Thank a Veteran!

Happy Veterans Day! Mr. L has the day off, and we are enjoying the time together. Seriously, thank a Veteran or anybody who's serving in our military. They appreciate it and they definitely deserve it.

Food Aggression :(

Well Mr. Bo had his first bone. And he growled and bit me when I went to take it away. I probably should have approached slower- he has shown ZERO food aggression so I thought nothing of it. We play with his food and take it from him every time he eats, with no problems. I read online about how to handle it and successfully took it away from him about 10 times. We will have to work on it daily because that's a big problem. I started off by letting him chew it in my hand. Then I "chewed" it with him watching me. I put it down, and took it away before he could grab it. Then I gave it to him for a bit and took it away. Some times I had to pry it from him holding the scruff of his neck, but for the most part I was able to take it right from him. He growled once or twice, but no biting. I'll have to give his progress report after we've worked on it for a while.

A Poem from Granny!!

Granny sent me this a few days ago and Mr. L and I LOVED it!! We had to share!

A dog, we have found.
His breed is elkhound.
His body is sound.
A beauty, all 'round.

His name is "Bo"
A nickname, you know
'Should be spelled"Beau"
He cost a lot of dough!

We love him a lot.
He is our only "tot"
He's the big shot
'Til our little one is got.

He loves to run about
Of that, there is no doubt!
Gives a real work-out
'Til he wears us out.

Then in, out the cold
He begins to unfold
On his rug, a big roll
And he's under control.


by: Granny :)

Complaining.

So we have LOVED Bed Bath and Beyond and working with them on our registry. Their return policy is great- so long as it's on your registry, you can return it, no questions asked. BUT I have my first complaint. You can only use 2 gift cards online for any given transaction. Even if you call customer support. Lame. So you have to do all separate transactions, and forfeit the 10% discount on the entire registry because you can only use that once. Makes more sense to use it on everything and save the most you can. So now I have to take my stack of gift cards into the store to close out the registry, use them all on one transaction, and still have everything shipped. Lame-o.

Bo, the WolfDog

This was taken after a long walk... We took him to a pep rally and bonfire for the Army/Navy game. Not only was he prancing around owning the place, but he was so calm and collected with all those people. We were amazed. Yet another reason I'm in love with Bo and his breed. Tons of people came up to him and he was happy to see them all :) We laugh at all the guesses of what breed he is. The most common we hear is Akita, because of the curly tail. We also hear husky a lot, but most of the time, people say "what the heck is he?" or "he's georgeous!" I guess the Elkhound isn't too common of a breed. But when he lays like this with his tail relaxed, we think he looks like a wolf.

Just like his (real) daddy apparently...

So the breeder was right. Bo's Dad apparently LOVES to carry around his food/water bowls. And Bo figured it out! We got him one of those tall-good-for-his-neck feeding dish/stand thing and he managed to pry out the dish for his water. Full of water. So water everywhere, Mr. Bo proceeds to carry it all over the house. So funny!

BREAKTHROUGH!

Who knew. Mr. L had the idea last night to put a blanket across the top of the crate. The one we have is really open-- not the plastic type with holes in it. Like an actual crate instead of a kennel. Bo has not had any problem "going" in the crate all the time. And since we brought him home, he would bark for a good 1/2 hour every time we put him in. Well putting the cover on top of the crate has been a miracle. Not only does he bark about 3 barks when we put him in, but he didn't wet or anything last night, he slept the whole night. AND today was the first day I had to work almost all day long and we :( had to leave him. I try not to let that happen, but we had to today. I came home at 4, and even having been in all day, no accidents in the crate!!! Who knew a blanket on top would fix all the problems!!

Enjoying working from home...

... because I have this sweet face looking at me all day long!!

Happy Halloween!

Last night we went to a Halloween party. Mr. L was "Sexy" and Mrs. L was a Fat Tanker. Complete with the fat belly, doughnuts and tanker helmet :)

Mr. "Sexy" L :)

Bo's First Trail Hike!

Bo walking next to his Daddy :)

Stopped for a pose by the waterfall. Those are two good looking guys!

Pose with Mommy. You can see Pikes Peak in the background above the stream :)
The result: One tired Puppy! We went for 40 minutes- his longest walk so far!

Videos!

Crate Training... Makes me Tired.

Image Source: http://th02.deviantart.net/fs24/300W/i/2008/019/0/9/Tired_by_billysphoto.jpg


The first night was great... He barked for about a 1/2 hour, then slept all night until Mr. L got up at 4:45. Last night was a different story. He barked for about an hour. 3 hours later, he barks for another hour. Still barking when Mr. L's alarm clock went off. After Mr. L left, he barked some more, until maybe 6. He started up again at 7:30.
We are sticking to it though. Didn't let him out at all- just let him adjust. Needless to say this morning while I'm doing some work from home he's passed out on the floor. He's too darn cute to get mad at!!

It's Snowing!

Snow on the nose = CUTEST thing EVER!!!

Puppy!!!

Our first photo- at the breeders' house :)
He had a busy day!
Dinner time!
Playing football with Daddy :)

Date Nite?

Applebees is giving away free food to Vets! Sweet! Check it out here:

http://www.applebees.com/vetsday/

I'm a cheater.

I listened to Christmas carols today. Hear me out. It was 34 and snowing and windy all day long. I was inside doing some work for Wings and cooking. And drinking Cocoa. And sitting by the fireplace. It was just too tempting... I gave in.

Keep your fingers crossed!

Mr. L and I are heading to Denver on Sunday to visit Mr. White!! The breeder has told us if we are a good match and everything works out, we'll be bringing him home Sunday!! I've been looking around the area for puppy-friendly attractions and there are quite a few! There are several dog parks, and some of the major things like the Cliff Dwellings and the train/old west town in Canyon City allow dogs all places people are, so long as they are leashed.
Not to mention the fact that we're SO excited to have a puppy!!
You can really tell the breeder is passionate- she wants to make sure all our questions are answered. She said to call with questions about anything- she's been breeding these dogs for a loooong time and knows them well. Still no word on whether his cosmetic issue has resolved itself-- that will determine whether she wants to show him or not. We'll keep you posted!

Update on Tiger

You can see his "hairless" patches on his back... He had some gland problems originally when he first started pulling out his fur. But the glands have cleared up and he was still pulling out fur by the clump. The doctor said it's behavioral-- something other than any physical condition is making him do it. We all think it's because I left! Mrs. S has been taking extra care of him and treating him like I did when I was living at home, in hopes he will stop pulling his hair out!

Link with a Photo from the Radio Show

Here 'ya go!

http://wings4women.wordpress.com/2009/10/15/her-freedom-radio-show/

BRCA-2

This article is really awesome. It's good to know there are others out there feeling EXACTLY the same thing. It's great to have the knowledge- to be empowered to start strict surveillance early. I'm not saying the double mastectomy is for me at this point in life, but this article is a great one!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33383142/ns/today-today_health

So Funny!

This came through on an email forward... too cute!!

People (well, sort of) I Miss Part 2

Meet Tiger, my Shenandoah boyfriend :) I miss him terribly! My mom says he's the real reason I came home...

Williamsburg Wedding!

Mrs. L with the new Mr. and Mrs. C!
Too cute table numbers- when we came in to the reception, we got an envelope with a plane ticket inside with a "destination." Each destination was a different city Mr. and Mrs. C had visited, with a photo of them in that city. So awesome!
Cute table-scapes :) The favors were ginger snaps with a pumpkin dip recipe attached.
Mr. and Mrs. C introduced for the first time! This picture shows just how much fun Mrs. C is. She is always smiling, always laughing, and always having a good time no matter what she does. She is such a great friend, and never fails to show you she cares. I was so happy to be there!

Beautiful cake... and tasty too!
The ceremony at the Wren Building on William and Mary's campus.

It was a beautiful wedding! You could tell Mrs. C planned and planned and planned some more! Her flower colors were similar to mine, so of course I loved them! The ceremony was beautiful- you could tell it was a worship service. The reception was a blast- they hired a DJ known for getting everybody to dance and he totally did. I only wish Mr. L could have been here-- too bad he couldn't get away from work.
But goes to show... I'm never far!!

Puppy video!

The breeder just sent me this:

http://s227.photobucket.com/albums/dd302/aspenelk/Dixieskidssummer2009/12%20weeks/?action=view&current=SANY0037.flv

How cute is he!?!?

Add Radio to the Resume!

Just kidding... I got a call from Alane at Wings4Women -- she has had a bit of a voice challenge lately and needed my voice! She also thought it would be good practice for me to get used to talking about the ministry and her vision.

Check it out here:

http://www.castlerockradio.com/pages/page.asp?page_id=47571

Go down to the bottom left of the page, and click on "Her Freedom" for 10/14 (I had to click on the upward arrow to get it to work). It will load in a new page where you can listen to the entire broadcast. It's about an hour long.

Hopefully I'll have a photo soon!

Still Premature...

Trying not to get my hopes up too much here... but I had to share :) Talked with a breeder in Denver, and she has several boys she wants to sell. One of 2 situations will happen. 1- She has one puppy who has a "cosmetic" issue that would prevent her from showing him in competitions. She's giving it a week or two to find out if the "issue" will correct itself. If there is no change, the puppy is ours, can't be shown. If there is the change she wants, she will want us to let her show the dog. It wouldn't be too much on our part- just using a soft leash so we don't break the fur around his neck. The "issue" in question has to do with his male parts, so nothing that would affect him or his life. Just a cosmetic thing that judges get picky about. Keep your fingers crossed! We are too excited not to get one!!

(This image was from the breeder. She sent some super cute video too)

We decided on this breed because it's a middle of the way between a shepherd and a cocker. It's smaller, but still a medium-large dog. Males get up to 60 lbs, not as big as shepherds. It's less high-strung than herders, but still smart as all getout. A great compromise. Mr. L can take the puppy to PT in the mornings, and to his office sometimes- great opportunity for socalization. And we fall guilty of being couch potatoes in a gorgeous place like this, so a dog who needs exercise will force us to get off our bums and go hiking or walking or whathaveyou. I'm so excited... I hope we find one!

We will know in a few weeks.

Premature...

Image Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/Norwegian_Elkhound_1.jpg


Yep. I was definitely premature in my grumblings about coldness. It was 21 degrees today! Snow all day long... flurries mostly and lots of ice. Like so bad it was freezing on my windshield! While I was driving! Good news is that I went to a Women's Expo and made a few really good local contacts for personal and professional purposes. Pumped! Oh and I made some yummy Queso dip for Mr. L in the Crock Pot for the Michigan game :) Staying cozy tonight...
On another (premature) note, we could have a dog soon maybe? We are still in the great debate on breeds. Of course I want a German Shepherd, but Mr. L has is heart set on an English Cocker Spaniel. So maybe an Elkhound is a good compromise? It's a medium sized dog but still formidable enough to make me feel safe at home... They're high energy but I think we're up for it. Thoughts anyone?

Kitchen Pics!

My favorite feature-- our 3 sided Fireplace :)
The corner with the magic machine (aka the KitchenAid)
Oven wall
Full shot
My island will go on the bamboo carpet on the floor... once we get it ordered :)
It's a bit messy, but this is pretty much how it looks all the time, so I thought it'd be ok. I'll make it pretty once the island is in :)
The fabulous curtains thanks to Mrs. S :)

Wings for Women

This post will be a plug for a ministry I'm so excited about. And it won't be the last one! It's called Wings for Women, a ministry for military spouses by military spouses. Wings puts on conferences to help wives support their military men through deployments, moves, single-parenting, budgets, PTSD and other combat related trauma, stress management, etc. The conferences provide spouses with resources, encouragement, advice, tools, and mentorship to make their marriages better and help equip them to thrive instead of just survive the military lifestyle.
This group is on fire! And they need help. If any of my readers know of businesses or individuals with a heart for the military and could pass on any potential donors or referrals for potential donors, please email me at showkerj@gmail.com. Wings operates currently in the Colorado Springs area, but has a vision of expanding to major military towns throughout the country.

Check out Wings' website here:

wings4women.wordpress.com

Unbelieveably good.

Ok. I stumbled across this recipe: http://noshwithme.com/2009/01/brown-sugar-cookies/

I thought, sounds good. Yummy fall brown sugary goodness. Boy is that the truth! These cookies are SUPER easy to make and fantastic. I made them to take to the flag football boys tonight. They have a double header, so I thought they could use some cookies :)
For those of you who've had my molasses spice cookies at Christmas, these are pretty close. Minus the deep-ness of the molasses and ginger. These are basically sugar cookies with that touch of spice from the brown sugar. Great for fall but not so festive they cross into the holidays.
OH and the KitchenAid was fab. Yet again. Love that thing!!

White Lightening

Mr. L would like me to post an amendment to my previous post. He requests that I elaborate on his excellent football skills and "white lightening" speed. How could I have forgotten it! He was pretty amazing out there... He has one proud wifey!

Cold!

Image source: http://webapp.utexas.edu/b2e/blogs/media/blogs/renee/MN013_ABOMINABLE_SNOWMAN.jpg

Ok so not quite that cold. But I felt like it! Mr. L had a flag football game tonight (which they won...!) and the temperature outside was 54, but on Accuweather, the "feels like" was 35. Cold! And windy! Gotta love Colorado...

Painting Part 2

Here's the first phase of the project :) You can see the khaki walls and green accent wall behind the bed. The bedding was a score- we put it on our registry when we first created it, then it was discontinued online. So I switched it all out to something in the same color family. But we totally lucked out today at 2 different Bed, Bath, and Beyonds. The only thing we are missing is the standard shams. I have Mrs. S looking for them back home, and the associate said they had lots of them in the system, so we should be able to find some. I'm pumped. Next post will show the furniture we found to complete the room.

Pizza!

So this mixer is my new favorite... I made pizza this Thursday and it's my friend Autumn's recipe- makes 3 balls of dough for 3 pizzas. We've had 2 of them so far and they are oh-so good :) Hopefully I'll be a busy baker! I have lots of ideas!

Painting!

Mr. and Mrs. L have been busy bees! We have half of our master bedroom painted as of today. I primed it yesterday afternoon while Mr. L was at work, and we did 2 walls today. The other 2 are adjacent to our accent wall in a different color, so we have to let that dry before we tape it off to paint the other two the different color. I'm so pumped about the colors- I'll be posting pictures tomorrow hopefully, and then I'll post more of the finished product (aka furniture FINALLY moved in and clothes off the floor...) There's a store in town called American Furniture Warehouse where I found some night stands... hopefully we'll have those soon too.
That's all for now... yay for an exciting Saturday :)