December

 Another catchy blog post title, I know. 

So I'm not even going to tell you how we are so busy time flies by....it's a given at this point.

Here's some of the highlights -

First, this is my current situation as I'm writing this. I wish y'all could smell that Vanilla Bean and Bourbon candle!

 Above and below - Myles and Sam watching the Survivor finale, and Myles bringing home some excellent school work!

 Mama got bangs! It's been many years since I had bangs, but I wanted to change up the hair and I'm not ready to go shorter, so bangs was a compromise.

 Duke crashes hard. We've decided his back feet look a lot like his mama's size 11's.

 I've been sick for a while, and this was as dressed as I was going to get to drop the kids off at school.

 Bananagrams with these two. Emma and Sophie are sick too, thus Emma's cranky face, and Sophie is laying on the sofa behind Emma.

 Things to notice here...hutch is now in this room (we tried desperately to get it into Sophie's room but it wouldn't fit through her door), ottomans are covered in fur throws (I'll get back to this in a minute), and the green and white chair is covered in blankets (the dogs have taken to chewing holes in it).

 No explanation needed....

  Sam, the white dog, eats anything.  Razors are his favorite thing lately.  He went through a soda can phase, too. I have no idea how is mouth survives everything he chews up.

 Ok....so I hand sewed new covers for our 2 ottomans.  This isn't leather, but a nice, thick, fabric that looks like leather and was on sale for a whopping $21 per yard. (super expensive for me).

So, when, after 2 days, I came home to find this.....I was livid. I mean, why? What made them decide to chew this?? I know it's Sam, and he's a shelter dog. He has really bad anxiety when we all leave the house at once....but why did this look like something to chew to him?

 So I was able to fix it, only to have it get rechewed and reopened.  So now, back to that earlier picture, they are both just covered with fake fur throws from Ross.

 Everybody looking good on assembly day.

 Sick sisters sleeping in Sophie's room, with Sam.

 My sweet baby Kona trying to get some dinner.

 My mountain has been cold, but beautiful as always.

 Bobcat left of the bush.

 Sometimes I get so much love it's hard to breath.

 Hanging out with Super Myles.

 We eat here multiple times a week. It's almost embarrassing, but also nice to have a close to home, cheap place, where it's starting to be a second family.

 Grandpa gets a lot of love, too.

 Brian and I hit up a new spot in Walnut Creek, Bourbon Highway, for fried pickles and ribs.

 This kiddo registered for high school and applied for the digital arts academy.  It's a new academy focused on graphic design,  animation, and game design.  You pick your focus, or can do a combined focus. Sounds like a fun way to get through 4 years.

And that's it, you are caught up.  Myles winter break started today, the girls go today and then Sophie and Myles have 2 weeks off, while Emma has over 3 weeks off....which man has she earned!! High School finals are a whole different thing from when I was in high school. She's pulled a few all nighters working on projects...which they assign the week of. So you get it Monday and it's due Friday, but has multiple components, like a 2 hour test, then an essay, and then an artistic representation of the novel they've read....or a 30 plus page body systems encyclopedia...major big projects, all assigned and due the same 1 week.
Brian and I have a fun, short, get away next month.  The last time we went away just us was for his cousins wedding a few years back down in Malibu.  This time its a quick Fri - Sunday down in San Luis Obispo at the Madonna Inn!! I've wanted to stay there for years. We are in the Yahoo Room....our bed is a horse buggy!! I'm so excited!!