Catching Up

I feel as though I'm constantly apologizing for not writing enough.  I'm sorry, and thank you for understanding that life sometimes gets in the way.  Since it's been so long since I posted anything, let me try to catch you up on a little.

The Holidays
The holidays went well.  I'd be lying if I said they were easy.  This, of course, was the first year without Mom, and it made things difficult.  At first, I didn't think I was that bothered by it.  I mean, people would mention how difficult it would be having that empty spot at the table, or how it was now my job to carry on the traditions, and I'd just shrug and think, "Whatever."  You see, I haven't had a "traditional" Christmas since my parents separated 20 years ago.  It was always Christmas Eve with Dad and Christmas Day with Mom.  Sometimes Mom had to work (which sucked), sometimes we just relaxed.  One year we went to the movies, one year we had take out Chinese.  One memorable year, we flew to Utah to see one of my friends.  So, there was never a pattern to follow.  What made this year so hard, though, was that I realized I'd never taken the time to really appreciate the time I had with her.  Last Christmas, when we knew about the cancer, but while it was still in remission, we focused on Anna.  I have pictures of Anna at Mass, videos of Anna opening presents, and lots of memories of Anna, and while I know Mom was there for all of it, I can't remember anything specific.  Actually, I take that back.  I know I ordered a very special, hard to find present for Mom, and it had broken in shipping.  I was never able to find a replacement, and Mom was so disappointed.  I hated that.

All in all, though, the holidays went well.  We enjoyed a lovely day with my Dad and Cindy.  Hans and I spent a lot of time cooking, Anna was cooperative, and we all enjoyed our gifts.  Oh, and Anna made out like a bandit!  So, it was good.

The Kennel
The kennel has be both awesome and sometimes frustrating.  Let me just say that being a business owner can be fun, exhausting, empowering, and isolating.  Still, though, I don't think I'd trade it for anything in the world.  I have a wonderful staff, and while they don't always do things exactly the same way I would, they try their hardest and they really care about things.  That's all I can ask for.

One thing that's particularly new is that I've started grooming school.  This is more out of needing to learn about that aspect of my business than it is about a desire to groom, but so far it's fun.  It's a 4 month long program and it's 2 hours away, so I'm able to enjoy a "lovely" commute every day.  Thank GOD for audio books!  Honestly, the hardest part is balancing home, work, and school life.  I really wish I had a self-driving car so I could get a little more sleep or respond to emails during those 2 hours.

Anna and the Dogs
All my kids are doing well.  Anna is struggling with me not being home as much, so when I am home I'm dedicating all my time to her.  The dogs need A LOT more exercise, so Hans and I are trying to incorporate them into our daily work out routines a little more.  It's not necessarily easy, but we're trying to make it work.

Let me also take a moment to really praise Hans.  He's really been helping out a lot lately.  This past week he's made all the dinners (although we did eat out a few times), he packed a lunch for me every day, he cleaned up so I could have time with Anna, and he's barely complained.  Of course, all that is on top of his 40 hours a week job.  He's been great.

So, that's my life in a nutshell.  I hope to be able to post more soon.  I love my little corner of the internet, and I so appreciate all of you who find me interesting. 

Thank you!