Your Christmas Card from Shanster, Furry Husband et all

3 or 4 yrs ago I had this grand idea to take a holiday picture for our Christmas cards. Furry Husband and I stood in our hay shed with the dogs and when we developed the picture, we noticed that Punkin, our tough, orange tabby cat was sitting in the hay above our heads watching all the madness down below.

And from that point on, the more animals I could fit into the picture, the happier I got!

This is not true for Furry Husband. It's pretty much the opposite for him actually. He doesn't understand why it has to be such an ordeal/production/display.

It's a lot of work to get the dogs in holiday hats, sitting, staying.... we always get Bequia to hold a stocking in her mouth. She likes to spit it out and I have to put it back in her mouth. About that time Sammy decides "the heck with this!" gets up, shakes his elf hat off and wanders away. I go get him back when Booker lays down.... it goes on like this for quite a while. And then you add in a screaming chicken or a goat trying to eat the holiday garland, some squirmy cats with claws yowling, or a horse that could step on and squish any one of us.

You can totally imagine the controlled chaos can't you?

It's usually freeze butt cold outside. And by the time we are ready for our beloved neighbors to begin clicking away - Furry Husband's holiday threshold has been reached. I like to take him right up to the edge of yule tide cheer and 'doink' push him just a wee bit over.

Sometimes being married means pushing each others buttons. It's fun. It teaches us patience.... right?

Well, this year our Christmas decorations were packed away and I didn't feel like digging them out of the junk pile our storage building has become. It was something like -15 outside. ( you are seeing that correctly NEGATIVE 15 ) Our very tolerant and very loveable neighbors were asking me if I watched the weather and actually TRIED to pick the coldest day of the year for our holiday picture.

I decided to have the picture inside this year. Why not be comfortable?

I found a garland. I sat Furry Husband down. Bequia next to him. Sammy sat down nicely... Booker was sitting... I handed Furry Husband Split Pea the cat. She began squirming. He let her go. I found another cat for him to hold onto --- honestly --- why he can't KEEP a hold of a squirmy cat....

And then I decided it'd be really funny if we brought a goat inside.

Oh ho! This, now this is really asking a lot of Furry Husband. No goats in the house is sort of the last ditch "rule" he hangs onto. It's his way of exerting some type of order into the madness of our house.

I hated to shatter his bubble... but this is THE Christmas picture I'm talkin' about here!

Along with our two favorite neighbors/photographers, I talked him into letting a goat come in.... for 5 minutes.

The SECOND I brought the goat in, she began pooping.

Funny. You don't realize exactly how much poop a goat poops when it's outside in it's pen... but ... huh .... somehow when it's on your living room carpet ... let's just say it's a lot.

I am in the middle of reassuring Furry Husband that they are hard little pellets - easy to sweep up - easy to clean - it's noooo big deal when the dogs all jump up and begin scarfing goat turds like nobody's bid'ness.

If you notice in the picture, Furry Husband's face is somewhat more red than it normally is. I like to think that the one little goat turd next to his foot absolutely MAKES the holiday Christmas card.

It's what I do.

I take this poor, wonderful man up to the very tippy, tippy top of Christmas Cheer, Yuletide Joy, Peace, Love and Happiness..... and I push him right on over the edge.

From left to right: Booker, Mojo, Shanster, Rosie, Bequia, Furry Husband, Itty Bitty Opal Kitty, Sammy

Merry Christmas!! Happy Holidays!! And here's to a spectacular NEW YEAR everyone!!