It's House Closing Time!

The day of of Closing on our new home has arrived. This involves a very large Cashier's Check {oy vey}, dropping money on Homeowner's Insurance, purchasing new blinds for the new windows, and a new lawn all in one weekend. To say this is going to be a busy weekend is an understatement, but we will be making time for family {they are bribing us to hang out by taking us to Coffee Cup our favorite breakfast joint}, services for my friend that passed, and hopefully a sleepover at Grandma's. I really want to go to Ulta too, but I'm not holding my breath. Perhaps if I demand to go to Fresh Market for groceries, I can sneak next door. 

A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!

Today, I played with a Weimaraner, and it got me thinking about Weiser. We actually had a little 'going away' shindig for him to celebrate his life, which I'm sure sounds super strange, but it made us feel better. He got a huge T-bone out of the deal, so it most definitely made him happy. He may look sad in this picture, but once we let him hide in the guest bedroom to chow down in private, he was probably the happiest I've ever seen him. It was beautiful.

If that's not adorable, then I don't know what is. We miss you We-Man!

Wish us luck today...We're gonna need it.

Warning: This Is A Sappy, Sad Post

I wasn't ready to talk about this on the blog {if at all}, but I got a concerned call from Weiser's previous foster mom and it touched me. It was with a heavy heart that I messaged her with the news that he's finally gone, hoping that would be the end of it. I mean, I felt obliged to inform her and thank her for sharing in his life, but I really didn't want to rip the wound open all over again. However, thirty seconds after I hit 'send', she called me and turned it all around. She actually thanked Will and I for giving him a chance when no one else would and reminded me that he had been shuffled through shelters and foster homes for months before we came along. First off, I can't imagine how anyone could say no to this sweet face:

But the most touching thing she reminded me of was that Weiser came into our lives at just the right time. As if he were sent to us, he appeared in our lives just in time to be with me while I endured Will's first deployment. He kept me safe, kept me busy, and gave Will the peace of mind that I wasn't alone. "It's those amber eyes," she said, "those are the special souls that are here to take care of us. Even if that makes me sound batty, it's what I believe."

I'd like to believe it too. I'd like to believe that he was here for a purpose, he fulfilled it, and now he's off to help someone else. In my mind he's the Timothy Green of dogs, and he filled a hole we had in our life that we didn't even know we had. I can only hope that we repaid him with enough love, and at least we can say we spoiled him rotten.

As cheesy as it sounds...we don't save rescue dogs, they save us.

Okay, now that I've cried for the umpteenth time and you probably all think I'm loony, it's time to get to bed. I'm ready to wake up and start a fresh new week, because last week was a doozy.

I Got A Boob Job

J/k, but seriously...the new birth control has filled me out in a few of the wrong places, but ALL of the right places. I don't know how long it will last, but I will enjoy Will's new interest in his old toys while keepin' the love alive. Plus I had to find some way to distract him and get his mind off the thirty maps he had to trace to get ready for his next leg of flight training. I have to say, these maps are the devil, and if I never see a lightboard again, I will be happy.

+ At the end of today, I will have Will all to myself for the next FIFTEEN days. Well, technically I have to share him with the fam for Christmas, but at least there will be no work or stress for fifteen whole days. The Army most certainly takes him away more than I like, but I sure am grateful when he gets two weeks off for the holidays.

+ I have been trying to be 'good' this holiday season, but momma makes cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning, and lezbihonest...no one turns down egg nog, Christmas Eve dinner, or Christmas morning cinnamon rolls. This is totally going to be my face when the food comes out:

+ It's funny, all I'm really craving is ham. I think we might have to make one for our mini Christmas we will have when we get back from the 'rentals. Will makes some honey mustard glaze that is BOMB.COM, and I can't live without it in the near future. Honey...take note.

+ Last but not least, we have a date with our real estate agent to look at houses Monday! We've actually gotten pre-approved by two financial institutions, so now we just have to figure out which to go with. Have any of you gone through USAA for a Traditional Mortgage? I've heard they take a long time, which isn't ideal, but they are giving us a better APR and what appears to be lower fees. Any experience good or bad would be great!

Why Dogs Have Heart Problems.

We all know dogs love us unconditionally and it's the most selfless love there is. I think that must be why dogs end up with heart problems later in life. They have so much love their little hearts can't take it. I know my heart feels like it's going to burst with love at times, so I can only imagine how often dogs go through that...like every time their owner comes home.

Our poor pup is now feeling the effects of his love filled heart at the ripe age of seven. I could throw a lot of fancy words at you like Congestive Heart Failure and Pericardial Effusion, but all you need to know is our little man can't exercise, coughs through the night, is losing weight, and even faints if he gets too excited. We have him on more meds than I knew I would ever give a dog, and we just hope to keep him comfortable for as long as we can.

When it comes to fur children, you find yourself feeding them fancier food, nicer beds, and providing more medications than you would even provide for yourself at times. With all the love they give us, it's the least we can do. We love you We-Man!!

It's A Spider...It's A Dog...It's A Spider Dog!

Oh hey! Missed y'all on Wednesday. We are in full planning mode for our group birthday party Saturday, and I've been working from morning until the wee hours of the night for a week. Nothing new I guess, but it doesn't feel like work at all because the haunted house is turning out sick!! 250 feet of pure awesomeness, and we haven't even started the decorating process.

One of my favorite projects was creating Weiser's costume, and I just can't wait to share it! It turned out awesome, and it only took to tries to get it on him:

Not the best iPhone video quality, but you get the picture.

I get to pick Buck {Colorado Springs BFF} up from the airport tomorrow, and he's staying until we head to Jacksonville next weekend where my BFF Dani is meeting us. I can't believe they are both flying across the country for me, but it makes me feel super special! To be honest, I usually milk the whole month because Will always misses my birthday, but with us being so busy I haven't gotten any special treatment. Hhhhrrrrmmmppphhhhh, haha. He's lucky that having him here is the best gift I could ever get.

But for now...it's party time!!!

Anyone Know How To Get Blood Out Of Carpet?

Man, yesterday was some kind of day.

And that was just the tip of  the iceberg. The real fun started when Weiser started puking at 1AM. You can just picture me cleaning the carpet with a flashlight trying not to wake up Will, and then following the mutt around the backyard with the same flashlight checking his poo status. We keep it classy 'round here.

He spent the day at the vet getting pampered, and although we still don't know the exact cause, he's on medicine, we've switched his food {yet again}, and we tiptoed around the house trying to keep him in bed. Do you know how hard it is to keep a Weimaraner from following you all over the house? It doesn't even matter that he's only part Weim or sick, he's a shadow dog and he has us trained a little too well.

I wasn't the only one with dirty jobs, though. We had to take Weiser's temperature 'rectally', and I told Will, "That's all you, champ." Not a single shred of guilt was felt, even if he did grill bangin' steaks for dinner. Fun fact, dogs temperatures range from 98 to 102, so don't freak out like I did. But seriously, how do you get blood stain out of carpet?

While I work on the carpet, feel free to enter Helene's giveaway. She's pretty amazing and I most definitely love Sephora. $200 dolla makes me holla!

 Win $200 to Sephora!

Jordyn : The Fairy Princess Diaries //  Elena : Baby Ridley Bump // Lauren : Lot 48

Nicole : Just The Elevator Pitch // Macy : To Travel & Beyond // Heather : When You're Making Plans // Karli : September FARM

Jamie : The Growing Up Diaries // Janna : Perception is Everything // Emily : Designs by Emily F // Helene : Helene in Between

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I Wish I Knew These K9 Tips Years Ago

I always want to recap the weekend on Monday, but I don't have time between Sunday night and Monday morning to get it done, especially since I had a puppy with a tummy ache keeping me up all night. Between the fact that he's part Weimaraner (they have very sensitive stomachs) and mild levels of anxiety from being a rescue, it's no surprise that he has tummy problems, but finding new food after the move has proven trying. No one around here stocks anything that isn't full of fillers, so thank goodness for Amazon Prime sending some our way. I'm not even plugging them. I'm paying all $53.99 for the 24 lb bag, and I'm just relieved that I can get food that won't upset his stomach.

But let me just confess...I'm not a pet person. Please don't stone me, but I wouldn't have a dog if Will didn't demand one. Before you judge me, know that I had my very own dog when I was little. Precious followed me everywhere, protected me with the ferocity of a lamb, and was my best friend all the way up until the day that she was DOGNAPPED. Gasp! Can you imagine being a six year old girl, and your grandma has to tell you that some bad man stole your best friend? In case you can't, it scarred me for life and ever since then, I've never wanted another pet. What about Weiser you say? Well, he's kind of the best dog ever and if I have to have a dog, he's the only one I want. Plus, even though he's 'Will's dog', Sir William is always gone between deployment and training, leaving moi to play dog-mom and dad. This is why I have learned a TON about taking care of this little nugget. It's sad really, I think I'm better with him than people. Now I'll share my knowledge with you, you're welcome.

Food

Food is actually a tricky thing, because what works for one dog, may not work for another. #1 make sure you are feeding your dog the right amount. Too much and you will have a fatty, too little and they are like a baby in Uganda. Check with your vet or use this cool Food Calcuculator I found. #2 The crappier the food you feed them, the crappier they will be. Literally. If you feed them better quality food, their bodies will use more of it, and poop less. Not to mention, if the food doesn't agree with their stomach, it's going to come out of both ends. It may be more expensive to get good food, but I'd rather not clean up that nastiness, if you know what I'm sayin'.

Deodorizing

None of us want to give our dogs a bath every day, so you have to find ways to combat odor. Your best bet, is to brush them daily and use baby wipes to get rid of dead skin and hair, but you can also sprinkle Baking Soda or Baby Powder on them to soak up the oil too. While you are at it, mix Baking Soda or Vinegar with water in a spray bottle to spray on beds, furniture, and other pet areas. Just don't mix the Baking Soda and Vinegar or you'll get a volcano.
Don't say I didn't warn you.

For Unruly Fur-Children

 Make sure they have lots of exercise and toys to keep them entertained. If you think your dog is 'dumb' and doesn't need to be stimulated then a) you probably have a lot of chewed up chews/furniture or b) you should question your desire for a pet. Anyhow, fetch will keep them healthy and get them tuckered out, walking them will keep their nails filed down (just make sure the ground isn't too hot. If it would burn your feet, theirs will too), and if all else fails, a spritz of water to the face or coins in an empty water bottle are great deterrents for bad habits. Keep some cheese or treats on hand to reward them when they make improvements. Punishment doesn't actually work, but distraction and rewarding good behavior does.

For Allergies

Luckily, we are almost past allergy season, but this year was a killer. What you may not realize, is that your pets get allergies too. I noticed that Weiser was shaking his head more and sneezing, so the vet told me to put him on people Benadryl (not Benadryl D and not if your dog has a heart condition). You may think that those little sneezes are cute, but if your dog gets a Hematoma or has an ear infection, it ain't cute. I only give him two pills one or two times on the days he has problems, and he's all better.

Disclosure: I'm not a vet {duh}, so before you do anything with your dog, use your OWN common sense and/or consult with YOUR vet. I'm not responsible, and if you are going to have a pet, then you BETTER be responsible for your own little nugget.

Have you guys tried any of these or have any more tips?

This move just got real...

Our rental company scheduled a showing last Friday, and we got swarmed! I guess it doesn't surprise me because our rent is hella cheap, but it definitely made me realize that this move is creepin' up on us. We did get some packing done this weekend, but the best part was brunch. In case I haven't told you, brunch is my favorite pastime in the world, and Broadmoor Brunch is my end-all-be-all. The fact that we will have to leave it behind makes me a very sad puppy.

Doesn't Buck look nice? You should have seen what he showed up to our house in...Camo from head to toe with a black tie. And a cowboy hat. Luckily, he was only semi-serous, so I dressed both boys appropriately. Obviously, I think Will turned out the best. 

You just can't beat sinfully delicious food and amazing friends. We may have spent two hours indulging ourselves, but we managed to have some laughs and make good memories in between bites. Seriously...I'm going to miss these people.

Sidenote: Weiser just farted, and it was loud. And now it smells.

Completely unrelated to brunch or Weiser, Courtney who blogs over at From Here To Eternity, sent me the cutest picture EVER! We have been a bloggy friend for quite some time now, so back when she was preggers I sent her a fun little package. I try to think outside of the box by sending gifts that kids can grow into, and Mia FINALLY grew into her pimptastic little shoes. Hey, it's not my fault she's extra tiny for her age. All that matters is that she's perfect, she looks awesome in her kicks, and I'm in love.

Let's just say, if I knew my kid would come out that cute...I'd get pregnant tomorrow.
Will, don't take that as a challenge ;)

Okay, time to get back to packing. Only three weeks left! Yikes...

I Got Drano For Christmas

This Christmas, I expected a quiet morning at home, a few fun gifts, snuggle time with my love, and a little sadness that we weren't home with family. Of course we missed the fam, but to be honest, it was one of the best Christmases to date!

First there were a gaggle of gifts, and here are the funny ones...

Gulf Oil Can Mug...My parents picked this up for Will because his family owned Gulf Gas Stations back in the day. I love that my parents are so thoughtful!

Brad Thor Alpha Jacket...Oh let me tell you about the jacket. Two months ago, Will sent me a link to the Scottevest, which is the end-all-be-all jacket. I went ahead and ordered it as a Christmas present because I'm a brilliant wife, and then the knucklehead tried to buy it himself. Instead of telling him that I ordered it, I caused a huge fight and didn't even feel bad about it. To further throw suspicion, I even told his best friend that I was sending it to his house, when I really had it sent to my work. Buck is terrible at keeping secrets, so I had no choice. As a matter of fact, I tricked them so good that they thought it hadn't been delivered. The hassle was ALL worth it to see his face and know that I GOT'EM!

Then there was the Drano... Remember when our pipe was frozen? Our Realtor assumed it was clogged, which I knew was not the case, so I said not to waste the Drano. The boys made fun of me for worrying about "wasting the drano", so this is what I opened. I KNEW there was something else to it, because Buck bragged about how good his present was, and low and behold there was $100 taped to the bottom. Sneaky Boys!

All I can think is the Modern Family scene where Sophia Vergara tricks Al Bundy for Valentines Day, and shouts, "I win, I win!" However, I think we can tell who was the happiest on Christmas...

Soon after, the meal planning began, and we realized that we had way too much food for the two of us. We knew a few people that didn't have anywhere to spend Christmas so an impromptu dinner was thrown together. Let me tell you, this is the BEST way to do it, because there was no stress- we just picked up the house, and started cooking.

It's funny, we didn't make a single plan other than opening presents or cooking dinner, and yet, it felt good to feed a few refugees, watch Christmas movies during our food comas, and we even ended up going out for a few beers and a lotta laughs. That's what it's all about, right? Food, friends, and beer fun.

One last thing, you may want to do the following, next year. 

I just made a weekly countdown with homemade tags, and corresponding bottles of alcohol, and it was a hit! I got the idea from the popular new Advent calendars made with wine bottles or shots, and streamlined it. We don't need a ton of booze before we move, so this was a perfect surprise for Will. Especially since the last two bottles are VERY hard to find, which made them extra meaningful.

Needless to say, I don't have a single complaint. Not even for the fact that I got Drano for Christmas. Anyone got a clog? I got'chu ;)

Weiser- "Have a Woof Woof Christmas!"

I hope you are all having the merriest of Christmas's, and enjoying family time! We may be a small family of three, but we are enjoying our Christmas just the same. I have my two boys, Santa already came, Christmas movies all day, homemade breakfast, and we are cooking like we have an army coming for Christmas dinner. Since we are busy cooking, here is a message from the fur child. If you haven't met, this is Weiser!

Hi guys!

I was mad at mom because she hasn't had me on the blog for awhile and dad's better at wrestling, but then she brought home my Christmas presents and stocking stuffers...For future reference, I CAN be bought.

The other reasons I love mom:

Her lap is really comfy, she takes me for lots of walks, and she makes me look like a dog-model in pictures. She most definitely knows my best side.

This Christmas, I am thankful for my three fluffy pillows, the dirt I play in, the warm light I chase around the house, the T-bones I get if I don't beg, and that mom is happy because dad isn't deployed this year. If mom's happy we are all happy ;)

Now I gotta go...it's PRESENT TIME!

Merry Christmas!!

Handsome, Intelligent, And Shopped Pinterest For My Presents? Unbelievable.

Okay, so I know my Birthday isn't until the 31st, but in my eyes, it already happened and by far surpassed my own imagination. Picture it, Prince charming cooking your dinner, dipping fresh strawberries in chocolate, followed by a cake that HE baked, and presents that he found on your Pinterest board, while you take it all in from the fireside of the mountain cabin he secretly reserved for the weekend. I shit you not, I have THE PERFECT husband.

For three years, I have wanted to see the leaves change, and every year I am left unfulfilled. That is, until Will took charge and planned our weekend getaway in Florissant, Colorado. Welcome to our humble abode for the weekend {insert Vanna White hand wave}.

After a leisurely afternoon stroll through the autumnal paradise, Will hopped in the kitchen to make those fresh chocolate covered strawberries and one of my favorite meals. Even though we ran out of propane in the middle of cooking the steaks, they still came out perfect. To be honest, the whole dinner reminded me of one of our first dates and the beginning of our relationship in general. Just like the days of our humble beginnings, he made me Steak Au Poivre in the skillet, and it still melted in my mouth.

After dinner, he banished me to the bedroom, and I wasn't allowed to come out until the following was set up. Take special note of the Coconut Carrot Cake that he made from SCRATCH. Apparently, he went over to Buck's to bake it that morning he disappeared. 

Well played, sir.

Our third guest didn't seem thrilled, but this party wasn't about him. His birthday isn't until November, and now I know that I don't have to wear a party hat for his birthday.

As I sat there taking it all in, I was completely in awe. 

With tears in my eyes, I read the letter he wrote to me...

To my love,

I don't even know where to start. I spent all week trying to come up with the right thing to say, but it wasn't until tonight that I found the words. Something you said this evening struck me.You said, "You are so amazing...like a fairy tale", and I thought to myself, I have never found myself to be that incredible. I do these things because you deserve nothing less. You are my rock, my launchpad out into the world, and my safe haven when I push it a bit too hard. You sacrifice so much in support of me and the Army, so this weekend I wanted to be sure you know just how incredible YOU are. I'd be half the man I am today without you, and I can't wait to spend my life with you.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY QUEEN.

I love you,

Will

I won't go into details about what happened next, but I will tell you that there was a Jacuzzi involved, and I properly rewarded him for making me feel like a princess. Or queen, as he called me. I'll take either title.

Come Sunday, the fun wasn't over. 

We got the inside scoop on a local spot, and ventured out to find "The Falls". They really do keep the secret quite well, because even the directions are quite confusing. Like the parking was just a "pull off on the left, past the house with the moose statue". For reference, we never found the moose, but the good news- is that we did find The Falls!

We were kind of expecting something along the lines of Niagara Falls with the hype this place got, but we still weren't disappointed by the beauty of the hidden gem. It might have been the tiniest waterfall I have ever seen, and yet, even the rainbows managed to find their way to greet us.

Afterwards, we decided to relax and soak in the Jacuzzi one more time. I feel so blessed that we can spend every moment together, and then still lay back and talk for hours. After five and a half years, we still chat it up like when we are dating. Possibly more, actually...he intimidated the shit out of me when we first got together, so I might have talked less back then ;) Sssssshhhh, don't tell him I admitted that.

Now, we have a week until my Birthday, and I already feel incredibly fulfilled. Thank goodness, because the Army took all their phones away for the next nine days, which lends me on the empty side. That means I may or may not get a birthday message or call from him, but I can only hope that he can call me {without getting into trouble} on the day I will need to hear his voice the most. Only time will tell!

Have a great weekend, all!