Dogs

So here's the big news. We got a puppy for Christmas. I know. Some of you that know me from childhood will be stunned because you know I am not a pet person. There are people, Lord love them, who are pet people and have dogs and cats and hamsters and a pig and who knows what all. Then there are people like me who have to be persuaded to get their kids a fish and then cannot stand the gross yucky fish bowl on the kitchen counter. It's not all my fault. I am allergic to cats, so no cats and now I will make my confession, I am afraid of dogs. I have been afraid of dogs my whole life. Little dogs, big dogs (heaven help me) I am afraid of dogs. Now when I was in Jr High School my family got a dog. His name was Alex. He was a Maltese that my parents never neutered and he never potty trained so he had to stay outside all the time. I did not like Alex and I felt sorry for Alex all at the same time. I did not like Alex because 1) I was afraid of him and 2) he would hump your leg every time you tried to lay out in the back yard. I felt sorry for him because he would turn into a huge snowball every winter because all the snow would stick to his fur and he had runny eyes. So I basically stayed away from Alex. But my fear started when I was a little girl. I can remember being about 5 and all dressed up for Halloween with my sister ready to go trick or treating with my Dad and crying, not wanting to go because there was a big, black dog in our driveway. My Dad got so mad he punched a hole in the wall in our basement. As I got older I learned to ignore little yippy dogs. Although the only dog bite I ever received was by a miniature collie when I was about 7. It's name was Dillon and it bit the back of my ankle. A few years later he got hit by a car. I won't say I was happy, but I don't think I shed any tears for Dillon. But big dogs scare the crap out of me. In high school I dated a guy who's family had golden retrievers. Big beautiful dogs. BIG dogs, very friendly! When I would come over to their house the doggie would jump right up on me and put her paws right on my shoulders. She was as big as me, looking me right in the face. I tried not to show it but every time I nearly fell over and hyperventilated. My boyfriend thought this was hilarious. When I was about 20 I really got into running. I would go running outside and always run into a big dog. It would scare the &@#! right out of me and I would scream GO HOME! and try hard not to run away so the dog wouldn't chase me. Over the years I have built up a tolerance to big dogs because people in my life insist on having big dogs and I like those people. But my heart beats a whole lot faster when the big doggies are around. But I will admit...if there is big strange dog wandering around outside that I am not familiar with, I do not go outside until the dog is gone. That's my story and I am sticking to it. So, to the new puppy. My kids, including my significant other, have been wanting a dog forever. Being the non pet person I have been, I have said no, no, no for years and years. At Christmas time I gave in. I told Santa he could bring us a doggie if she was a she, and tiny, and didn't shed. So on Christmas morning a tiny teacup yorkie was sitting in a velvet box under the tree. She was 8 weeks old. I thought my kids were going to faint they were so excited. Her name is Bayja. (sounds like Asia) Now she is 12 weeks old and this weekend she finally started going potty outside. We are so proud of her. She is lots of fun. When I walk in the door she does jump up on me...and her paws hit me just below my knees. I think it is hilarious. Later.

Our Christmas Letter

In case you want to catch up with my family for 2010. Here is our annual Christmas letter. If you like the blog, you'll like the letter....

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from our family to yours! 2010 has been a big blur for us! Big changes were in store and we didn’t even know it. After 16 years on Handcart Way we moved! In the spring of this year we found a home about 7 blocks east and we made an offer and to our surprise they accepted it and we were off and running! Our new address is:
946 Peregrine Lane, Sandy Utah 84094
We closed on July 22, 2010 and moved in August 22, 2010. We decided to remodel the house too! Unfortunately, considering my anxiety and Keith’s ADD, this decision, however necessary, was probably not wise. Between us we have created a new disorder. We call it “Marital Anxiety Attention Deficit Disorder” or M.A.A.D.D. You may draw your own conclusions here and every single one would be right. We have found that no matter how much medication you are on, none of it helps cure M.A.A.D.D completely. The up side is our new house is just that much bigger and we can go to separate places to sort things out or “let the expletives fly” if you will. Since we are on the subject, while we are enjoying our bigger home, we find there is now at least one light bulb burned out every damn day and someone around here better get working on their house keeping skills immediately.
Thankfully Keith and I still enjoy employment at Hudson Printing and Wells Fargo, respectfully. However Keith is contemplating mowing lawns this summer to make ends meet. No really, I’m serious. House poor does not begin to describe it. If I could bake, I’d be selling cupcakes after church. Pre-purchase, our family enjoyed a trip to Barbados in the spring of this year to visit my Mom and Dad a few months before they returned home from their mission and a week at our family cabin in the mountains above Midway, Utah this summer to celebrate their return.
Our Holland is 11 years old and in the 6th grade and is very busy. In addition to her schoolwork, golf and swimming activities Holland has discovered a love for cooking! We watch the Food Network together all the time. She aspires to be an Iron Chef when she grows up. She is enrolled in the Young Chef’s Academy and cooks in classes two night a week. She loves it. She cooks all sorts of yummy things but eats none of it. She still keeps Pizza Hut, McDonalds and the Training Table in business. She has also come to the stage in her life where she is extremely embarrassed by just about anything and everything, especially her Dad, much to my delight. “Dad stop singing, Dad stop doing that. Dad STOP!” HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Zach is 17 and a junior at Hillcrest High School. His extracurricular activities have dwindled to games and TV and movies much to my chagrin, in addition to chores around the house, much to his chagrin. But he has chosen to focus on getting good grades and is doing quite well this year so we’ll take that as a win. He is also a very good care taker for his sister which is a load off my mind. He has a fabulous new room in our new house with a ginormous TV that he enjoys immensely. I know – no one to blame but ourselves.
Besides the new house, the highlight of my year was having my deviated septum fixed and both my sinuses routed. Yeah, it’s as fabulous as it sounds. While it is very nice to be able to breathe and sleep better, I find the icy cold air of the Utah winter is very painful on my sinus cavities and I have to say I sometimes miss all the snot that kept me nice and warm up there. The whole thing was a bigger ordeal than I had anticipated and I am still recovering. I don’t think I have had a year in some time where I didn’t enjoy some kind of surgery or procedure. I used to think I had bad luck. Then I got a speeding ticket AT the airport when I was picking up my parents and then I locked my hotel key in my room four times on a four day trip and then I pulled through to the drive up window at Crown Burger without ordering. Now I know that’s just the way it is and it’s all fine. When that stuff happens I try to laugh. Heee Haaaw! (There may be a little sarcasm there.) But we continue to count our blessings! We hope you will too!
Love to all! Keith and DeeAnn, Zach and Holland Beltz

Plan...G?

Okay...so I'm a slacker blogger. My Plan was to blog about twice a week, then it went to once a week and then once a month and well, you get the drift. It's safe to say I am way past Plan B on the blogging...maybe Plan G? Anywho, welcome to 2011! So I did have a little unplanned surgery that derailed me back in November. I had my deviated septum fixed and both sinus cavities routed. Big fun! Every one seems to have either had this done or knows several people who have had this done. At least the deviated septum part. My husband had this done about 8 years ago. He was the hugest baby ever. I thought "No problem, piece of cake!" Well, um, need less to say it was a little bigger deal that I had anticipated. It was downright nasty in fact. I did not realize my head could even hold that much snotty crap. Ick, ick ick! Ow, ow ow! 4 six inch splints had to pulled from my nostrils 10 days after the surgery. It was like a magic trick. Honestly, I would have been less surprised had they pulled a live rabbit out of my nose. Still, I wasn't half the baby my husband was, I am sure of it. So I stayed home and swabbed my nostrils (hate that word) with neosporin and ran the humidifier all day long and took my lortab every 4 hours on the dot. Then when you think you can venture outside in the 18 degree weather your nice clear sinuses freeze in about 2 minutes in the cold. Painful. So I took to wearing a bandana over my nose and mouth like a cowboy when outside (except at the bank for obvious reasons - HA). Soon I was missing my boogers that kept my warm up there, however better I was breathing and sleeping. I know, I know, gross...but I am not one to pretty it up. But it gets better every day, that's what my doctor says, that's his story so I will try to stick to it. Hope all had a happy holiday! Later!