If it isn't one thing...

..it's another. The furnace man says our furnace is done - beyond repair. Now what? I will try to stay positive and figure something out...we have so many blessings and I am grateful. At least we found out before it's 30 below. But honestly, this one is really putting a damper on my positivity! Not sure how, but we'll find a way somehow...we always do.

Autumn has Arrived!

Brrrr! It was 48 degrees this morning! The snap of fall was in the air, the squirrels are trying to get in the basement to store their nut supply for the winter, and the walnut tree is pelting us with nuts. We don't quite have color on the trees yet, though the trees whose leaves just turn yellow and drop are showering us with every gust of wind. The dogs always have the hardest time adapting to the temperature change at this time of year. Later on in the winter, they will have built up their resistance, but right now they shiver and tremble with every damp step on the lawn. So, it's time to break out the.........sweaters! Some of the pups seem to be able to keep up their body heat without a problem, but a few need a little help. We got some beautiful handmade sweaters at YorkieStock in Iowa this summer, and our dear adopted Granny Scrapkins (Gloria) also knitted some sweaters for the kids that we love. I went out this morning and took these pictures of the kids as they enjoyed the gray and blustery Sunday morning at the Haven. There's lots of pictures...so enjoy!

Teddy/Chips

Sophia

Sophia and Baci

Olive

Obie cleaning Olive's eyes. He feels that this is his responsibility, and does it frequently. How cute is that?

Skylar

Esther

Shae the Beagle

Shae and Sophie with Twig

Baci

Whew!

Fourteen dogs bathed in under an hour. Enough said. :)

Extreme Makeover - Hundenruhe Edition

Well, we didn't get picked for the Extreme Makeover Home Edition Wisconsin home makeover. Another teacher and his family in Neenah were selected and received a really wonderful home last month. However, we weren't left entirely out of the loop! Our dear friends Halvor and Teri (really chosen family members) made our dreams come true over the past two weekends by surprising us with a new deck/front porch. The front door was the only door left unprotected from the outside world, but it is unsafe no longer! Halvor and Teri (with a tiny bit of help from Dan and I) built this amazing front porch with a doggie-safe gate. It is SO beautiful and I can rest easier now, knowing the pups can't get out.
Yet another miracle for us here. I am so blessed by these wonderful people in my life - and then they go and do something so incredibly generous and sweet. I know I don't really deserve this kind of love and kindness, but I am so grateful for them, and for this gift.
Here's what it looked like before, with its ancient cement slab steps and rickety iron railings: