I’m a huge animal person. I always have been. Since I was young, I’ve found I connect better with animals than people so I have spent my life working with animals in many capacities. I received my undergraduate degree in animal science then my graduate degree specializing in animal welfare. For the past three years I’ve worked at a doggie daycare and a few years ago I went back to school to become a certified dog trainer. Now, I’ve been working as a dog trainer for two years and I absolutely love it. I’m hoping to be able to make that my full-time gig here soon.
My pets are my life and my babies. We don’t have kids of our own yet so my pets are extremely spoiled and well loved! Until recently, we had three dogs and a cat. Our sweet dog Lily passed away about a month ago from complications associated with Degenerative Myelopathy, a degenerative disease that causes slow paralysis. Lily was such a sweet girl. She was incredibly emotional and empathetic. She knew when any of us were having a bad day and she made it her mission to make it better.Lily hated for us to hug anyone but her and she vocalized each and every feeling she had! She was the first dog I’ve ever lost and it was one of the worst days of my life. She is missed every day.
Gunner is a 10 year old German Shepherd, I gained this big guy when I married my husband, along with his sister Lily. Gunner has a heart of gold and a very gentle personality. He is massive, weighing in at 110 pounds and you can hear him walking around the house whenever he moves. Gunner gained the nickname Thunder because the floor shakes while he walks by! He has zero understanding or awareness of his size and often trips us in doorways and on stairs. He spins and circles us when he is excited meaning we have to stand very still or we risk falling over the big goof or having a toe get stepped on.
Soter is my soul dog. I got him 10 years ago after a personal tragedy and he helped me heal. Because of 
that, we are extremely bonded! He’s a Pembroke welsh corgi and is the cutest dog I’ve ever seen (I’m not biased). Soter is a total clown. He has more personality than any dog I’ve met. He is insanely smart (smarter than me I swear) with an appetite we for life and all things food. Seriously, this dog has an addiction to all food or food related items… and some non-food related items. He has had two bowel blockage surgeries and has had his stomach pumped a few times because he’s so sneaky about eating the things he’s not supposed to have. We call him out ten thousand dollar dog but he’s worth every penny.
Kitty is our only cat, and he has an incredibly creative name. I got Kitty in college, shortly after I got Soter, so they grew up together and are the best of friends. Kitty cleans Soter and they snuggle up on the couch together. Kitty is who I go to when I have major anxiety. Unlike many cats, Kitty is selfless with his time and love. If you pick him up or lay on him he stays put. Kitty knows when you need some extra hugs and is thrilled to offer it. He is the king of head butts and puts Gunner in his place frequently. He doesn’t think the thundering around the house is as cute as we do.
So there is an introduction to my pets, aka my fur children. I’m sure they will make frequent appearances in my blog!
Erin
What better time to start a blog about finding happiness in cozy places than at Christmas?! Christmas is, by far, the coziest time of year! Am I right?! Some people are so wrapped up in the stress revolving around this time of year that they don’t step back to enjoy the best parts of it. I’m the other kind of person that throws myself so deeply in the coziness of this time of year that I start stressing and fearing it being over. I worry about going back to a boring, Christmas magic-free life. But for now, I will stay in the cozy, happy mindset that is Christmas for me. 
tradition to go to the mountains and chop our own tree down, in a permitted area of course. We typically do this the weekend after thanksgiving and then the fun REALLY starts. This year I decked out our house in white lights and garland and man-o-man does it get my happy juices flowing. The warm white lights match the flicker of candles throughout the house. The fireplace and the tree lights make the ornaments glitter and sparkle throughout the tree. Isn’t reading about it just making you get the warm fuzzies?! It’s making me think about ditching this blog post to go lie in my living room. Just kidding… but seriously. I grew up in a house that was always colorful and bright for Christmas. The tree lights were vibrant colors and the ornaments were a modge podge of childhood school projects and hand-me-down ornaments from family members. It was the perfect family tree and truly kicked off my love of Christmas. The décor in my own home is quite a bit different with metallic accents and hardly a bright color in sight but it still takes me back to the magic I felt every year at Christmas as a kid.