Who tooted?

Crystal: [Talking to Bunker and Gunyr] Woah! I know one of you tooted, I can smell it.. whew!

Steve: [jokingly] Breath deep, babe. Figure out who did it.

Yep, that is a conversation that happened this morning. HA! Both Bunker and Gunyr toot when they get excited and sadly enough, we know who did it by the way it smells.. So thats why this conversation was so funny to us.

In three days, I started and finished the book Raising a dog named Scout.. I absolutely loved it and recommend it for all those who are starting this adventure of raising a pup because it makes all those happenings that make you want to rip your hair out and take him back to where you got him into something that is funny and its good to know that what your pup is doing and how he is acting is normal.
Another good book, that I have mentioned before, is A Dogs Purpose. Now that book is probably the best book I have read in years. It now has a second and last book called A Dogs Journey. Equally good.

At the very beginning of Raising a Dog Named Scout, it mentions how getting a new puppy makes you miss your old one. That is so true. Ever since Gunyr came in to our lives, I have been reminiscing with my husband about how Lucky would do this and Snobell used to do that.
Lucky and Snobell were my childhood dogs. They helped me learn patience and kindness towards animals. I learned how to train dogs with Lucky when I did 4H and got to work with a professional trainer. Such good memories. I missed them terribly when I left home at age 16 and got a little trailer with Steve. Steve can tell you how I cried myself to sleep with their picture in my hand. Thankfully, when my Dad and I got on better terms, I was able to see them often and was able to say goodbye to Lucky before my Dad had to put him down when he got sick and the vet said that was the only option. I don't have a digital photo of them and taking a photo of a photo would be tacky but hopefully soon I will remember to dig a photo of them out and scan it up on to here.



Puppy-hood

You know your a dog owner when you know the names of other dogs (and owners) that come to your dog park on a regular basis.

Today Gunyr is eleven weeks old! I have been trying to get my hands all things dog training and puppy-hood whether it be information online or books and magazines (Dog Fancy and Ceaser's Way are my favorites). I am so worried of not doing something right. I want him to be well rounded and sociable to both other animals and people as well as listen and obey. I am trying to get him to experience everything so he is not afraid of anything. I make it a point to take him to the dog park at least twice a week, walk him next to cars (on the sidewalk), doing multiple command training sessions a day, have him walk near water to start getting comfortable around it, bathing/grooming, etc. I still need to start brushing his teeth, clip his nails as well as a few other things I would like him to get used to while his mind is still open to new things.

I think he is teething because he loves to chew. We don't let our home be bone-less. He always has a bone in his bed, our bed and probably under our bed somewhere. I tried my best to puppy proof our home but I slacked last night and plugged my tablet in to the wall outlet to only find out 10 minutes later he chewed through the cord. Thank goodness we have extras... now its charging in the kitchen on the counter.. I learned my lesson.

When it comes to housebreaking, I take Gunyr out to potty every hour and if I don't watch the clock, he goes inside but happily on the puppy training pads then take him outside with the puppy pad to let him smell it out there as well as reward him when he goes potty outside. He is doing well with it.

Bunker has become pretty comfortable around Gunyr but Tubbles still wont come down from her cat tree unless its morning and she knows he is still asleep, then its prime time for play with Bunker. I have noticed she is less fearful with him but she still doesn't appreciate him coming near her.

I have no idea when he went from shelter pup to having horrible separation anxiety with us. We have to take him everywhere (which was great, he loves car rides) and if I need to go somewhere not dog friendly, I have to wait until Steve is home to stay with him. The first time (and currently only time) I had to leave him alone was when I let him stay in the car so I could run in to the library super fast. I gave him a bone to occupy him but I could hear him crying and screaming even at the entrance of the library.. and I parked a ways away to keep him in the shade. I tried my best to hurry and when I walked out, I could still hear him. He was so upset.This is something we are going to work on. I have done a lot of studying on the best way to overcome separation anxiety so its important to us for him to know we are coming back.

We were taking him to the Brandywine dog park until we learned about the Talley Day Bark Park. That is now our dog park. Its the only one in the state of Delaware that has a fenced in play area for both small and large dogs. We have been socializing him in the small dog park but since he is a growing boy, I can see he will soon be meeting friends in the large dog park. I met a woman with a large yellow lab and she said he was eight months old. My goodness. That is right around the corner for Gunyr. He is already bigger then when we adopted him up... such a good growing healthy boy.

Hope you enjoy a few photos of his first adventures at the Bark Park, lazy mornings at home, and a few from our walks together..

Gunyr and Pepper

Making new friends

A puppy just as old as him

silly Gunyr

taking up my side of the bed

Sleepy after a morning at the Bark Park

Meet Gunyr

Meet our sweet sweet little boy Gunyr, pronounced Gunner with awesome spelling. He is a Labrador and Bernese mix. We rescued/adopted him yesterday from the Delaware Humane Association. He was born on January 17 2013. His birth mom was in foster care and up for adoption. The litter of pups came in to the shelter for adoption themselves the day before we decided to come look at the dogs available. We were in love as soon as we took him for a walk at the shelter and applied for adoption that day.

Before we picked him up, we went to Pet-smart and got his halter and leash along with his food bowls, some healthy organic shampoo, training treats and a few other essentials. As soon as we were able to pick him up, which was the day after we applied,we drove to Petco and he got to pick out all his toys and treats. We initially named him Bloodsworth and Blood for short. Steve always wanted a dog named Blood so we did... until everyone that asked his name at Petco and outside on walks would give us a shocked look. We decided that its best to choose something else... So Gunyr he is!

Today we went for a morning stroll around the complex since it was so warm and beautiful. He loves his walks but his legs are so little, he can only go so fast but he sure tries. He has to jog to keep up. He is so fun to watch. Later we went to the dog park at the Brandywine Park. Its off-leash and he loved playing fetch. We train with positive reinforcement and barely punish unless he wines at his feline brother or sister then its a stern "Bad Dog"!. We don't believe in hitting or physical  punishment AT ALL! All it does is make him afraid of you. His legs are still too short to comfortably climb the stairs to the apartment but sometimes he will try to climb them himself and other times Steve has to carry him. And as for housebreaking him, he is doing extraordinary. We put out puppy pads and he always went on those except once. Then today, literately one day later, he will wine and let me know when he has to potty. But if I wait too long, he will go inside on the pads... so its a race against time.

We are so blessed that the Lord brought him in to our lives. He is a true blessing. We have a dog park right here in the apartment complex so there is no excuse for him to have any pent up energy. Bunker and Gunyr have been doing great and are getting along. Tubbles on the other hand is in the bedroom and will not come out. We had to move the litter box and dishes in there because she is having the same reaction as when Bunker came in to our lives but not so extreme. She is actually doing much better with this transition then the last. We are just giving her lots of extra love and attention.


Time for a walk




He is such a beautiful little man




Walking by the water




Run Gunyr, Run!



A quick drink

More running

I love Him!

Momma holding him during his first car ride

Cuddles for Daddy

His big new comfy bed

Loved watching the birds (Brandywine Zoo)

"But Mom, I dont want to shop anymore!"

"..well, okay.. as long as I get more samples"

First bath time.

A snoring Gunyr.

My little mouth breather

"I was rescued"

Look at those huge paws! He is going to be a big dog!

Sweetest moment of my day

Sweetest moment of my day:

I was making homemade pizza and salad for dinner and here is a conversation we had.

Me: would you like to eat dinner separately? Your pizza is almost done and mine still has 10 minutes.
Husband: No. We eat together and pray together at the table and families who pray together stay together.

I melted. I am so blessed to have such a godly man for a husband.

forgotton photos

My cousin Ashley tagged Steve and I in a few photos on Facebook that I have never seen. We look so different then. These were taken from when we were just dating, or maybe we have just gotten engaged. I'm not entirely sure. I was about 16 or 17 here (in 2006 or 2007). Seeing these completely made my day. I don't have any photos of my childhood or teen years. When my Dad passed, I gave everything to the local church and didn't think I would want a photo of myself as a baby to show our children one day. I think I will have to ask my Mom to see if she has any she can send to me.

Steve and I with my nephew David (my brother David's son)

David and I

Steve, David and I

Picnic for Grandmas Katherine birthday (my Mom's mother). My Mom on the right and Grandpa Ralph (Mom's father) on left.

From left: My mom Debbie, me, Stacy (sister-in-law) holding my niece Katy, and Bob (moms boyfriend) holding my nephew David.

Growing boy and our apartment garden

Seven months and he is already taller than Tubbles (look at those long legs of his!). He is so fun and is such a baby. He still suckles my shirts and loves to vocalize his opinion about everything. You should check out a few of our home videos we have taken of him. He is so fast in play and he sure keeps Tubbles on her toes. I think she has lost a bit of weight since she has him to play with all day now. They sure sleep good at night.

We recently planted some flowers and a few vegetables (apartment gardening is a little experiment we are doing) and since they need to stay indoors for the first six weeks, the kittens love to smell the dirt and hang around the kitchen where I keep the pots. We also got some balcony furniture so it should be nice this Summer to sit outside with my family and smell our blooming flowers and yummy veggies. So excited for the warm season coming up.

Life of a Housewife

I was reading some old posts from my blog and boy, my life has changed from when I was in college, and in Germany, and well, when I had a normal life outside the home. I had FRG meeting to attend and fun wives get-togethers. Its hard not having any friends here.
I can't wait to settle in one place and make long lasting relationships. But anyways.. I know I have done a daily life post before so here is an updated one for all those who care, Ha! But its fun to record how much life changes over the years.

This is a rough estimate of my daily life now, it varies since I have different cleaning tasks for different days. This was pretty much my day today-

6:00am Wake Up! Feed my kittens and make sure they are loved on.
6:20 Scoop litter box.
6:30 Meals planned out and prepared.
6:35 Start breakfast for husband and I.
7:00 Counters cleaned, floor swept, and dishes done after breakfast.
8:00 Make husband's lunch for work.
9:00 Wake Husband up.
9:30 Keep telling husband he will be late if he keeps dragging!
9:45  Kissed my husband goodbye for work and made sure he didn't forget anything.
10:00 Tended to my home business while clipping coupons from Sundays paper.
11:00 Listen to my church's Sundays service on the Sermon.net app since I can't be there in person. (While I am still working and couponing! Love to multitask. Time goes by much faster)
12:00pm Make lunch for myself.
1:00 Let my kittens play outside on the balcony.
1:30 Throw laundry in the wash and hand wash delicate clothes in sink.
2:00 Started scrubbing bathroom shower walls, tub, counter, mirror, sink, toilet and floor.
4:00 Straightened up living room, vacuumed, and dusted.
4:30 Let the kittens back out on the balcony for one last hoo-rah of the day.
5:00 Start prepping dinner (Once I read Proverbs 31 in the Bible, it really open my eyes to what Gods wants wives to be like and do and now I cook wholesome meals for every meal for my family, including my kittens.. I will only feed them Halo brand foods) ..Ive even lost weight with this new healthy eating!
6:00 Start cooking dinner while catching up on my shows in the back ground (unless its Teen Mom, SOA, The Walking Dead, or Army Wives, then it needs my full attention (Ha :P))
7:00 Hubby is home. Sit down, pray, talk, eat, be merry!
7:45 Wash dishes, wipe down table, clean counter, sweep, and then go relax with the love of my life and my kittens.

Days for deep cleaning, like today was for the bathroom, alternates everyday of the week. I try my best for my husband to come home to a clean home at the end of a long day of school and work. Its Sunday so he only had work but some days, he is not home at all until late at night and I am cooking his lunch and dinner while cooking his breakfast in the mornings since I won't see him. I am looking forward to him graduating as much as he is. I wish we could eat together like this every night but that will come in time.
I try my best to fit sewing practice in there because I am slowing learning, which was a 2013 resolution for me. I love it. I know I have said I am trying to write a book as well but it has sort of gone to the back burner for now. I hope to finish this year but we will have to see.

I also do the shopping so I try to shop once a week to get the most of out my coupons and weekly deals but most of the time, shopping happens twice a month.

Hope you found my day oh so interesting.