The Loves Of My Life: December 2025

Did you get moved into your little home?

I did! It took a hot minute (and maybe a snack break or twelve) but yes, I'm officially moved into my little dream home. I've got until May to grab the last few odds and ends from the main house, but really, if they weren’t important enough to grab on the first 20 rounds, do I really need it? I'll find out as the next few months roll around.

It's like a cozy corner, with hidden dogs

It's their chosen fav place

Behold, my one-bedroom one-bathroom (with a laundry room) palace.

And I love it!

The dogs love it. We all love it.

Just my size

My laundry room and bathroom - as one 😃

The house was built - literally built - by Josiah and his family. Even their extended family who flew in from Paraguay jumped in like it was a Mennonite episode of HGTV. They handcrafted my kitchen cabinets during their visit here. By hand. With actual tools. Not Allen wrenches and regrets like the rest of us.

This sweet Mennonite family still does business with a handshake and their word - something you don't encounter these days unless you mosey into Commerce, Texas. Fun fact: I live about 10 miles from Commerce. Yes, I'm officially "way out here", where the chickens probably outnumber the humans.

More dogs, of course, in a spot of their own

And honestly? My little home came with a bonus feature I didn't expect: getting to know some of the kindest, most capable humans I've ever met. Need plumbing? They can do it. Electricity? Easy. Building a home from scratch? They're like, "Hold my unsweet tea."

Whatever happened with my lil blind kitty?

Oh, buckle up for this one. The Humane Society of North Texas (whom I foster with) trusted me with a less-than-half-pound blind kitten with severe eye infections and furthermore informing me she would be blind, no doubt. Fast forward to today, and guess whose healthy, happy, curious, loving, playful - and (drum roll!) mine! 💖 Yep, you guessed right.

Theo is her fav doggo 💞

Let's pretend I didn't foster fail the first time she squeaked at me.

Her name started as Lady Bug but quickly got upgraded to Pixie because she's tiny, magical, mischievous, and has the navigation skills of a Roomba with a dent in it.

She's as dark as the darkest night, so
actually seeing her permanent wink is not easy

This little girl bumps into everything - walls, dogs, the air - but she does it with confidence, which I admire deeply. She had one eye removed, and keeps the other, even though she can't see out of it. Doesn't slow her down one bit.

She's living her best little bonk-filled life.

Surgery was a tough one

Yet with us all by her side -
and her own grit,
she made it through 😉
now with a permanent wink

We're bonded for life. Thick as thieves. She's my tiny little fearless (oozing chaos) muffin pie.

Not to worry, Cricket and Pixie will be joining me in my new place, too.

Where will all this go? That's a later problem.

And how are Penny and Dutch?

Thriving. Absolutely thriving. They are out here running their own nighttime security company.

Penny enjoying her raised bed

Just last night, at 3 am I awoke to frantic barking just outside my bedroom window. And now that I live next to one of the ponds, I realized that Penny and Dutch had something cornered at the pond. And based on the chaos soundtrack, The Littles and Mia decided it was a group project.

I threw on clothes, grabbed a flashlight and hustled to the pond - only to shine my light on a VERY annoyed raccoon floating in the water like a overstuffed ring-eyed pool noodle. It was trying to convince everyone it was the boss, but considering it was the only one in the pond, I'm not sure it's argument held up.

So I stood there watching The Littles get muddy and wet, knowing full-well they would be getting back in my bed. And then I thought, 'my LGD's have got this under control'. Penny and Dutch will figure this out. They got in this and they'll come up with a solution.

Me? I'm heading back inside, resisting the urge to get my 410 shotgun, but with 18 dogs zooming around the pond like toddlers hyped up on caffeine, the odds of friendly fire were.....not great. So I left it to the pros - Penny and Dutch.

The Littles watched me leave and were like, "Yeah, warm bed sounds better than raccoon drama."

I still don't know how that saga ended. But I trust the doggos. I was clearly the weakest link in that operation.

They deserve breakfast in bed every morning 💪

Am I still running?

Yep! Running? Yes.

Biking? A hard no during the winter. I don't winter-bike. I will never winter-bike. I am firmly a "my face shouldn't hurt from the weather" kind of girl.

Pre-run fun

Lauren and I ran a 5K while pushing Brooks in a stroller. Cause you know I'm all about pushing a stroller, although it's usually filled with dogs and not children.