Happy Birthday Cosmos

December 7th my first baby turned 10.  Yep, 10 years since we picked him up in Anacortes all covered with pee.  He was the last one, but I know he's the one I would have picked anyway! 

We all loaded up in the pickup and took him to Glendive where Ryker picked out the perfect birthday present...a dog treat for him and Chacon. 

It has been really cold this year and Cosmos and Chacon have been freezing in the garage at night.  My Mom covered Cosmos with this blanket and he wouldn't even come out of it to eat so we put his food right in front of him.  He still had the blanket in the morning.  Someone pretty much tucks him in each night now.

Ryker was pretty excited about the present he picked out and Cosmos' birthday party.  He kept asking about birthday cake.  I think I explained at least 10 times that dogs didn't have cakes for their parties.

Happy Birthday ol' buddy!

Lost Dog

So Chacon (or as Ryker likes to call him: Chaca rama ding dong) decided to take a little walk about one night and left the yard.  He was picked up by someone and taken to Whatcom County Humaine Society.  We checked Skagit Humaine Society since it is about 5 miles from our house, but never imagined someone would take him to Whatcom since it is about 20 miles further.  Anyway after a couple days we found him.  I thought I loved that dog, but after this incident, I realized I don't love him nearly as much as Seth does.  If he ever gets hit by a car (knock on wood), I now hope that I'm the one who takes him to the vet because I don't know if I trust Seth to make a reasonable decision anymore and he may spend our kid's college money trying to save that big lug.  I know people who have spent crazy amounts of money like on ACL surgeries for their dogs (around $2500 a leg) and I've often wondered when it came down too it what my dollar threshhold would actually be for keeping my dog in good health.  I come from a place where you shoot your pets when the going gets tough and put them out of their misery.  I still believe in that theory, (although I would never shoot them myself, I'd have the vet put them down or someone else do it), but I also believe that having a pet is a big responsibility and you should do everything possible to give that pet a good quality of life.  I hope my dogs leave this world of old age and go out on their own without any intervention from me so I'm never forced to make a decision.  For now, I'm happy they are happy and healthy and that the biggest problems we have are old man Cosmos' allergies.....

See the piece of string "tied" to the pile of web?  That's Ryker's imaginary dog he'd been pulling around for weeks.

After Chacon busted through the invisible fence and left the yard, we only let him out of the shop when we were around and he saw the inside of the kennel for the first time since he was puppy.  Since Ryker was so into leading his imaginary dog around, we decided to give him a real one for a while. 

Chacon was not impressed.  You could tell he hated it.  It was a perfect punishment for running off and Ryker had a great time with it.

He would walk around for a while then say he and Chacon needed a little rest and try to get Chacon to sit down too.  I was entertained, but Chacon sure wasn't.

He really wanted Chacon to go through the puddles too and would lead him back and forth but Chacon always went around.

Sweet Baby Girl

Playgrounds are empty on the weekdays

One of the best things about being on maternity leave is that you get to go do all the fun stuff while everyone else is at work so you get the whole place to yourself.  While Seth was showing a potential buyer the Viking Spirit, we hit the playground.  Apparently, Kya and I are a little slow for him.

Really, headfirst buddy?  You better hope you don't do this on a fast slide.

Kya, only a few days old slept most of the time in the sling while Ryker tore it up on the playset.

halloween

Get in there

For all you Montanan's, take note of my sweet 15+ year old Tshirt.  Even sadder than the fact that I still have it and wear it.....I actually have two!

 

We rolled down to Edison where the school lets out for the kids to walk through town in a cosume parade.  The people watching throw candy at them as they go by.  Ryker is dressed all in brown because he was a bear, but took off his bear hat to throw candy.

Passing out the candy.  He was throwing it, but was a little slow for some of the kids so they would just stop for him to put it in their bags.

Blanchard Halloween party

I couldn't help but think of Grandma Marj every time they put those plates down.  She loved a good cake walk or raffle.

Making his carmel apple

Face painting

Most kids got a ghost, pumpkin, spider, something Halloweeny painted.  Ryker....He got the mustache.  Looking good, buddy.

Saturday we went to downtown business trick or treating in Mount Vernon.  All ready with his pumpkin bag open.

Sweet tail

I wanted him to wear his brown shoes, but he insisted on his boots.

Cider making at Clayton's to end the day. Ryker served as quality control.  He had his share of apple juice.

Tossing the apples in the hopper.

Good times