I love this time of year!

All the animal issues here seem to be settling down. The last doses of meds have been given, and Tripoli's hole in his head is healing nicely. It will be maybe 6 months before it is normal again, but a lot of healing can take place in a week and it's not nearly so scary! Cinderella became a house dog for the remainder of the week after escaping her stall. She could definitely get used to that! :) Noah has been transferred to her, I mean his new home, and his new owner is tickled pink to have him. The chicks are now up in my mom's tub, since she can handle their smell a bit better than I can right now. I so appreciate her fondness for chickens! Next month, there will be another spay and another disbudding, but it's a lot less daunting having gone through it once already. I finally got all of Hully's paperwork to send in and get her registered, and along with that sent in the registration papers for the other does to be amended, since their tattoo locations were incorrect. Not a huge deal, but necessary to tend to when I get ready to have them appraised.

So now we're able to turn some of our attention to other fun stuff! David and I did a bit of Christmas shopping online this weekend. It used to be so fun to go out to the mall, hear all the music, see all the lights, and be a part of the hustle and bustle of it all--hoping you don't run into the folks you've bought presents for and have clear shopping bags! (Why do stores do that?!) But there is something very peaceful and fun about sitting together in front of the computer to make your purchases, too. It's also a whole lot easier when you've got kiddos to tend to! I really don't look forward to a mall trip with them this season, but will probably have to make one for new shoes at some point, and I keep putting it off! So many of our purchases have been made, and we will finish the rest of them up next month. For the most part, we know what we'll be buying for folks, and that seems to be the biggest hurdle! We always want to get the perfect presents, and knowing what that is can be tough. I still have a few I'm mulling over and trying to figure out, but just a few.

Our Thanksgiving Day tradition for the past several years has been to celebrate with David's sister's family, switching houses each year. This year it is their turn, so that means I have next to no responsibilities! That's a great thing this year! I look forward to it. Shiphrah and Samuel don't want to wait until Thursday to go over there! :) My mom is considering a drive to visit Grandma in Michigan this Thanskgiving, since she'll have 5 days off. The weather is a little warmer than at Christmastime, and gas prices are down.

Sunday is the first day of Advent, and we're already looking forward to that! Of course, there will be the Advent wreath on the table, nightly readings, and David has decided that we will put our tree up that day. We may scramble up some other fun Advent activity (chocolate calendar?) but haven't decided just yet. It is so fun to see David get "into" and lead Chrismas festivities! He's coming out of his shell. :)

So today, I will try to get Hully's fecal sample checked to see how the meds worked. Hopefully all will be clear. I have agreed to goat-sit for a friend over the Thanskgiving holiday, and if Hully is dealing with parasites still, she may make other plans. If she isn't, then I'll have some barn cleaning to do!

Samuel has been making lots of lightsabers lately, since Daddy let him watch a few of the Star-Wars movies. Shiphrah has been making "dresses" for her dolls. She colors paper, wraps it around them, and uses WAY TOO MUCH tape to hold the paper together and in place! I keep trying to tell her she has to cool it with the tape, or I won't be able to wrap Christmas presents! Solomon still wants to run around naked and is still expanding his speaking repertoire. He needs a hair cut.

I am finally starting to feel like a pregnant woman instead of a sick one. Still have to watch my eating to insure I get enough protein and space things right. Managing blood sugar seems to be the trick right now. Soon, I hope to start back up with homeschooling on a regular schedule!

That's about it here for now... Have a great week!