Moving On To A Better Life.

This sweet cutie has found a new home.

& quite honestly, a perfect home.

I know that a lot of people have been shocked at our recent announcement about re-homing King

& I totally get that. From the outside, he seems like a great fit for us.

He is the most affectionate dog I've ever met.

I've never had somebody so excited to see me every single day. EVER.

He doesn't chew things up. He doesn't pee in the house. He doesn't whine in his crate.

So why?

It is totally one of those "it's not you, it's me" scenarios.

When it comes down to it, we just don't have what he needs.

Mentally. Physically. Financially.

 He needs someone that's going to devote more time to him alone.

He needs someone that can actually work with him on a leash without literally being pushed over.

He needs someone that doesn't have to worry about "where is that vet bill going to come from?" 

when he potentially hurts himself trying to eat the squirrels in our backyard.

I love that silly little face & that big head of his.

So cliche #2 comes in at "if you love someone, let them go."

Thanks to our good friend, Rachel Apple pointing a guy in our direction, we found an amazing new home for him. We knew we weren't just going to let anyone have him. We wanted to be sure that he would thrive & have the life he deserves & boy did we get lucky & find it. I'll spare you all of the details (aka me gushing about a stranger) but we couldn't be happier about how this turned out. Yes, Hank was totally pouty all day when King left but I know that he'll adjust & he'll get some good quality time with his mom & dad back. He really hasn't had any of that since the first day King walked in the door. He'll also get some good walks & training that he loves (that he also hasn't had much of). Wrangling those two on a daily basis has been a chore for the past several months. When it comes down to it, we are 100% sure that this was all meant to be. We gave King a home for the perfect amount of time while his perfect home was preparing for him.

& just maybe there are some Hank & King play-dates in the future?

We love you buddy & I know that your new owner is going to be the best!
We're just going to be a two dog family for awhile.

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 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