewed up so everyone picks up after themselves.  I take out the dog, shower, take out the dog, breakfast dishes, take out the dog, maybe vacuum or clean a baathroom or other chore, take out a dog, eat lunch and clean up, take out a dog, dinner and clean up, take out a dog.  Since today is a holiday my husband and the kids are covering dog duty and I am doing a few things I don't get to lately like use the computer.  We are enjoying the heat wave of the past week with temps in the high 20's-30's.  We are also planning a birthday party for child #3.  He will be six and wants a Robinhood party.  I'm really excited and it should be fun.  He wants to have a feast with chicken and grapes and cheese and rolls and cupcakes for dessert.  We also have a few games planned up our sleeves.  He also wants to decorate our basement like a forest which sounds like a cool idea to me.  Hopefully what I've got in mind works.  Below is a rare find- a picture of me and my husband together.  Thank you to my neighbor taking pictures of us shoveling on Christmas day.

The post you've all been waiting for...
Here is a picture of us with our new puppy back in the beginning of December when we went shopping for "coal up along the iron range of Minnesota" for Christmas presents.  She stayed there until December 23rd when Dad went to "work".  We were going to wait until the 24th, but with a forcast for a snow storm we opted to get her earlier.  Fortunately we have a very generous neighbor who called after hearing the weather while on her vacation and told us to go early and use her house to hide the puppy while her family was out of town so we could still keep our surprise for Christmas.  We brought her home Christmas Eve after the kids were in bed and about three in the morning she started crying.  We tried our best to ignore it and managed lightly sleeping until 5 when one son decided to voice his lack of ability to sleep.  "What is that noise?  It's kept me up for a long time.  Can we just get up now since it's Christmas and find out what that noise is?  It sounds like someone is washing the windows."  (Me:) "OH!  That's what I wanted for Christmas!  A clean house!  Maybe it's Santa's elves washing our windows!"  Haha.  They were not amused.  I had been telling them all week that everything had to be picked up and clean for Christmas because that's what I wanted for my present.  Mostly so we would be ready for a puppy, but they didn't know that part.  I decided to investigate first with dad and said I wanted to get the camera so I did that and told the kids they could come  down stairs.  I was hoping to capture our annual Christmas ritual of Son #1 running down the stairs banging the wall as he goes, yelling, "WOOHOO!! IT'S CHRISTMAS!!" and Daughter saying, "Knock it off!! That's MY bedroom wall you're banging on!  I wanted to sleep in. It's a VACATION!"  But not this time around.  Everyone sleepily dragged their feet down the stairs saying "What was that noise?"  Then, noticing a puppy, "awwit'ssocute!"  So we played with a puppy, showed off the puppy to neighbors, shoveled a lot of snow, played with a puppy, shoveled more snow, and played with a puppy, and ate dinner with friends.  Actually I take back some of those shovelings.  I think they may have been dispersed over Christmas Eve and Christmas day.  Christmas night the two older kids slept over at a friend's and the younger two slept next to the Christmas tree.  The puppy was put in the laundry room and cried a little bit, but not for too long and we all slept well until 7 or maybe even later.  I woke up wondering if everything was okay since we never heard a puppy at all.  I went downstairs and found our youngest and Sadie (the puppy) curled up together sleeping by the tree.  He heard her crying and let her out.  The next to youngest I found in his bed and when he was awake he told me he was sleeping and got woken up by somthing licking his face so he decided to sleep in his bed.  I tried to get a picture, but by the time I got the camera everybody moved so get to see a posed one instead of what I actually saw.  It was so sweet, but will not happen again.  We are sticking to her sleeping in the laundry room at night.  She only cried a little at first the night after Christmas and seems to be used it now.  She also doesn't go the bathroom in there, so I guess it's kind of her "kennel". 
We are beginning to adjust to life with a puppy.  I am spending a lot of time outside to supervise the burning off of energy, potty breaks, and a lot of time disciplining, but that's what I do all day anyway with boys (minus outside potty breaks).  So far the weather hasn't been too bad (0 F) and nice if you wear a good coat and snowpants and thick gloves and a hat.  When it really gets cold I will be in trouble with three stir crazy boys and a stir crazy puppy and a hybernating daughter and me.  Speaking of weather, I took a picture of the blue moon on New Year's Eve and added some cold weather songs followed by songs I thought would be good for Valentine's Day.  Oops, I skipped Martin Luther King Day- maybe I'll add that later. 

At first I was getting very frustrated with the puppy biting us for attention, but I think we are seeing some improvement.  Now that school has started again we are in more of a routine and that helps with the dog.  It doesn't leave me time for much else though.  If anyone has advice for me, a novice dog owner, anything in general, I'd love to hear it.