Goodbye, 2011, Hello 2012

As I sit here, and reflect on the last year, I can't help but to feel an overwhelming sense of not only accomplishment, but true gratitude. It's been one heck of a year, that's for sure. Jon and I are so incredibly blessed to be where we're at at this point in our lives.

Be brought in 2011 still living at the apartment on State St. Our house hunting began early in the year, and we found (and fell in love with) our first home.
It's been an adventure, that's for sure. Immediately upon moving in, the basement living room flooded. Then the basement bathroom flooded. Then we tore out all the ugly bushes that for whatever reason people in the 50's thought every house needed.
We've removed two trees. Painted every wall and ceiling in the ground level. Seriously, an oxblood red closet is a bad idea, always. Who does that?! Whoever lived here before us, that's who. And they also liked peach kitchens. Weirdos.

Jon is still working at Wal Mart. We'd be totally lying if we said we totally loved him working nights, but I'm so glad we both have jobs, we simply can't complain. His schooling is trucking right along, in one more year he will have a degree in Forensic (Chemistry or Science, I'm a bad wife and never can remember which one it is) and will hopefully move to a new job while he finishes up on a Pharmacy degree. I'm so thankful for such a hard working husband.

I've had a few changes with work this year. But a lot has stayed the same, too. I love our staff so much. Seriously, I want the girls to just work there FOREVER because it's so much like a second family I don't even like to think about any of them ever moving on! Bleh! Tarah of course moved out of State, which has been an adjustment. I have been so blessed to have not just a business partner, but an honest true friend. She's one of those people that brings only positive to those around her. I love that. Love. Love. Love.

We of course added to the pack this year, quite a bit in preparation of getting Velcro Danes up and working towards producing quality, healthy, sound Great Danes of all beautiful colors they come in. Our first litter will be in Spring 2012 and we are so excited to embark on this adventure with our Danes that we flippin' love so much.

Who knows what all 2012 will bring. I can't even begin to wonder because I had no idea what kinds of blessings were in store for us this time last year. We are o lucky to be happy, healthy, stable, and ever progressing. I hope to never take such things for granted.

Farewell 2011. 2012 is going to be fantastic, it's already been decided.

Dear Ellie,

Dear Ellie,
Over two months ago, I went on vacation. While I was gone you ran away from home. For two months, I drove the neighborhood every day, hoping to find you and bring you home again. I laid in bed praying that you were OK.
 Let's face it: you're a pretty dumb cat. You let Champ carry you around by the scruff. The odds are not in your favor out there.
Halloween was tough. You're such a beautiful dark chocolate kitty, easily mistaken for black. I know what moronic kids do to black kitties on that day. I cried myself to sleep.
Then, one day, I saw you! You were a block away, had been missing about a month, and you were fat, dingy, and so timid. You were never timid before. I cried for you when I couldn't catch you before nightfall.
Winter rolled in. Every night it got colder, I worried for you.
Then tonight, 63 days after you went missing, there you were, in the driveway. I was beyond thrilled when you didn't run this time, you ran to me and leaped in my arms. I'll even forgive you for scratching my shoulder, but don't make a habit of it.
I brought you inside, and can't believe you're home again. My Ellie. My kitty.
You stink, a lot... like stale cigarettes. I'm sad you had to live in that stench, for however long you did. I'm glad someone was taking care of you enough to let you inside, but I wish they cared enough to see if you have a microchip (which you do!) so you could come home to me. You're a little skiddish, but we'll get back to how things used to be, I hope. I wish you weren't SUCH a dumb cat, and would just leave a dang collar on.

ps. Your never going outside again. Ever. SO, I hope you had fun.


The moral of the story, folks: If you ever find a friendly kitty, PLEASE don't assume they are a stray. Take them to a vet to have them scanned for a microchip. ANY vet will do this, and it WON'T cost you anything. Post fliers. PAY ATTENTION to fliers posted in your neighborhood. You might think you're doing a good thing, but you never know who is out there driving, possibly right by your house, night after night, looking for their pet. 

Things I love.

Every now and then I buy, stumble upon, or receive something I really like. You know, things that just make life easier, get things done faster, and aren't complicated. I like life to be as easy as it can be. I've actually been meaning to do this blog post for a while now, but never really found the time. Imagine that.

I love my Swivel Sweeper.

Let's recap for a moment here... I have 6 dogs. Six not so small dogs, even. I love this thing, because if I just have to sweep something up really quick, and don't want to haul the vacuum out then I grab this handy dandy thing. It's NOT a vacuum, it won't replace a vacuum, but it's fantastic for quick clean up. 

I love my Shark Navigator Vacuum

Again with the 6 dogs bit. When my Bissell whatever vacuum died on us shortly after we bought our house, I was pretty dead set on a Dyson Animal. I mean, there I was at Wal Mart, about to dish out $600 I didn't really have on this awesome vacuum. And then I saw this thing, for like $160, looked p reviews and took a gamble. I LOVE THIS THING! Seriously. I'm not sure how I lived without it for 22 years of life. It has taken giant MUDDY paw prints off the white parts of my not-so-cheap area rug. I'm amazed at all the dust and hair it gets out of the carpet, carpet that doesn't even look dirty. If you don't want to know how gross your floor is, don't buy it. I actually LIKE vacuuming now. 

I love my Crockpots. Both of them. Dearly. 

I love my crockpots because they make dinner easy. Moreso, they make healthy dinners easy... dinners with very little prep time, and really long cook times. I'm in this routine now. Here's how it goes. Every night, I take about 5-20 minutes to throw a bunch of junk in the crockpot and set the dish in the fridge. In the morning, one of us puts it on to cook. When I come home from work, my house smells yummy, and dinner is pretty much ready. Steam some kind of veggie and I'm set to go! Seriously. Without these babies, I'd be doomed to fast food all the time. 

I love my 2011 Kia Sorento.

Have you ever tried car shopping for something that will fit a handful of Danes, be as gas-budget friendly as it can get, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, but still is good quality with a killer warranty, or is that just me? I love my car, oh to count the ways. It's cute, unlike a Prius. It's comfy, unlike a Prius. . It  can handle winter in Utah, unlike a Prius. It fits all the dogs. All of them. At the same time. unlike a Prius It gets decent mileage ok, FINE, Prius wins here.  The back seats fold completely flat. Lots of "cargo space." unlike a PriusIt's fun to drive. It has a killer warranty. I just love it, ok?!

I love my Nikon D40x

I love my camera. Why? Because it's user-friendly, and I get nifty pictures of my dogs. I love it, I don't have much to say about it other than that if you don't have one, you should. 

I love my HTC Evo.

This thing makes life easier from day 1. I just wish it would do the laundry. 

I love the Hound Haberdashery collars. 

Huge huge fan of these collars. Such amazing quality, with fantastic prices, and they look great on my pooches. I love them. loooooove. Go buy one. 

And the rest are all RESOURCES I love. 

I love this crockpot recipe blog. A lot. 

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

I've been making dinner from this blog for a few nights now. This is why I love my crockpot so dang much. 

I love this Prey Model Raw info source.

http://preymodelraw.com/

A lot of people ask me where they can learn about raw, and this is where I always send them. A place that isn't even trying to sell you some kind of lengthy how-to, or some super supplement to add. And the folks who own it aren' too bad, either. I've contributed to it a few times, too. Go read it. Your dog will thank you. 

I love these pregnancy/birth/parenting blogs.

http://birthwithoutfearblog.com/

http://banned-from-baby-showers.blogspot.com/

http://mamabirth.blogspot.com/

And in that order. 

I know, right? How backwards is that? I don't even have kids yet. But I will someday, and in the process of research (you know me, I have to question EVERYTHING) I've become somewhat of a junkie on this stuff. I check them daily. And they all have Facebook groups! I'm borderline obsessed.

Christmas Photo Shoot, Party of Six!

SO. It's December. Woo hoo. I can't believe the end of the year is all but here, and I'm happy for it to not be totally weird that my house is decorated. But only since Halloween. That's reasonable, right?

so this time of year brings a lot of things. Liiiike.... snow, and shopping. And cold, which I guess goes along with the snow. And, it's Christmas card time. I woke up this morning and thought "Hmm, I should get that picture done while I have time."

I pictured it in my head: all 6 sitting peacefully in front of the tree/ fireplace, ears perfect, focused on me. Shoot, I will take a few and then post them on DFC and get input on which I should use. I mean how hard can it be? My dogs can sit. They can wait. Yup, I've got good dogs, this will be a piece of cake. A little Venison jerky, my nifty  camera. We're set. Let the dogs in!


First, Braxton and Timber run in and jump on the couch.
I call them off.
"Picture time, baby danes!"
I heard them, all 6 of them in front of the tree. Armed with venison jerky.
Kola obsessively sniffs my hand.  Leave it, Kola.
I hold one hand up, right by the camera, armed with treats.
Oh good, they're watching!
"Okay, SIT!"
I'm watching through the viewfinder, this will be fantastic!
6 blank stares come my way
Ugh.
"Kola, Timber, Braxton, Annie, Zailey, Mousse! Sit!"
Half of them sit. Braxton makes sure to move several feet to his right, no longer in the picture. Zailey lays down. Timber looks like someone is about to slaughter her, ears tucked so close to her head she looks likie she doesn't have any. Mousse wanders off to his crate.
We gather then again, this time moving the furniture to block them in a small area.
Their attention spans have run out, and so has my patience, but we're going to get this done.
After all, I have good dogs.
SO, now they're trapped. They can't wander off. woot. I'm a smart, smart dog mom.
Except for, have you ever TRIED to enclose Danes in COUCHES, and then expected them to sit on the floor? It doesn't happen. In fact, Danes have some kind of illogical FEAR of the floor, like if more body parts than the pads of their feet touch it, they might shrivel up and die. They will sit/lay ANYWHERE but the floor. Couch occupied? Dog beds taken? They will find a way.
Case in point:

Alright, off the couches, everyone.
Picture time.
Now they're sick of me.
I'm kinda sick of them too.
Braxton, Kola, and Timber are oddly distracted by the knots in the hardwood floor.
I, in my happiest voice ever put out my secret weapon.
"whooooo wantsssss CHICKIE?!"
Chickie. Why didn't I think of it before? It's their "dinner/food/treat" que.
Zailey perks up. She always does. She's a fat Dane at heart.
Kola looks at me, sweet expression on her face.
Annie yawns.
Braxton walks away.
Timber is still interested in the floor.
Alright, I'm bored.
They're bored.
Time to perk up!
Look guys, it's RAINING treats!
I toss handfuls into the air, making them rain down.
They scramble to get them.
I ponder for a moment on how awesome it would be if it rained Jolly Ranchers.
Alright guys, focus.
They're hudled together, looking at me.
I suddenly don't care that they're not sitting.
I pretend to be about to toss more treats.
 Yes! It's working!
I drop the treat.
DANGIT!
Timber inches toward it.
I snap the picture anyway.
DANGIT!
Her face is way out of focus.
I look at them.
They look at me.
I suddenly don't care. It will do.
YES! we're done.
Jon put them outside for a minute, started arranging our living room again, while I uploaded them.
I upload them to Costco.com
Resolution too small.
WHAT?!
I could cry. Instead I yell a couple four letter words.
Won't say which, this is a family blog. Hi, Mom!
The camera got put on small. How? Why? My life is OVER!
No big deal, we'll just do it again.
Remember, I've got good dogs.
We're losing light, and good light is my key to good pictures.
I'm an idiot and don't even know how to use my camera with crappy light.
Everything just goes blurry and the shutter speed dies.
A few tries, and we quit.
Their heads are hung.
Annie keeps laying down.
We've all had it for the day.


So, we will do it tomorrow.
I bet Jon is excited.
Maybe I'll even get Santa Hats.
I'm sure it won't take TOO long.
After all, I've got good dogs.

It's a Lifestyle Choice

I've been making this real, honest effort to not pass judgement on so many people. I have never considered myself to be a judgmental person. In fact, quite the opposite: I've always considered myself pretty open minded and accepting of other people, and for the most part I think that's true. But I also feel like there are so many times when we pass judgement without even thinking about it or realizing we're doing it.

I'm pretty active on some internet forums, and some I just lurk. They can be vicious. And really, it's quite petty. But that's what got me thinking, about who the heck CARES to argue about things so insignificant?! People judge on what one decides to feed their pets. (yeah, guilty as charged, but not anymore!!) People judge on where people opt to give birth. People judge on where someone chooses to live. People judge on what religion someone is, or how often they go to church. People judge on what someone weighs, or what kind of clothes they wear. What in the heck difference does this make in the big picture? None.

The thing is, sometimes it bothers me to see people make decisions out of ignorance. But, what bothers me more, is when people assume that someone is ignorant simply because they don't agree. Guess what folks, it is entirely possible for two educated individuals to come to different conclusions on a hot topic, and neither one is right or wrong!

I think what I have learned most about myself, in this whole effort to not judge others,  is how much on a daily basis I worry about what people might think of me, and how that worry effects my life on a day to day basis. Not anymore. Judgement breeds insecurity, and insecurity breeds hard feelings and hard feelings breed misery. Not exactly a chain reaction anyone wants in on, is it?

So, here I am. Think what you want. Reality is, we all belong to groups of people that have some kind of ignorant stereotypes associated to them. Here's some of mine.

I live in UTAH.
Yeah, Utah. You know, where all the crazy Mormons. I may have at some point laughed along with you or ranted about how awful this place is because I know what people think of it; how people judge it. But, truth is, I LOVE this place. It's beautiful. I love the community. I love the atmosphere. I love the seasons. I love the terrain. And you know, I just so happen to be one of those crazy Mormons myself.

I am MORMON.
No, that doesn't mean my husband has a bunch of wives, or that I'm holier-than-thou, or that i believe in magic. I may have at some point said "yeah, I'm mormon, but a lot of people don't know that!" in some lame attempt to not sound nuts. But you know, I hope everyone that knows me DOES know it... because I'm proud of it. It's part of me. It means that I have a religion that I believe in, and it makes no difference to be if you do or not!


I have SIX DOGS.
Yeah, I have six canines. They live in my house, and I love them dearly. You might think that's too many, you might even think it's impossible to care for that many. But, guess what? It's the decision we made for ourselves, and they ARE well cared for. Will we ever get another? Oh, I'm sure eventually. And I'm sure people will once again whisper, and share opinions about how irresponsible we are, or that our animals take over our lives, or something else that's really no one's business. But, at the end of the day: I no longer care.


I want MULTIPLE KIDS.
I don't even want a "large" family. Jon and I want two or three kids. But even so, I don't at all understand why having a large family is so looked down on. Like anyone has any place to decide how many children someone should have. I really detest the idea that having kids somehow ruins your life, or makes it less fulfilling. If YOU have chosen not to have kids because YOU don't want them, more power to you, but that doesn't mean that I must agree. And I don't.


I have REHOMED PETS.
Which means I am an unfit animal owner who must be burned at the stake, right?! Ugh. Whatever you want to think. I can not even begin to tell you the crap I've gotten any time I've decided to re home a pet, but you know what, I do what is best for my animals, and my husband and I make our decisions together, and to heck with everyone else! Not one animal I have ever owned is currently miserable. So, there.

These are just some of the things that I have been insecure about MYSELF over, because of what other people might think. This list could be a mile long if I really sat here and dished out everything. My point is, i think we could ALL make an honest effort to not pass judgement so quickly on other people, even if we might think we know everything. Next time you judge someone, consider that you are wrong. Consider that perhaps that very thing you are judging is the exact lifestyle choice that brings that person joy and meaning.

Deck the Freakin' Halls

The last couple days have been interesting. A lot of annoyances and unnecessary stress, but that's all unimportant. Yesterday I woke up, tired of all the mindless crap, and decided I wanted absolutely nothing more than to put our Christmas tree up. So, we did.

Yes, I admit it. On October 28th, I took down Halloween decorations, and put up Christmas. There, I said it! I bought all the stuff we have last year when it all went on super clearance after the Holiday. I'm so glad I did, because now it's paying off!
This will be our third Christmas as a married couple. But the first one, was only 7 days after our wedding, 6 days after moving out of state, and I had to work. It kind of just came and passed without notice to be honest. Last year was great, but we were in our tiny apartment, so we couldn't have had a tree if we wanted one. So, I've been excited to decorate ever since we bought our house (In March or May, can't remember) so I figured I had waited long enough.

Then, we figured if the tree was going up, it all might as well! After all, it did look pretty silly having the tree next to the mantle decked out for Halloween still. We are three stockings short, apparently we have more dogs this year... but that can be fixed! SO far, the dogs have left it all alone, thank goodness. Lets hope it just stays that way now!

Sandy Eggo

SO, this post is coming way late, but this is the first bit of free time I've had.

Last week, Jon and I were able to take the very first vacation we ever have with just the two of us. We have gone to visit friends or family, and gone to Lake Powell with my family, but never have we left town, just the two of us, for any length of time. Since we've been married almost 2 years now, I think it was about time we left. We would not have been able to even THINK about going on ANY kind of vacation, let alone a whole week if it weren't for Jon's wonderful mother. (pretty sure we owe her our souls at this point) I'm so incredibly thankful that we have such amazing family all across the board.

For a whole week, it was just the two of us. Our own schedule, or no schedule at all. He got to see a little bit of where I spent the first 18 years of my life, but for the most part, we were just together.  It was pretty fantastic.

We went to the Zoo, Sea World, Disneyland, California Adventures, Midevil Times, and Universal Studios. As neat as all those places are, I was just happy to be there with Jon. A whole week, together... who knew it could be so amazing?!

We had a lot of fun taking pictures at various places, and just simply being together. We had a lot of time to talk about our plans for the future, both near and far. We talked about home, dogs, work, school, family... everything. All the things that ordinary life seems to take time away from. I feel like we got to know each other all over again.

But, the week had to come to an end, and back to reality we came. We ended up coming home a day early because we missed the dumb dogs so much. They all got sick while we were gone, so I was eager to get home and make sure they were ok. Everyone got better- but Zailey got worse. Her cough turned into a respiratory infection so now she's miserable on meds. Poor dane. I'm so glad we feed raw so that they are hardly ever sick.

Well, that's kinda freaky.

A while back I got in this feeling sorry for myself stupid girl rut for a couple days. You know, that's annoying "poor me" blog post not too long ago? Yeah, then. Sorry about that, by the way.... I'll try not to blog when I'm being retarded anymore. 

Anyway, so I'm not one to put a ton of cheesy merit into dreams. I mean, I like to think they mean something, but I don't know what that something is, and for all I know they could be the result of aliens invading our brains while we sleep. BUT, I had this "woah" experience this week. 

After the stupid blog post, I was feeling pretty down. I took a nap on the couch with Annie and had this insane dream in which I was sitting with my Great Grandma Louise, who passed away quite a LONG time ago. I was in her old house, which isn't even standing anymore, and I remember every detail from the grooves in the carpet, to the ugly drapes, to the doilies that sat on every single surface. (tangent: what is it with old ladies and doilies anyway?!) 

Anyway, she was teaching me how to crochet, something that I always wanted to learn... but never had the time, and now the two ladies that I would have wanted to teach me have passed. I woke up kinda phased out, and laid there for a minute thinking about it. 

Well, I have this ball of yarn that I've had forever with a crochet hook pierced through it. I don't know where it came from, but I've had it forever. I sat down, and made a hot pad. 

Yeah, apparently my Great Grandma Louise taught me how to crochet last week. Freaky, huh? 

I do stand by the fact that I am incredibly lacking in the talent and friends department, but at least I know how to do SOMETHING... and I put writing ability to work by doing Jon's take home test essay this week. Oops, did I say that?

A few things going on here, one... we are going on vacation next month. Yeah, VACATION to San Diego. I never thought after living in San Diego for 18 years, I'd be going back to visit and call it a vacation.... but I'm excited. It will be the very FIRST time Jon and I will be on vacation by ourselves, and not at someone's house. Don't ge me wrong, I love going to Vegas to visit family, and going to Idaho to see my best friend is one of my favorite places to go... and lake Powell is AAAAMAZING.... but, well, Jon is my husband, and kinda my favorite person in the world, and it will be nice to go away with him and only him. Well, and the thousands of tourists at Disneyland and Sea World and wherever else we go, but you get the point. So, countdown to SoCal.... 17 days. Woot. 

On another note, we made it through Zailey's first heat. Mousse lost some weight refusing to eat a decent portion for three solid weeks, and Zai has been so cooped up she doesn't know what to do with herself, but she will be hitting the dog park soon! Mousse suddenly noticed I'm alive, and now that he's not so distracted has been my shadow all day long. Speaking of Mousse, he might be "servicing a bitch" next week. (psst, for you non breeder folks that means he gets to knock up a female dog.) Hopefully that pans out. 

AND, one more thing. I entered Braxton in this contest to win stuff from Fetching Tags, which I really really really really want to win. SO, if you would be so kind as going to vote for him by "liking" his picture, you'd pretty much make my day. We don't do a ton of contests, and we never win anything, but if we could win this one that'd be pretty AWESOME. Want, want, want. And our charity of choice is of course Rocky Mountain Great Dane Rescue. 

So, go here: http://www.facebook.com/fetchingtags?sk=wall&filter=1

and find this: 

And like it!

Spooky Time

I love holidays. I don't even know why, really... we don't do much for them, since Jon works so much and my schedule is all over the place, but I still love them.
I wasn't planning on decorating for Halloween this year because let's face it... decorations are expensive! Plus, I really really wanted to go all out for Christmas since we finally live in a place worth decorating, so I figured I'd save my money.
But, thanks to Jon's lovely mother, we are decorating for both! Rod Works is seriously one of my favorite stores ever, and we decked out the fireplace/mantle.
Sooooo.... the new loot!

Is this little mummy not the cutest darn thing you've ever seen?!

I love this witch, I actually bought it last year even though we lived in the apartment, because I couldn't pass it up. My mom used it for a year, and now here she is! The pumpkin is new this year, though.

Could he be any cuter? nope.

Mr. Skeleton.... seriously, whoever comes up with this stuff, I adore them.

Ok, so this was bought at Michael's but it fit in.... plus, it's kinda awesome.
















And, the whole setup. I think I'm going to get some small, plastic pumpkins to maybe paint and fill in some of the extra space, but all in all I'm happy with it. And, I've pretty much decided that I just CAN'T WAIT for Christmas, so I think we will set our tree up when we take this stuff down, and I don't care if it's early! Woot!!

Shadows

You know what gets really old, really fast? Living in the shadows. I really have no neat talents, shoot... I can't even sew a straight line with the machine I thought it would be a great idea to spend $200 on. I can't cook to save my life, and forget baking. I have no kids. (can't even figure out how to make those, apparently.) I was once a halfway decent writer, but seems that one single talent has escaped me. Or I just have zero use for it, not sure which.
And really, having no local friends has officially taken its toll.
Today, I'm really tired of hearing about how great everyone is, and how talented they are.
I'm just that oddball out in the family. My life revolves around work, and my dogs.... no one understands why. Hell, I don't even understand why half the time other than... what else is there? What else am I going to do to fill my time? Dogs it is.

...can I just be pissed off for the night?

Home Sweet Home

I can't believe how time goes by. We have been in our house for 6 months already! Sheesh, you'd think we'd have more of our projects done by now! Sometimes I don't think the yard will EVER get done... not with time and finances the way they are. But that's ok, because in the last 6 months, we've really turned this little hole in the wall into a home.




In the last 6 months We have:
Painted the bedroom green and brown
Painted the kitchen red
Painted the bathroom green
Painted the nursery yellow
Replaced the bathroom mirror
Purchased awesome decorations
Watched the dogs and cats knock down or break every decoration
Darn near replumbed the ENTIRE place
Ripped out trailers full of ugly old bushes
Taken a junk tree out of the front yard. Sorry tree, you were pretty while you were pink, and then you were just messy. And you hit my window too much at night and freaked me out.
Put up the fencing for the side yard
Taken out the rosebushes, but not before Zailey ran though them
Shampoo'd the entire downstairs
Repaired water damage
Gotten more water damage
Purchased a bedroom set! The first real set I've ever had... with a headboard and everything!
Purchased our first living room set. Red Leather... and totally awesome.
Learned how our 50's oven works, and burn less things than we did before
Fell in love with our hardwood floors....
fell, quickly, OUT of love with our hardwood floors
discovered that we much be the home base for every fly that has ever existed
failed to figure out where all the dust comes from
added four pooches to the pack
wondered where all the free time went.


Next stop: parenthood?


Owning our own home has been both the most exhausting and rewarding thing we have done as a married couple. (uhhh... and expensive)

I've lived a couple places. San Diego is nice, but just not for me. Portland is Hell on earth. At least, it was for me, but I kind of lived in the armpit of Portland, in all fairness... and it must not shower much. Denver was wonderful, but still a tad too industrial for me.


Utah is beautiful, and this is where my family is. It ALMOST feels like home, but something is missing. I long for land, mountains, freaking PRIVACY. I have no idea where the next 10 years might take our little family, but it will never change that this is our FIRST real home. We might settle in Northern Idaho, or we might find some hole in the wall Podunk town in Utah somewhere, who knows. As long as we're together... it will, in fact, be home, right Annie? Right.

Zailey is a LadyDane!

So, the result of all that trampoline jumping Monday has been PAINFUL. Yesterday I was kind of sore, but today I'm so sore I can hardly move without wanting to scream, and forget about actually using muscle.

Anyway, so we bit the bullet and got a pretty nifty camera which we've wanted to do for a long time. I'm learning how to use it still, but we're making progress. It's really fun to take pictures of the dogs... and it makes it easy that they're so dang good looking. Haha.


But, what I really wanted to announce, is that miss Zailey is a lady today! She started her first heat this morning. She wants pretty much nothing to do with any of the other dogs, much to Freya's dismay, and Mousse has a new found interest in her, much to Zailey's dismay. This new dynamic will be annoying. She is super mellow and cuddly today which is not exactly in true Zailey fashion, but I'll take it!

I can't believe she's grown up so fast. She is 14 months old now, and it seems like just yesterday she was a little spotty ball of Dane puppy. Now she's a full blown lady Dane!

That also means that we have more of a time frame on our first litter. Pending PennHIP, OFA Heart, and OFA Thyroid tests, (For Zailey, Mousse is already tested and cleared!) and assuming she has a somewhat regular cycle, we will be having our first Zailey x Mousse litter around May 2012.

Jump, Grandpa, Jump!

With as much as Jon and I dream of moving out of town, and onto acreage, we do enjoy having family around. I wish we got to see his family more, but am happy that at least for the time being most of my immediate family is right here in Orem. We are lucky.


Since today was Labor Day, pretty much no one but Jon had to work, so we got together at Tanya's house for a good ol' family shindig. I love family get togethers. Tanya's neighbors recently gave her a trampoline... which is a big disaster waiting to happen with three rowdy kinds, I'm sure, but it's a lot of fun. Today, the "adults" kind of took over. It made for a lot of laughs, and a LOT of good times. I wish Shelly and Nathan could have been there, but we took a few videos, particularly for them. They are HILARIOUS. I just watched them again on my computer, and they're so dumb, perhaps you just had to be there to really get how funny this whole evening is, but nonetheless... for your viewing pleasure...

How many times have you seen 4 generations jumping on a trampoline together? At least one...

This has got to be my all time favorite. Grandpa Albert even had to take a go on the tramp!

And Mom, this one particularly was for Shelly... I just about peed my pants watching this one.

And last, but ccertainly not least, Tanya's message, to Shelly of course.. but totally blogworthy nonetheless.

Moral of the post: I flippin' love my family, and its nights like these that I won't ever forget!

*Right Click and "Watch on Youtube" makes them a lot bigger. 

A wedding, and 20 dead bodies.

Yesterday was a special day. Jon's dad married his beautiful new wife in the Las Vegas LDS Temple and we were so happy to be able to make it out of town, even if only for a few hours, for the wedding. We headed out early Saturday, and got home late Saturday, but it was so worth it. We are so incredibly happy for them.

Then, today is another special day. Well, maybe not so special. I will spare the pictures, but I found one heck of a deal on Duck for the dogs! The only catch is we had to take them live. Jon was a really good sport, and he actually did the slaughtering. He had a really hard time mentally with the first couple. It makes me happy that I have such a loving husband. I'd be a bit worried if killing an animal- even something like a duck- just came easy. He did 17 of them. I've been working on the skinning. I've skinned chickens a couple times- and they are super easy. But, these ducks are so much more tough! I've done 4, which means only 16 more to go. The heat is bad and the flies are terrible so I keep having to take breaks. I have a serious new found appreciation for people who grow, kill, and prep their own food. It's tough work! But, it was a good deal and while we are stable, we are trying to cut back on as many expenses as possible. I have more free time than Jon (well I think ANYONE has more free time than Jon!) so I got the task of the skinning. Just something to think about next time you grab your dinner off a grocery store shelf. It's a lot of flippin' work, and I haven't even begun to think about cleanup yet! I wonder if we could tackle something bigger. Goat, maybe? Hmm....
I'm pretty sure raw feeding is turning us into freaks! LOL

Other than that we are just trucking right along. Hopefully we can get a new camera so we can start adding decent quality pictures to the blog. Until then, at least y'all were spared a duck skinning photo spread, right?

August

August has been quite the roller coaster ride. Starting off with the stress of scrambling to get out of town to Lake Powell, followed with 5 days of complete and total relaxation and fun. Then, coming home, arriving with a bang of responsibilities to tend to, a mailbox full of bills, and reality to face. For a while, I felt pretty overwhelmed. My business partner moved out of state, so not only did it put more responsibility on me at work, but I also am missing one of my best friends. Our Tuesday and Thursday talks really seemed to keep everything in perspective and on a positive note with me. I am happy for her, truly, honestly, purely happy that she is right where she needs to be, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't hit me much harder than I thought it would. For a week there I let everything overwhelm me. So many changes, so many ups and downs in such a short period of time. A spontaneous trip to Idaho put everything... and I mean everything... back in focus for Jon and I. Seems to me like a good ole' visit to Jon and Natalie always has that effect. I'm back on board with what's important, what's not, and what's worth sacrificing for things that do really matter. I now stand on more solid ground in regards to what's temporary in my life, and what's permanent. I no longer feel overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or uncertain in our ability to meet expectations.

On top of that, I was thinking last night, about how life works. Choices, consequences, and the driving force behind decisions we make.

We make choices every single day, and those choices impact the path in which our lives travel, but also affect the people around us. Every decision we make opens up a new learning experience, be it for ourselves or the people involved in our lives. Sometimes it's difficult to understand why things happen, or to embrace the bad experiences for the lessons they teach, We, as humans, often fall into a dark hole of self pity and in turn hinder our own learning experiences.

I've recently closed a chapter of my life that began many many years ago. A dark chapter. The kind full of shadows, dark allies, monsters, and demons. For a long time, I let this chapter dictate how I felt about myself, what I thought I deserved. I carried with me negative feelings, fear, and doubt. I finally faced things that needed to be faced, said things that needed to be said. I knew there would be consequences, had NO idea if they would be positive or negative, but went with my gut feeling. I can not put into words how at peace I feel with my life right now. I'm at peace with where I've been. I've made a lot of poor decisions that have in turn hurt a lot of people... but now, finally, that's over. I've accepted all the good and the bad of the last 21 years for what they are, and that they never will be again. I harbor no grudges, no negative feelings, and no fear.

Jon and I have an amazing future to look forward to. It will not be without trials, but I know without the shadow of a doubt that we will rise above any challenge we are faced with. When we stick together, with a like goal in mind we are unstoppable. Some of you know what sparked this whole big turn around- but most of you don't. That's ok. The point is: we're happy. We are undeniably, uncontrollably happy.

Now, as the air cools and the leaves change as Fall rolls in, the physical changes taking place bring with them a breath of fresh air, a renewed outlook on life, and a sense of freedom I have never experienced before.

And that, my friends, is something to celebrate. Cheers.

And because no post is complete without a Dane face or two:

spontaneity...

It's been a few days since I did one of these, so I figured it was time.

I spent this last weekend in Northern Idaho, and had a few realizations that were undeniable. We weren't planning on going out of town for the weekend, it just kind of happened at the last minute, and seemed like a good idea.

1. I don't want to live in town, like I do now. I need space, freedom, fresh air, and so do my dogs. I love my house. In fact, the very idea of leaving it someday makes me sad. This is the first house that I've ever purchased: the setting where Jon and I have been writing this chapter of our lives together. But, I do think it is only a chapter. I see us moving on to better things for us. living a lifestyle that better suits our wants and needs; one that does not involve neighbors.

2. My priorities have been out of whack. I love what I do for a living. It is very important to me and I feel blessed to be able to do something that I love- even if sometimes people really piss me off. But, even so, it is not my whole world. My husband, my dogs, my family, my friends- THAT'S what is really important in life. Time to get back on track and be more fulfilling to my husband and my dog's needs. Today, after focusing on work in the morning, 100% of my attention was on my dogs. I had fun, training, socializing, and just being. No TV, moderate internet usage (while they napped of course) and I didn't even mop my floors today! But, I feel so much more content.I think it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle that is every day life. Work, school, obligations, paychecks... they are all realities for most of us, but every now and then, it's so important to regroup and lay out the priorities.

3. I'm lucky. I'm lucky to have such a wonderful husband. I'm lucky to have such an amazing family. I'm  lucky to have such awesome friends. Jon is honestly the best thing that has ever happened to me. So understanding, patient, forgiving, and kind. I love him with every fiber of my being for who he is, what he does, and always will. My family.... I wouldn't even know where to begin. How in the world do I fit into a group of such strong, amazing people I will never know, but I sure do appreciate them. And Jon's family... we don't get to spend nearly enough time with them, but holy cow, I must have hit the jackpot in the family-in-law department. Friends. We have so few friends, but the ones we have.... absolutely irreplaceable. Tarah, Natalie, Jon, Rachel.... just to name a few that stand out so prominently in my mind, such positive driving forces in our lives. We are truly blessed. I hope that these people know what their friendship means to me- to us- and I will certainly do a better job of showing it.

So, after putting a lot of thought into things, Jon and I are toying with the idea of moving to N. Idaho in about 4 years, when he has his masters. I'm excited to see what the future brings.

The Sun and the Sand

Well, it's back to reality after an absolutely WONDERFUL time at Lake Powell. It was so much fun. ALL of it. Everything about it. I love boating so much.

Jon and I left Thursday and drove into Kanab, where we stayed at the Treasure Trail Motel. It was kind of a joke. Our room was decent enough, I mean... we don't have high expectations of a place like that and we really just needed somewhere to sleep that would allow Zailey. The bathroom door didn't even come close to closing, it had several inches of space between the frame and the door, and it hung in a way that offered ZERO privacy to the toilet itself.... and the room smelled like dog poop, Orange Glo, and... just old. Old is a scent, right? Again, no high expectations because after all: it was pet friendly. I wondered how many little yapper dogs have peed on the floor unnoticed in there, and then wore my flop flops for the entire time- including in the shower. Customer service was terrible, so I posted a very honest review on google. Yes, I review things. Products. Services. Places.

Moral of the story? Never, ever... EVER... stay there.

Friday morning, we woke up early, and headed on to Wahweap marina. Have I mentioned yet that I love the lake? Well... I love the lake. Anyway, grandpa's boat was having trouble so we waited for a few hours to hear from them on a part, and then headed over to a beach to play in the water and cool off. Zailey did amazing for it being her first boating trip ever. She was great on Mitch's boat, and great at camp. We moved to camp after making sure Grandpa's boat was running well again... since camp was 30 miles out from the marina.

We set up camp, and I'm fairly certain I was in the water before the boats were even anchored down. I LOVE Lake Powell. We spent the next 5 days swimming, lounging, reading, playing, sleeping... and the best part was having ZERO agenda at all. No cell phone. No work. No errands. I think that's what I like best about the lake over any other kind of vacation. There truly is nowhere to be. No show to have to make it to on time. No sites that are important to go to. (Well, okay, apparently Rainbow Bridge is super awesome if you haven't already seen it 21 times before...) No meetings. No restaurants that close at a certain time. Just a boat and a tent on a beach. Ahh. That's my style.

But, we got home last night, to an inbox full of emails, a counter full of bills, and a phone full of voicemails and texts. Back to reality. It was great to see my dogs, and sleep in my own bed again... but oh how I can't wait to be back to the lake. 12 more months.

I did, after all, miss this face.

Can Not...

Recommend this blog enough. If you're pregnant, have been pregnant, will someday be pregnant, know someone who is pregnant, know someone who has been or will be pregnant.... then you should follow this blog.

Banned From Baby Showers

That's all I've got for today, I've got so much to get done, no time for blogging! But, I will leave you with this cute little face.

... doesn't that just make your day?

Busy, busy, busy

When did life get so dang busy?! At what point did "MOOOOOOOMMMM, I'm BORED" stop being a weekend event? Holy cow!

So, this last weekend we had a family BBQ with my siblings & cousins & grandparents. It was such a beautiful day, not TOO hot, but far from cold. and of course, when you get a bunch of us Rowley family members together... there's bound to be way too much good food. It really got me thinking about a few things. Mainly, how flippin' lucky I am.
My siblings and I have gone through so much together. Many dark days- but twice as many good memories. Lake Mead, Lake Powell, Lagoon.... how lucky were we?! I never really appreciated having them around as much as I should have. I spent way too much time being angry at one thing or another, and not nearly enough time appreciating what I have, and the people in my life. I spent way too much time being angry that I didn't have a dad in my life, and not enough time appreciating my mother for the strong, loving, caring person that she is. Who the heck needs a dad when you have the single most best mom in the world?! When needs a dad when you have a brother that would do ANYTHING for his sisters? Who needs a dad when you have grandparents that absolutely rock. If I could change anything about my past- it's how much time I spent wanting what I didn't have, feeling sorry for myself, instead of opening my eyes and recognizing how blessed I am, how much I have. Family is everything, it is the central unit to life, and I am so lucky to have the one I've got. All of them. Each and every one of them.

I have the most amazing family ever. I really do. How many families can get all the cousins, their spouses, and their kids together and everyone is just so happy to see each other. No arguing. No fighting. No mean comments. Just love. I think in today's world that's pretty hard to come by. I am so blessed to have such an amazing, loving, caring family. I'm not sure what I ever did to deserve to be a part of this group of people, but who am I to question a good thing?

In other news, this weekend Champ went to a new family. It was so bittersweet. I have so much history with him. So many memories- good times and bad. We went through such a healing process together both concerning health and emotions. Champ was there for me in my darkest of days, through it all. But he was never mine. I don't think that a bond like that can have claim. I've always felt like he was an animal that came into my life for a reason- but only for a season. Not forever. I'm so happy for him to be someone's world now- he deserves that. And, the last 3 days, we have had exactly zero pack issues and things here run much more smoothly. No dividing, no separating, no aggression, no frustration. I've gotten a little bit of flack for the decision, but he is happy, adored, loved.... what more can I ask for?

This week is of course busy, busy, busy. We will be leaving for Lake Powell on Thursday. I'm excited because that means a whole 5 days with Jon! We hardly ever get quality time together because of work, school, and conflicting schedules. I am so blessed to have such a hard-working man in my life, I have no idea how he manages the schedule he does. Thursday we will drive to Kanab and stay in a cheap motel (life's an adventure, right?!) and then hit the water at sun up Friday morning. I am so excited, I can't wait! I look forward to this trip every year. In fact, I think I'd rather go to Lake Powell than anywhere else in the world. No agenda, no phone, no work schedule... just sun, sand, family... and of course a Dane.
It will be really sad to leave the rest of the pack behind, but I think Zailey will have an absolute blast.

This week, I am in fact proving to be my mother's daughter- cleaning the heck out of my house, and getting everything in order before leaving. All the way down to pairing my socks to their original mate. My to do list over the next two days is about two and a half pages long. But it will be worth it. I can't wait. lake Powell makes enduring the miserable Summer heat so worth it. The dogs definitely know that SOMETHING is up. Packing, my stress, setting up and testing camping equipment in the living room... but they don't know what. I don't think Zailey is NEARLY as excited for her Lake Powell adventure as I am. In fact: I'm certain she's not.  That's ok, she will get over it.

Well, since it's 3am, I think I ought to swap the laundry, finish cleaning the bathroom, and then call it a night. A trait I seem to have gotten from my Grandpa: I simply can not rest with a to do list on my hands.

Annie's Big Adventure

I've never had a dog run away. Ever. I've had dogs get out, and run down the street, me hot on their heels, and brought them home with me, but never... ever... have any dogs of mine been able to slip out, unnoticed, and be gone.

Until tonight.

I have a routine. I feed the dogs, then put the ones that sleep in crates away, shower, and get in bed. If someone hasn't pottied by the time I'm sick of sitting outside being eaten by mosquitoes, I leave them in the backyard while I shower, and bring them in after. (I just spent almost $2000 making my back yard secure, by the way...)


Now, what was different about tonight: when we prep food for the dogs, we do it in the garage, so we can just hose out all the blood. Our orders are usually 900lbs, so it can create quite a mess. Jon left the garage door open about 3 feet, which is typical. What I did not know, is he opened the door from the garage to the back yard as well.

So, that brings me to tonight. Annie hadn't pottied yet. So I went to shower. As I was drying off, he came into the bedroom and asked if Annie was in there. No, she wasn't. He said she wasn't in the backyard. "Jon, that's not funny!" When I turned around and saw the look on his face I knew.... he was not joking. Not even a little bit. Annie was gone.

I searched the whole house, calling for her, growing more and more frantic all the while. She was nowhere. I went to the front yard, in all my towel-wearing glory, calling for her. Nothing. That's when I saw the open garage door, and the clear shot to the backyard. I ran in, shaking, threw clothes on, got in my car, and drove around looking for her. Seconds became minutes. Minutes became hours. We drove the neighborhood. No Annie. We went to the park. No Annie. The Church parking lot. No Annie. At some point Jon made me switch driving, because I was all over the place. My bad. Less than a mile away, there were some drunks tailgating in the parking lot of a movie theater. They said they had seen her 15 minutes prior. At that point, we ditched the car, and went on foot. Barefoot. I ran the entire Scera area calling for her, willing her to be OK. Still. No Annie. At some point, I literally fell to my knees in Zurchers parking lot, just pain struck at the thought of something happening to her, or the thought of her terrified and unable to find her way home. Jon was wonderful. He helped me pull myself back together, and the hunt continued.

I wanted to go home. If Annie went home, I'd need to be there. I felt an overwhelming urge to just go home, like that's where I NEEDED to be. If Annie isn't hurt, or seized, she's trying to get home and by golly she might be smart enough to make it.
Annie was in my neighbor's yard. Right next door. She was walking all crouched down, terrified. When I jumped out of the car and called for her, she was scared initially, and then ran straight to me, and literally climbed up me, and clung to me. She was trembling, terrified, and wet. I carried her inside, cried some more, looked her over, cried some more. She has a bunch of scratches on her chest and neck, probably from some bushes, and she is favoring one of her back legs just a tiny, tiny bit. But she is fine. I gave her a bath, cried some more, and now she is sprawled out, right smack dab in the middle of my bed. I did not notice, until I had her in the house, that my feet are all cut up from running the parking lots. Oops.

I learned a few things tonight.
1. Communication. letting me know the always shut and locked door was in fact open would have been great.
2. I now support drunken tailgating in places that make no sense.
3. Annie is smart enough to find her way home.
4. I knew Jon was amazing, but seriously, while I'm usually the calm and collected one during crisis, I LOST IT and couldn't have pulled myself back together without him.
5. My business partner is even more amazing than I thought she was. I called her sobbing at 2am, and she wasn't even mad!
6. Someday, when I really do have to let Annie go, I will have to be committed.
7. Annie is grounded for life.

A Piece of my Mind, not for the Easily Offended

Anyone who knows me, knows a few very basic things:
1. I love my dogs.
2. I feed them raw
3. I research EVERY topic that spikes my interest, obsessively.


So, of course, the topic of interest lately has been, well, babies. I guess that secret is officially out of the dark by now. Well, actually, it's probably not, since I'm fairly certain not a soul reads this blog. Shoot, I don't even read this blog. But, nonetheless I will continue to use it to spew the ramblings of my mind while Jon is away at work being the hard-working man that he is. (Have I mentioned that I have an amazing husband yet? Well, I do.)
Anyways, no, I'm NOT pregnant. (though I don't know WHY... it doesn't seem like a very hard thing to do....) but it's certainly something that I *hope* is in the futer, sooner rather than later works for me.

So, it only comes natural that I have 234872367 tabs on my computer open at any given time, ALL on fertility, conceiving (hey, it's more complicated than high school sex ed made it out to be!) and then of course, that big scary topic of the birth itself. Except, what I am learning in all of this is: it doesn't really have to BE scary. maybe I don't know what I'm talking about because I haven't done it yet, but the way I tend to make my decisions in life is by asking myself one thing: Does it make sense? Babies in a hospital. Does it make sense? Well, to be quite frank: no. I'd go to the hospital if I were sick, dying, diseased, or has my life seriously threatened in some other way. Being bitten by an alien? Totally logical to go to the hospital!Having a baby? Not so much. If medical intervention were REALLY so necessary in MOST deliveries, the human race never would have made it. Ever. If you're reading this thinking "Hey now, don't be a jerk, my OB saved my baby, by giving me a wonderful emergency C-section!" I'd really be shocked if that c section was a TRUE medical emergency, and not the result of a slippery slope of intervention, usually starting with an epidural or pitocin, and ending with a major abdominal surgery. Or your OB was impatient, or convinced you that your able-body was "unable" to birth such a "large" baby. (Yes, because your OB totally knows better than God what your body is capable of...) If none of the above were the case, then I'm so glad we have modern medicine for those who really need it, and move power to you! Yay!

So, I guess what it comes down to, is as soon as I get my stuff sorted out and Jon and I whip up a baby Lanman, we will be deciding between home birth, or a birth center. I'd love it if anyone has personal experience with either one!

And if I've pissed off a few hospital-goers, apologies, not my intention. Just speaking my mind. I mean, shoot, if I'm going to have a blog that no one reads, I might as well not hold back, right? And on that note, I couldn't have put this into better words if I tried.

http://banned-from-baby-showers.blogspot.com/2010/03/religious-faith-and-choosing-natural.html

I also learned, which I did not know until recently, that apparently people are OFFENDED by public breast feeding. Offended. Really. Seriously? Yeah. Well, tell me, in what kind of world do we live, where 13 year olds can trot around looking like strippers, an no one says a word, yet breastfeeding is offensive? If you're an adult, offended by breastfeeding, please, PLEASE, grow the heck up, because you're kind of a shame to the human race.

The Results Are In: Time to Get Healthy!

Well, we got the results of my blood tests back. So far, there is no reason as to why we have not gotten pregnant, but I do have low Vitamin D, and my cholesterol is on the high end. I guess I could have guessed that. While that shouldn't effect fertility and ability to conceive, it's still duly noted, and the reason I've spent the last several hours reading and making entire meal plans to revamp the way we do things around here. In fact, I am challenging Jon to 30 days of NO fast food. None. At all. No exceptions. It is rather convenient that it is the first of the month. So, August 2011, the month we make big changes to the health around here. I guess that means I have to really start setting aside time to make dinner, but I think it will be worth it. It really helps that two of the best foods for lowering cholesterol (avocado and almonds) are two of my favorite things ever. So, if anyone has any super yummy, and also super [heart] healthy so-easy-a-caveman-could-make-it recipes, send them my way! (does anyone even read this?) I mean, I lost 40lbs on Weight Watchers last year, and I don't really remember why I quit, I felt AWESOME, other than I was so BORED with the same 5 things for dinner over and over. What happened?! Not this time though. I haven't decided if I'm going to do WW or just take a long hard look at *what* I eat, because really, my portions aren't out of control. So, fingers crossed that next year, bathing suit shopping for the Lake Powell trip is a whole lot more fun than it was this year.
Oh another note, I also took the time today to take a look at how time is spent... and I'm surprised at realistically how much time I waste. Well, not anymore!
I'm super motivated today to make some big changes, and I hope that motivation sticks. I think it will. This time, I have a purpose behind it, and I'm reminding myself that someday, my kids will pick up MY eating habits, so I better make changes now, today.

On an entirely unrelated note, the last of Mousse's health testing came in on Saturday. He is O.F.A. Thyroid NORMAL, which means that I can now offer him for stud and not feel bad about it. Woot, I'm so happy. now here's to hoping that the other four Danes prove to be decent breeding quality. So far, Velcro Danes is off to a great start!!

Now, I'm off to watch All My Children, while doing steps on my handy dandy aerobics step. Yup, I dusted it off, and it's going to live in my living room, where it will remind me every single day, to get off my butt. Changes, remember.

Ps. There's still a kitten in my basement. Really, anyone... come get her. She's free, cute, and doesn't belong here.


**I totally lied. Vitamin D deficiency totally effects fertility. BAM, a starting point. 

How dumb does a kitten have to be, to show up at the house with 7 BIG dogs?

I'm not sure why these things seem to happen to Jon & I, but last week this itty bitty kitten showed up... in my basement of all places. Note to self: close windows. After several hours of it refusing to leave the property, and meowing at the door, I fed it, and brought it in to post an ad on craigslist, and hung fliers on doors in the neighborhood as well at Scera park.

A week later, no response. -sigh- Stupid kitten, why did you show up here.. of all places? So, I don't have the guts to take it to the shelter. Tried and failed. If anyone wants a kitten, this little lady needs a home! She's probably 8ish weeks old. She does really well with the litter box, and our cats warmed up to her after like two days. She's affectionate, too. Almost too affectionate. She seems to think that she is a parrot, even. A bird cat, haven't you always wanted a bird cat?! Come take her. And speaking of our other cats, do you want them, too?
I'm not sure why these animals must find us. As much as I would love to say I "hate" it, there's something rewarding about pulling an animal off he streets or death row, and finding it the best home ever. I also think that things happen for a reason. No, I know things happen for a reason. However, I am not a cat person. I'm a dog person. Remember that.

Who the heck are we, anyway?

I think it's about time we start a blog. Why? Well, I'm not really sure, but it seems like a good idea.
So, who are we anyway?
Well, we're the Lanman Pack! We're just any ol' young couple with 7 dogs and 2 cats.
From two different worlds, Jon raised in Las Vegas, and myself raised in San Diego somehow found each other in 2009 on lsdsingles.com one day. Yes, ldssingles.com Laugh it up, folks, laugh it up. We were married December 19th, 2009 in the Salt Lake LDS temple for time and eternity, and it was the beginning of the most wonderful journey. Someday I will have to blog about that day.
Since that beautiful winter day, we have grown together as a couple every single day. I'm blessed enough to be married to someone whom I can fall in love with all over again every single day (usually around 6am when he volunteers to be the one to let the dogs out...) and who makes me want to better myself. Yeah, Jon is pretty awesome.



We lived in Las Vegas for a while after we got married, but knew it wasn't where we were supposed to be, and quickly moved back to Utah. Utah feels like home. We own a doggy daycare in Orem with the most wonderful partner in the world, and couldn't be happier with that decision. Jon is in school full time at UVU. I don't remember what for... it changes a lot... it's either pharmacy or forensic science. Whichever it is, he's awesome. He's working at Wal Mart at night, getting all buff unloading trucks. I can not even begin to show how much gratitude I have to be blessed with such an amazing, hard-working man in my life. Have I mentioned yet that he's awesome?



So, did I mention we have seven dogs, because we do. Champ, Annie, Zailey, Mousse, Braxton, Timber, and Kola. Five Great Danes, a Boxer, and then... well, Champ. Life with our pack is pretty awesome. You know, like any other young couple, we wake up, let the dogs out, take the dogs to work, bathe the dogs, walk the dogs, play with the dogs, and then settle in at night, feed approx. 20lbs of raw meat, bone, and organs, and then watch a movie or something. Typical, right?  I think we have a thing for dogs.

Someday we will have skin-kids to add to the mix. Workin' on it. I am awaiting a bunch of blood tests right now to figure out why exactly the baby-oven is defective. Until then, we are content with our fury family, and it sure does keep things interesting.