A Murphy Christmas

Maybe you haven't met my best friend...

He's Murphy.

or Murph

or The Murphinator.

No matter what he's called,

he's the best furry friend a Lori could ask for.

And when you have a bestie like him,

you must have a stocking for him at Christmas

and he must receive fun items from "Santa" too!

Here of some of the things that will be under the tree for Murph

and a few things that he just LOVES that will make your pooch happy too.

Star Spinner

Murphy's brain needs to be active all of the time (Border Collies-Geesh!) and this will be a perfect, fun game.  I was super excited when I won the bid for this on an online auction for Lovers Not Fighters Pit Bull Rescue.  He's going to love it!

Mimi Green Reflective Collar

Okay, maybe Murphy doesn't care about this, but he's happy when I'm happy.  I'm happy when he's safe and I can see him.  It works well.  I love these collars because Murphy had a habit of breaking his dog tag off during his very active play and these collars are engraved with my contact information.  Perfect!

Yeti Dog Chew

Murphy loves these chews and it's easy to know why...it's cheese! Yep...it's Yak and Cow milk made into this hard cheese.  Now if your furry bestie is an aggressive chewer, DON'T get this.  My mom got one for sweet Daisy girl and it lasted just a few minutes. Yikes! At around $10 a chew, you would definitely want it to last a little bit longer than that. Murphy isn't an aggressive chewer...he's a savors each bite and nibble, so it's perfect for him.  (I have to admit that I purchased this for Christmas and have already given it to him.  He smelled it and I gave in.  I can't take those big eyes looking at me! Yes, I'm a sucker.)

Buster Dog Maze

When I leave for work, this makes me not feel as guilty because Murphy's face isn't so sad.  He knows that when I leave he has some of his favorite treats to find and get out of his maze.  It makes leaving this sweet face a little easier.

Chase 'n Pull

A holiday is not complete until I mention the best toy ever!  The Chase 'n Pull is the highest reward toy for Murphy, which means that he adores this toy and I keep it that way by only bringing it out once or twice a week.  He gets so excited as soon as I say, "Tug?!" Boom.  Murph is ready to run and run fast! Zoom!

These are just a few ideas,
but they are sure to make your pup happy and you feel good.

From myself and The Murph,

Merry Christmas to you!

Pies, Treats, and Jam, Oh MY!

It's been a busy few weeks,

which is why it's been a little quiet here in my blog.

Life has been filled with baking,

volunteering, celebrating Thanksgiving, 

class with the Murphy boy, and, of course,

my actual job, teaching.

Whew, it's been busy, but a good busy.

It's crazy to me that December is going to quickly!

I can't believe that it's the 9th.

It just snuck up on me, and the other day it hit me

that I hadn't even thought or put out my holiday menu for Christmas!

Eek!

So, here it is and there are some delicious new additions.

Holiday Time!

This Happy Girl is baking up a storm for the holidays. 

Phase one of baking starts this week! 

Let me know if you need a treat for your celebrations. 💖

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What is on the Holiday Menu?

Here it is!

HOLIDAY PIES: Classic, Vegan, or Gluten-Free

Apple Pie- The Classic ($20) V or GF

Apple Spice Cider Pie ($20) V or GF

Apple Maple Bourbon Pie ($20) V

Dutch Apple ($20) V or GF

Sour Cream Blueberry Pie ($18)

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie ($20)V or GF

Triple Berry Pie ($20) V or GF

Dutch Berry ($20) V or GF

Bourbon Pecan Pie ($20)

Chocolate Cream Pie ($18)

Coconut Pie ($18) GF

Funky Monkey Pie ($18)

Spiked Key Lime Pie ($18) GF

Cookies and Breads

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies- Large Order ($15)

Molasses-Ginger Cookies-Large Order ($15)

Chocolate Crinkle- Large Order ($15)

Peanut Butter Chip- Large Order ($15))

Baklava- Large Order ($15)

Cranberry-Orange Bread, glazed ($10)

Coconut Rum Bread, glazed ($10)

Homemade Jam:   $3 each

Strawberry               Apple Butter 

Boysenberry             Pear Butter

Marionberry             Blueberry-Lime

Raspberry                 Triple Berry

What is Funky Monkey Pie?
Well, it's mostly just delicious!
It's my classic pie crust, layered with cookie butter, sliced bananas, and caramel.
As if that's not enough,
then it's topped with melted dark chocolate and fresh whipped cream.
See....YUM!

What is Spiked Key Lime Pie?

It's a classic Key Lime Pie spiked with tequila. 

I was going to call it Margarita Pie, 

but thought that I'd keep it simple.

All treats will be available for pick-up on either Monday, December 22, 2014 

after 2pm at my house or meet me at Kraxberger Middle School at noon.

(If you need treats sooner, please let me know! I'm baking for the next couple weeks.)

Payment: Cash, checks, or credit card through iSquare.

Please make all checks payable to Fences For Fido.

                 

Simple Gifts

As you are spending time with family and friends,
exchanging gifts, please remember that the gifts aren't that important.
Sure, they're nice.
Don't get me wrong, I love gifts!
Especially when they're given with
a big heart and love.
But, gifts don't have to cost much,
in fact my favorite ones don't have much monetary value, but they're priceless to me.

Christmas is more about the little simple things.

Like dressing up Murphy is silly hats.

He LOVES it!

Can't you tell?

Actually, he just loves me, so he puts up with it.

 Another simple gift...

The family Christmas tree decorated with ornaments from throughout our lives.

It's a tree filled to the brim with love.

Here are some of my favorites...

 My toy horse and a paper bear that I made in grade school.

 Everyone's favorite UPS man, my dad...

working late to make sure that your family gets their presents.

 My sheep.

Just like Murphy, I adore my sheep.

And every Christmas morning Santa leaves a special gift just for me,

no matter how old I get.

And the best of them all...

Our Ugly Angel.

As a little girl, all I wanted was to have a beautiful angel 

at the top of our tree like all of my friends.

I couldn't understand why our angel had to be so darn ugly.

Then I grew up and I saw her beauty.

Through grown-up eyes I saw that we had the best angel of all,

and I ADORE our beautiful family angel.

Now, the simpliest gift of all...a living memory.

A couple days before Winter Break, 

a student arrived early to school and stopped my as I walked in the front door.

"Ms. Chambers!  I have something for you! A little Christmas gift."

He pulled out of his bag a plate of cookies and a card.

"I tried really hard to make these just like my mom did.  

It was kinda hard, but I did my best.  I hope you like 'em."

I told him that I'm sure they were perfect and that I will definitely eat one for my snack,

while trying not to cry. 

You may think that this is just any plate of cookies, from any kid, but that's not the case.

This is a kid that is just awesome. 

Always the first to help me in the classroom.

First to volunteer with anything to do with Fences For Fido...

and pretty much, always smiling and happy.

Just a nice kid.

See his mom died last year.

A difficult loss for anyone, yet alone a child...

but he helps keep her memory going in little ways,

like cookies and a smile.

As you open gifts today, 

take a moment to appreciate the people around you and not just the presents.

In the end it's not an object that holds the importance of the day, 

it's the people and how they make you feel.

That's what you remember...the feeling you get at the thought of people.

So, take in the love and joy from those who cherish you so 

that you can hold those feelings in your heart long after they've gone.

Love, hope, joy, peace, and happiness,

with a side of cookies and a smile...

That's Christmas to me.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Lori and Murphy

Where's Santa?! Where is that dude?!

My Christmas Pony

Yes, you read that correctly.
And yes, I was that girl...
Very, very lucky.

Every girl wants a pony.
Okay, maybe not every girl, but most.
I grew up with stories of my mom going to her family farm and riding her pony King.
She would ride out into the fields.
Just her and her pony.
Endless summer days wandering around with a four-legged best friend.
Perfection.

Every piece of those moments sounded dreamy to me
and I wanted those memories to be mine.
But we lived in town.
No room for a dog to run freely, let alone a horse.
So I just dreamed of horses, collected horses,
rode fake horses, and talked about horses.

Yes, I was that little girl.
Horse obsessed.
It worked well for me.

Thankfully, my parents didn't like living in the city,
so that found us a house with a barn.
Empty stalls...open to possibilities.
Horse dreaming...

During our first Fall in the house,
my parents took my brother and me to different barns looking at ponies.
I was in Heaven.
Lori Heaven.

While looking at ponies, my parents kept emphasizing that we were JUST LOOKING.
Of course, to me,
I figured that any day a pony would show up on my doorstop.
When November came around,
I hoped and prayed that Christmas morning
would make my dream a reality.

Fast forward....Christmas Morning 1982.
A bright-eyed Lori woke up, expecting to see a pony under the tree.
Nope.
No pony.
But there was hope!
Under the tree was a large box...labelled "To Jeff and Lori."
"Oh boy! Oh boy! It had to be a pony!" I thought.

Throughout the morning, I could hardly wait...
All I thought about was my pony.
But, nope.
No pony.
I tried to hide the disappointment,
but it wasn't easy to hide a girls' heart breaking.
(dramatic, I know...I'm a bit dramatic.)

The morning went on...we played with our new toys.
And yes, they were amazing,
but I couldn't believe that my parents would torture me
by looking at ponies for the last month.
They weren't the torturing type!

Then, a miracle happened.
My mom called us up from the basement,
and there in the tree was a note.
The note was a little scavenger hunt,
leading us eventually to the barn.
And there...YES, THERE!
He. Was.
Spunky.
My pony.

It had snowed that morning,
so the horse trailer wasn't able to get up the hill.
That's why the delivery was late.
I think that the wait made the surprise even better.

Of course Spunky was for "both" of us, but we knew he was really for me.
My brother didn't care about ponies, I did.
Spunky was my pony.
My beautiful Christmas pony.
A little dream come true.

Yes, I know that I was a very lucky little girl.
I really know that.
And I am extremely thankful for all of their sacrifice to make our dreams a reality.
My parents made our childhood memorable,
and filled with nuggets of joy, love, and generosity.
And a pony.
My pony.

So for the 27 Christmases that we spent together,
I would make Spunky a special
Christmas mixture of grain, molasses, carrots, and apples.
A little gift, to the BEST gift of my life.
Now that he's gone, his memory lives on through me,
making treats with molasses,
and sharing a story of a little girls' Christmas dream come true.

Merry Christmas Spunky!

____________________________________________________________
Tidbit-

I have had a gripe with my mom each Christmas for as long as I can remember.
You see, every year she displays a Christmas picture.
Or as I think of it, THE Christmas Picture.
It's the Christmas picture that shows my brother as the appreciative child,
thrilled with their Christmas present, while I am the ungrateful child.
Sigh.
At least that's what you would think looking at it.

But seriously, what little girl would want a ATARI Gaming System?
Ok, some might, but not this little girl!
Does my mom display the picture of me overjoyed at getting my pony?
Nope.
Just the one of me, the ungrateful child,
pouting over video games.
Oh well, it is kind of funny.
So mom, can we at least put out one picture of me with Spunky?
Just one?
Thanks. ;)

A Dog's Christmas

Christmas came early for Murphy.

Christmas Eve to be exact.

When you only trust 13 people in the world,

it can be a scary and anxiety producing place.

Especially when your human keeps putting strange ears on you!

(But, in my defense, he's sooooooo cute!)

But, Christmas, well it's all about joy...happiness...and spending it with the people that you adore.
Murphy only needs HIS people by his side to have a Christmas of love.








 







This is his story of love and his people.
....well at least a few of them.
Now...a photo journal of puppy love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Receiving loves from my brother...

 Even this really strange Santa got the Murphy seal of approval! 

I guess he smelled too much like his grandpa to fool him.

 Now, this is the "Gpa" that Murphy knows and adores...not that weird Santa Dude!

 Nothing makes him as happy as getting love from his GREAT Grandma! 

He loves to cuddle up to her and get cookies too! 

 Leanna, she might get taller, but he can still get to her lips for a big smooch!

Jorden still has his favorite lips to smooch,

but she's learned to be a quick move...she's difficult for him to catch!

 Murphy was happy to see that he wasn't the only one that had to put things on their head!

 

At the end of the night,

he was sad to leave all of his favorite humans,

but thankfully he had a new moose-friend to ease the pain.

Exhausted pup, ready to dream the night away,

 with millions of pets and endless love dancing in his head.

Merry Christmas to all

and to all a beautiful New Year!