blessings

Green

4:22 PM

Look at my beautiful puppies out in our GREEN yard!

Bear...what a handsome devil!

Bailey, in her own world...as per usual

My little fur babies

I don't think it's possible to love my dogs too much! I'm entering these photos to this blog competition, check it out!


blessings

On the road again

4:52 PM

Hello all! Sorry it's been a hectic week...working and attending a wound conference about two hours away yesteray, and now we're back on the road "home" to Columbus, Ohio and I couldn't be happier about it! I miss my family SO SO much, we havent seen my mom, pops, and one brother since a couple days after Christmas, and the my dad and stepmom has been even longer than that! I get to have some much needed sibling time! I'm the oldest of 4, I have two 15 year old brothers and a 12 year old sister who I miss SO much while in PA. I start my full time job the first week of April and I knew it would be hard for us to get "home" as it's easily an 8 hour drive from where we live. So, well be here for four glorious days! Tonight we're watching our Buckeyes dominate on the court, tomorrow is a belated birthday party at my grandma's house for Kurt and I, Sunday we're watching my sisters soccer games, and Monday grabbing lunch with my best gal Maddie! It's going to be a great weekend, we just wish the fur babies were here with us too! They are in great hands though! Look for pictures to come!

blessings

It's time for BIG news...maybe

4:10 PM

I've been a little absent this week, I've actually worked every day, yikes! Off tomorrow, so there will be fun blogging!

But stay tuned folks...there may be big news on the job front at the beginning of next week!

P.S.- I swear it must have been a full moon because our little balls of fur did not sleep at all. Seriously, I think God might be trying to prepare us or children or something!

fitness

Little by Little

7:00 PM

Thanks to WW I am taking off the LBS little by little...ONE POUND this week. Hey, at least it's something right?! It's not TOTALLY thanks to WW. I have been kickin' it into high gear and have been walking the dogs at least once a day, and doing my own workout in addition. I could let it bother me that it's only one pound (and it's taking some self control for it to NOT bother me), but instead I am focusing that it is still ONE POUND lighter than I was last week!

Look for a longer post tonight! In the meantime, take a look at a few other homes we like!

Adorable, Double Lot, and price friendly!

So, this first house you can take a look at by clicking here. It's very close to where we live now...not even a quarter mile. It's on a double lot, TONS of room for the pups. It's been completely renovated and check out that amazing deck. No formal dining room, and on a busy road, but we planned on immediately fencing in with a privacy fence.

Cute, media room in the basement, and a cedar ROOM
That's right kids...a cedar ROOM. Don't let the look of this house fool you, it's actually quite spacious. Three bedrooms, two full baths, pool, dining room, living room, and finished basement/media room with a wet bar! You can check it out by clicking here. Downfall is that it's not exactly where we'd like to be right off of Stefko, and the pool is actually kind of a downfall. Not really into keeping it up, and it takes up a great deal of the backyard, which is valuable space for the dogs. Also, I think it's a little over priced.

Feel free to leave feedback!

family

Here we go!

6:48 PM

So, today I gave in and decided it was time to go back to Weight Watchers (as the seester is getting married in November). I like the new points plus where basically all veggies and fruits are ZERO points. I decided the whole meetings thing just isn't for me due to lack of regular schedule, so this time I went we the online option, and granted only one day in, but LOVIN' it! I really need this so that I get my portion control in check, and it kind of forces me to cook at home and just make overall good choices. Another thing I like about this program, it's easy to come off. It's not some dramatic change in diet, it's just making better choices and eating the RIGHT portion size. Making it easier once I stop counting the points every day.

Also, started c25K (couch to 5k) today. I really wanted to get back into running, and let's be honest, Bailey can ALWAYS use the activity. Especially when it comes time for a baby in this household I want to be one fit/healthy momma!  So far so good, and Bailey was pooped when we got back, she loved it too!

So, here we go!

P.S.- I might have some exciting news on the job front here soon, so stay tuned!

DIY

Dog Food Venture...Update

1:02 PM

So, the dog food venture I blogged about last week...that's about how long it lasted. Big 'ole fail in this book! The doggies loved it, but it took up too much time an energy on my part feeding two very large beasts. If we had only one slobbery mouth to feed it would be do-able, but when it's all double, it's too much work. 

Venison Meal & Whole Brown Rice : The pups new fav food!
We're back to kibble and it's the good stuff, and the doggies love it! We used to feed the dogs Nutro, and thought we would switch to less expensive food and that just didn't work either. Now after a wonderful chat with a Nutro rep last night, it was great, and we've started again on it and the dogs wolfed it down when I got home with it tonight. 

Long story short, homemade dog food is great, but time consuming!

blessings

The Thunder Shirt

12:11 PM

Seriously, God's gift blessing to dog owners!

Our problem child 
Ok, so like I mentioned before we are totally dog parents, and we love our dogs to death. Bailey, while she's super sweet...is super stubborn and has been really difficult to train. She is a lab something mix, and is the exact opposite of Bear (the laziest and pretty much most perfect dog anyone can ask for). Bailey will bark until she gets what she wants, will often do exactly what you ask her NOT to do, and has endless energy. Overall, she really is a great dog. She is loving, and very playful, and is super smart. One of our biggest issues is that when people come over to "play" with us (in her eyes), all she wants to do is play with them. Jumping on them the minute they get in the door, barking like crazy, and chooses to use them as a personal jungle gym. 
The trainer that we recently took Bailey to explained that this actually may be nervous excitement, or anxiety. She taught us this little trick with a leash that immediately calmed Bailey, it's amazing how it works, but I hated that there would be this leash hanging off of her while she is trying to walk around our house. The trainer instructed us that it was based off of The Thunder Shirt. This thing is AMAZING and I'm currently ordering a second one, because we must have a back up. Bailey really had no issues with putting the thing on, she didn't fight it and never tried to get it off. She was so calm and basically just laid around with it on, and I thought "Eh, maybe she is just being a bum". The true test came when "Daddy" got home...and not ONE bark came from Bailey. She greeted him at the door tail wagging waiting for his kisses and love! 

I would highly recommend this to anyone having anxiety issues with their dogs. It helps with crating, travel, storms, and with guests in your home.  Check it out here!

family

Seven Things

5:35 PM

Pawley's Island 07.08.09
I think like many other people I know, I can't STAND chain mail. They take up space in my inbox, and I rarely ever even open them, and they go straight to the trash. I did read a fun post about 7 things on my good friend Lauren posted, and I decided to jump on the bandwagon for once. My blog is new, and why not let you all know a little more about me :)! So here goes...

1 - I met my oh! so fantastic husband online, just like Lauren, and I will give her credit for convincing me to go onto Christian Mingle and it actually working (seriously, it's great!). I almost wrote the hubs off because I found out he was in the military and was stationed in SPAIN, while I was finishing up nursing school in Cincinnati, Ohio...talk about long distance. However, I couldn't resist his charms and fell in lurve.

2 - I am totally a dog mom. I have always loved animals, but I never really pictured myself as a "dog mom", but I totally am. People share stories about their kids, and I then have a story that I think somehow relates to raising a child, to raising our dogs. Our dogs are 130 lbs, and 90 lbs and sleep in bed with us (this soon will change with the purchase of new dog beds), thank goodness for a king size bed. 

3 - I am a true nerd at heart. In high school I was a cheerleader, ran track, grew up playing select soccer, all while belonging to science club, competing on science Olympiad, working as a lab assistant for our biology teacher, and working on yearbook. Not too mention, I LOVE Harry Potter. Yes, I am 23 (almost 24) and will be at the midnight showing, as I always am, for the next movie....I even have a shirt I wear to it!

4 - I want to run my own business. I love working as a registered nurse, but I strive to do something else. I love photography, baking, cooking, crafting, and event planning. I'd love to really get my photography business of the ground, open a bakery, start an organic baby food company, become a wedding planner, flip real estate, or really anything. I just want to have something that is my own, that Kurt and I can run together and be flexible when we have kids.

5 - My parents get along great! When I say my parents, I mean ALL of my parents, including Kurt's parents. In fact we all vacation together every year (can you believe it!), to Pawley's Island, SC where Kurt and I got married.

6 - I'm neither a wino, or a beer fan...I'm BOTH. I love wine of sorts, but mostly reds (especially in the winter!). I love beer, and my fav is pretty much anything from a local brewery here in Bethlehem, PA named Bethlehem Brew Works. 

7 - We want four kids, yes four. We're each one of four, and love it! Let's get this family growin'! (after we get insurance, and I lose the lbs!)

blessings

Dog Food Venture

11:51 PM

How could you not love these faces??
These two loves of my life inspired this most recent venture...to make our own dog food. This all started because Bear has a sensitive tummy to almost every food we buy, except for the bag that is a whopping $50.00 which will last the two of them a whopping two weeks at most (the price we pay for owning two large and in charge dogs). So, it's been recommended that we make our own food, it won't contain the corn gluten that seems to upset Bear's tummy. Also, let's face the fact that our dogs are just plain spoiled and it is a huge pain the you know what trying to get them to eat that $50/bag food. They'll pick, and Bear when he decides to eat will eat both his and her food. So, more often then not we end up putting something like olive oil or an egg on it just so they will eat it at the same time, and even then that isn't always successful. Bear is also has epilepsy, and needs to lose some major lbs (he's up to 135!). His medication makes him even more of a bum than he already is, and gives him the munchies big time. 

So, with all of this we decided to give making food at home a shot! Honestly it was WAY easy, and seems like it is going to be pretty cost effective, in comparison to what we have been shelling out to feed these beasts. 

The Food

Made of lean ground turkey, broccoli, cauliflower, brown rice, and raw carrots, raw egg, and will add a calcium supplement to each bowl.

You start with 3 lbs of lean ground meat (turkey $7.49)
While meat is browning cook grain (brown rice $0.99)

Ground the veggies in the blender, but I left a few large pieces ($1.00)

Add raw carrot (I read on a blog somewhere this was important $1.00)

The finished product ($10.48)

She likes it!
The guideline was one cup of food, for every 30 lbs of dog to maintain weight. The large stock pot was almost full by the time I was done. The recipe was very basic and you can switch out lean proteins and grains (oats, barley, etc.).

I'll keep you informed if we'll keep up with it, and if it's a money saver!

family

Wordless Sunday?

11:04 PM

So, today was spent at hospice with Pop. We got home to our wonderful pups and the comfy bed with the hubs and pups is calling my name. Here are a few shots of us playing in the snow the other day!

Bear spotted another dog

She's having SO much fun! 
Seriously...she's special...covered in snow

I love my little family!

Popular Posts

  • Family Visit!
    So, it's been awhile! Life has just been crazy, and wow do I feel like I say that way too often. Life is good, but crazy! We were gone t...
  • Wordless{ish} Wednesday
    Linking up for Wordless{ish} Wednesday ! Couldn't love this little guy more! With Love,
  • Sometimes I Fail
    Linking up with Women Connect '12 Sometimes I fail... It's so true! Sometimes I downright fail. At blogging, at work, and som...
  • Valentine's Day Card
    Our wedding bands and 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 So, this post is inspired by a Valentine's Day Card competition. This photo will soon gra...
  • Meal Plan
    That's right folks, I'm planning ahead! I'm making a meal plan this week for us in an attempt to actually stick to eating at hom...
  • Wordless{ish} Wednesday
    Big milestones for our boy this week! I discovered him like this yesterday morning. That's right stood himself up! Today, he can no...
  • Tea Time Tuesday
    I may have moved from one addiction to another. This is just a small portion of the teas that we currently have in our pantry. Kurt and I w...
  • Show and Tell Monday
    Show and Tell Monday : Thanksgiving Traditions! 1.Tell us about your family traditions for Thanksgiving. We really don't have t...
  • Show and Tell Monday
    Show and Tell Monday: Christmas Talk 1. Tell us what your favorite thing about Christmas is. My favorite things about Christmas are br...
  • It's the little things
    Naps on the couch with my boy Nail polish deals at target for $2.99 Afternoon relaxing This week I was off all but...

Like us on Facebook

Flickr Images