Quick Snap Sunday!

Confetti Time

 

Well for our New Year's treat I thought confetti cupcakes seemed extremely appropriate! There's confetti on the inside of these cupcakes plus the little dab on top. Think homemade funfetti!  Oh how I loved funfetti as a kid...oh wait I still do love funfetti. But now I make it in a homemade fashion versus the Pillsbury mix. :) 

 

Happy New Year's Eve! Bring on 2018!

Pug Name Gems

The other day I came across a magazine at the vet office featuring top dog names per breed. I of course instantly turned to the page with the top pug names. All I have to say to Cody and Simon(whom is somewhere in a heavenly peanut field right now), be glad I didn't give either of you one of these gems...I mean, non-gems!

Top 10 Names Given to Pugs:

Mugsy
Pleats
Gordo
Jingle
Smoosh
Melon
Bug
Piggie
Pickle
Wheezie

Wheezie? I get it but it's not a name! Gordo? Come on people. No way! I'm not standing at a dog park and yelling Gordo for 14 years. I'm not going to a groomer and dropping off a "Gordo" or a Smoosh, Melon, and nope definitely not a Pleats or Pickle. Terrible names!

On a side note, anyone needing a name for a boy dog anytime soon, well if you aren't into following the popular crowd then steer clear of Oliver and Tucker. Saw those listed multiple times on the sign-in sheet.

Many years ago back when Cody was a puppy, I sat in the vet office with him and there were 3 dogs named Sebastian waiting too. I was clearly glad I'd never been interested in the name Sebastian. Still not! Sorry folks but to me Sebastian will always be a red crab! I can thank Disney for that!

 MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

We got started with opening our Christmas gifts kind of this morning because we have a late night movie tradition on Christmas Eve. After arriving home from my in-laws last night we stayed up to watch a Christmas movie together. It's been our thing to do late night on Christmas Eve since the year we married. I suppose it's our way of welcoming in Christmas day by staying up late to watch a movie. Last night the Christmas movie we chose to watch was Arthur Christmas. An animated movie that has a "spy" feel to it...lol! The elves in the movie are very stealth-like and act as little spies for Santa! You know me...any thing remotely spy related and I'm there!:)

 

A happy cat-dad and a somewhat reluctant cat-daughter. She's thinking, "Another picture? Already?"

 Piper opens a gift then tests to see if it's edible...hmm, who does that remind me of?

What to do next? Get more out of his stocking or open a gift?

 

Cody getting smooched! Happens often!

Tired but has one more gift to go.

 

Catnapping with her new toys, exhausted from opening so many gifts. ;) 

 

 

Hope everyone that reads this is having an awesome Christmas!!

A Hubs Story (part 2)

Way back a longtime ago, seriously ages ago, as in more than a year ago I stated from time to time I would do a special post featuring a somewhat cute story about my sweet husband. My affectionate title for these special posts started out as "A Hubs Story"...clear back in October of 2016 the first hubbie story appeared on the blog and can be found here, A Hub's Story: Part 1. So way overdue is the second installment...Note to my mom-in-law, this is a story to read to grandma Ruth!

On to the story...
The subject of puzzles came up while Brad and I were talking the other night. Puzzles as in jigsaw puzzles, not crossword puzzles. Brad mentioned he didn't believe he'd ever put a puzzle together. I said he must have when he was a kid. He argued stating, "I was playing football not doing puzzles". Well I believe that, I've seen all the pics. Plus a large box of trophies sits in our home, trophies from football and tennis.

After our brief conversation about whether or not he'd ever put a puzzle together he soon went into our spare bedroom to grab a puzzle out of the stack of puzzles grandma Ruth has given us. He was quickly determined to put his first ever puzzle together. With a puzzle in hand he returned to our dining room to clear off the table to do his puzzle. His "masterpiece" as he had termed it. He began work on the puzzle while I sat in the next room typing on the computer. After what I would estimate was about 20 minutes I went to check on his progress, he had 4 pieces together. Four pieces as in 2 duos pieced together. Make sense?  A few minutes later he proudly announced he had 2 more pieces together in another duo. It wasn't more than five minutes after successfully linking his third set of duos when I heard him say, "honey, you want to finish it? I'm done!"

Clearly puzzles are not his thing! LOL! He has not and will not catch puzzle fever. At least he tried something new, right? It's still cute that he even wanted to try after it occurred to him, he's never put a puzzle together. But come on honey, couldn't you have accomplished more than 6 pieces in duos? ;)

Flashback Friday

Flashback 5 years ago today when we said "I do" in a beautiful Christmas setting at the Gaylord Texan!

Quick Snap Sunday

Santa Piper

I am so thankful my fur-babies put up with me dressing them up. Although they don't get much of a choice in the matter. I understand I'm extremely biased but this little sweetie is so darn cute dressed in big brother Simon's Santa suit. It was actually quite big on her but in this quick snap it doesn't look too bad. I love how the tip of her ear is just barely peaking out from under the Santa hat. Look at those little feet of hers, cute little ballet slippers on her front feet.

Cody's "Ruff" Day

It was a "ruff" day for Cody yesterday. I feared the worst, I was completely exhausted by the time the early part of the evening rolled around. My exhaustion was mostly from worry. When you are the pet-parent of a 16-year-old pretty much anything causes you concern. From what I could see it was only his eye that was of big concern. Yet he was so listless which doubled maybe tripled my concern.

As soon as I woke Cody up for the day I noticed he wasn't quite right. He was holding his "good" eye shut. As most that read this blog understand Cody has been blind for quite sometime in his right eye but the left eye has been seeing a little. Hence the left eye is classified his "good" eye. Anyway, first thing I noticed yesterday morning was the look of  his "good" eye, which didn't look pleasant at all. When I took him outside for his walk he refused to walk. Once I brought him back inside he was listless and shivering like crazy. Zero energy, no pep, and he bobbed his head around with his eyes completely shut. It was kind of freaky. Clearly a vet trip was in order.

Long story short, he saw the vet, he has an eye infection but otherwise is in good shape considering his advanced age. Prior to getting the eye infection I've noticed his eyesight in his "good" eye has been failing even more. I've recently had to start carrying him or leading him around the house. So classifying the left eye as his "good" eye is likely not very accurate anymore. 

It's sad seeing my puggie fail in different ways. Wish there was more I could do for him. Wish I could somehow reverse things. Turn back the clock! Go back to when he was 7 or 8 or hey, even younger! Likely a common wish for many out there within their own lives!

I'm happy to report Cody has acted rather "normal" today. Not at 100% but maybe at about 75-80%. He's had is "good" eye open some today. He's eating, drinking, sleeping, and being cranky at his typical moments. Sorry Cody, but you know it's true...you are a little "cranky-pants". Storm was the first to receive the nickname of "Miss Cranky-Pants" and now Cody is our little "Mister Cranky-Pants" both nicknames were affectionately bestowed on them courtesy of their human-daddy. LOL!

Storm and Cody have a lot of similarities to their personalities. Whereas Simon and Piper are clones of each other. Isn't that odd how that has worked out? Especially considering Storm and Cody did not grow up together. Yet are carbon copies in many ways! Similarities of Piper to Simon abound as time goes by. Just the other day Piper did something that made both Brad and I stop in our tracks, look at one another exclaiming at the same time, "did you see that? She is so much like Simon!" She's a copycat...no pun intended! LOL!

Below is a pic of Cody still asleep in the sleeping quarters when I went to get him up for the day.

Cody's Birthday!

Cody is a December boy, the 12th month of the year is when he decided to grace this world with his presence. Well it just so happens that this birthday post containing some pics is the twelve hundredth post on this little blog...the big number 1200. Now didn't that work out well?

Would have been even cooler if he had just turned 12 too. But no way, 12 is for babies in Cody's opinion! Cody is the ripe old age of 16. His 12th birthday is choking on his dust. It's not much dust since Cody doesn't run and typically walks at a snails pace, but it's dust nonetheless.

Without further delay here are the pics of my big puggie man celebrating his Sweet 16! As you can see in the first pic, Cody is never too old to escape me decorating him with bows on his head. LOL! As for the last pic he seems to approve of his new orthopedic bed! :)

 

It's Official...Sweet 16

The rumors are true...Cody has achieved 16 years on this earth! Happy Birthday Sweet 16 Cody-man!

His birthday greeted him with a slap of brutally cold wind hitting his whiskers as he walked outside this morning. His birthday wish for 80 degrees and loads of sunshine did not come true. Maybe next year! Our whopping high temp of the day reached 37°, so definitely not Cody weather. But never fear he's happy, he has stayed snuggled up inside near the space heater, his favorite spot in the house during the winter months. Next up he will enjoy dinner then have cake later. His gift is a new bed. A square shaped orthopedic bed to rest his rather old bones on. Does he really need a bed? No, not exactly but getting him a toy is a waste at this stage. The new bed is at least an orthopedic one, which is new for him.

Whew, got him to 16! Now let's get him thru Christmas and all the way to 17! Next stop #17!

Quick Snap Sunday

Snuggle Bug

 

It's the little snuggle bug of the household. She's had a busy day. She tried to ride her brother, which didn't go well. She ended up knocking him over. Which she promptly got in trouble for. Then it was time to chase a lady bug that got in the house. She was a jumping bean trying to get to the lady bug. Next up she began to demand attention from her daddy as he worked on his computer and watched football. With a computer on his lap and football on in the background, Piper was unsuccessful at getting daddy's attention. She also found some time to attempt to climb the Christmas tree. Now she sits next to her daddy as he watches the Sunday evening football game. Finally a relaxing moment for her and the snuggle time she was wanting earlier today!