Valentine Dogs

My house got dirtier & my body got heavier but it was worth getting away for a long weekend in Tulsa... I think. Ask me again at the end of the month when we do our weight & measurement check-ins. Damn you, pizza & burgers!! 

Sometimes it just feels good to not do much of anything somewhere else that's not home, so that's what we did. To prove it to you, here are the only pictures I took:

I am happy to announce that Peggy has also proven to be a wonderful little traveler, which is kind of a must in our family. According to what I overheard on the elevator, normal people don't take their dogs with them out of town for Valentine's Day. Good thing I've never claimed to be normal.

We did do a little furniture browsing on Saturday & saw a few pretty cool shops. Ryan finished the night at a concert while I soaked up 3.5 hours of Sex & the City with very cuddly dogs.

Now onto my next weekend trip this weekend to Texas. No dogs or husbands are coming along so I'll have to spare you a post without their cute faces & come up with something else to talk about.

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's Day even though we don't really acknowledge the holiday around our house!

Family Photos

I am so incredibly behind on a few things I've been wanting to update about.

The first being that we got our pictures taken by our dear friend, Rachel Apple.

After Ollie died, I almost immediately regretted not having family photos with her so I wanted to jump on getting them done with Hank & Comet. So last month, we made it happen.

I couldn't be happier with the outcome.

Here are some of our favorites:

(sorry if it takes its time downloading!)

We just got back from vacation last week so hold tight for that post!

 -xoxo

Let's get fancy; dogs included.

Hello, fall!

I am going to love every single second of your 50 degree weather.

Bring on the rain & my leather jacket that's calling my name.

Ryan & I got long overdue haircuts & are both lovin' it.

I got sick of always having bangs in my face & opted for 2 inches of length cut off (on my bangs included)!

Somehow I also managed to have perfect eyeliner with the first swipe on each eye.

Ryan found a new barber that he loves & his hair is the shortest it has been in a LONG time.

King's new home meant extra money in the dog budget envelope...

& how exactly were we supposed to pass up Buzz Lightyear & Woody costumes ---

in the perfect size AND on sale?

I may not spend money on my own costumes, 

but my kids deserve the money spent on them whether they like it or not.

& in case you couldn't tell, they definitely don't.

& I'll get around to changing my header again eventually.

The rest of September.

Hello little blog world of mine.

I have not abandoned you, although I've thought about it.
I'm not really sure why I've been dragging my feet on coming back here.
But aha! I am here. Blogs apparently don't write themselves.

Life lately according to my phone looks like this:
Lots & lots of dogs.

I just can't get enough of these boys.
Comet even let King kiss his entire head last night. Baby steps.

1., 2. & 3. We also had one of my favorite weekends we've had in a very long time.
It was easy & relaxing & we spent an entire day just hanging out in our city with Hank.
He is such a little social butterfly & was making friends with every dog at the dog park. 
4. Post-dog park exhaustion that lasted through the next day too.
5. We had a gathering for Ryan's birthday with most of our favorite people.
(You were so dearly missed Marshell's!)
6. We babysat Max for a couple of hours which meant lots of giggling 
& saying "What the heck are you saying Max?". Children at that age are quality entertainment.
We also had a really nice late-night dinner + movie afterwards that was perfect.


So... there. That pretty much sums up our month.
How is it October already?
Vacation is so close.

Weekly Round-Up: Sep 2-8

1. It's official. I'm stuck with these glasses from BonLook that I'm really not fond of.

My request for exchanging them wasn't approved which is..whatever.

I let it go but not before telling them exactly how I felt about the quality.

We have bought 9 pairs of BonLook glasses & I don't regret a single one, except these.

2. & 3. Thai dates with the Marshell family might be my new favorite thing.

Max surprises me every week by how fast he's growing up.

I can't wait to hear him say "Aunt Jana".. or at least his version of it.

I feel so blessed to be apart of that kids life.

4. Ryan & his step-mom share the same birthday

& we've always gone to dinner with them every year to celebrate.

This year we went to Musashi's & it was really pretty good!

(I am so grateful that it wasn't Greek House... again. I really hate gyros. Haha.)
More importantly, Kim has been doing MUCH better for those that have been asking.
She's still not 100% & I really hope that changes soon.
They (meaning the doctors) don't really know what happened or what's going on
& I really hope they find some answers soon.
5. Ryan & I went on his birthday date Saturday
& experienced the luxury of reclining seats @ AMC Penn Square.
I was really blown away by the remodel of that theater.
We'd only been once before about 7 years ago & they were pretty crappy.
Considering you have to pay $22 for a reclining seat at our usual go-to theater,
I think we'll be returning to Penn more often than not for our movie theater dates.
6. Comet has a thing for over-sized dog beds.
Any chance he gets, he curls up on Hank's comfy bed & it always cracks me up.

7., 8. & 9. These are my boys & they are the best.
There are days when I just want to snuggle Ollie
& then I get home & see these 3 overly happy faces.


We also celebrated Ryan's birthday with my family @ Del Rancho
which was Ryan's pick since I also hate Del Ranch.
I know, I know. That's like a sin or something.
& we got some good friend time with The Apple's so Rachel could teach me how to play Magic.
I did enjoy it, although I don't know if I'll ever be into playing in large groups.
I could definitely get into some 'in-the-right-close-setting' Magic though.
I hope you all had a fantastic week!

Weekly Round-Up: Aug 26-Sep 1

1. I got new glasses thanks to BonLook's buy 1, get 1 free sale two weeks ago.

I was really skeptical when I ordered them only because of their color.

You really never know what you're truly going to get when you order online, before trying on.

I am in love with these glasses. 

2. King got the pleasure of going to the vet & meeting Dr. Hicks thanks to a nasty double yeast & bacterial ear infection. Poor guys ears started bleeding because they were so bad.

He got a steroid shot & drops which have already made a huge difference. 

We go back next week for a follow-up so we'll see!

This visit also just secured my love & faith for our vet even more.

He literally whined for Dr. Hicks to come back & love on him. What dog does that?

I know that when I go to the doctor, I'm counting down the seconds to when they leave me alone.

I don't scratch at the door until I can bury them in kisses again.

3. We joined the dollar shave club.

I know. I know. It sounds totally ridiculous & almost fake but it's not.

You pay $1-9/monthly depending on the fanciness of the razor & every month, 4-5 blades land on your doorstep. Meaning you can change your razor blade every single week for $12/year.

When was the last time you bought razor blades for under $30? I mean, really.

It was a no-brainer for us. There is nothing better than shaving with a new blade.

& you know... if you're lazy like me, you might be shaving with a new blade every single time. ;)

4. You know how I was just saying that I was ready for some calm in my life from my dogs?

These two have been so much sweeter & calmer lately. It just kills me.

5. These are the second pair of glasses I got. They were Ryan's first choice during my virtual try-on.

I am exchanging them. 

I wasn't in love when I got them & as time has gone on, 

I've realized that I don't like a single thing about them.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

I know that we thoroughly enjoyed having an extra day to relax.

I managed to be productive & lazy every day which always makes me feel so satisfied.

We did quite a bit of hanging out on our own over the 3.5 days

except for joining Warren & Kim at their house for the OU game Saturday

(as a man, is there anything better than watching sports with your dad?)

& getting to spend some quality time with Jeremy & Natalie afterwards.

I can't even describe how much I miss those two sometimes.

Weekly Round-Up: Aug 19-25

1. We had to "suit up" to visit our step-mom, Kim, in the hospital. She gave us quite a scare this week but seems to be doing much better now. She was released from the hospital today but still has some healing to do. 

We just ask that everyone continues to keep her in your thoughts & hope for a quick recovery!

2. Hank has had the luxury of being put in a pen, rather than a crate during the day. 

We finally bought him a crate because even with bricks around the pen, he moved that thing around everywhere. 

He hates his new crate. HATES. 

I swear that Satan himself has come out of his butt every single day in that thing. 

When I told him to get in his crate, he looked at me & then crammed himself in Comet's crate instead. 

He can't fit in there without sitting & curling up. He can't even walk into the thing. It's more like an army crawl but there was no way he was getting in his crate to be alone all day. 

Needless to say, it was so precious that I didn't bother arguing. 

He loves his tiny brother so much.

3. I've still been working on cleaning/organizing/throwing away the house.

This was my Sunday afternoon project: 

aka do something with the old bedroom/awkward room/dog room/music room/bicycle? room.

I was going to get rid of that table, filing cabinet AND mirror but look at me being all "reuse & recycle"...or whatever.

I took the big drawer out of the filing cabinet & removed the rolling track.

Now it's the perfect size to hide my big caboodle & hair products.

The table was my Grandma Audrie's. It's in pretty rough shape & used to have a V-shaped shelf right in the middle that just made it awkward. I took off the shelf & already have plans to reuse those.

I will eventually be sanding & painting it as well.

& yes, I did hang a mirror in between our double windows.

Lets face it. Natural light is the BEST to get ready in front of.

4. Ryan had his first band practice for a cover band that our buddy Matt is putting together.

I'll be honest & say that I'm excited because I could listen to Tommie sing all day & because well... it pays.

All I really care about right now is getting to New Mexico in November.

Vacation is calling to us so strong right now & we're focusing on saving every penny until then.

I can't wait to feel that cold mountain air in my hair & lungs.

Weekly Round-Up: Aug 12-18

Honestly, I feel so grumpy today that I don't really give a shit about this blog right now.

But my little OCD head is already frustrated that I'm a day behind so carry on, I must.

1. Dinner date with The Marshell's so I could experience Thai food the first time.

The highlight was obviously hanging out with Max who was in a fantastic mood.

I know you're all dying to know my thoughts on the food which is:

I think I could seriously like some shrimp pad thai.

But let's get real & say that what I remember most is that it smells like wet dog.

Side note: I was totally trying to be sweet yesterday & took Ryan to eat thai again because a) there was another groupon & b) I wanted to try it again -- & it was so horrible. All around - just a horrible experience.

But, it did not let me down in the fact that it did still smell like wet dog.

2. We hung out @ my brother & sister-in-law's house for some games & beer.

Of course beer. Darren Griffis & beer don't come separately.

3. I mean, weekly dose of cute right there. Am I wrong?

4. I got all brave & tucked my shirt into skirt & had to ask the world if I was doing it right. 

I am not great at that whole "wardrobe" thing. Why can't we all just look like we walked out of a Pinterest board?

5. I mentioned 2 weeks ago that I was ready to do an ultimate "de-clutter" of the house

& I have been doing just that for 2 weeks now - room by room.

I'm not really sure what to do with all of the crap I have piled in my kitchen that I no longer want

but I guess that's for another post.

This picture is what I stared at all night long because I got the bright idea to swap our bedrooms...

at 8pm on a weeknight in the middle of my de-cluttering 

& had no time to hang curtains to cover the very bright streetlights outside the window.

It wasn't in the plan. My plan was clean. clean. clean. clean.

& then an hour later I'm dragging our headboard down the hall

after I had just told Ryan that I would NOT be moving our bed until the weekend.

6. This is my favorite picture right now. It is nearly impossible to get a picture of all 3 & I managed to do it while also capturing their personalities so well.

Hank is always being silly in some way or another. He can't even lay on his dog bed properly. He is always hanging off one way or another even though there is more than enough room.

King is always seeking love & attention so of course he's already staring at me when I get my phone out

& Comet... well Comet just got done humping the shit out of King's back & is now sitting like the prince he is right where he just did his business. THIS. This is my everyday life as a dog owner. 

7. It's pretty neat to watch these two love each other more & more every day. 

They spooned for a couple of hours just like this.

8. The spooning led to mama caving & letting them sleep in the same crate together.

(We've been making them sleep in crates for a week or so & it's weird but nice... but also kind of sad.)

9. This is what I look like when I'm a bridesmaid.

More on that in a different post.

Weekly Round-Up: Aug 5-11

1. I've had stole this skirt from Natalie when was 15.

I think we probably gave 50 cents for it at Community Thrift.

It is definitely homemade & so simply sewn together.

It always puts me in a brighter mood while it reminds me of my 15 year old life with Natalie.

2. I started The Hunger Games again & was reminded just how much I love it.

3. This guy. He very rarely lets us get a picture of him but when he does, it is the best.

4. King is so muscular. Look at that definition in his body & all he's doing is sitting.

5. These are the sweet moments I live for.

6. It took Hank 30 minutes to get the courage to jump in that chair.

7. I got to spend the afternoon with this beautiful woman.

Mother/Daughter dates are the best afternoons.

8. I was on book 2 of The Games within 3 days.

9. We made this chicken last night thanks to the recipe Tommie supplied

& I learned that I can't touch whole chickens.

I got so freaked out just trying to wash it that I just had to drop it & walk away.

Thanks to Ryan, we still ended up having a fantastic chicken dinner.

Weekly Round-Up: July 29-August 4

Life has felt a little hectic as of late 

(hence it taking 4 days longer than usual to do my weekly round-up of last week).

Our evenings have not been filled with the usual busyness or plans...

But adding another dog to our lives has made me feel hectic

& I'm ready for that to go away.

Hank & King are still pretty much a constant wrestle match.

I can't pet one without the other ruining the fun.

I love all 3 of them to death,

I just miss some good ole one-on-one relax time with my dogs.

Also, I'm going through a phase where I don't want stuff.

Well, I do. But only stuff that's useful to our lives or that brings us joy.

I want to live a more minimalist life.
A life that I could pack into 500 square feet if I needed.

Watch out Youngs-Englewood Neighborhood,

you just might hit the jackpot in front of our house next big trash day.

1. The very first thing we did this month was pay our car off! We were shooting for 2 years, but we still managed to pay it off within 3. It's going to feel so nice next month when that payment isn't there.

2. I don't even know what's happening here. They just need to be by each other always.

3. Picked up this little coyote skull from The Salvage Room.

4. These two boys. They are crazy & stressful at times. But always heartwarming.

5. My sister got me tickets to see her most recent musical production of "9 to 5" & it was actually really good. I didn't really know what to expect to be honest but I loved it. Afterwards we had "the best BBQ that ever exists" only it wasn't. At all. It was good but it wasn't GOOD.

6. It's a rare occasion that I can snap a picture of Hank without King jumping in.

Although, Comet is trying to steal the shot. I can guarantee that he was trying to mount Hank within 5 seconds of my camera clicking. My dogs are total perverts.

The King.

This guy has been apart of our lives for just over a week.

It feels like longer some days, 

while others you can still definitely tell he's new to the clan.

Having another dog has been weird yet also just comfortable.

If Hank hadn't have instantly loved him, I wouldn't have been able to do it honestly.

I wasn't sure when we brought him home how I'd feel about a new dog in Ollie's space.

I was having major anxiety about it until I saw Hank's face.

That pure joy I hadn't seen since a week before Ollie died.

I knew right then that Hank needed him.

& if Hank needed him, we did too.

I promise Hank is actually happy. ;) He's just pouting because he wants in the front seat.

Can I just say that having dogs that ride in cars like champs is such a special bonus to me?

I love being able to take my dogs everywhere with me.

If I could get away with it, they would never leave my side.

Service dogs here we come?

He's found his spot in the family fairly easy.

Hank & Comet love him & that love is definitely returned.

He's really been a good dog & I do already love him so.

The only behavioral issue we've found so far is jumping up on people

...or objects in general.

Other than that, he is just so damn happy all of the time.

Hank & King are definitely just the beginning of the love affair with pits we'll have forever.

On a side note, Ryan & I started smoking again a little bit when Ollie died.

I don't feel bad about it. We lost a family member. We coped.

We decided to start vaping so that we wouldn't be tempted to buy cigarettes.

& our new vapes are awesome.

I'm accepting this as a positive thing. We can't all be perfect right?

Hey kids, DON'T EVER SMOKE.

Weekly Round-Up: July 22-28

1. I'll never tire of seeing Hank & Comet being so sweet to each other.

2. The first night with King & already sitting for us for a treat. I love Hank's enthusiasm.

3. We can't keep our door clean because these two have to watch our every move.
4., 5. & 6. This is what it looks like after you get a new dog & they play for 24 hours straight.
7. Ryan & I normally eat lunch together everyday but I was stranded at work alone without a car 
& ate one of the best wraps I've ever had from my work cafeteria.
8. King & Ryan on the way to the vet. He was excellent during the examination & shots.
He was a complete nutcase in the waiting room. He was making himself severely stressed.
9. Hank woke us up with an upset stomach yesterday morning & of course we went into slightly panicked mode. 
He was mopey & just wanted to sleep the first half of the day but seemed fine by late afternoon.



Things sadly not pictured from the week:

We went to Waddy's to swim yesterday with Hank & Comet. It might have been one of the cutest things I've ever seen. Hank is hilariously adorable & seemed to really love it but didn't have the stamina to hold his weight above the water for longer than 5 minutes. A doggie life vest is definitely in his future. 

"Dear Diary,

Look guuuuys! I got a new brother!
His name is King & he's a big bubby!

The vet said he's only got 5 pounds on me but it feels like a lot more.

I'm just happy they said he was healthy!
I'm going to wrestle him for eternity.
He's a good player. He's fast & tough just like me!
But do you want to know what the best part is?
He lets me snuggle him.

This. Is. The. Life."

xoxo - Hank the Tank

Weekly Round-Up: July 15-21

1. The "Cone of Shame" was a guest at our house until Hank literally ate it off his head.

2. Our neighbors are amazing & brought this back from vacation for us.

You have no idea how hard it is to find vintage deer things that don't look like this.

3. & 4. We got Hank a 99 cent hot dog toy & it makes him sad?

If you squeak it at him, he whines at it & then goes into a full-on Ollie-like howl.

It made my heart so happy. I didn't think I'd ever hear dog singing again after Ollie passed.

5. & 6. My sister-in-law was in town this weekend so we spent the day at my father-in-law's house,

complete with cooking out, swimming & cute babies.

7. This is Allen or better known as "Al-Pal". 

He was sad & I kept accidentally tormenting him 

by looking in his direction while he was locked in the hall away from the family.

8. Oh you know, just Hank & Comet being best friends. I love those two.

There is potential to add another friend in the mix for these two in the coming days.

Hank really needs a playmate that's his size so we're just trying to figure out what's best for our family physically, emotionally & financially. It's a big decision to bring another dog into a home that's already got a "settled" dog.. not to mention a 7 year old & 8 pound settled dog.. so we just want to really be comfortable before we make any final decisions. I'll be sure to keep you updated on that!

Weekly Round-Up: July 1-7

I'm a little behind this week.

1. Drive night with the whole family. They were ready to go home after an hour.

2. My mom was nice enough to let us vacation at her house for the holiday weekend while they were out of town to give us a chance to relax. I don't think anybody loved this as much as Hank. He was so happy to lay in grass again. That boy loves laying in the sun in the grass more than he loves eating & giving kisses combined. (We've had to keep the dogs from the backyard since Ollie passed to try & kill as much of the parvovirus as possible first.)

3. Ryan grilled hamburgers & I guess I'm the only weird one that doesn't want their cheese melted.

4. & 5. Jeremy & Natalie came over to help us celebrate the 4th, eat those hamburgers & watch fireworks on the top of Ryan's work parking garage downtown.

6. Hank ate his bed. The "Hey! He stopped peeing in the middle of the day and/or night & hasn't chewed anything up so let's reward him with this wonderful bed" bed. Please note that Comet didn't want any part of this. He was curled up as close as he could to the edge of the pen when we got home shaking in terror. Ha!

7. Comet went for his first swim... at 7 years old... in a bathtub. (Thanks mom! Haha!)

Although he looks terrified, he really did appear to enjoy it.

8. I had to work the day after the fourth. I was so bored.

9. Hank had an official play date with his girlfriend, Oswin & her brother Remus. I can't explain the joy & sadness I felt seeing how happy he was. I'm afraid he's been a little depressed trying to figure out where Ollie has gone. He doesn't really know what to do without his wrestle/chase buddy. Oswin fixed that for a couple of hours & I think he could have slept for 24 hours straight afterwards.

Last week is brought to you by my sweet parents that made last week a good one. Thank you so much for opening your house to us. You gave us a nice & quiet place to relax & not have to worry about everything that's been going on at our house. It was just what we needed! Hank & Comet are lucky to have such good grandparents too. :)

Mr. Graduate

This guy is officially a K9 University graduate!

He made it through his beginner's class & it's so exciting to see how far he's come.

When we walked into that first class 6 weeks ago, the babe just ate his leash instead of walking with it.

I am proud to say he walks by our side on a loose leash almost perfectly now.

He stays at our pace, stops when we stop & sits for us almost without even saying the command.

I couldn't say enough good things about K9. I definitely highly recommend them for anyone.

We'll be taking Hank for intermediate & expert classes & then on to become a service dog.

He also got the "Social Butterfly" award which I find humorous since he's a scary pit & all.

It's definitely true considering he was the only one to greet the instructor with kisses every week

I don't even know how I got this class picture of him sitting.

He was attacking those dogs on each side of him with slobber the whole time.

I am so overwhelmed by Hank at times. 

I have NEVER met a dog like him.

He is hilarious & all he wants to do always is just love.

Every time I sit down, here comes Hank, running full speed to jump on my lap, wrap his paws around my neck & shower me with kisses. 

I honestly don't know where all the love came from but in weeks like this last week,

I will take all he has to give.

I really believe Hank came into our lives at the perfect time.

He has really been a therapy dog for us in so many ways.

I couldn't imagine losing Ollie without Hank being by our side

& I don't think Comet could either.

They have become so close the past few weeks & it's adorable.

I mean, just look at Comet playing in between Hank's paws!

I am the only woman in a house full of boys now

& I sure do love my boys.