Little things

You know, sometimes it's just the little things in life that make me happy. Like today for instance.......first, the sun was shining for the first time all week and it wasn't raining. It was one of those beautiful Upstate fall days, with cool brisk temps and beautiful red, orange, yellow and green leaves, a stunning blue sky with white clouds, just my favorite kind of weather! Second, my kids had a perfect day at school today, complete with ice cream at lunch cause it was friday! No time outs, no counting, no nothing!!!!!! Even no homework!!!! And of course, all the cute artwork that comes home on fridays! Third, since we had such a great day, we had a Mommy & kids movie nite, where we all piled into my king bed with snacks and stayed up past bedtime watching movies! Then when Daddy got home, and the kids went to bed, he and I had some quality time watching our shows on tv too! Fourth, the dog rescue work i do brings these little blessings every so often that make it all worth it.

We are fostering 3 puppy mill rescue chihuahua's......affectionately called "Desk Trolls" seeing how they're so scared of people they live in under my computer desk. Well, the one "Tilly" is starting to recognize, that some people are actually nice, and give you food and water, and snuggles! Tonite, for the first time (and I've had her like 2-3 months now) she came out of the sewing room (where the desk is) and CHOOSE to lay on a bed in the living room WITH John and I and some of the other dogs for like over an hour!!!! Ok, you're thinking..whooop, right?? Well, really it's an amazing accomplishment for her!! This dog lived her whole life stuffed in a 2foot wire box with other dogs most likely, with little food (and crap at that) and popping out puppies for money. No love, no vet care, no sanitation......nothing. The only hands she ever knew were for yanking her pups away, stuffing a male in to breed. So this IS A HUGE DEAL for her. And I am the lucky one to get to enjoy it!!!

And it's not just her....today our foster beagle Mandy, actually started using some manners.....sitting for petting, not jumping and pawing at me. Rocko, our foster cocker spaniel, shared a toy for the 1st time, and is playing now with other dogs. Kayla our littlest foster, a chihuahua/pug/? mix puppy is starting to come out of her shell and not be hand shy (from possible abuse before being tossed in a high kill shelter at 12 weeks old!) She's not afraid of being thrown/dropped when we pick her up now either. The other two puppy mill chihuahua's are also starting to come out and roam the house and feel more comfortable now as well. It just is these little signs, that after a really stressful last week/weekend, are like saying "Keep it up....you ARE making a difference!".

I sat outside with the 6 dogs that go out ( the 3 chi's stay in, not ready for that step yet) and as I sat and watched them playing and frisking in the falling leaves, sun shining, breeze blowing my hair......just made me feel so blessed, so lucky to be able to do this......to be able to share this with my kiddo's....to watch THEM blossoming and growing from it as well! Seeing a blind, middle age cocker spaniel, now little tail stub wagging all the time, prance around the yard she has memorized, seeing a former puppy mill rescue cocker spaniel, head held high, running like a pup, enjoying her new life....my crazy Jack russel, with his best buddy and little playmate girly, all 3 racing and chasing until the beagle has to join in! Then out come my precious kids...the dogs running to them, getting ear ruffles, laughter and fun. Watching my son, who just a year ago, wouldn't love another dog, didn't really like them since our beloved Casey died when he was 3......brag how Buster is HIS dog, and watching him throwing the ball for Rocko and Buster. These things......these simple, maybe to some silly things.......these things make me happy.

I have some who say, "How can you be happy?" My husband got laid off 6 months ago, our finances are in ruin, we're barely hanging onto our house and he's only just found substitute work and is trying to start a small business on the side. We have one working car, affectionately called "Rusty crusty". My son is being evaluated for Asperger's syndrome, my youngest daughter has health problems and is 24 lbs at almost 3 years old, and is in therapy for not talking outside the family. We now have nine dogs in our house, plus the 3 cats, and tortoise, and 4 small kids under 8!

Well, I tell you this.....I am happy. I have a family who loves me. I am doing fulfilling work in dog rescue, my husband is a volunteer firefighter. We have skills that have saved us this past few years......his electrical knowledge and my sewing skills and small business sewing. our garden did great this year, I learned to cook, can, freeze, crochet, sew and teach my children from my grandmother and great grandmother growing up. I made cloth diapers and training pants for Juli (more cozy than pull ups anyway!) We have warm clothes (so what if I made them?) we have a warm pellet stove (he installed himself!) the dogs and the kids are healthy and happy! They know they are loved, and are thriving! In the service of others.......you lose your problems and find joy. We may not have money, but truly.....money is NOT everything. We have each other and in the little things......that's where I know we are truly blessed.

Course, I've been told I'm nuts, and it doesn't take much to make me happy! But I'm ok with that!!!