When I was born my Mom had a dog, his name was Kelly. I don’t remember him but my Mom always said that he was very protective of me and we were best friends.
In grade 3 my Mom finally talked my Dad into getting a family dog! Dad and my Sis, who was in kindergarten, went and picked out a small terrier that we named Ripple because he looked like vanilla and caramel ripple ice cream! That dog got me through some pretty tough times. He got me through not making the ringette team, through junior high and through high school too! He was there when I shaved my head, he was there to comfort me throughout every break up, and to nudge me up when I got my first job and I needed to get there on time! He was my best friend.
A year after I graduated high school my girlfriend and her boyfriend got a dog together. They said it was practice but when they had kids lol 2 weeks later take realized he was shedding on their beautiful white carpet and decided to give him up… Their first target was my Sister 😂. I don’t know how she convinced my parents to take him in but we did and suddenly we were a family of five with 2 dogs! Java was a black lab/husky mix. He was huge! He was also silly, smart, affectionate, and thought he was an itty-bitty lapdog 😂.
In my second year of university I received a phone call from my Mom. They had just put Ripple down. I was heartbroken. I remember sitting on campus underneath a tree weeping as I wrote a letter to my trusted friend and sidekick for the past 17 years, my good boy, my Ripple. A few years later Mom and Dad had moved out west and my Sister had taken a job in South Korea! She knew she couldn’t take Java with her so she left him with Ninja and I! And when we brought HBear home he was protective, and loving, and a big pain in the ass lol but boy did we love him! When my Sister got home from her overseas travel it broke my heart to give him back. When he passed a few years later it was the end of our family pets 😞.
My sis and BIL have had other dogs since Java! My brother has always been a pet lover and has had cats and dogs in his family too! Sadly right after SweetPea was born, Ninja’s family dog, Max, passed too and just like that we got used to not having a pet. Well, Ninja did at least. For the past 8 years I have been cautiously broaching the subject and trying to convince Ninja that as parents who try to give their children everything and all experiences, we needed to let them experience what life is like for a family with a pet. We had that experience, could we honestly not give that to our children?
After this past year of Covid and our Girls feeling the emotional stress of the pandemic world, I finally got Ninja to agree! I called all of the local SPCA’s, I checked a ton of different listings and finally found an rescue/adoption agency called Bone Voyage out of Mexico! The woman I dealt with was phenomenal and was originally from Kelowna… fate? I think so! I picked out 3 puppies and she told me that they had all been adopted that day but she suggested 2 other ones. I read their bios and didn’t feel like they were a good fit for our family but I did see one towards the end of the biographies that caught my eye! His name was Shaggy and he was 3 months old and found on the streets of Mexico badly malnutritioned. They said he was a little shy but needed lots of love. The lady I was dealing with said she had never seen his bio before but if he was available we could move along in the proceedings.
He was and we did!
They told me it would be about 10 to 12 weeks after our adoption went through before we could get him. However, they had a volunteer flyer going up to Seattle on December 10 and if we could meet them at the Peace Arch, we could get him early! I was so excited because what a wonderful Christmas surprise for the Girls! And then the flooding happened. As highways were closed it became obvious to us that we would not be able to get to the Peace Arch for December 10. However, the borders had suddenly opened up and we were able to cross to meet them in Seattle! No biggie 😳😂.
So on Friday, Ninja braved the foreign snow filled passes and drove to Seattle to bring home our new puppy! He stopped for lunch with some podcasting friends before navigating the huge SeaTac airport and spending hours there with only a few bumps in the road waiting for our rescue pup, a mixed terrier that was skittish and pretty traumatized from the flight.
After a long drive home they finally surprised the Girls on Saturday evening! It was love at first sight! Since then he has settled right in! We had a rough second night but on the whole he is the perfect match for our family. After a family discussion we decided to name him… Mr. Oliver Maier!
Welcome to the family Oliver! You are so very loved! I can’t wait for many years of making memories with you 💛.
Check out How Was Your Week, Honey? Episode #254: Bone Voyage!! HERE! This week, Chris returns home with the new family dog after a 24-hour round trip to Seattle! Topics: 2 questions, snow storm, O Christmas Tea, the border, Korean food, hot lunch, SeaTac, BP’s, customs, American fast food, & punk vs hardcore.
Every year we try to make a little treat for the Girl’s classmates and their dance teachers. The past few years we haven’t because, COVID. This year we decided to try again, at least for SBean’s classmates, apparently HBear says she is too old to hand out treats 😎.
We also decided to spoil the dance teachers with a lovely homemade peppermint sugar body scrub! Also very easy to make, super useful and we had leftovers so we can make more for ourselves!! Another win-win craft/gift!
Hot Chocolate Sticks
Adapted from Midget Momma
18 ounces chocolate chips
1/2 cup hot chocolate mix
1 cup icing sugar
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1/4 salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
Microwave the chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in between until all the chocolate is smooth.
Stir in the cocoa powder, sugar, espresso powder, and salt.
Pour in the heavy cream with a whisk or spoon until it all comes together.
Press the mixture into mini muffin tins.
Sprinkle your favorite tops over the top of the chocolate.
Insert the popsicle sticks into the chocolate.
Place in the freezer for 20 minutes or until they have hardened.
Remove the chocolate from the molds by pulling up on the sticks.
Mix sugar and melted coconut oil together in a large bowl.
Add 15 drops of peppermint essential oils and mix well with a spoon.
