love like Crazy

video

2012-01-10T06:08:00.002-05:00

It's been a crazy month and a half...The holidays took over, the fall semester wound down, and, oh, most importantly, the Husband finally came home! To say that the past month has been wonderful would not do it justice.

(OK so I am tired of trying to get a video downloaded to the blog. Instead, you'll just have to follow the link. )

This is the Kyla/Cameron homecoming you've been eagerly awaiting

http://youtube/RxaHIefg1vg

Nothing like a dog and her...box?

2011-11-12T13:04:00.004-05:00

Last night I officially gave up on the 'parenting' front. I gave Kyla a box to play with. You would have thought it was Christmas - she was so excited. It lasted a good 20 minutes before she realized that she could tear it into edible pieces. Then I ~~grudgingly~~ did the good mom thing and took the box away.

(dog meets box)

(dog grabs box)(dog shakes box violently)(dog eats box)

Proof

2011-11-02T17:03:00.001-04:00

My crazy dog finally learned to jump in the car without help! I was so excited to tell Cameron and he says "I need proof"...What?!? Apparently my word is not good enough, so here is my proof! Ha

TGIFB

2011-09-30T19:31:00.003-04:00

Thank Goodness It's Fall Break!

I mean, I don't think I could have lasted much longer. I come home utterly exhausted. And the last week has been completely crazy.

There is lots of drama at the school I work at - I would compare it to being in Highschool all over again. I hated highschool.

Also, I had to take Kyla to the vet. She started biting at her feet and they were getting redder and redder. Her ears were red and she was scratching a lot. I figured it was time to figure out something to help her so last Saturday, we made the trip to Elizabethtown to see our favorite vets. Kyla is growing so much and becoming such a good dog. She walked right into the exam room and climbed onto the scale! This was HUGE, people! When the fabulous tech took her temperature, she stood still and handled it well! When I asked them to clip her toenails, the tech didn't require help because Kyla stood still and didn't jerk away. She let both the vet and the tech hold her paws and check her ears. But, the coolest most exciting thing of the whole experience...She accepted treats from both the tech and the vet AND let them pet her!!!!! This has NEVER happened in her entire 2 and 1/2 years!

The vet decided that Kyla has allergies and put her on some medicine that said it might cause drowsiness. She also has ear drops and I have to wipe her feet when we come in from outside.

Kyla has never had a problem taking pills (so long as they are wrapped in cheese) so I was looking forward to being able to get some work done. But in the days that followed I began noticing something strange. Instead of getting sleepy, she had more energy. And a major increase in appetite. Like, licked the bowl and surrounding floor clean.

So I called the vet back yesterday. Did you know that in medications like these, there is a 1 in 50 chance that the symptoms will be the opposite? So instead of getting tired, that 1 dog gets more hyper? And did you know that, of course, we ended up with that 1 dog?!?

Have I mentioned how excited I am for a break?

It's that time of year again.

2011-09-23T19:00:00.002-04:00

I love fall. There. I said it. I have an absolute favorite season. I love the cooler weather. I love the changing colors. I love football! I love looking out the back window and seeing this:

I love being able to spend time outside again. Kyla is enjoying it too.

But fall is even more exciting this year: We hit the 3 months left point this weekend!!

This post brought to you by the letter K.

2011-09-06T21:27:00.002-04:00

K stands for Kyla...

and Krazy...

Ok maybe not the second one.

I have been extremely busy (and overwhelmed at times) with work and poor Kyla is a trooper and just goes with it...most of the time. However, after a 3 day weekend, her schedule was off today. She woke up in an ornery mood. I came home to her still in an ornery mood. She didn't want to play. She didn't want to go outside. She didn't want to snuggle. She just wanted to whine. She wasn't hungry. She wasn't thirsty.

The minute I pulled all of my KSI folders out, it was a different story. Then she wanted to play. And go outside. And snuggle. So I ignored her and set out to finish my progress reports. An hour and a half later, I leaned back and Kyla hopped up on the couch. She proceeded to scratch at my side and bark at me. I pushed her off the couch and leaned back again. And again, she hopped up on the couch and this time stood on my chest and barked. And again, I pushed her off. The barking continued and then I had an idea.

"Hey Kyla," I said. "How would you like a bone covered in peanut butter????" To which she cocked her head, barked once and ran to the pantry. Needless to say, she got a bone dipped in peanut butter.

Anyone want a needy, peanut butter loving dog?

Fabulous Find Friday!

2011-08-19T19:56:00.003-04:00

My poor little blog is suffering, but so is my energy level! I'd forgotten how tiring a full time job could be!

However, I found this little gem while looking for lunch ideas. It was the perfect thing for me, finding myself temporarily single, without anyone to help eat things before they expire. Ham on one side. Turkey on the other. So simple. So perfect.

There is a genius at Oscar Mayer that deserves a raise for this brilliant idea!

Before & After

2011-08-09T20:54:00.007-04:00

(Disclaimer: I don't know how to fix the spacing on this blog. Deal with it.)

I've undertaken quite a few 'projects' over the last couple of months. This is one Cameron and I started while he was home for R&R. We took all our DVDS...

And organized them by categories. I created a list for each category, and numbered each slot. It's actually worked out fabulous - very easy to find movies now!

Project Number 2: Many of you knew that I got a full time teaching job for this school year. We are housed in the trailers that have previously been used as storage. (What you can't see in this before picture is that the tables and bookshelves behind them(that are hidden) are FILLED with old textbooks and workbooks! A fellow teacher and I spent an entire day taking them down to the curb.) So this...and this...became this:

Project number 3: We had to create a name plate for our room. So this:

became this:

Dog training, Weeks 6 & 7

2011-07-25T21:29:00.002-04:00

Week 6 went well. Kyla recieved her star for the challenge (barely!) and did a good job for the rest of the time. We did 4-corner recalls which Kyla does good with. This night, however, one of the the other dogs decided Kyla would make a good friend (Ha!) and everytime we called our dogs, he ran straight for Kyla! Kyla did awesome though. She came straight to me everytime and completely ignored the other dog!

Week 7 brought the infamous 'Hot Dog Challenge'. (Dun Dun Duuuun) The trainer put a hot dog between us and our dogs. The dog had to come straight to us, ignoring the hot dog in the middle of the floor. Kyla was successful! She avoided that hot dog like she had blinders on! She lost her good dog streak when we did recalls. See above, when I bragged on how good she did...Yeah, she would not stay put to save her life! It was ridiculous. Even the trainer was baffled.

Next week (well, this week now. I'm a little behind on posts) is the last week. We will be trying for the CGC certification and our last challenge. I started out loving the class and the productive time I spent with Kyla training. But the last few weeks have been so busy that training gets put on the back burner.

Overall it's been worth it. Kyla has grown quite a bit in the last 7 weeks. Cameron saw a difference when he was home. I have tricks and ideas to try with her to help with the behavior. I can train her, but Kyla needed to be in a public environment, with exposure to other people and dogs. I think that may have been the most beneficial part of the whole thing!

House Guest

2011-07-21T18:54:00.004-04:00

Kyla and I have a tiny house guest for the next month or so.

Meet Lena. Lena is my friend Kirra's dog. Kirra and her family are in Idaho for the summer so Kyla and I offered to watch Lena.

Lena and Kyla are doing very good. This morning they even tried to play with each other. And by play, I mean Lena chased Kyla. When Kyla realized something was bouncing after her, she turned around and barked. Then Lena would wag her tail and run under the bed. And repeat. It was kinda cute, except for the feeling of dread that Kyla might eat Lena!

Lena is helping Kyla's training. We are really reinforcing the sit/stay command. Kyla is also showing me just how fabulous her behavior can be. When we go outside, now Kyla sits very still while I put her leash on because Lena is bouncing and excited. Little does Kyla know, now I will expect it, even after Lena leaves!

Quick Trip

2011-07-21T15:20:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, I made a quick trip to OKC. I had a new nephew to see, a birthday to celebrate and a movie to see. Kyla did great on the way down there, until about the last hour or two. We stopped at a rest stop and she didn't want to get back in the car. I didn't really want to either, except to escape the heat!

My sister, her boyfriend, my brother and I kicked off the weekend by going to see the last movie in the Harry Potter series - it was great, in my opinion. A good ending to the series.

Saturday, my bestest friend, Ginger, and her hubby came up to OKC for lunch. It was great to see both of them! After lunch, we had a huge birthday celebration. We honored everyone (adults) with a summer...and fall...birthday. We played games, ate yummy food and had a good time! Jenifer and Adam came too. I couldn't believe how tiny he was!!

(minute to winute - the cookie drop)

Sunday was a lazy day. The siblings came over and played with Kyla. And Monday was back to KY - another looooooong drive.

Finished Product

2011-07-12T13:42:00.003-04:00

When my mom came to visit, I started making a cover for my sewing machine. I found the design online, picked out the fabric and she helped me figure out how to piece it together. We finished the 'shell' while she was here, but then it was up to me to do the alterations and make it fit. A month later, here it is!

For not having a pattern, I think it turned out pretty good!

R&R (part 2)

2011-07-10T11:48:00.005-04:00

Over Cameron's 2 weeks home, we met up with his family at a lake house in Memphis, Tn. I was able to find a place to board Kyla so we had a puppy-free weekend!

(breakfast on the porch)

I have wanted to go to the Memphis zoo ever since we moved to Kentucky. My reason? They are one of the only zoos in the U.S. that have my favorite animal: Pandas! The other animals were cool too - Many of the exhibits were very open. We even got to see the keepers feed the grizzly bears and the polar bears!

(probably the coolest thing ever!)(spent lots of time in the pool)(taking advatage of the cooler temps with a paddle boat race)(the gang minus Jeremy)

R&R (part 1)

2011-07-09T21:01:00.004-04:00

I never thought 2 weeks could fly by so fast. I dropped Cameron at the airport yesterday morning and he started his journey back to 'the sandbox'. I just heard from him and he's in Kuwait now, waiting to find out when his flight will be. The good thing about him coming home at the beginning of July is that we are past the half-way point!

Kyla and I loved having him here. She spent lots of time cuddling and wrestling with Cameron. We also took her to the new dog park on post to throw the frisbee.

He got home earlier than we thought he would, in time for our 2 year anniversary. It was so nice to have him home for that. We went to dinner and a movie - a perfect, normal date night. We actually had a couple of those. Cameron made a list of all the movies out that he wanted to see...Of the 6 on his list, we saw 4. Plus one that wasn't on his list. And quite a few Netflix'd movies. We watch a lot of movies around here.

(2 wonderful years!)

(before we went to the airport)

Next up, R&R (part 2): Memphis

Dog Training, Weeks 3, 4, & 5

2011-07-08T17:04:00.002-04:00

While Cameron was home, Kyla had 3 training sessions. He got to see how fabulous she is in class and even said she was the best...though he may be slightlly biased... It was super cute when he was there. Everytime I released Kyla from a command, she would go over to Cameron so he could tell her good job!

So in the past 3 weeks, Kyla has been working on:

*allowed me to approach another person with her dog without barking or pulling away

*finishes: perfect 'around' and decent 'swing'

*increased time in a stay, with distractions such as other dogs in the area moving around

*heels - paying attention to me more to know when to turn, stop, slow down, etc

*allowed the trainer to come up and touch and pet her

*Sit/down immediatly upon stopping

She got 3 more gold stars! - Sit/wait/come; drop treats in front of her and she ignores them; Stand in place without help. She is now 5/5 and I couldn't be more proud!

Welcome Home!

2011-06-22T22:24:00.003-04:00

After 6 looong months, Cameron is finally home. Kyla and I are so excited to have him here, even just for a short time. I video taped Cameron and Kyla's reunion. You can watch it here: Welcome Home. (The squeaky noise is Kyla and the sweetest moment comes at the end!)

See you in 2 weeks :)

A visit

2011-06-20T18:53:00.006-04:00

My mom came to see me this weekend. It wasn't even that planned. We were talking one day and I said "you should come see me" and she said "OK". That was that. It also happened to be my birthday. That may have had a little bit to do with it.

She came in Friday and it was raining. We woke up Saturday to another storm. Luckily it cleared long enough for us to go to Louisville for the afternoon. After eating at Olive Garden and getting a free meal due to the screw in our salad, we headed to Hobby Lobby. (Let me just say, I worked there for 3 years and I still love it!) I needed fabric for my latest and greatest project! And if I start them while mom is here, she helps! (pictures to come) We also went to the mall and petsmart while we were there. A great first trip to Louisville for my mom - all the places we went can be found in OKC...oh well.

On Sunday, can you guess what we woke up to? If you say a thunderstorm, you would be....correct. I mean seriously? It was birthday weekend. The weather was supposed to cooperate! I convinced my mom to go see the latest Pirates movie - yay! We also spent the weekend trying new things - cinnamon toast, iced coffee, milky way cake, and wontons (new to her): all successful, though horrible for us. Hopefully the rain stays away so Kyla and I get back into a routine this week!

(beautiful flowers from Cameron)

(mom brought this just for me!)(Kyla found this outside. It lasted about 5 minutes)(my 'birthday' cake)(saying good-bye to "Grandma". Kyla was so happy to have the extra attention this weekend!)

Dog Training, Week 2

2011-06-16T23:05:00.003-04:00

Kyla and I went back to training this week, ready for our weekly challenge. And Kyla came thru - we got our gold star :) And we were only 1 of 4 (out of 7) dogs to get it! And this was the easy challenge!

Next up: wait/recall. This one I'm nervous about. While Kyla does a great 'wait', she doesn't always 'come'...and rarely comes straight to me. This week was better than last week but I think I'll line my pockets with peanut butter and hot dogs before class next week, just to be safe ;)

After a review of sit/stay and down/stay, the trainer had us put our dogs into a sit/stay. Then she walked around and clapped and talked and tried to distract the dogs. I'm proud to say that Kyla's rear-end stayed planted! Then the trainer upped the ante. She brought out her dog and walked around in a circle. Again, Kyla's rear was planted, but she was definitly much more interested. She kept leaning forward, trying to smell the air as the dog walked past.

We also learned 2 ways to get your dog from sitting in front of you to sitting beside you. Kyla has been doing 'around' for awhile now - we taught her that when we let her catch the frisbee outside. I think she'll catch on quickly to the other way.

So far this class has been pretty easy for Kyla (with the exception of 'come'), but it has been great for her to be in a room with other people and dogs. She barks occasionally, but just a general "hey I'm here" bark, never at another dog or person.

My Good Deed

2011-06-13T08:35:00.004-04:00

Yesterday morning, a dog showed up in 'my' yard. Kyla alerted me to the intruder and I went out to see if the dog has a collar/tags/number to call. Well, sweet puppy came right up to me and she had both vet tags and a microchip tag. Fab-u-lous. I was excited to see how this microchip thing works (since we had Kyla microchipped a couple of months ago). I called the number, talked to the operator. The chip was never registered. What?!? Someone took the time to microchip the dog and never bothered to register her?? That reminds me, I need to call and update Kyla's info.

So, anyways, yesterday she hung around all day. She was a really good dog. I made sure she had water and gave her some food, which she gobbled up. See Kyla, it's not poison, you can eat it! I was very nervous going to bed last night because I was afraid she would leave in the middle of the night and I'd never know what happened to her. But, she was at the front door when I woke up this morning.

When the vet FINALLY opened, I called and gave her tag number. They were able to get me her owner's info. I called him and he came and got her this morning! So, happy ending, yay!

(the friendly house guest)

Side note: I thought Kyla was going to have a heart attack when the guy came. He's a soldier and was in uniform. Poor puppy, misses her daddy.

Special K Challenge

2011-06-12T22:53:00.003-04:00

Many of you know, I have been working to lose some weight the last couple of months. Recently, I have seen a lot of hype from the cereal brand Special K about their 2 week challenge. Basically, for 2 weeks you follow their plan and you should lose up to 6 pounds or 1 inch, depending on which cereal box you look at. I had tried their cereal over spring break at my mom's house and really liked it so I thought I'd give it a shot. Now, I'm not one for diets. The minute the word diet gets in my head, I'm set to fail. There is nothing like telling myself I can't have something that makes me crave it 10 times more than normal.

So, to make a long story short, after 2 weeks, I did lose an inch around my waist. I'm not sure how much of that was from 'The Challenge'. I did not follow the plan entirely (I'm sure popcorn and brownies don't make the challenge 'cut'). I also continued walking/minimal exercising as I had been. However, they did have lots of options for meals and snacks. The snack bar Crisps were AMAZING and as before, I really like the cereal (oats and honey is my favorite).

But an inch is an inch, I'm not complaining. :)

Dog Training, Week 1

2011-06-09T21:41:00.002-04:00

Kyla and I went to our first Level 2 Obedience class today. I am very encouraged after this first session. Kyla was not the worst behaved dog in the class! Not at all like the first time we tried this. She has matured and didn't bark once. She ignored the other dogs and actually paid attention to me! I was nervous because we are at a different facility and did not take the level one class with this trainer. That aside, Kyla did great.

To brag on the puppy, she does a fabulous 'down'. And since she was a dog that wouldn't 'down' at all when we first started training her, she has come a loooooooong way. Each week we will have a challenge to complete. For next week, we have to 'down' our dogs by our side using no body movement at all. Kyla already does this - we will get a gold star for sure :)

She also did good with her 'stay' and was ok with me walking leash length away from her and me doing all sorts of crazy things.

One thing she and I will be working A LOT on will be her recall. Again, while she wasn't the worst, she wasn't great. I blame the scary fence/gate she had to walk past. It was disappointing because she does good with this command at home, even outside.

But overall, I think it was a positive experience. The only thing that really makes me nervous is the CGC (canine good citizen) test at the end of the 8 weeks. There are 10 tests they give the dog. You can read about them here if you are really curious. Right now, Kyla would fail 8/10. Sigh. Maybe she'll make huge gains with people in 7 weeks. Wish us luck!

Play time

2011-06-08T19:36:00.007-04:00

Today while playing with Kyla, I told her "Bring me a tennis ball."

This is what she came back with.

Of all the tennis balls rolling around upstairs, this is her 'go-to' ball.

She loves it.

I don't know why.

This one doesn't roll.
It doesn't bounce

She has brand new tennis balls...

But they roll under the couch. Or the bed. Where Kyla can't get to them.

I think I may be onto something.

Just for Cameron

2011-06-06T19:13:00.003-04:00

When I started making bandanas for Kyla, Cameron requested that I make a Texas flag bandana for her. So at his request...

We now have a Texas flag sportin' puppy. :)

(Disclaimer: I understand to all you native Texans, in this shot, the flag is backwards/upside down. But hey, it's the thought that counts, right?)

Happy Birthday Kyla!

2011-05-30T08:48:00.003-04:00

Yesterday, the sweet, ornery, happy, anxious, energetic, silly, fluffy puppy turned 2. And she had a day devoted to doing whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. Though I don't really know how that is different than most days.

(Birthday Girl)

We started off with a Birthday Cake breakfast cookie (because I was NOT making another cake) and I let her pick one present. Yesterday I took her to the pet store and she was supposed to pick a toy. Do you know what she picked? A squeaky toy? A tennis ball? No. She picked chew bones. I'd already bought her bones. Apparently, we didn't have enough. So no toys, just lots of bones for her birthday.

(special treats - the pink one was for breakfast, the yellow was for dinner)

(her birthday loot)

I also got her a new leash and collar for training purposes. We met with a new trainer Saturday for an evaluation and will start class on the 9th. I am super excited for this class to start. Kyla does great with tricks, but not so much with the obedience side (come, no, quiet, etc) and this class will help me be accountable for those behaviors. It's also the beginning to getting her into agility and rally and other classes like that!

(testing out the leash - we will use it to work on things like come, stay, and wait. Today it was also used to go on an Egg hunt outside!)

The only thing that would have made her birthday better is to have Cameron home. But good news: we are past the 5 month mark and less than a month away from him coming home for r&r!!!

Staying Busy

2011-05-22T08:19:00.005-04:00

A few weeks ago, I got an idea in my head. I wanted to make a cute bandana for Kyla - I figured it would be a compromise. Cameron doesn't like her wearing clothes/costumes, so this would be a fun way to give her some personality. As if she doesn't have enough of that already.

I've put regular bandanas on her before and they are too tight and too long. She can get them in her mouth and chew the ends and then tries to pull them off. It doesn't work. So I came up with a design that slides over her collar. It's short enough she can't reach it and she can wear it all the time. And she ~~tolerates~~ *loves* them. Even Cameron likes them. He's even made a request!

(the pink one on the end was the first one I made - that's why it looks funny, it was practice!)

(the oh-so-happy model)

Cooking for 1

2011-05-21T14:08:00.002-04:00

I didn't like cooking before Cameron left, but I was getting better at it (at least I thought so). But now trying to find things to cook for just one person is seemingly impossible. I am constantly on the lookout for new ideas that don't feed an army, are semi-healthy, freeze/save well, or just taste really good. Or all of the above!

Here are 2 new things I've tried in the last two weeks:
Mini Lasagna Cups

These were easy to prepare and quick to cook. They also reheat well and taste just as good. I'm not sure if you could freeze them, and mine stuck to the inside of the muffin tin (even though I used lots of spray). But the fact that they are a leftover I will actually eat makes me willing to try them again!

Crispy Southern Wontons

These were so yummy! They are perfect to freeze and save for later - trust me, it makes about 40 wontons! It took a very long time to prepare (about 2 hours) but if you chop all the veggies before hand, it wouldn't take as long. Also, I didn't feel like cooking a chicken so I used the Tyson ready to eat strips, and they tasted just fine!

I'm looking for more ideas. If you have any favorite recipes that make individual portions, send them my way!!

(Not-So-)Fabulous Find Friday

2011-05-20T08:57:00.009-04:00

You know how when your dog gets a drink, she sloshes water all over the place? And drips and drools her way across the floor?

OH?

What's that?

Your dog doesn't drink like a Brontosaurus?? OK, just mine then.

Well, awhile ago, Cameron and I were in Walmart and I found a mat to place under the water bowl. It was basically just a square of carpet, but it promised to absorb water, not cause mold or mildew, and the water wouldn't soak all the way thru to the floor. It was only $4 and anything would be better than the soaking wet dish towel we'd been using.

It was a success. When the swamp monsters drank, it caught any extra water that spilled over the sides, both the sides of the bowl and their mouths. Fabulous.

Fast foward to last week. Kyla and I have been spending more time upstairs, playing, lounging, etc. And I was beginning to feel bad for her because after chasing a ball for 20 minutes, she had to go all the way downstairs for a drink. Rough life, right? I decided it wouldn't be awful if I put a little water in her food bowl. But then I ran into the same problem - any water that spilled over would fall. Onto the CARPET. So back to Walmart I went.

Here's what I found.

It claims to do the same thing the magic carpet square did. But it's all rubber. And looks like beige astroturf. And smells funny.

Kyla thinks so too.

It was a bust. And everytime I put it down, she'd pull it out from under the bowl, almost like a fancy waiter on T.V.

Almost.

Back to the drawing board.

Assessments, Arachnids, and an Adorable puppy!

2011-05-11T19:37:00.000-04:00

Since Easter, things have gotten ridiculously busy around here. After Easter, testing season was here at school. Ah state testing, how I loathe thee. My hours changed. My schedule was off. And standing in a room for 2-3 hours a day in complete silence - I'm sure you can imagine. Today was the last day and I couldn't be more excited.

The combination of spring and warm weather and rain have brought another unfortunate thing - bugs. Big bugs, little bugs, flying bugs, creepy bugs. And worst of all: Spiders. I H.A.T.E. spiders. I don't know if there are words to convey just how strongly I dislike them. So when this came in my house the other night :I about had a heart attack. I may have had a slight panic attack. I may have called my mom freaking out and begged her to drive 12 hours just to kill it for me (but she'll deny it if you ask!). If any of you are spider experts, can you tell me what kind it is?? I have an idea, but I hope I'm wrong!

And to end on a slightly happier note, I of course have a few Kyla stories. First, she's been doing so much better walking on a leash without the gentle leader (yay!). She's also learned "paws up". But maybe the best part (or the sweetest) is how she misses her 'daddy'. Now I'm not saying it's cute that she misses Cameron, but I have been finding it so interesting how she's dealing with the deployment. She knows what it sounds like when he calls over Skype. And if it's been a few days since we've talked face-to-face, she starts getting whiny. But as soon as he calls, and she's climbed up on my lap and barked at the computer screen, she's content. At least for the next couple of days.

She's also become an excellent cuddler!

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-24T19:41:00.002-04:00

I hid Easter eggs around the room and Kyla was able to find and open all of them! This is a *short* video...

"Hoppy" Easter

2011-04-24T19:11:00.004-04:00

*I'm getting very frustrated with Blogger - anyone else having problems?? I can't get the pictures and video to load in the same post**

Kyla and I had a quiet and wet Easter. Her favorite part: her new bunny. My favorite part: Skyping with Cameron!

Hurdles

2011-04-23T20:38:00.006-04:00

I've been looking for easy ways to tire Kyla out. My schedule is weird and hard to get in regular walks. We also don't have a fenced in area for her to run free. I've started looking into agility equipment and decided to make her some hurdles to jump.

I found a template online to make 3 hurdles out of PVC pipe: 1 6", 1 12", and 1 18". All of the materials came to a total of $10! I strategically planned this endeavor when I knew I'd be at my mom's house. I figured my step-dad would have some sort of tool or idea of how to cut the PVC pipe. Sure enough, he did!

In less than an hour, I turned this:

into this:

To get Kyla to jump I started on the smallest hurdle, having her walk over it, and telling her 'jump' each time, so she's learn the command. Soon I decided to try the 12" hurdle. She was hesitant at first but soon she was jumping the hurdle like a pro!We've been practicing since we came back to KY and just a few days ago, she finally jumped the 18" hurdle!!!

Waterfront Property

2011-04-17T20:09:00.004-04:00

With all the rain we've had recently, the lake has returned. Worse than last year, I think. It makes our backyard very swamplike. And the rain keeps coming. When I take Kyla outside, I sink into the ground! But it does make everything very green and it feels like spring. Finally!

Spring Break Post

2011-04-17T19:58:00.011-04:00

Here's the highly anticipated spring break post. Only 3 weeks late.

I had a great week in Oklahoma and Texas. I spent some great time with family and friends. It was a nice 'refresh' from daily life. Kyla did F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S. on the 13 hour drive. I've never driven it alone and I'm so thankful it went smoothly.

Here are the higlights from the week, in no particular order:

** Drove to Dallas to spend time with my bestest and her hubby - she and I got pedicures and they treated me to my favorite restaurant in Ft. Worth - Joe T's! ** Met Cameron's family for lunch in Weatherford at my all time favorite place -Yesterday's ** Took Kyla to the dog park ** Met my Dad for lunch at a yummy new Mexican place ** Made hurdles for Kyla to jump ** spent lots of time with my mom and sister ** got to see my niece & nephews in various activities ** had a cookout with almost all of the extended family ** laughed more than I have in months ** ate more than I have in months ** got to hold baby bunnies ** watched Kyla make friends with other dogs AND other people **

The week in pictures:

(Dylan's t-ball game)

(Dustin's baseball game)
(in size order)
(at the dog park)
(sharing)

(Jodee's program)

A sequel of sorts...

2011-04-12T21:26:00.010-04:00

A terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Chapter 2 (and maybe 3 and 4) (read chapter 1 here)

I didn't sleep well last night. The rain kept me up. I woke up with a headache after having not so good dreams. I cut my hand on the fan. I got ready for work and remembered I still hadn't done any grocery shopping so I had nothing for breakfast. Because of all the puddles in the front, Kyla and I had to go out the back door.

When I went to the back door, I noticed about 20 worms all along the floor by the back wall (and gagged a little). I had to rush Kyla outside (so I could deal with the worms) and she got mad and proceeded to jump on me, get mud on my dress pants, and bite my hand. I also noticed the growing lake behind my house.

When I came in, I put Kyla in time out, grabbed the hand vac and went to deal with the worms. Some were stuck to the tile (double gag). Some were still moving and got stuck on the outside of the vacuum (triple gag). When I called the rental company, they said they couldn't do anything unless I could see where they were coming in. (awesome)

I gave up with the worms and decided to leave and get breakfast. Surely a fast food, fatty breakfast would make the day better. When I went out to my car, I noticed drips from the back window. Apparently my car has a leak. But I couldn't find the number to the Hyundai dealership and Carmax wasn't open yet. (?!?)

I got my fast food breakfast and they forgot the straw. I called the insurance company and had to leave a message. Again.

It was a terrible horrible no good very bad morning. Then I got to talk to Cameron and that made a long, not so great day, a little better. :)

Flat Stanley

2011-04-10T09:51:00.006-04:00

I got back from a great week in Oklahoma last night - a lot of driving, but a lot of fun. I'll be posting pictures soon, but first, this is from a week or so before spring break...

Cameron's nephew, Josh, was involved in a project with his class at school. If you have never read the Flat Stanley books, what happens is: Stanley becomes flat and is able to fit in the mail. So he mails himself all over, learning about new places as he goes. Josh created a flat Joshua and sent him to me. I created a journal (from flat Joshua's point of view) and filled it with pictures.

Here are a few sample pages:

I had a lot of fun putting it together. It's a great way for these students to see places they may never be able to visit!

One Proud Momma

2011-03-31T06:32:00.021-04:00

**Disclaimer** I know most people who read this blog will think it's strange I got so excited over something so small. Something that millions of other dogs do on a regular basis. But then, most people who read this blog have met Kyla in person. And they understand just how crazy she is.**

Yesterday Kyla had a vet appointment. So I packed up her bark collar, and her thundershirt, and her gentle leader, and some treats. Now by this time she was so excited she was spinning in circles (but was surprisingly quiet!) because she knew this meant CAR RIDE! (And yes, I realize I have to pack more for her than most parents with small children do, but in all fairness, I warned ya) I put her in her harness, seat belted her into the car, and we were off.

Our wonderful vet's office is about 30 minutes away (on a no traffic day), but with how long getting ready takes us, I still haven't figured out how to time it just right. So needless to say, we made it to Elizabethtown 45 minutes before our appointment! Yikes! I had noticed how small and worn Kyla's collar was getting so I decided we had time to stop at the pet store. We pulled in the parking lot and Kyla started barking and whining. So I told her if she was quiet, she could come in with me...(here is where proud momma enters) We walked (nicely, because she was on the gentle leader) in the store and while I was looking at the collars, she sat right beside me. Then we went to the toys and she got to pick out one new toy (pictures to come - she loves it!). And while we were in the checkout, surrounded by people and dogs, she sat beside me and never barked! She even got a treat from the cashier! Seriously people, you have no idea what a huge step this is for her!!

Then our great day continued. At the vet's office, we had to wait. And wait. And wait. People came in and out. Other DOGS came in and out. Yes she whined a little. And growled once (and got in trouble for that). But mainly she just stayed under my legs, lying there, watching everything.

Now she of course ruined it all when we went to the drive thru at Walgreen's and barked her head off - but I think she was just making sure they knew she was back there. You see, she's learned that the bank and Walgreen's give her treats :)

Good Habits

2011-03-29T21:03:00.004-04:00

I spend lots of time complaining blogging about Kyla's B.A.D. habits. So much so that I forget to mention her good habits.

Kyla loves to have her teeth brushed. When I brush my teeth she sits in the doorway of the bathroom waiting for her turn. It's cute. A few weeks ago, I might have accidently left her toothpaste too close to my curling iron...and it may have burnt a hole in the tube...and toothpaste may have leaked onto the counter...and onto my curling iron...and created a big sticky mess...maybe.

Well, I finally remembered to replace it. Kyla likes to investigate when I bring shopping bags home. Today the bag contained chex mix (for Cameron), tootsie roll pops (for me) and peanut butter (for Kyla). But she grabbed her box of toothpaste. And took it upstairs.

So of course, I had to brush her teeth. :)

Helping?

2011-03-23T21:26:00.003-04:00

This weekend I began the somewhat daunting task of tackling the clutter filled garage. Between all of Cameron's Army gear and all of my school boxes and all the other stuff we can't find places for...the garage is out of control! I wish I had a before picture.

So I started organizing. And rearraging. And moving things. And throwing things away. And running from bugs. And then Little Miss decided she was going to help...

(camelback cleaner thing)

(toilet paper - my husband is in the army. 'nough said)

After about 5 trips up the stairs, chasing the dog and whatever she had grabbed, I was done. I gave in and got her a bone. Which she quickly abandoned to grab her frisbee that had fallen off of a box.

So she was banished.

I didn't last much longer either...Maybe next weekend?

(Censored) Cats

2011-03-20T20:37:00.004-04:00

Seriously. I am SO SICK of all the stray cats around here. They sit below my bedroom window and 'howl' all night. They fight with each other. They poop in my yard. But most importantly: They drive Kyla completely insane. If she is on the leash, she will drag me across the yard to ... well, I'm not really sure what she would do if she actually caught one. We got pretty close to one a few days ago and that cat wasn't budging! If we are inside, it's as if she senses them. Then she tears at the blinds to get to them. And I'm not sure how to stop it. If we are outside, I work with her. I tell her "It's just a cat. If you are quiet you get a treat" and surprisingly, it works. About 60% of the time. However, there is no way I can predict when a cat will happen to come into our yard. And when Kyla will 'sense' it.

So now my blinds look like this:Because if I put them down, they look like this. And that's not good.

(the trouble maker caught on camera)

So I'm asking for help. Ideas on stopping the behavior. Ideas on fixing the blinds. Right now I'm thinking I just need to put curtains of some fashion up. Or ship the dog to Cameron in Afghanistan...Your Thoughts?

Our most recent addition

2011-03-12T10:13:00.004-05:00

Kyla, our definitly not spoiled at all puppy, loves toys. She loves things she can chew on. And she learned quickly what is hers and what is not. (with the execption of socks. and underwear. and daddy's boots...) Her most favorite toys are her stuffed animals. She loves them. Sometimes too much. And then we get her new stuffed animals. Hmm, I'm beginning to see a pattern... Let's have a moment of silence for thoses stuffed toys she has loved and lost:

Ok, moment's over. The other day I was really missing The Hubs so I pulled out the stuffed dog he got me for our first Valentine's day together. (I had been begging for a puppy, I just had to have one. So this was his solution. A stuffed one. Which is apparently really hard to find. He told me so. Some days I wonder if I should have stuck with the stuffed one. But I digress) When I pulled out the stuffed puppy, the real puppy went crazy. She started barking and jumping and whining and anything else she could do to tell me that she REALLY wanted it. Like, had to have it immediately. So I, of course, rushed right out to walmart to find her her own stuffed animal.

So without further ado, meet Rocky the Raccoon. Who has, of today, successfully lasted a week of torment in our house. I don't think it has exactly been love at first sight, but she does play with him. Cross your fingers he sticks around for awhile!

My dog is an MVP

2011-03-02T08:32:00.002-05:00

Most Valuable Pet! Even though I complain about her, I love her!! So, prove that she's a winner by going to this link: Bissell MVP Contest and voting for Kyla. You do have to register, but it's worth it! She can win a pet shopping spree (meaning, my bank account gets a break from buying all her chew bones and treats). Plus if she wins overall, she gets her picture on a vacuum box. And she'll be famous. And some agent will see how cute she is and that will be the start of her modeling/acting/stunt dog career...I have high hopes for my baby. And you can make that happen! So what are you waiting for, go vote!!

Kyla thanks you for your vote.

Kyla's newest trick

2011-02-17T20:31:00.002-05:00

Forgive the quality of the video. It didn't dawn on me until after I was done that I could have set the camera down. Oh well, you get the idea!

Smoothies

2011-02-15T11:47:00.003-05:00

I've decided to try smoothies as a way to eat more fruit and veggies. And dairy. You know all those other food groups besides junk and bread. And fat and sugar. Cuz I think that may be all I eat. So I started doing some research on smoothies. And without lots of sugar added, using milk/yogurt instead of ice cream, and experimenting with fruit/veggie combos, they can be good for you. Or that's what I've decided.

One thing I've seen on almost every site is that you can freeze your fresh fruit. It lasts longer and helps add the frozen goodness, without a lot of extra ice. (Freezing the fruit is easy, by the way!)

So I started today with a very easy recipe. Strawberry Banana. Yum. Some milk, some yogurt, some banana and strawberries in a blender and poof - you have a smoothie. It was good. And a perfect amount for just me!

Super Easy Strawberry Banana Smoothie (for one!)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
3-4 strawberries (frozen)
1/2 banana

blend together and enjoy!

update from the homefront

2011-02-15T10:31:00.003-05:00

I'm ready for spring. I'm ready for the spring weather. I'm ready for the sounds. I'm even ready for the flowers (thanks to my nasonex/allegra allergy meds combo!) I'm ready to take Kyla outside for more than 2 minutes. I'm ready to wear tank tops and flip flops...

Today I have the windows open. Weather.com says it's 38 degrees, but I have to get some fresh air in this musty old sick house! I went to the doctor yesterday - just a side note, I love having an actual dr. I go to, that, when you call at 8:30 a.m. on a Monday morning, they say, can you be here by 9:15? - and found out what I thought was strep was actually the start of the flu. By the way, did you know that they can test/treat you for flu if it is within the first 48 hours? And that they do this by shoving a q-tip up your nose? Not pleasant. But they gave me the good meds and I'm already feeling better. I'm just not allowed to show myself in public for 2 days. And I'm milking the "get lots of rest". The house is a mess, the laundry is piling up, but I'm caught up on all my DVR'd shows! Kyla has really enjoyed all the naps, and even joined me for a bit of Harry Potter last night:

(can you guess which one?)

Tomorrow is just a one job day, so maybe I'll get some cleaning done. Or not. But I do plan on lysoling (is that a word) the entire house!

Surprise!

2011-02-12T19:10:00.003-05:00

I'd like to take this time to say how super wonderful my husband is.

These gorgeous flowers arrived today as an early "Happy Valentine's Day" from Cameron. I won't lie, I got a little teary eyed when I saw them! The lillies are just like the ones that we used in our wedding arrangements and I absolutely love them. They also have made the entire downstairs smell wonderful!

Success!

2011-02-06T20:59:00.004-05:00

Today Kyla had a successful day. After a car ride and a walk, it was time for her biggest adventure yet. My friend Shannon had invited me to 'watch' the superbowl at her house. Well today, she called and said "Bring Kyla with" and I'm pretty sure I said something like "are you sure?????". Maybe I should have prefaced this by telling you that the last 2 times Kyla and Shannon have met, let's just say things didn't go great. Kyla is skittish and anxious and nervous and meeting new people is not high on her list of things to do.

But brave Shannon decided to try one more time. So I packed Kyla's bag and yummy brownie bites (picture below), and headed to Ft Knox. (Another success of the night - Kyla didn't even growl at the i.d. checker when we stopped at the gate!!) It took Kyla a few minutes, but soon she was sniffing and exploring. She only had 2 mini panic attacks (and a complete fit when the pizza guy came), but overall I think it was a great experience - for both of them :)

(just watchin' the game at Shannon's)

(go ahead, be jealous)

Spiders shiver

2011-02-01T20:28:00.002-05:00

I hate spiders. Really, truly, 100% hate spiders. I'm not sure where this deep strong feeling comes from, but it's there. So any time there is a spider in our house, I call my dear, sweet husband, and he immediately drops everything he's doing to come get rid of it. Or something to that effect.

No seriously. The week of our wedding, my then fiance was walking me to the door of the house where I was staying. On the step leading to the door was a GIANT spider. I swear. Size of my head. My loving now husband grabbed a broom and flung said spider into the dark woods. Then he told me that the spider was going to round up his spider friends and come after me in the middle of the night. Or was that my imagination running wild? It's all a little fuzzy.

But my point. Because I do have one. This commercial gives reason to my fear of all sized spiders. No longer is my fear irrational. But don't take my word for it.

(watch it!)

New Toy

2011-01-29T21:56:00.002-05:00

We have been very lucky in that, Kyla really hasn't had problems with chewing on furniture, shoes, etc. But she LOVES to chew on her toys. And she loves soft toys (the kinds with lots of stuffing that she can leave all over the place...).

I heard about a new toy from a fellow army wife. You can buy hollowed out soft toys and then put an empty water bottle in them for the 'noise factor'. I thought it was a great idea, definitely something new, but at about $12/toy (plus s/h) and not knowing how Kyla would react, I was hesitant to order one.

After some research online, I found a 'do-it-yourself' article. The person made the same thing out of an old pair of jeans. I immediately started thinking, well, I can do that...

So I did.

(success)

1 month

2011-01-25T08:53:00.008-05:00

Today marks 1 month since Cameron left. 1 busy, exhausting, stressed, sad, sometimes lonely sometimes fun month. Which means 1 month closer to him being home. And that makes me happy :)

(miss this guy!)

My daily battle

2011-01-14T12:44:00.004-05:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...

This is what I turned around to find as I finished talking to Cameron.

She was quiet for the whole 30 minute call.

I should have known.

Another snow day

2011-01-11T16:30:00.003-05:00

I'm sick of snow. And cold. And wet. But I'm not sick of snow days. I'm actually hoping for another one tomorrow!

While 'helping' clean the garage yesterday, Kyla found an old stuffed panda of mine. She loves him. Maybe this one will last? 24 hours and the only thing missing is his nose: good sign!

Week At A Glance

2011-01-04T20:44:00.004-05:00

The past week has been: hectic, stressfull, scary, nervewracking, sad, lonely, busy, crazy, and any other roller coaster of emotion you can imagine. But, we made it a week. One week down, too many more to go.

In the past week, I learned how to use a sewing machine, bought some new clothes, went out with friends, spent lots of cuddling time with Kyla, and most importantly, talked to my husband who is halfway around the world.

I'm doing pretty o.k. with everything. Work has started back and so my routine is starting to get back on track. Kyla on the other hand is a nutcase. More so than normal. She's whiney and clingy and just a mess. But I'm sure my craziness doesn't help. I woke up from a nap the other day and, without thinking, asked her, "Where's daddy?" It was automatic. And she was inconsolable for the next 4 hours!! Sigh.

(here's how miss mess spen the last week)

(if she wasn't destroying something...)(she was perfecting her 'i'm pathetic' look)

Saying goodbye

2010-12-31T13:14:00.002-05:00

the countdown has begun, just 361 days left...

(cameron's parents and my mom made the drive to see him off)

(sharing a needed laugh)(love him)

Everyone loves a slinky

2010-12-30T22:03:00.002-05:00

Even Kyla!

(start it)(watch it)(fetch it)(repeat)

White Christmas

2010-12-30T21:54:00.003-05:00

Now imagine Bing Crosby in the background. Better yet, open youtube in another tab and pull him up..."I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..."

Yes snow on Christmas. And yes Kyla LOVED it. And by love, I mean, lost bell priviledges because she wanted to go out every 5 minutes, just to eat/play/jump & run in the snow. Cameron and I took her out for about 20 minutes to do just that and it wasn't enough. But we all had fun!

Would you like to report it lost or stolen?

2010-12-22T21:21:00.010-05:00

If it can go missing, it has at our house. I lost my camera a few days ago and have been tearing the house apart searching. Today (the day we were going to drive to Louisville to sell Cameron's car) Cameron informed me that he couldn't find the title for his car. Or his registration. Or his insurance verification. Um, what? He had to have them all to renew the tags in September. Wait, they've been missing since then? So, change of plans, in addition to looking for my camera, now I was searching for 3 rather small pieces of paper. Did I mention Cameron had just thrown away a huge stack of papers from his car?

Now luckily, for a small fee, you can replace the afformentioned papers. But it will take about a week to get them. And being the holidays, probably longer. We don't have a week. (insert sad face) After meeting Cameron on post to get some other things done, we headed home for one last look. It paid off - I found all 3 documents. On. His. Desk. (I had looked there earlier, but completely missed them somehow)

Yay. Sigh of relief. But still no camera. I had looked everywhere I could think of...I even vacuumed in the dark recesses (read: under the dressers and desks) where we never, ever go (because of the ridiculous amounts of dog hair) and still no luck.

But don't worry. The story has a happy ending. Unlike True Grit. Which was actually a good movie, even though I drug my feet and rolled my eyes the whole ~~day~~ ~~week~~ month leading up to the premiere. But back to the story with the happy ending:
I found my camera!
What? Were you expecting something else? You'll never guess where I found it...

an actual conversation in our house

2010-12-20T16:45:00.003-05:00

seriously people. I can't make this stuff up.

"shhh the puppy is finally eating"
"no sudden movements. it's a miracle"
"how long has it been"
"no idea."
author's note: at this point the conversation turned to the dog's *ehm* outside needs. i'll spare you the details.
"no, don't get up. she'll stop."
Cameron gets up to leave and the puppy stares at him. Until he goes back to his chair. Upon which time she finishes her bowl of food.

Needless to say we have a very picky eater. Or maybe just pathetic puppy. One who preys upon our heartstrings. And tries jedi mind tricks she learned from her sister to get us to drop food. Whatever the reason, we are changing her food. I'll keep you posted.

Celebrate!

2010-12-16T08:38:00.003-05:00

Because of the deployment (it seems like every other sentence I utter begins that way), we did our little Christmas a few weeks early. Kyla recieved a modest amount of gifts, seeing as how she is the least spoiled puppy around...

(investigating the stockings)(investigating 'Bud')(showing Bud who's boss)(all her loot)

3rd time's the charm

2010-12-13T09:31:00.003-05:00

The first snow of the season happened while we were in Texas.

The second snow started while we were already at school, and it was still too 'warm' to stick on the streets.

Enter the third snow:

and subsequential snow day! :)

Deployment Ceremony 2010

2010-12-12T22:01:00.003-05:00

This past Thursday, Ft Knox held a ceremony for all of the soldiers getting ready to deploy. LTG Freakley gave a speech and the guys (and girls) all got to stand in the cold for an hour. I was able to make it for the hour, and Cameron's parents even made the drive! It was great to have them here, and it got me off cooking duty for 2 nights!! :)

(Cameron's Troop is to the left of the horses)

(6-4 cav)

Thanksgivingmas 2010 - Texas

2010-12-02T13:08:00.008-05:00

We left Oklahoma early Tuesday for the 'quick' drive to Giddings. And I have such a super-duper husband, he timed it just right so we could stop at my most favorite place to eat in the world: Yesterday's. It is a super great sandwich place in downtown Weatherford, Tx. If you ever are in the area, and it's lunch time (cuz that is the only time they are open), you should go. The chicken salad is like heaven on a piece of bread. Oh, and the brownies... Ok, shameless plug over, now on to what you really came here for :)

We had a good visit at the ranch. We kicked off the trip by feeding the raccons and squirrels.

(smokey and the bandit)

(kyla took dinnertime into her own 'hands')

And we met Tara's (the dog trainer) new puppy Boone. Cameron's parents tried to pass Boone off as our Christmas present. I think Cameron would have taken him in a heartbeat!

Kyla loved playing frisbee on the ranch. She was great about bringing the frisbee right back. She didn't even let the cows distract her!

We had a great Thanksgiving dinner and then celebrated Christmas the next morning. Hope told us the story of Jesus and the manger and then opened presents, because, according to Hope, "Jesus says so"!

(cameron and grandma witte)(and now i will read the Bible)

We also went to a great hamburger place called the Wagon Stop. They have great burgers! In fact this place my come 2nd on my favorite restaurants...if you can't remember what's first, scroll to the top of this post :)

We had a great time in Texas and I know Cameron was glad to see all of his family before he leaves. I didn't get pictures of the bar-b-que at his Nana & Grandpa's or of his friends that came all the way from Abilene to see him!

We had a busy, fun 10 day 'vacation'!

Thanksgivingmas 2010 - Oklahoma

2010-11-29T14:50:00.011-05:00

Because of the deployment, we had a combined Thanksgiving/Christmas this past week with both of our families.

(on the way to OK)

We started off in Oklahoma, with my family. We stayed at Mom and Jim's house with their assortment of animals - it was very interesting introducing Kyla and Summer to the snakes, the cat, the chihuahua and the mastiff! We ended up putting Summer in Kyla's thundershirt and the change in behavior was immediate - if I wasn't a believer before, I am now.

(introducing the snakes)

Summer co-existed with the other living things...well, except the cat.

Cameron really enjoyed spending time with Maggy, the mastiff. Aka, horse. He's convinced that this is the dog we need. Even Kyla did ok with Maggy - as long as she couldn't see Maggy's tail.

Mom and Jim's other dog was brave enough to try and make friends with Cameron...Quite a brave Chihuahua!
Saturday, we got to see Jodee compete in a gymnastics meet...Needless to say, she rocked! She took 2nd in the all around!!Then, the whole family came over Sunday and we celebrated Christmas. It was nice having everyone in one place!

Next up, Texas!

A Quick Update

2010-11-15T14:07:00.005-05:00

Middle of November already? Yikes!

Needless to say, the past 2.5 weeks have flown by! Now that Halloween has passed, we are looking forward to Thanksgivingmas. Because of the upcoming deployment, we are visiting the families over Thanksgiving instead of Christmas. I may be the only person who can say as of this past weekend, I am done Christmas shopping! We leave soon for our looooooong journey! Can't wait to see everyone!

***Also, I'm going to be setting this blog to private in the next week or so (I'm still trying to figure out how to do that). I hate to have to do it, but with Cameron being deployed soon, too many scary people out there!! So if you want to keep reading, just email me/leave a comment and I can add you to the list. I think you will have to sign in to read it, but again, just trying to stay safe! Thanks for understanding,

Halloween, 2010 edition.

2010-10-31T16:46:00.005-04:00

This past month has been extremely busy, I can hardly believe Halloween is already here. On Saturday we had a Halloween party with Cameron's unit. The guys had to decorate a HumVee trunk-or-treat style. The prize for the winning truck? A 3 day pass. Quite a bit of incentive to get the soldiers involved. Whose platoon won? 3rd platoon! Because Cameron's guys are awesome!!

(the winning truck!)

I was supposed to make cookies for a cake walk. Apparently I need to practice my sugar cookie making skills. It didn't work out. So after some online idea searching, here's what I made. I think they all turned out cute.

('owl'oween treats)(witch's hats)

I decided a few months ago what the puppies costumes were going to be. Because Kyla drives her sister insane, Summer was going to be a flower and Kyla, a bumblebee. I was going to make the costumes but then we found both at Target for $20 total - Cameron reasoned that this way, if they hated wearing them, I wouldn't be as disappointed as I would be if I spent lots of time making them. Little did he know, I had a trick up my sleeve :) Summer already loves dressing up and wearing hats. Kyla didn't but in my trick training book it talks about wearing costumes. I took the book's advice, and Kyla loves - well, tolerates - her costume! And looks great doing it!

(our flower and bumblebee)(tricks for treats)(summer wanted to wear Kyla's hat)(zzzzzoom!) (pretty flower)

THUNDERSHIRT!

2010-10-30T21:18:00.002-04:00

(imagine that being said in a loud booming voice, similar to an announcer for some sort of sporting event)

We finally got one. I was hesitant to order one online in case it didn't work, but then we found the shirt at the local pet store. Plus, no shipping/handling to pay! So we got one for Kyla and have been working with her. She doesn't mind wearing it but we haven't noticed a huge difference yet. She doesn't pull as bad on the leash when she wears it, and was calmer/not as loud when she saw another dog through the window. Hopefully she will continue to make improvements with it!

Now that's something you don't see everyday...

2010-10-18T09:13:00.005-04:00

...But I do. Yes, you are seeing that right. It's a rock. In our office/computer room. But if you wait long enough, you may see it in the hall. Or in the kitchen. Or on the couch. Or if you are unfortunate enough, on your big toe.

Why is there a rock in our house, you may wonder? I'm sure you could guess. Go ahead. I'll wait.

Did you guess Kyla? Did you guess our crazy, silly puppy, Kyla? If so, then you, my friend, are correct. Kyla 'adopted' this rock about 2 weeks ago. She literally dug it out of the ground while on the tie out. And has been carrying it around ever since. At first, she was only allowed to have it outside.

Then, someone let her bring it in. Someone else tried to put it back outside, but lost that battle. And the rest is history.

Another Weekend, Another (photo) Challenge

2010-10-18T08:45:00.008-04:00

This time Debra chose stripes. I like stripes as much as the next person but couldn't think of any stripes that I have. Until I looked to my right.

(love these boxes - perfect for holding little desk items)

After that, stripes were everywhere! I won't bore you with my overboard stripes picture taking extravaganza, but I will show you some of my favorites. Not because the pictures themselves are of great quality but because of the subject! In no particular order:

(can a person be addicted to using straws?)

(most comfortable pajama pants ever)(current purse in use)(one end of the couch)(the other end of the couch (see the stripes on the tennis ball - the old falling apart tennis ball))

Red is Everywhere (weekend challenge)

2010-10-10T16:41:00.009-04:00

My friend Debra has been doing weekend photo challenges and this time I decided to participate!

(in my kitchen)

(in my closet - love these - $3 payless find!)

(outside)

Signs of Fall

2010-10-09T14:08:00.001-04:00

Thundershirts, puppy prozac and dog psychology

2010-10-06T21:39:00.005-04:00

If you know us, whether in real life, or in blog world, you know about our 16 month old Australian Shepherd, Kyla. Our anxious, hyper, happy, pathetic, crazy, active, smart, loving, fluffy, cuddly puppy we got a week after we were married. The puppy that would not venture more than a foot or 2 away from us to go to the bathroom, the puppy that we would find sleeping in all sorts of small places. The puppy that we said "oh, she's just a puppy, she'll grow out of it soon" to whatever, whenever. Over the past couple of weeks we've begun to wonder if it's a puppy thing, or if there is something really going on with her. Or did we just get lucky and find the most anxious puppy in the world?

We are out of ideas. We have tried vinegar spray, a can of marbles, a bark collar, time out, ignoring it, refocusing her, bribing her, everything!

Last week I brought it up while we were at the vet for her shots. She said there is a pill like prozac that Kyla would take twice a day. She then suggested an alternative called the Thundershirt. She uses it with her Great Dane during storms and says he's like a different dog. The website also said it works for barking, jumping and general anxiety.

Then at Barnes & Noble today (while I was supposed to be Christmas shopping) I found this gem: Why Does My Dog Act That Way? It claims to be a complete guide to your dog's personality. And so far it has Kyla pegged. Basically she is a herding dog so: very high intelligence (check), very high energy (check), very high emotional reactivity (check), moderatly low sociability (maybe even non-existant), and very low dominance/territoriality (except when it comes to 'mom'). I'm curious to see the results of the behavior inventory I can fill out for her.

Have you ever encountered/owned a crazy dog? Do you have any advice? We are open to suggestions.

Weekend Update:

2010-10-03T17:23:00.002-04:00

*saw "Let Me In"; interesting take on the vampire-theme movie. Not award winning quality, but still entertaining.

*remembered to buy a Sunday paper - for $1.75, I can save at least $10 (minus the cost of the newspaper) in coupons...doesn't seem like much, but it helps a little!

*wore double jackets on Saturday - it was that cold!

*started a new T.V. series "The Event"...Anyone else??

*satisfied my need for chocolate and sweet and sour chicken (but not at the same time!)

*had a lazy weekend with the husband and the dogs, the best kind, in my personal opinion.

What did you do?

Jumbled Thoughts

2010-09-28T10:06:00.007-04:00

I have had this entry started for a couple of days now. It's hard to post, like, by putting it in writing, it's set in stone. I know it is anyway, but writing about it, documenting it, makes it more real...('it' being deployment)

On Friday, Cameron found out they would be able to bring a foot locker with them to Afghanistan. So this weekend, we went shopping for things to put in it. We bought food, extra socks, hygiene items, etc, and filled it up. Hopefully everything will be useful while he is over there.

Kyla was not sure about this process. She knows every time Cameron packs, he's leaving, whether it's to a school, or the field, or vacation. All day Sunday she was whiny and inconsolable, sabotaging the foot locker and supplies every chance she got.

(socks!!)

I am going to miss days like this!!! I know Kyla will too - I promise she enjoys wrestling with her daddy! Summer has a 'ha-ha' look on her face - as in, haha, see what happens when you bark too much!

Camping Trip

2010-09-19T14:39:00.004-04:00

This weekend we decided to go camping. We'd been planning a trip for fall break, but as always with the Army, things change. So, spur of the moment trip it was.

We drove to Green River Lake Friday after Cameron got off work. After stopping to buy a tie-out for the puppies, missing the highway and hitting a bird, we arrived after dark. The drive there took us thru some very interesting KY towns by the way. Cameron got the tent set up fast and we put the puppies on the tie out. They weren't so sure about it at first, but they got used to it. After a quick dinner of peanut butter sandwiches, we climbed in the tent. Summer found a spot in the corner and was out for the night. Kyla, however, paced the perimeter for about 45 minutes. She was so confused. And maybe claustrophobic?

(on the tie out)

(our cozy tent)

The next morning we woke up, had breakfast and took the puppies on a walk around the campgrounds. Kyla found about 12 rocks (each bigger than her head) that she wanted to bring home with us. We lounged around most of the day and ended up coming back a day early - my back couldn't handle the hard ground another night.

(beautiful, clear morning)

(yes, it was that cold)

(rocks!)

It was a good experience. I think I did OK with the outdoors, minus the caterpillars that kept jumping out of the tree on top of me! It was definitly nice to get away from work/town/normal life for a day and just relax! I think we may have to do this again sometime...

Congrats LT!

2010-09-14T12:36:00.007-04:00

While Cameron was in the Desert (NTC), the orders came to promote him to 1st Lieutenant! (I will be super happy when he hits Captain - so much easier to spell!!) Luckily one of the guys there was able to take a quick picture of him getting 'pinned'.

So proud of him :)

In the past week...

2010-09-13T09:49:00.003-04:00

Cameron and I both got sick,

(no picture for obvious reasons)

Kyla abused cuddle time with 'daddy',

(pathetic)

Cameron bought me flowers 'just because',

(pretty!)

we went out with friends as an extended birthday dinner,

(yes this is just us, but i swear we met people at the restaurant)

we joined the rest of civilization and got DVR/satellite cable,

(kyla says: but i'm not touching it!)
and we started finalizing plans for block leave! More details to come on that one ...

Long Weekend

2010-09-07T08:58:00.004-04:00

Cameron had a 4-day this past weekend and his parents were able to make the drive to come see him while he had some time off. And maybe also because it was his birthday. We had a very lazy weekend, saw some movies, and ate ALOT of yummy home-cooked food (courtesy of Cameron's mom). I think he had a great weekend, and I know the puppies were completely spoiled with all the extra attention!

(cookout at Saunder's Springs)(cheese)(puppy lovin')(happy birthday to you!)

Frisbee

2010-09-03T11:25:00.003-04:00

Cameron is home...well, he has been for a week now. We are all very excited to have him home. I'm not sure who was more excited to see him - me or the dogs! Kyla couldn't contain her excitement when I brought him home!! She is also super happy because having her 'daddy' home means playing with her favorite toy: the frisbee! I will throw a tennis ball but don't like the frisbee so that is something special for her and Cameron to do (when she doesn't get in trouble!). She is getting better about catching it all the time - hopefully the video will load!! (Ignore me in the background)

New chair covers!

2010-09-03T11:07:00.003-04:00

At the beginning of the summer, I had all sorts of crafty ideas to accomplish. Did any of them happen? Not so much. One said crafty idea was to make chair covers for our dining room chairs. I have had this table set since I was a junior in college! The chairs (and table) have made 4 different moves! They are dirty. And I won't lie, some of those unknown moving stains won't come out. We don't want to buy a new dining room set yet since we aren't sure where we will be moving next and this set is the perfect size for a small dining room.

But back to the chair covers. I found fabric on sale that matched the colors in my kitchen and knew what I wanted the final product to look like . . . and that's as far as I got. That's when my brilliant beyond brilliant idea came: Call mom! Of course she said yes! (How could she say 'no' to her favorite daughter?? haha, kidding sisters!) She took measurements and the fabric and went home to her sewing machine. And tada! Here's the final product!:

Puppy Pillows

2010-08-26T10:36:00.003-04:00

Both of the dogs have 'bed' problems. Kyla eats hers and Summer pees in hers! I have taken drastic measures. And both dogs got cute pillow covers out of the deal!

For Kyla:

The actual pillow, I sprayed with "no-chew", and sewed the sheet/cover around the entire bed and plastic tray. When we just put a regular sheet over the pillow, she would dig at it until she could get to the pillow. It was also tearing up her poor little puppy nose in the process! Now no matter how much she digs, she won't be able to pull that elastic around the corners!

For Summer:

All the trainers, all the websites, all the books tell you that dogs won't mess where they sleep. Summer is here to prove them wrong! I do think it is partly because she is older. But still, not ok! So I got rid of the pillow and put a new one in. Maybe if she can't smell it, she won't do it?? Her new sheet/cover is a bright color so that I can tell if she's wet during the night. Before it was a dark color and hard to see wet, so (bad mom me) wouldn't know until the entire room started to stink! Again, not ok!!

Final results:

So far, so good!

Checklists

2010-08-25T10:46:00.004-04:00

Cameron comes home late tomorrow! Fingers crossed the Army doesn't change that - well, unless they want to send him home today! I'm all for that!!

Here's my to do list, before he comes home:

*Dog's bathed and groomed (Check! I fixed the razor all by myself!)

*Grocery Shopping done (Check! All his favorites bought and put away!)

*Laundry put away (Check! And it's only been sitting on the dresser for a week, lol)

*Dog pillow's finished (Check! And they turned out super cute if I do say so myself)

*Welcome home sign (Check! Kyla really wanted to help with the paint)

*House Clean...Well, 5/6 ain't bad right????

In a nutshell

2010-08-21T09:00:00.002-04:00

With Cameron gone, it's been hard for me to remember to update this blog! So in no particular order, here's the past week at a glance:

*Kyla learned to 'sit pretty'. In about 2 days! It's super cute. She is also doing great with 'give it', which has saved my hands and fingers from lots of little accidental puppy bites!

*Wished my mother-in-law a Happy Birthday on Monday. They should be coming up labor day weekend to see us and help celebrate Cameron's birthday!

*In my spare time I have been researching my family tree - I've found out some very interesting things so far

*FINALLY got to talk to Cameron again. They got out of the field and he called at 5am (2am his time)! Crazy kid, but glad I got to talk to him briefly! Still no finalized dates for when he flies back, but should I expect anything less from the army?

*Walked outside to a MONSTER of a bug by the door, right by my head - look at this thing! Ew!!!

*Both dogs had a successful 5 hours (total) of time that they were left in the stairway/entry way and no accidents to be found!!

*Had drinks with some friends from the school I worked at last year - I'm sure we were loud and obnoxious to everyone around us, but it was fun!

There ya go!

always::sometimes::never

2010-08-13T09:33:00.005-04:00

(stole this fun idea from debra)

I always::
love spending time with my husband.
enjoy dessert.
LOVE pink.

I sometimes::
wish my life was a musical.
threaten to give the dogs away.
would rather stay in than go out.

I never::
say no to date night.
Or chocolate.
like doing laundry.

Deployment Journal

2010-08-07T17:39:00.005-04:00

With Cameron at NTC, it has brought the realization that deployment is fast approaching. I was searching online and found some books I'd like to read, but one thing that caught my eye was a deployment journal. The idea is that the spouse at home fills it up with the things going on at home and when the soldier comes back, they are able to read it. I thought I'd try it while Cameron was gone for NTC but I didn't want to pay $30 plus s/h. So I made one:

Lessons Learned

2010-08-07T17:27:00.002-04:00

This summer my goal was to work on (re)training Kyla. We reviewed sit, down, stay, leave it, off, crawl, watch me, go get the___/bring me the ___ and 'let's go'. The 1st 3 she does perfectly and almost always the first time you tell her. She knows the words rope, toy, chewstick, treat, play, outside, go, bathroom, bell and lots more! She is highly intelligent. But that is not always good, mainly for me. Here's why:
Recently I've added 'stand' and 'give' to the mix of commands. Stand was/is the most frustrating command we have ever tried!! So we moved to 'give' with the intentions of going back to stand. Today we were practicing 'give it'. The way it works is to have her tug on one end of the rope while I have the other. I let her play for a minute or two and then tell her give. If she knows I have treats, she drops it immediatly. If she thinks I am 'treat-less', it's hopeless.
After I had ended training for the day Kyla decided she wasn't done. Cameron had to ski caps on the bookshelf. Kyla went over and grabbed one. I got up, took one end of the cap and said 'give it'. I could see the wheels turning in her head. Do I drop it or should I run? Luckily (for me) she let go. I went and gave her a treat and sat down. 2 seconds later she had the other hat. But before I could get up, she brought it over to me and dropped it at my feet, looking expectantly for a treat.
I guess the question is, who is training who?

Maybe I could leave her...

2010-08-05T23:15:00.002-04:00

But really, how pathetic does she look?? I think a ball rolled back there but because of the cord to the lamp hanging down, she couldn't get back out. She's a scaredy cat, er, dog. However, minus the pathetic whines, it was tempting to keep her there.

Summer's Surgery & Kyla's Pug

2010-07-31T10:07:00.003-04:00

A few months ago, we found a lump on our 10 year old 'puppy' Summer. The vet said not to worry unless it started growing. Last weekend while my family was here, it got infected. We took Summer to the vet and they put her on antibiotics. She had surgery on Tuesday and is now feeling a lot better! They removed the lump and sent it to the lab so we can find out what it is. Poor Summer had to experience 'the cone'. She was not happy, though she did learn fast that she could knock us over with it!!

(investigating)(trying to eat)

Yesterday we had to call the repair guy. Our fridge has not been cooling/defrosting correctly and the top shelf is constantly coated with a layer of ice. We also discovered that our sink/dishwasher has been leaking for an unknown period of time and the shelf under the sink was covered in water!! As you may remember, Kyla had a stuffed pug she carried around with her when she was a puppy. When Pug started falling apart we hid him on top of the fridge. The repair guy moved things around and Pug must have fallen off - this is what what I found:

On a sad note, see the giant army bag? I dropped Cameron off last night at work to leave for A MONTH in California for training. Even Kyla knew something was going on when Cameron pulled out the bag to pack. She was whiney and miserable all day yesterday and today she has just moped around the house.

2010-07-27T14:22:00.003-04:00

Over the weekend my Mom, brother Jeremy and his girlfriend Jenifer came to visit. We took them to dinner at the Whistle Stop, a homestyle restaurant near our house and went to Holiday World in Indiana. We also spent many hours in battle for the title of Wii Champion...Can you guess who won that?? It was great to spend time with them, and Cameron and I enjoyed meeting Jen!

(by an old train)

(awwww)(he got his foot stuck. it was scary. good thing jen has super powers and pulled him free before the train got him!)(mom...and the yummy fried pickles)(love him)

Fabulous Find Friday!

2010-07-23T10:26:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago I took a 'shortcut' down the laundry aisle at Walmart. It seemed the quickest way to get from one side of the store to the other and also (surprisingly) the only aisle without 20 other people in it. Have I mentioned lately how much I hate going to walmart??? Well anyways, a new product caught my eye - Febreze Laundry Odor Eliminater. Can I just say how much I am in LOVE with this product???? Cameron's stinky PT uniforms and socks and all of the dog's bedding actually smell clean again!! I love it - I highly recommend it. You can even get a $2 off coupon if you go here: http://www.newfebreze.com/index.html Try it!!

Picnics and Pirates

2010-07-18T20:13:00.007-04:00

On Friday we had a Troop cook out. There was a great turnout and lots of things for the families to do. Tug of war, a bounce house and even an exciting Corn Hole (don't ask). To help raise money for the troop, we held a silent auction. 2 of the highest items were the CO (captain's) and 1st Sergeant's parking spaces. But the thing that made the most money? The guys could buy a pie to throw in the face of the NCO's and officers!!!

(Captain Wood)

(one of Cameron's section sergeants, SSG Proctor)

(this is Cameron's old platoon sergeant. bet he's wishing he didn't come now! and yes, that is Cameron pie-ing him in the face)

Yesterday we went to downtown Louisville. We really don't go there very often, but I had seen that one of the museums had a Pirates exhibit. So I talked Cameron into going. The whole museum was about international history, mainly European. I think Cameron enjoyed it (he's the history buff in our family) and I learned a little bit too. I liked the more recent history they had, with real artifacts from the time period.

On our way home I batted my eyes some more and convinced Cameron to turn into the 'Bridges to the Past'. We always see the sign and I was curious as to what it was exactly. The website was vague, and didn't make it seem all that interesting but still. So down a looooooong, narrow road, and past a backwoods church, we came to a parking lot. With a hiking trail. Oh well, now we know.

(a still-in-use railroad bridge. not so much 'of the past')

Family Visit #3

2010-07-18T10:35:00.005-04:00

One great thing about this summer is that a lot of our family has been able to come visit. We saw all of Cameron's family in May. Mom and Jim were able to stay one night on their way home. And last week my Dad and Brother came to visit for a few days.

While they were here we went to the Louisville Sluggar Factory (where they make the baseball bats) and I came away with more baseball trivia than is necessary. Like the difference between an bat made of Ash wood and one of Oak. Or how to tell if a player has a contract with the Factory. And other things like that. The stinky part was that we weren't allowed to take pictures on the actual tour. Even though they had huge glass windows that you could look into from the sidewalk and see everything...Go Figure.

We also had to go see the tanks before they all move to Georgia.

Celebrating Independence...

2010-07-05T20:40:00.003-04:00

from work, from cleaning, from basically doing anything requiring effort. Cameron and I (and the puppies) had a super lazy 4 day weekend. We saw The Last Airbender and Eclipse. We watched a couple movies from Netflix. And ate a LOT of popcorn. We played with the puppies. We came up with new words to say so that Kyla wouldn't know what we were talking about. She figured it out anyway. We took the puppies on a car ride because one of them (I'll give you 2 choices, but I'm sure you will only need one) was driving us insane. And just like a kid, she passed out on the drive!

(so excited for their car ride!)

Sunday was the 4th of July. A holiday. A chance to go overboard with decorating and cooking and dressing up the dogs. And I completely forgot to take advantage of it. I'll have to get better at this. However, we did go up to post to see fireworks. But I was not impressed this year. I like the glittery looking fireworks, but too many of the loud booming fireworks for me! Hope everyone had a safe and fun weekend!

(staring contest before the fireworks started)

(Happy 4th)

Pizza, Popcorn, and year-old Wedding Cake

2010-07-04T12:38:00.004-04:00

After coming home from Nashville, I still wanted to bring Chicago to Kentucky. So I sent Cameron to the store and got things set up. We started out with pizza at our cliche' Italian restaurant table. Did you know you can order authentic deep dish pizza from Chicago? Did you know it will cost you about $100? So instead of delivery, we had Digiorno.

After dinner comes dessert, of course. And keeping with the tradition, we had our cake topper ready and waiting. Ew. Not good. But luckily I had back up ice-cream sundaes ready!

Then it was off to our living room turned movie theater. We had lots of great treats from our 'Chicago in a Box' my friend Sheena sent us. The mix&match popcorn was actually really good! And there may or may not have been a war between the White Sox and Cubs Pez dispensers...

We danced to 'our' song and had a very nice evening before I had to pick up the puppies the next morning. The whole weekend was simply perfect.

The Perfect Getaway

2010-06-29T12:01:00.009-04:00

This past weekend, Cameron and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary. Because of the Army, but also because of a great commander, it was a sort-of spur of the moment weekend trip to Nashville. Let me explain.

After finding out when block leave was, we had originally planned to take a week long trip to Maine. When we started pricing that trip, we decided a long weekend trip to Chicago would be fun, too! (Did you know driving the 10.5 hours to Maine would cost the same as flying...less, actually, because of renting a car). Then we found out Cameron had to go to Ft. Campbell. So we changed the weekend. When that didn't look like it would work I started searching for things to do around KY and even planned to bring Chicago to Kentucky. Well, let's just say Cameron has an awesome commander that saw to it that we had this past weekend. Like he told Cameron, "You only get one 1st anniversary and you'll miss enough of the other ones...you take the ones you can get." Ah, the reality of Army life.

Back to Nashville. I booked the hotel Wednesday, Cameron found a place to board the dogs on short notice and by Friday afternoon we were on the road. Oh, by the way, did you know Nashville is in the Central timezone? Neither did we till we checked in. Oops. The staff was nice and let us check in an hour early though. We decided on the Hardrock Cafe for dinner and then The Big Bang (dueling pianos) after. We went to a yummy ice cream place and walked around downtown in between. Did you know that the Confederacy has a super hero running around downtown Nashville? (Ok it may have been a homeless guy with a Confederate flag cape.)

Saturday we got up and went to see the Parthenon, well, the replica of the Parthenon. The park was pretty, the Parthenon was huge. We went to the wildhorse saloon for lunch. When we came out, it was pouring rain! Luckily it let up long enough to walk to the car. We spent the rest of the rainy/cloudy afternoon at the hotel pool. For dinner, we did our traditional anniversary dinner and a movie night. We tried a place called J. Alexander's for dinner and then went and saw the Karate Kid. Little did we know a monsoon was headed our way. As we pulled into the parking lot it was like someone turned a hose on us! Cameron let me off at the front, but then had to park forever away and run in the rain! He was soaking wet!

(The Parthenon)

(Bicentennial Park)

(Wildhorse Saloon) (Cameron was confused by the tower of fries at dinner)

We didn't do a whole lot while we were there, but it suited us. We saw some sights, but mainly just spent time talking/walking/hanging out. At home there are puppies, and computers, and chores, etc. It was nice to be just us for a weekend.

Day 365

2010-06-27T14:33:00.005-04:00

One year. One amazing, exciting, and I'll admit at times, frustrating year, full of new experiences, adventures, some tears and lots of laughter. And I wouldn't trade any of it.

(a year ago today)

(one of my absolute favorites from our reception)

Day 358

2010-06-20T09:12:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was my 25th birthday. 25. A quarter of a century old. Yikes!

We started the day with a platoon cookout. We were welcoming new soldiers and their famlies, as well as sending off some good guys as well. That is one hard thing about the army. Just about the time you get to know people, they leave. Sigh. I guess facebook will really come in handy.

After the cookout, we came home and spent time with the puppies. We went and had a yummy dinner at Olive Garden. I went there specifically for dessert, but then was too full to eat it! So we got it to go. :)

After dinner I wanted to go see the new Toy Story movie. Silly, maybe, but I really like the first two. Dinner took a little longer than expected so we were cutting it close to get to the movie on time. Cameron dropped me off at the front of the theater and I rushed inside. I checked the screen and most of the 3D/3D IMAX showings were blinking sold out. But we didn't want to see it in 3D anyways. So there. Our time was still shining bright. I get up to the counter and tell the kid (Oh no. did I just say kid???? how old am I???) I need 2 tickets and he says Sorry, it's sold out. What?! The sign didn't say sold out. So he checked again. There was 1 seat left. Did I want that 1 seat? I guess Cameron could've sat in my lap... Sigh. So, discouraged, we just went home and had our own movie night. Just as great, in my opinion :)

Here's to 25 being just as great as 24!

day 356

2010-06-18T10:52:00.005-04:00

This past weekend I made a trip to the great state of Texas! My bestest friend Ginger flew me out to spend the weekend with her. It was definitly a great weekend, full of lots of laughs, good food, and a nice break. This was the first time I'd been away from Cameron. (normally he's the one who has to leave for work stuff...it's different when I'm the one leaving and he stays). It was nice just being back in Texas. I know people don't believe me but there is a difference, in people, in surroundings, etc...it's just better. So there.

Anyways. While we were there we went and saw Sex & the City 2. Don't judge. I really liked it. But then I also liked the first movie and the t.v. show. A lot. We went to a super awesome theater (theatre?) - it was a new movie tavern in downtown FT Worth on the top of one of the buildings. Super fun!

My mom drove down Saturday to see me for my early birthdayand took us all to lunch. It was so great to be able to spend time with her. We all had lots of teacher stories to swap, haha!

In between shopping, getting my fill of great Texas food, taking Wylie to the dog park, and ~~just being lazy~~ taking it easy, Ginger taught me how to make some new, super wonderful meals! They are all easy, and something new to cook. I've already made one and Cameron liked it. Success!

I was sad to leave. One day, maybe we will make it back to Texas. This past year has been hard being away from all of our family and friends. It makes it super special when we do get to see them!

(me and Ginger at Joe T's)

Day 345

2010-06-07T10:12:00.006-04:00

This past weekend Cameron's family came to visit. His whole family was able to take time off and come out here! They came in Thursday night, and we went to dinner. Friday we got up and started our day at Saunder's Springs Park. Cameron and I went back in the fall and enjoyed it then. There are trails, a river (complete with waterfall) and LOTS of trees!

(Josh found a rock with a fossil in it)

Later that day we went to the Patton Museum on post to see the tanks.

Saturday we went to Kentucky Down Under. We fed Parakeets and Lorries, threw boomarangs, played a Digeridoo, pet a kangaroo, toured a cave, milked a cow and Alyssa even wrestled a sheep! That evening we celebrated Cameron's and my birthday since we won't see his family for either.

(the birds yelled in Derrik's ears!)

(Hope helped)

Sunday we went back to Saunder's Springs for a cookout and even took the puppies! Kyla LOVED getting in the water and splashing around. It was a great weekend. I'm glad they were all able to come out and see us! (There were a LOT more pictures...you can see more here)

Day 337

2010-05-30T13:26:00.003-04:00

Last night we went to see Toby Keith play at Ft Knox. Here are the highlights.

1. We saw on the tickets no coolers (for the OUTSIDE concert) so we grabbed 2 bottles of water (for the OUTSIDE concert), got to the front of the line, and were told we couldn't bring them in. But that's ok. They had cups of water inside. For sale. For $2 a piece.

2. They could have filmed an episode of 'What Not to Wear Kentucky Edition' while we waited for the band to start playing. It was quite entertaining. Between the socks and sandals, shirts rolled up (Sisters - remember when we used to fold our shirt bottom thru the neck hole? The style's still alive and kickin' in Kentucky!), DIY sleeveless shirts and the ever-so-cool underwear hanging out, it was a TLC episode waiting to happen.

3. Sitting on the blacktop runway. Facing the sun. In a crowd of people.

4. The music finally started with a band I'd never heard of and never could understand them when they said their name. They were decent. Then came Katherine McPhee (or as Cameron heard, Captain McPhee). She almost won American Idol. Noname Band was better.

5. FINALLY Toby Keith came on. This was by far not a child friendly concert despite all the kids around us. But still, I knew most of the songs. Cameron even sang one or two! Entertainer of the night however, goes to the lady in front of us. She was definitely enjoying herself! And the pink drinks!

(picture proof we were there)

Day 336

2010-05-29T08:35:00.006-04:00

Today our sweet, ornery, happy, anxious, energetic, silly, fluffy puppy turned 1! She has definitely kept our first year of marriage interesting. So it seemed only fair that I spoil her on her special day (because I never would spoil her otherwise...). I wanted her to have a special treat so I started looking into dog cakes. Yes, there are actually recipes out there for dog-friendly cakes. And I made one. It was all normal ingredients you have in the pantry...well except for the strained beef baby food and the beef jerky. I'm sure you can imagine how great it smelled. I was a bit worried about how it would taste. I mean, how do you know if a dog cake is good? I sure wasn't taking a bite...

(my audience...that's beef jerky in the batter)(the before)(anyone want to lick the bowl?)(the after)

After it baked for an HOUR AND TEN MINUTES (seriously. nothing I cook for me takes that long!), I put the lid on, but the dogs kept going over to the stove and sticking their noses on top, trying to figure out what I had made. Good sign.

This morning Cameron let me sleep in. (yay) When I got up Kyla was lying against the bedroom door. We told her happy birthday and took her downstairs to see her cake and presents! The cake was a hit! I think they may have just swallowed it whole, haha.

We got Kyla a birthday hat. She wasn't so much a fan, but Summer loved it.

(i haz a hat)(puppy fur+balloon=static)

After all the fun inside we took Kyla outside to play with her new toys (a pink frisbee and a pink tennis ball!)

(passed out)

Day 335

2010-05-28T20:42:00.003-04:00

Having only one job again has left me searching for things to do. Things to keep me busy. Things that don't involve the dogs. Or laundry. So here is the first project (of many I'm sure). I made the dogs a treat jar. And it drives Kyla nuts because she can see the treats inside. I can almost hear her thinking when she stares at it: if only I had thumbs.

love like Crazy

video

Nothing like a dog and her...box?

Proof

TGIFB

It's that time of year again.

This post brought to you by the letter K.

Fabulous Find Friday!

Before & After

Dog training, Weeks 6 & 7

House Guest

Quick Trip

Finished Product

R&R (part 2)

R&R (part 1)

Dog Training, Weeks 3, 4, & 5

Welcome Home!

A visit

Dog Training, Week 2

My Good Deed

Special K Challenge

Dog Training, Week 1

Play time

Just for Cameron

Happy Birthday Kyla!

Staying Busy

Cooking for 1

(Not-So-)Fabulous Find Friday

Assessments, Arachnids, and an Adorable puppy!

Easter Egg Hunt

"Hoppy" Easter

Hurdles

Waterfront Property

Spring Break Post

A sequel of sorts...

Flat Stanley

One Proud Momma

Good Habits

Helping?

(Censored) Cats

Our most recent addition

My dog is an MVP

Kyla's newest trick

Smoothies

update from the homefront

Surprise!

Success!

Spiders *shiver*

New Toy

1 month

My daily battle

Another snow day

Week At A Glance

Saying goodbye

Everyone loves a slinky

White Christmas

Would you like to report it lost or stolen?

an actual conversation in our house

Celebrate!

3rd time's the charm

Deployment Ceremony 2010

Thanksgivingmas 2010 - Texas

Thanksgivingmas 2010 - Oklahoma

A Quick Update

Halloween, 2010 edition.

THUNDERSHIRT!

Now that's something you don't see everyday...

Another Weekend, Another (photo) Challenge

Red is Everywhere (weekend challenge)

Signs of Fall

Thundershirts, puppy prozac and dog psychology

Weekend Update:

Jumbled Thoughts

Camping Trip

Congrats LT!

In the past week...

Long Weekend

Frisbee

New chair covers!

Puppy Pillows

Spiders shiver