Tuesday, June 30, 2009

I wonder if he has echo-location...


Na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na na BAT DOG!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Monday, June 29, 2009

flowers


DM surprised me with flowers.



And that makes me happy.



r o c k y


Rocky has been in DM's life longer than any of our other dogs. DM rescued him from the Union County Animal Shelter in the spring of 2002 while he was a freshman...living in a dorm. In September of 2002 the housing department must have spent thousands of dollars on spy equipment to catch DM and his elusive dog (read: Rocky spent his days staring out the open dorm window barking at birds). Somehow they caught him. It remains a mystery to this day. They gave DM 48 hours to get rid of Rocky. DM's maternal grandparents came to the rescue and opened their heart and home to this large, loud, and hyperactive dog. They would take Rocky and give him a temporary home until the end of the summer when he would return to being DM's responsibility. As the end of summer neared, it became clear to DM that his grandparents had fallen in love with Rocky (and obviously vice versa) and he did not want to take him away from them. He continued to see Rocky and play with him when he would visit his grandparents.

....fast forward to September 2006...



If you've ever met Rocky you know that he is a large dog. In September of '06 he weighed about 120 lbs. But Rocky is not a large lazy dog. He is a large hyper dog that has no concept of his size. This became difficult for his grandparents and they made the very tough decision for Rocky to come and live with us. It was a very difficult decision for them to make but at the same time they were happy he would be living with DM again and that he would have (at the time) 3 brothers to play with.

Since Rocky has moved in, he has decided that although he is the oldest of our pups he wants to pretend he is the youngest and continue to be the definition of hyperactivity. He is always happy and wagging his tail and he is our only dog that loves water. We put a kiddie pool out specifically for him during the summer so that he can splash around and cool off after running around in the heat (the other dogs just think it is a huge water bowl). Although he is getting a little gray around the muzzle he is definitely young at heart and we are glad to have him in our lives.


"Let me in!"


Friday, June 26, 2009

June Birthdays





Last weekend we had a very informal party for the siblings with June birthdays. 3 of the 5 have birthdays in June. Did you know that? June birthdays were the best growing up. They meant pool parties and fun soirees with sun dresses, grass, and outdoor activities. February birthdays, however, meant misery. Cold, indoor, gray, and boring. But I'm not bitter. No I'm not.

Moving on...

I wasn't a very good photographer at the party. For one, I didn't get any photos of the birthday celebrants (unless you count the top of Anna's head... which I don't) Secondly, I didn't take any pictures of the people at the gathering except for the kiddos. Thirdly, I didn't diversify my shots and focused mainly on two subjects. What can I say? I was lazy and didn't want to get out of my chair and those were the kiddos that surrounded me. Basically what I am saying is, don't hire me to photograph and capture important family memories.


Meet Miss Liza. She's cute, no? Not only that, but she's so well behaved. Just a roll-with-the-punches kinda gal.

This elusive breed is called a Fuller. I think this is the only time I've ever seen him sit down... he has energy in spades!

Hello, Harrison. What is that look you are giving me? It is making me a little bit nervous...like you have something up your sleeve (well, if you were wearing a shirt and had sleeves)

You thought that last look was scary? Let me just show you my gang signs.

Just kidding. No children were taught gang signs in the making of this blog.

Remember Miss Roll-With-The-Punches? She's ready for a nap. Let's see,this brick patio looks comfy and cozy...

Mom, come over here. This brick patio is divine! Like lounging on a layer of clouds


I'm not so sure Mom agrees...



HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GUYS! Even though you weren't really pictured in this blog, I love you anyway. It's just that you aren't as cute as the young wippersnappers.


P.S. I don't know how to spell wippersnappers.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Best. Life. Ever.

So, I was going through some old pictures of the dogs... the original Three Musketeers (Baxter, Kohana, and Franklin) (I will save you the disappointment-and myself the embarrassment- of saying something like the original Three Muttsketeers) and I realized that in almost every group of pictures I saw a similar photo. See if you can spot the trend...


Again... Best. Life. Ever.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

How am I supposed to sleep?

Okay, let me confess something to you.

I am truly, madly, deeply in love.

In love with sleep.

It is fantastic. I love it. To all of you mothers out there? I don't know how you function on such little sleep. That is my biggest fear of children. Not the diapers, not the fact that I will have no idea what I am doing and my poor offspring will likely struggle to fit into society based on my lack of knowledge when administering parental guidance, not the teenage years. Not the increased drug use among children teenagers nor the plight of teenage hormones, etc. None of the stuff that should actually concern me. For those things, I feel that I am well equipped to deal with what comes my way. (Again, to the mothers? Please do not burst my bubble on that. Thank you.) What I am most concerned about is the sleep deprivation. Actually, when I put it in writing like that it sounds pretty selfish. Hmm, I guess that is just something I will have to ponder. In my sleep.

So, let me ask you this question. How am I supposed to sleep when DM does this to me in the mornings?
Side Note: Don't be too jealous of the photographic genius of this picture. If you work really, really hard and spend countless hours learning about shutter speed, composition, aperture, ISO, etc. one day you will be able to achieve a blurry masterpiece like this. Don't rush it. With hard work and dedication, it will come. Be patient.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

f r a n k l i n




What can I say about Franklin? He is spunky and energetic, fun and playful, loving and affectionate, adoring and devoted, intelligent and curious, courageous and protective, and maybe a wee-bit bossy. :)


After living in a new city for only a few months, DM and I decided we should get another dog.

Well, not exactly...

We went to the shelter and played with several precious pups. But, "Buster" (later re-named Franklin) won me over. DM, however, needed more convincing. First of all, we did not need another dog. Secondly, "Buster" was a small, funny looking Dachshund mix (and DM didn't like small dogs). Eventually DM relented and Buster came home with us. The night was spent brainstorming for new names and Franklin officially became part of the "family."

Originally, Franklin adored DM and paid me no attention whatsoever. One fateful day I was home sick and Franklin's affections turned towards me and he has never looked back. He follows me everywhere I go. He is my sidekick. Always at my side (currently curled up against me snoozing and snoring) and always around to lift our spirits and make us laugh. He has personality in spades. He is always the favorite of friends and family who visit. He is smart as a whip and has amazing intuition concerning human emotion. Also, DM is convinced he can understand English and see through walls. ;)






Franklin is the fearless and courageous leader of our pack. The alpha dog. He views his role is to keep all of the other dogs in line. Oh, and to steal their toys. He is a big fan of that. DM and I laugh a lot at the big dogs that let him boss them around and literally let him take the toys right out of their mouths.

Franklin is a fantastic dog. He truly is the most devoted dog I have ever seen. I am so glad we were able to bring him home and give him a better life. I can only hope we have improved his life half as much as he has improved ours.







Oh, and by the way, DM likes small dogs now. :)




.

Monday, June 15, 2009

I shouldn't be allowed in public...

Remember that time when I was walking out of my high school theater and I fell down the brick steps? And my adorable pink paisley dress flew up? And I was not wearing very cute underwear? But I was in such pain that I had to just sit there, immobile, for several seconds before adjusting my dress so that I wasn't flashing the universe?

You don't?

Well, I do. I think my psyche usually blocks out a vast majority of the mortifying experiences I've endured in the past, but... not this one.

Maybe that's why I love animals. I can't embarrass myself in front of animals.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Housekeeping Nightmare

The problem with huskies?

The hair.

It is everywhere. It encompasses my life. It is my nemesis.


"Maybe I should just hide over here... She won't be able to resist this adorable face"


"Besides, I need all of this fur for fabulous days like this!!"

Saturday, June 13, 2009

k o h a n a



Kohana has been our most interesting and difficult rescue. Shortly after we adopted Baxter we decided we would go back to the shelter... again, just to play with the dogs.

We were in the process of moving me out of my university dorm. Bags were packed, the U-haul was full, all we needed was to get Baxter and the last few things and hit the road! But, we went to play with the dogs anyway. We took several of them out into the enclosed area to play. I had, of course, already fallen in love but DM was adamant that we were not getting another dog. He definitely had logic on his side given our current situation (young, had one puppy, moving back to our hometown to live with our parents for the summer... you get the idea).

While we were there we found a beautiful bundle of white and red fur to take outside. He paid me very little attention whatsoever but immediately ran and laid his head in DM's lap. DM was sold! We loaded him up with the rest of my stuff and made the trip back to our hometown (to the dismay of my parents).



The first nights were terrible. He screamed throughout the night. (For those of you that don't have much experience with Huskies, they literally scream. I remember when we moved into our first apartment in Raleigh I was always afraid people would hear him scream during his baths and call the police because it sounded like we were severely abusing small children!) He had to have surgery within the first month (unfortunately not his only surgery) to remove plastic shards and an intact half tennis ball that he had consumed before we adopted him. He had endured a difficult life prior to us and was very skittish and fearful and to say he was distrustful would be an extreme understatement. Let me just sum up and say he was very difficult. When we were filling out the adoption application we learned that he had been surrendered to the shelter due to his inability to obey and his propensity to escape so we knew that it wouldn't be the easiest. He was much worse than we had imagined. All of that being said, I would not trade him or our past experiences with him for the world. He has turned out to be a fabulous dog. We still have to be very cautious with him and he is not now nor will he ever be an easy dog but he is worth it! He has so much personality and I think that working with him has been unbelievably rewarding.


We absolutely adore Kohana. Through a lot of patient work he has become one of our sweetest and most loving dogs. That being said, I would feel irresponsible if I did not warn others about Siberian Huskies. They are beautiful and it can be very rewarding to have one as a part of the family but they are extremely difficult. Please do your research before you take one home to make sure you feel like they would be a good fit. Huskies are very independent (more like a cat than your ordinary dog). They don't have the need to please like many breeds (meaning training is difficult). They are absolute masters of escape and are extremely intelligent. If they are not entertained or if they are left alone it is likely you will come home to utter destruction. They LOVE to dig- whether it be random holes in the yard or to escape the fence. They are very athletic and fast! If your husky finds his freedom it is likely that you will never see him again. Obviously I don't need to mention the shedding. DM and I had no idea what kind of dog we were bringing home that day in May. Kohana has done more damage to himself and to our belongings than all of our other dogs combined. He has been one of the most expensive shelter dogs you can imagine. I have always been so happy that we were the ones that took him home that day because we were willing to deal with everything he threw our way and I'm not convinced he would have had the same outcome had he gone to another family.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

b a x t e r


Since the dogs are a pretty important part of our lives, I think it is only fair to introduce you to them. All at once would probably be too overwhelming so I am going to do it one at a time.
Let's start with the puppy who changed our lives!

Meet Baxter. What was that adorable puppy you see above is now 120 pounds of lazy. Let me give you a little background....


While I was in college, DM and I decided it would be a great idea to visit the animal shelter.

You know, just to play with the dogs.

Well, there had to have been over 30 puppies under 8 weeks old (in addition to older dogs)! I know a lot of people love puppies but I knew that there was no way all of them would be adopted. There was this adorable little red bundle of fuzz with white toes, a white tip to his tail, and a white snip on his nose. I fell in love. (Look above, can you blame me?) We left the shelter and DM knew he was in serious trouble...I had to save that puppy! The next day I went back and adopted the puppy and we named him Baxter.


There was one glaring problem. My university had implemented a mandatory 4-year-on-campus program... meaning, I lived in a dorm. Fortunately I did not have a roommate but there were definitely some hurdles to having a 6-week old puppy living in your dorm room. To take him outside, I had the tiniest little Vera Bradley bag that he would get into and I would carry him down the stairs out into the fresh air. He loved that bag... he would get it onto the floor during the day and curl up inside of it to take naps (little did we know napping would become his favorite hobby). Secondly, he had terrible separation anxiety. The poor thing hated being alone. Obviously a barking puppy does not help one remain inconspicuous in a dorm room. So, I had the ingenious idea that I would turn up animal planet on my TV and hope that people thought his whining and barking were part of the program. To this day I do not know how we managed to avoid being caught.


Fast forward to now. As I mentioned, that tiny little puppy grew into a gigantic dog.

We had no idea he would become such a monster! He fills his days with naps, naps, and more naps. He is the only dog I know that would prefer sleeping until noon. We literally have to make him go outside in the mornings. In the summer he doesn't want to go outside because he has a true love for air conditioning. In the winter he wants to be near the heat vent. At all other times he wants to be on the couch and will grudgingly settle for a dog bed if he must (but he is not the least bit happy about it). He has also more than conquered his problems with separation as he is probably our most independent dog. And our loudest.

Baxter will always hold a special place in our hearts as he started the wheels in motion for our love of helping and rescuing dogs and therefore changed the direction of our lives.

Not My Type

DM and I met and started dating when we were very young. 19 to be exact. He was NOT my type. In fact, I don't think I can adequately describe how NOT my type he was. The only criteria he met, in my book, was that he was tall. That's it.

He was a football player. First of all, my high school didn't even have a football team, so I was not the least bit impressed with this fact. In my judgemental, stereotypical, naive way of summing someone up with a mere glance I surmised that his football playerness = my not interestedness. I thought to myself What could we possibly have to talk about? Does he even have the intelligence to form sentences? I wonder how many times he's been hit in the head.... Should I speak extra loudly and slowly to make sure he understands me? Secondly, he was not only a football player, but a lineman. Granted, at the time I had no idea what that meant other than he was very large. And again, not my type.

But, we talked anyway. As it turned out, he could form cohesive sentences. Shocking! (To my unbelievable dismay, I would later learn that he was not only smart enough to communicate effectively but he is one of the smartest people I've ever met. Meaning, he is smarter than I am which, let's face it, is utterly depressing)

That first night, as we talked in the kitchen of a friend's house, a flash came through my mind. I'm going to marry this man. Which was quickly followed by: WHAT?! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO. I mean it. No! What is wrong with me? I don't know if I've told you, but he was not my type.

Apparently, "not my type"= "I'm going to spend my life with this person." Who knew?

And the moral of the story?

Don't listen to me.

Hi!

Hi! My name is B.
I am a 20-something female trying to make my life what I want it to be. I am married. My husband's name is DM. Together we hear the pitter-patter of 28 little feet running around our house.

Did I say feet?

I meant paws.

The pitter-patter of 28 paws running around our house.

We currently have 7 dogs. No children. No cats. No ferrets or gerbils. Not even a goldfish. Just dogs. They are all some form of rescue- whether it be from a shelter or we merely rescued them from living the life of a stray. We have seven stinky, muddy, fuzzy, shedding dogs that make my vacuum cleaner want to throw itself under the wheels of a Mack Truck. But, I love them. The vet bills? The food bills? Those I don't love so much. But they are worth it! They spend the days lounging around in the yard or on the deck and at night they go to sleep on plush beds in their own room. Trust me. They have the life. Plus, it makes my life better knowing I have saved seven little pups from a life of misery and loneliness.

As for me? I am a young married,working woman. Laundry and dishes are the bane of my existence. My goal in life is to open a non-profit animal sanctuary. We have started the process and I will be posting updates on the process, advice for those who also want to open a non-profit, the trials and tribulations of life, etc. on this blog.