Don't piss off the hippie-crites...they might just burn your house down

Well, things have certainly changed a lot here in Alaska. Without getting into all the gory details, I will tell you these little tidbits:
I moved south to Big Lake with the dogs.
I am moving again in a couple weeks to Homer, Alaska, with the dogs and Rich.
I am racing in the Taiga 300 which starts on April 1.


I was talking to a friend online yesterday and he was telling me how he wished he had the gumption to do the things he wants to do. The things that would really make him happy. But he can't. He's got a wife, a big house, a couple cars, an HD flatscreen TV...you know...stuff... And he's up to his ass in debt as a result.
I am by no means debt free, but if you wait until where you want to be financially, instead of just making do, you'll never do anything. And as cliche as this sounds, one life is one life. For the love of god, live it!
I managed to race this year with the help of kind sponsors and supporters and now when I get money I buy dog food and the rest is secondary. And I'm happy. And excited because I can do anything. Really. And I will. I have been. My new plan is to do Iditarod next year.
Anyway, the dogs are in super shape. Strider and Sipsi have become superstars of the team, much to my huge surprise. We've got 18 race dogs who are all in the running for my Taiga team. Rich will take 12 in the Goose Bay 120 next weekend, so we'll see how they do on that.
Anyway, here are some random photos from the past few weeks.
Peace.
I didn't want to hurt anyone, but I know I did. I'm not evil, just selfish, I guess. I need to do what makes me happy.
I have no idea where this is all going, so I'll leave it. 'Nuff said.
We're watching dog races and training pups and race dogs. There are no rules here and it's perfect.



Roy cuddled up with a scarf that Rich's mom made me.



Streeper's winning team at the Fur Rondy World Championship a couple weeks ago.

A team givin' 'er down Cordova Hill during the Fur Rondy.

Rich and Hoser at the Rondy.

Rich and I at the Rondy.

Times they are a changin'

Training is going well. The dogs look good. Times are changing. The blog will be on hold for a while. Please stay tuned. I'm disabling comments because, well, because I want to. If you want to know what's going on, email me. Things are good, don't worry. I just need time.
Peace

Good News for People Who Like BAD News

OK, here it is. Straight up. I don't have enough money to do the Quest 300. I'm postponing my 300-mile race until April when I'll do the Taiga 300 in Paxson. This is an extremely hard decision for me as my drop bags are done, the dogs are trained etc. But, this is life. It's hard. I didn't plan very well financially.
That's it.
Race postponed until April.

This is a test...this is only a test...

What'dya think? I was just dinking around and I really don't what these could be used for...thank-you cards? They're just photos I've taken over the years, altered in Photoshop. The blue-eyed dog is Carol, a friend's dog, and the brown one is Bully.
Peace

I can't wear skinny jeans cuz my knots won't fit

I got the best new music from Johnson the other night. A whole bunch of randomness but the thing I'm most excited about is a remix of Fire it Up by Modest Mouse and Lil' Wayne. Words can't describe the awesomeness. Except maybe the word awesome. I hate that word. Reminds me of Bill and Ted. Keanu Reeves is a boob. Whatever happened to the other guy?
I'm continuing to pack drop bags today, cut meat, do three interviews (maybe four...Jodi?? Helloooo?) and go on a short run later. And yet here I sit at the computer.
Oh!
Ron Jeremy AND Richard Simmons are coming to Fairbanks this month. Not together. I don't know which one makes me more homicidal. Simmons, for sure. I think Ron Jeremy should work out with Richard Simmons...'Sweatin' to the Bow-chicka-bow-wows'...'and thrust and thrust and moan and scream and choke and spank it'...oh god this has gone too far...
Peas

Wheeeeee! Gloves and heat packs and batteries!


I tried to show Crush (aka 'HR Puffy Face'...she has an abscess on her cheek) how to cut the tags off the gloves but then I was reminded that she doesn't have thumbs.


Booties! And dog coats!


Who are we cheering for?? Carmacks! Wait, no, Rogers!! Carmacks is the name of the checkpoint sillyhearts!


Roy was no help as usual.

One in the bag and one in the hole

Well, I'm not going to that 20-mile race at the track today. My dogs were a little sore this morning and I don't want to push it. Plus, Sam just informed me that it'll cost me $50 to enter a little 20-mile event so eff that.
The 52-miler in the White Mountains yesterday was absolutely perfect. The dogs looked fantastic for the entire run, the trail was perfect, the weather was heavenly and, mostly importantly we were having fun!!! There was one glitch that cost me about 20 minutes, but I still did the run in about six hours and 15 minutes, and that included two snack breaks and a couple of cuddle stops. The glitch came at about the 30-mile mark. Sipsi stopped pulling. I stopped briefly and took off her front booties, which have been irritating her dew claws. That's the reason dew claws are removed on sled dog pups, but Sipsi Lou was a pound dog and still has her little thumbs. We took off and she still wasn't pulling; almost to the point of necklining, so I stopped again. I stretched her out and she whimpered. Sore right shoulder. I went back to the sled, rearranged some things, made a little bed for her out of dog jackets, grabbed my bag of meat snacks, snacked the team and brought Sipsi back to the sled. Usually, the dogs freak out when they have to get loaded but Sipsi Lou, who is usually afraid of her own shadow, happily hopped in, curled up in a ball and went to sleep. It was about that time I looked to the front of the team and noticed Rohn had turned around and was humping Summer. He's an uncut boy I borrowed from Rich. Good dog, good leader, but uber horny. I screeched his name and ran up front. Too late. They were locked together in husky love. I grabbed a handful of snow and tried to freeze his nards and wiener so they'd shrink up and the dogs would come apart. Nope. Shit! Well, I wanted to breed Summer and seeing as she had a false pregnancy last summer in Skagway, I still don't have any pups. (By the way, Capiche never ended up being preggers.) So, I waited. And waited. I walked up the line, checking feet, flexing wrists and stretching out shoulders and hips. Everyone looked great and wanted to get going. So did I! But when dogs do it, it's no quickie affair. I got my thermos of coffee and went up to sit beside the rogue lovers. I wanted to make sure there were no fights with dogs around them and also as soon as they were done, it was back to running. Summer tried to sit on my lap, dragging Rohn and his wiener behind her. "For Christ's sake, Summer, at least pretend to enjoy it! Fake it or something..."
About 20 minutes after they locked together, they were done. I gave them a second to say their goodbyes and then moved Summer back to wheel with Bully, who sniffed but wasn't interested in sloppy seconds. We were off again and the dogs finished strong. Sipsi was reluctant to give up her spot in the sled, even when we got back to the truck. Upon arriving home, I brought her in the house, massaged her whole body with liniment and she slept on the bed with Bully, Capiche and Roy. I'll keep you posted on the baby-mama drama. Pray to Ku for puppies!! My first litter!
Hopefully they'll have Summer's looks, heart, disposition and feet, and Rohn's appetite and unrelenting drive...to run, not hump...
Peace.


Into the night...


Do I always look this cockeyed?

Lil' Lou in the sled. Her name has morphed from Sipsi, to Sipsi-Lou, to Lou, to Lil' Lou. That's the way it works. I hardly ever call any of the dogs by their real names. They all have at least three nicknames. Bull is Bully, Bull-Wool, Wooly, Woolis, Boo, Boos, Boosalou...etc...Capiche is Piche, Pichers or Pinhead. Hazel is Hazel-Mouse, Mouse, Mousey, Micro-Tiny, Basil, Hazelnut...You get the idea...



And here's Lou (post-massage) back at home with Roy's bone.

Look man, I ain't fallin' for no banana in my tailpipe

I'm heading to the Whites today as soon as I can get it together. I'm driving to the Wickersham Dome trailhead because I'm getting a late start, I don't want to disturb the dogs at Dan and Jodi's when I return later tonight. I'll do a 52-mile run today and then tomorrow, just for fun, I'm doing a 20-mile race at the ADMA track. It'll be nice to run a fast 20 and be in the race atmosphere. Drop bags are coming along. I cut about 100 pounds of fish yesterday and still have beaver and turkey skins to cut. My booties are all done and I only need to purchase a few items (glove liners, batteries and heat packs) to finish off the drops. Life is good.
Peace.

Hell's out for recess, baby!

I went out to Chatanika yesterday to do a 45-miler in the White Mountains. I left from Dan and Jodi's yard and it was perfect. Why in god's name haven't I been doing this all along. The run was great. It was a hard 45 (more like 42 actually) with steep, long climbs and crazy descents. There was glare ice and open water, wind on the summits and huge drifts. A little something for everyone, as Dan said. The dogs did so well, I was bursting with pride when we pulled in and all tails were wagging. I'm really, really excited about the Quest 300. I love this race thing and even though we're slow, my dogs rock! God, this is a lame post.
I'm tired.
And sore.
But happy.
I'm packing drop bags today. Again. Still. I'll head back to the Whites tomorrow for another run.
Peace.

There's only one road to freedom

OK, my poop mouth has been giving me grief lately so I'm going to tone it down a little. But, you have to understand, sometimes that's just how I speak and this blog is me. All too often that little filter that holds back the offensive words and actions fails me. It's there when I have to be mildly professional, but these days, I've been hanging out with my dogs and other mushers, so a rough exterior is mandatory. I'm still the sweet Canadian writer that I always was though....snort...
So, I'm back in Fairbanks and the Christmas tree is still up. Sam must know how much I love taking it down and picking up pine needles...what a sweetheart...but seriously, I did miss life here in the Interior and it's good to be back. I'm heading North in the morning to the White Mountains and snowy trails to start building up the miles again before I leave for Whitehorse and Quest 300 on February 10. I'll be training out of Jodi Bailey and Dan Kaduce's yard which is a few miles farther than where I usually go when heading into the Whites, but with the option of catching up with good friends and having coffee after a run, well, the extra miles are well worth it. I'll be borrowing at least a couple of dogs from them for the Quest as Hazel is out for the season and a few of my dogs are questionable. I dropped Hazel on the GinGin with what I thought was a sore wrist, but it turns out she has a pulled tendon which will take considerably more time to heal. She's been going on loose walks though and is still has happy and excitable as ever. Capiche's shoulder has healed up, as has Bully's harness rub from the GinGin, I really hope they'll stay healthy for the 300 as they are my most experienced dogs. Sister is out. She decided she doesn't want to be a sled dog anymore and so she's been promoted (demoted?) to house-dog status. Actually, she's outside mostly until she can learn that peeing on the furniture is not acceptable. Let's see...Summer, Sipsi, Crush, Doyon and Sneaky Pete are my superstars. Brady is a question mark. Some runs he's so good and others he hardly pulls at all. He's a big boy with a huge heart and I sure would like to have him on the team, but we'll see. I'll be using Rich's leaders Ku and Rohn again as they are really reliable and strong. Hitchcock is a question mark as well. Sometimes she's great and other times not so much. She's so funny though, I really hope she makes it. Today I'll be cutting meat to pack into my drop bags for the race. The drop bags will be sent to the checkpoints ahead of time so I can resupply along the way. I think I've got everything I need though I still haven't figured out how I'm going to pay for gas to make the 900-mile trip to Whitehorse. I've got several stories on the go, three for Mushing Magazine and one for the Anchorage Daily News, but payday for those won't come until after the race. Sigh. Well, that's part of being a dog driver, I guess: a foul mouth and an empty bank account.
Peace.

Your soul is a bowl of jokes

First of all, good for you Karen for getting the last blog title. You and Juneau Eco Mommie have gotten some really obscure and inane references on this thing and for that, I am impressed.
I'm still in Big Lake and things are pretty weird here. The weather is still above freezing and the trails are icy and wet. They're still usable for training but barely. However, things aren't much better up in Fairbanks and the Parks Highway between here and there is a skating rink, so I'm staying put for the time being. Rich and I actually ice skated down the road yesterday...no joke...
The dogs are doing well but training has been sparse due to the inclement weather. The rain has been a bummer. But, like I said, I'm still able to train so I will and, really, everyone is in a the same boat. Races have been postponed and cancelled around the state because of this heat wave. Hopefully things cool down before the Quest 300.
Anyway, dogs are calling. Oh, and Kelly, you wanted gossip so here it is...Greg Parvin picks his nose and eats it! Don't tell anyone.
Peace.

I don't even know about jelly

If it ain't one thing it's a motherfucking nother.
Jesus. Last week, it was 30 below here in Big Lake. Today? It's freakin' 40 degrees and RAINING! Are you shittin' me? Dogs good. Me good. Life good. Going back to Squarebanks this week. More later...stay tuned
Peace

The more I listen, the more things sound the same

Hey y'all! I'm still in Big Lake/Willow training the dogs. It's cold here, about 20 below, but it's still 40 to 45 below in Fairbanks, so I'm not complaining too badly. I just really need to keep up with training before my next race and I can't (won't) train when it's colder than about 35 to 40 below. Plus it's hard to keep weight on the dogs when it's that cold. Thanks to Sam for being oh, so understanding and holding down the fort whilst I am away. I'm not sure how long I'll be down here, I guess that's up to ol' Jack Frost...stupid fucker...
I'm feeling good about the Quest 300, which starts on February 14 in Whitehorse. The dogs are excited about running again, with the exception of old Bully. He did really well in the Gin Gin, but it took a few days for him to get his enthusiasm back, so he's officially a couch dog. I'm glad he could be there with me on my first 200.
Anyway, I promised photos, so here are some from, well, from this winter. I hope you're all well and had a lovely holiday.
Peace.


Training on Fish Creek in November.


How many puppies can fit in this house? Six!


Time to start the race. Rich's sled at the start of the Sheep Mountain 150.


Iditarod Queen DeeDee Jonrowe asleep under the Christmas tree at the Sheep Mountain 150.


Me on the home stretch of the GinGin 200. Notice the bare pavement.

I'm surrounded by forever but I don't have any time

Oh, my gosh! Thank you so much for all your support! I have the best blog readers in the world. Thank you Beatrice for the award nom...it is an honor just to be nominated...
I'm south in Big Lake/Willow for a while because it's wicked cold (55 below) in Fairbanks and I need to keep training the dogs for the Quest 300. They're all doing really well. I'm keeping the skinnier dogs in the cabin and feeding them four times a day to get their weight back up. Everybody is happy and healthy, though and I can't wait for my next race! Here are some photos that Sam took at the race start. I have more to post and will do it this week.
Peace.

Me getting layered up before the start.

Me with my wind suit on before the big start.

My friend T-Tam leaving, with my team in the right corner...Ku and Rohn in lead.

And I'm off! Look at that stupid grin...if only I had known what I was in for!!!!

You most definitely can not push a rope

Updated 4:30 p.m.:

John and Zoya decided that because this year's race was so hard and the fact I finished, they would list me as an official finisher. Even though I came in last, I finished strong with more confedince in myself and my dogs than I ever thought possible. And I will get a shiny red lantern for myself.


Hi all,

Just a quick note to say that I finished the Gin Gin Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. Officially, on the website, I'm marked down as a scratch, but I finished the 200 mile course. The officials decided I had to scratch because I had used someone else's dog food at the checkpoint as I stayed there a long time to let the dogs rest. They felt that qualifies as outside assistance which is against the rules. So, this will not be marked down as an official finish, nor will it count as a qualifier for the Quest. BUT, I feel totally qualified anyway, because as I'm sure you all read on the website, the winds on 13-mile summit were gale force and I was out in 45 below cold for 24 hours. This was by far the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. I've never been so scared, so cold, so tired, so emotional or so determined in my whole life. The dogs came through like champs with only a few minor sore points and a little frostbite. We made it, whether the officials want to acknowledge it or not. We fucking made it. And it has changed me. I know now that I can do anything, ANYTHING, I set my mind to no matter how fucked up things get. I have a lot of people to thank. Thanks to my sponsors for helping me get to the start line. Thank you to Dan and Jodi for your kindness, friendship and support. Thanks to Tamra for helping me get to the start chute and to Hugh and Juho for making me smile on the trail. Thanks to Iris Sutton for helping me off the side of the mountain. Thanks to an anonymous musher for letting me follow his team out of the wind. Thanks to Ed, Alan and Susie at Maclaren Lodge for your kindness and hospitality, for which I never would have made it out. Thanks to Jenny and Audie at Denali Highway Cabins for keeping Sam company and helping out. Thanks to Sebastian for sending his handler out to make sure I was not dead. Thanks to the new and oh, so improved Paxson Lodge for your kindness and hospitality. Darren Lee, you saved me, thank you.
Um, I'm sure I'm forgetting some people but to all who even just gave me a smile or asked how I was doing, Lance, Judy, Tamara, Aliy...thank you. Thanks Ken, for giving me a big thumbs up after the wind storm and for telling me to keep my chin up when it was dragging on the ground.
Thank you!!!!
Thank you to Dr. Love and Theresa Daily for making me laugh while I was crying.
Thank you Sam, for your support and worry. Thank you Rich for your advice, your two fantastic leaders and most of all, your wind suit!!!
I loved this race and I hated all at the same time. I am much better off as a dog driver now because this was so hard.
I have to go. I'm heading south with the dogs for a week or so because it's 50 below at our house right now and the dogs need a warmer climate to recoup. Full recap and race photos to come.
Peace.

'Twas the night before GinGin....

And all through the house, Jillian was having a freaking conniption fit!
Doesn't rhyme, but you get the point. We're leaving in one hour for Paxson and the start of the GinGin 200, a 200-mile dog sled race which I will be competing in. It's my first 200-miler and a qualifying race for the 1,000-mile Yukon Quest, so saying that I'm nervous would be such an understatement that I, I, I...well, it's an understatement...
Capiche is out with a shoulder injury and I've had to borrow two leaders from my BFF Rich. Ku and Rohn are Iditarod veterans and they add a lot of depth to my team. I'm relieved to have them. The rest of the team is: Bully, Hazel, Hitchcock, Sipsi, Summer, Doyon, Crush and Pete. A good mix of ages and experience, strength and drive. We hope. I just need to finish this race. (Cue disclaimer) I'm not competitive, so even if I'm last, that's OK with me. I'm saying all this more for myself, not for you all. I still have photos to post and most likely more from the race. Stay updated at www.gingin200.com or www.gomush.com
I could go on and on about the team and how beautiful it's going to be and how I'm looking forward to the challenge and being on the trail with a myriad of champions, but I'll save it. I have to go the bathroom. Again.
Peace.

Still livin' but you know I'm not denyin'

OK, seriously, bear with me here folks. I got back from the Sheep Mountain race and went into the White Mountains for a 50-mile run. I'm heading out again tomorrow for a few days of back-to-back 50s before giving the team a few days off before the big race next weekend! Yikes! I think I'm ready, though, as far as what I'll need for 200 miles in the mountains. I broke down yesterday and bought a $100 table saw to cut meat. I know a meat saw is the ticket, but I have no money, so the table saw will do for now. It took me most of the afternoon (and a whole lot of swearing) to assemble the damn thing but I finally got it running and cut up a bunch of beaver and fish. I must have ingested some of the raw-meat dust because I woke up this morning with, er, stuff, gushing out of all, er, exits. Not pretty. So my trip to the Whites has been delayed until tomorrow. The dogs are in good shape, though I'm a little worried about my leader situation. Capiche has been having shoulder issues and Bully has been putting the brakes on for no apparent reason. He's fine in the team but lately has no interest in leading. I've been using Kat, Doyon and Sneaky Pete as my backups and though they do well up front, they're having passing issues. Sigh. I don't know what to do. I guess we'll see how she goes. I have a ton of photos from the past month, which I will put on the blog when I get home on Tuesday, I promise!
OK, must go finish packing the truck.
Peace.

Never trust a big butt and a smile

Hey. Remember me? Well, I'm back. Sorry for the delay. (It seems like I've been apologizing a lot lately.) I just spent two weeks in Big Lake training dogs and it was fantastic. They have lots of snow there and great trails. And it's warm...and by warm, I mean not 20 below F like it is here. Some days it was a little too warm and so I did a lot of night running. I trained with my BFF Rich Savoyski out of Greg Parvin's house. The trail jumps right onto the Iditarod route with lots of twisty turns and white-knuckle downhills. The dogs did great and we put in over 200 miles in under two weeks. Not bad for me. We did back-to-back four-hour runs and bumped them to fifty miles, which took me about six hours with a short snack break. We added some shorter runs in the mix to keep things fun. Bully and Capiche stayed in lead for the majority of the time but I did try some younger dogs up front too. We got a lot of practice head-on passing with some big guns like Ryan and Ray Redington and Cim Smyth. (Is that Cim?)
We got practice breaking trail and saw tons of overflow...some knee deep! The dogs just bombed through it all like champions. I couldn't be more proud of them. I took 14 dogs down with me (Bully, Capiche, Sister, Hitchcock, Strider, Brady, Hazel, Drake, Pete, Kat, Summer, Sipsi, Crush and Doyon) and still have to narrow the team down to 10 for the GinGin 200 which is now just a couple short weeks away!!! I feel a lot more confident in my camping skills and checkpoint routine and also in massaging and taking care of the dogs' feet. Even though I was away from Fairbanks, the cabin, Sam and the remaining dogs, I feel like this was the best decision I could have made for the team and my sanity. I'm actually not freaking out about the race now.
I'm home for tonight and then take off again tomorrow for the Sheep Mountain 150. I'm handling for Ken Anderson, who was fourth in Iditarod this year, and covering the race for the News-Miner and Mushing Magazine. Should be fun. There are some really top teams in this, the first race of the season, and it will be interesting to see how it all plays out. I'll be home late Sunday or early Monday and then it's back to long runs with my team in the White Mountains to get ready for GinGin. Watching the dogs progress like this is why I love driving dogs. It's hard sometimes, but we push through together as a team, and at the end we're all exhausted and fulfilled. I love this job!
Peace.
PS. I would like to thank the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner for their sponsorship and also Lou Ann Savoyski in Minnesota for making me the best dog jackets I have ever seen for a super great price. Your support means more than you can ever know.

He's got more balls than a big, brass monkey

Sorry for the lack of posting. I was in Anchorage/Big Lake/Wasilla for the past week visiting friends, running dogs, buying a feminine pee helper...you know, the usual. I'm back now and waiting for my handler to come and help me run the dogs. I got my new sled yesterday and in a word, it's AWESOME! I never, in a million years, thought a 40-pound hunk of metal and plastic could make me squeal like an infant, but this, people, is what makes me happy. This year is going to be fan-freakin-tastic. I must thank another sponsor. My sister-in-law Rebecca gave a chunk of money to Spitfire Kennel and it couldn't have come at a better time. Thank you so much for your kind words and support. It means a lot to me. More than you can imagine. I also think I have a line on Lynden Transport, which would be my first corporate sponsor.
I'm putting together a sponsor package today and will be sending them out early next week. Don't be pissed if you get one. (By the way, if you're on our Christmas-card list, you're getting a sponsor letter.) If you would like a sponsor letter (or a Christmas card), send me your address and I'll mail you one. It comes with a photo of me and some good lookin' dogs. My email is rogersjillian@hotmail.com. Obviously, I don't want anyone to feel obligated to donate because I know your kind thoughts are with me and I appreciate that very much. I got my meat order finally and the dogs are filling out nicely. I'm going to Cantwell next Sunday to run the dogs on a sled for a few days. Should be fun. It's getting colder here. It was 23 below zero Fahrenheit this morning but has warmed up to about 12 below. Perfect dog-running weather. OK, must go wrestle the four-wheeler down to the dog yard.
Peace.

Opinions are like kittens, I was givin' 'em away

Nothing really to report. I bumped the dogs up to 20 miles today and the run was spotless. I'm going to Anchorage tomorrow for a few days to pick up some booties, fish and beaver meat and visit friends. Umm, let's see. What else? I like long walks on the tundra and starry nights. I like tea, both black and chai. My new sled is getting shipped up from North Dakota and should be here next week. OK, that's it. My life is boring at the moment.
Peace.

Baby, please stop crying. No seriously, shut the hell up.

Babies. Who loves babies out there? Can I get a woot??! Well, I for one, don't really care for babies. They're kind of - how can I put this so as not to offend? - half-tarded. No, wrong. They're...uh, babies are...annoying. There. Better?
There are a few exceptions of course, the first being my nephew Jaden. Cutest baby there ever was. Always smiling, always happy, always adorable. The Engman kids as babies were too cute for words and as bad as I am with kids, I could spend hours with lil Ella and Eli even now. They adore me, and that helps. Ella, of the Trish and Graeme gang, is very cute and looks remarkably intelligent for her tender age. Of course there are other kids in my life that I enjoy. Eva is a sassy 8-year-old who is always up for adventure. (I think her mom's still pissed at me for giving Eva a book of matches at our last bonfire. Oops. What?)
And Owen. T-Bird has raised this boy right. He's one of the smartest, most inquisitive children I've ever met.
And then there's Daniel of the Erin and Aaron ilk. He reminds me of an indignant old man and he's only, what, two? Hilarious. He's built like a brick shithouse and always makes me smile.
I'm sure there are more kids in my life. Oh yeah! Ken and Gwen just had twins, and though I haven't had the pleasure of meeting them yet, or seeing Ken change a shitty diaper (haha! sucka!) I've seen a heap of photos and Leif and Marais look adorable.
As we all know, I have 20 children (yes, down to 20) and I love each and every one of them with all my heart. Except when they don't listen. Or poo on the carpet upstairs. Or whine incessantly. Or fight with each other. Sound familiar? A parent is a parent even if their kids are furry and four-legged.
OK, here are some pics of the children in my life sans my four-legged babies.
Peace.


My sister took these photos of Jaden. He's ready for Alaska!

Jaden.

Jaden.



Leif and Marais, Ken and Gwen's twins.



Ella, Trish and Graeme's babe.


Sam took this gem of Eli and Ella this summer. Apparently they just climbed into this old dog house on their own. Too cute!