Winter is coming. *time for the Midwest to do its questionable thing*

Here it is, the middle end of September and we're all standing here like ?!!?!!!!?!?!! In other words, we're all very confused.

I don't want to be one of "those people" that "totally can't believe we're already nine months in" and wondering "where did the year go?!" and all that jazz, but let's be honest.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE I'M AT WITH IT.

Y'all, I seriously don't know where this year has went and so many things have happened and haven't happened and are going to happen that I'm basically just a nervous bundle of anxiety over here. And don't get me wrong, I'm literally ALWAYS a nervous bundle of anxiety, BUT now I'm also confused, because WHERE DID THIS YEAR GO?!!?!

I am not alone in this feeling. I was just coming to terms with the fact that I turned twenty-eight in February and AND NOW twenty-nine is creeping up on me faster than a pair of pantyhose in a Alabama church come August. In case you're not from the South and don't understand that reference, let me just tell you, THAT'S F*CKING FAST.

Am I seriously about to be spending my last year in my twenties ever? Don't get me wrong, I don't mind that I'm getting older (I'm finally aging into my bitter old lady personality), but it just feels very weird.

It's been raining/storming on/off here for four days(?) now and the upside of this is #1: I love thunderstorms and #2: I haven't had to mow grass.... yet. Don't you worry though, that time is coming, friends. Luckily, I've gotten the majority of our stuff cut down/packed up/all that jazz for winter, so really it's just a whole lot of mowing and weed-eating. And apparently planting "fall" flowers and plants, because that's our thing now?

The season of hoodies, sweatpants, boots (even though that's a year round thing for me!), hot cider, chicken and dumplings, no yard work, cuddling with your pups (again, an all year round thing!), and avoiding people by staying in your house and only coming out when you absolutely have to is almost upon us. Of course, with that season also comes snow shoveling, freezing rain, and gloom (which I love, but apparently other people despise?).... but that's neither here nor there.

Work has been.... exhausting?! *Jack Torrance would laugh with us* 🔪😬

Where do I even begin? Well, for starters.... no pups were made bedless by the taking of this picture (it needed said).

I think we can all agree that when we were younger, we thought being an adult was going to be a lot more fun than it really is.

Sure, we stay up as late as we want, have cereal for dinner to the point of no one can stop us, and buy alcohol.... but they left out the part that says coming with all of that is the fact that you're trying to run on six hours of sleep a week, you have to deal with a myriad of things when you don't necessarily eat healthy (although, my body is so used to my ridiculous diet it would probably fall over dead if I tried to change it at this point), and hangovers become increasingly more difficult after the age of twenty-two five.

With all of that being said, I'm going to lead with I got a "promotion" at work (as in, we're doing even more stuff, but I still have the same title that I'm also pretty sure isn't a thing and we made up on the fly one day, because I needed a "title" for my email signature) and a raise (I'm currently singing Snoop Dogg in my head). Along with that came with all the other things that come with being an adult.... more responsibility.

Where was the "be a gummy bear taste tester" line when I had to go to the job fairs in school?!

In order to deal with this ever increasing fluctuation of "what the f*ck" moments between Dani and I, we try to have a positive outlook (said no one about our personalities EVER) and get in "laughs" and "lighthearted" moments whenever we can. And yes, we also have those days where we listen to The Shining via audiobook, but THAT'S NOT THE POINT. Including, but not limited to crawling into her pup Gibson's brand new dog bed to see if we can in fact fit (spoiler alert: we can).

There are numerous advantages to being 54.... just ask any 84 year old. ❤️

Today is my Momma's 54th (but if anybody asks, 25th) birthday. I'm so happy that I get to see her on this day and every single day (and I wouldn't have it any other way!), because a little over a year ago I didn't know if we would ever spend another birthday together. 

She's come a long way and her strength and perseverance is something that I marvel at daily. She truly is one of the strongest people that I have ever known and I'm very proud to call myself her daughter. 

We still have a long road ahead, and lord knows I'm sure it will be rocky to say the least, but lucky for us, that seems to be our specialty. You know, where we tend to be the majority of life.

And while she always insists that no one make a "big deal" when it comes to her birthday, I make it a point to let her know how special she is to me every day. And whether she likes it or not, people want to celebrate this day with her (and all the other days, as well), because she really is just that great of a person and that special to everyone that loves her.

I couldn't be any luckier in the "Mom Department" if they tried. She is, hands down, the best mother, friend, and woman that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I love you more than you'll ever know, Momma. You're my best friend, mother, confidant, biggest fan (and I yours), and most importantly, my heart. (And the epitome of a bee charmer.)

So, here's to you, Momma. It's your party.... and you can cry drink nap party do what you want to. I love you.

🐶 Tayder's big-little brother (Spart) is not-so-slowly outgrowing me. 🐶

Back when we adopted Spart, I was used to having one small older pup (my forever love- Tayder) in our lives.... and then we apparently wanted to delve into a shitshow and find out how crazy we could become before reaching our breaking point.

Enter Spart. The world's cuddliest huge dog that feels like he's definitely a teeny tiny lap dog, even if only in heart (and his brain).

He's clumsy and insane, thinks he's the size of a chihuahua, and has a set of jowls that would rival any hog that I've ever seen.... and I grew up surrounded by farmland, people!

But, with all of his crazy (and there's SO much of it to go around), he's also lovable, sweet, goofy, cuddly (and by cuddly, I mean he likes to just throw his butt and fall onto me full body weight), snorty (yes, he snorts and I love it!), and loves us and his little-big brother like nobody's business.

For everything the pup has been through, and he has been through some terribly awful shit, he has managed to retain his innocence and lovability better than I have seen almost anybody be able to do.

And don't let Tayder fool you. He may pretend like he's not a fan of his big-little brother, but for every snip he lets out and eyeroll he lets go, he also let's him "hide" behind him when he's scared (even though Spart is WAY bigger than him), pretends like he needs to go outside so Spart doesn't have to be in his crate (something he mostly only sleeps in at this point), and makes sure he eats/drinks before he himself does.

To say he's definitely a member of our family, and one of the greatest loves around, would be an understatement on the part of ALL of us.... and I will never know how anyone could have ever mistreated such a lovable goof. That definitely says more about them as a person than him as a pup. And by "as a person" I mean they're a bag of dicks and deserve to be hit with a bus.