Santa Paws

We took Patton to see Santa Paws last weekend. The Humane Society in town was offering pictures with Santa for a donation to the shelter and we thought why not.

Let me tell you why not. Our dog is apparently afraid of men in red suits with crazy white beards. He wanted nothing to do with Santa. Dave would walk him up to Santa and he would look back at me with this complete look of terror. It was quite entertaining actually.


Since we had already made our donation, we were bound and determined to get our photo. We finally had to give Santa a handful of treats to even get Patton on the bench with him.


I'm not sure who was more terrified...Patton or Santa.



Finally Patton settled down and we got a couple of decent shots.

Maybe we'll skip Santa Paws next year. Depends if we need a good laugh or not.

Patton...Then and Now

Patton's now 5 1/2 months old and 53 pounds! I look back through the photos from when he first joined our family and I just can't believe he was that small! It brings a tear to my eye.

Patton...Of Course

So, I've had these photos loaded into a draft post for a while now. I have no idea what theme I was going for so I'm just going for it!

We no longer have carpet in our living room or dining room. Patton managed to tear the binding off of the two rugs, so we pulled them up and threw down some blankets. Only problem is Patton no longer has any grip on the floor. He slides around like crazy!

My mom made this pillow for me to use as a floor pillow several years ago. I dug it out of a bedroom so Patton could use. He LOVES it. He has to have it everywhere.

Patton also discovered a new lounging spot. We hadn't put laundry away yet and the blanket was protecting our socks which he likes to steal. Patton decided the blanket looked comfy and he was going to snuggle in.

Didn't matter where the laundry basket was or what was in it. It's almost like he had to prove he could fit!

He has also claimed our nice, snuggly blankets as his. The boy likes to sleep.

When he's actually awake, he like to terrorize us. His new trick is to show us he can go downstairs. Our baby gate doesn't work in the opening because of the newel, so we use the barstool instead. He can go over the stool and does but if we push it close enough to the edge, it slows him down enough for us to tell him no.

So, there's my randow series of Patton photos. I'm sure there's more to come!

The House is Complete!

Okay, well, the house isn't 100% complete, but it's good enough for now. We busted our butts Sunday finishing projects and cleaning up. Our appraisal for financing was this afternoon and the house looked fabulous.

Our last major project was the bathroom on the 2nd floor and all of the windows. We completed the bathroom but the windows are another story. They look finished but need a couple coats of polyurethane; nothing that can't wait until Spring.

The plan now is to finish the fence and then relax. Dave will start working on closets come tax season, but until then we are doing nothing!

In the meantime, here's the completed house!



ETA: Yes, we still have unpacking to do and need to hang artwork. We'll work on that!

Say It With Me...Awwwww

We had the best Labor Day weekend ever. Yes, we worked on the house a lot, but we had a house full of visitors. It was fabulous.

Andrea came all the way from Vegas and brought her parents. It's been way too long since we've hung out with Andrea and we both miss her so much. It was awesome to get to see her. We definitely have to get to Vegas soon.

Erin, Justin, Archer, and Grant were also in town from Minnesota. We were lucky they had time to sneak out and see us as well. Nicole, Jason, and Joshua joined us and the boys had a great time playing. Archer and Grant are getting so big!

Everyone got to meet Patton. Patton did so good with the little boys. I think he's in awe of small children and doesn't quite know what to do with them. At one point during the afternoon, Patton went outside for a bathroom break. When he came back up on the deck, the boys were busy watching him. It was absolutely adorable.

Can You Say Attitude?

See this adorable, innocent-looking face?

Behind it hides one giant attitude! Patton is pretty laid back but when he doesn't get his way, he lets you know.

Patton completely understands no. He knows it means he should stop and he usually does stop but he has to let you know how he feels about it first. One no from Dave or I and Patton talks back. Seriously! He whines, barks, and growls.

The other night I was putting laundry in the washer and Patton was helping by chewing on the hamper. I told him no several times before he barked at me, stomped his foot, turned and walked away. I was in awe. We could be in for some serious trouble.

Seriously?!?

We get our grass seed planted and the skies opened up!! We had quite the storm last night, as in, raining so hard side-to-side that we couldn't see more than 5 feet out. It was insane!

I think our seed did ok. It appears we have some serious wash-outs where the gutters dump but otherwise it's not so bad. Luckily the straw stayed put. Guess we'll re-seed.