So Blessed!

I am very blessed to have such a wonderful family and awesome friends! This Christmas was amazing on so many levels! First of all, my dad and Courtney both had the holiday off. Second of all, it was Duncan's first Christmas, and third of all it SNOWED on Christmas day!! Needless to say I had my camera out like I was a mother witnessing her child look at what Santa brought for the first time; I guess I was in a way. To see Duncan in the snow was the cutest thing ever; he didn't know what to do! All he could do is bury his nose in the snow and eat it. The holidays don't arrive until my Grandma pulls up with her delicious cookies and amazing coffee cake. My Grandma calls it "My" coffee cake, even though my entire family loves it, but I love it the most! :) How can coffee cake be that good?? Um, add a little chocolate swirl in it, and BAM- amazingness! On the first night with the fam together my dad's cousin, his wife and daughter, Hannah came over and we all enjoyed a delicious dinner made by the best cook ever....my mom! Going to the Krug's (no not my parents house) during the holidays was a tradition we used to do many years ago. We would go to Bob, Laura, and Hannah's and listen to Christmas music and do a puzzle. When all of us were in college the tradition stopped for a little bit, because all of our schedules were a little crazy. It was a fun night full of jokes, food, and good company. The following night, the immediate fam, plus Grandma enjoyed a fun game of Apples to Apples. I could go on and on about my holiday, but I don't want to get into every detail! It was a very nice Christmas, and I am very excited to see what the new year has in store for me!

Dunk found his present right away!

SNOW!



Beautiful Christmas decorations!



Thank you, Fulton County. Not really...

I know I can't REALLY complain, because I get more days off than most people, but Fulton County thought it would be a fabulous idea to change the calendar this year. Usually, my last day would have been this past Friday (12/17), but this year my last day is Wednesday!! I mean come on, that is just ridiculous on so many levels! A.) A ton of students are going to be absent B.) If teachers were to travel they wouldn't be able to until the 23- which is probably the busiest day to travel and C.) When do I do my Christmas shopping?! I avoid the malls, at all cost, on the weekends; it's pretty much my worst nightmare. But, like I said I shouldn't really be complaining because I don't go back until January 4th. I am just not used to getting such a "short" break. Also, this year has been sooooo crazy and busy that I could really use a full two weeks off. It is going to go by way too fast I can already tell. Next semester is going to be even crazier, and the time between MLK holiday and Spring Break is a VERY large stretch of time without a break. I will just need to savor every single day that I have off. On a more positive note- I get to wear jeans everyday to work this week- woohoo! :) Only three. more. days. I CAN do this!!

This and Last Week's Weakness

I slacked off on my usual Sunday post last weekend, so I just combined both weeks!

Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookies! MMMMM.....D-lish!

Alone

Warning: This post might contain details you would rather not know. Read at your own risk.

This is the first time I have turned to my blog to make me feel better, vent, and just type. Like I have told you all before, Duncan has gotten himself into crazy things in his short 9 months of life. People say that I need to be more careful of what I do with Duncan like I haven't already thought that myself. It's really hard to fix a mistake when you don't even know you are making one. About a week ago when I got back from a weekend at my parents' house, Duncan wandered into my room. Well, this is not unusual as he does this all the time! However, when he came out of my room licking his chops I knew he had just eaten something. I went in and checked in my overnight bag that I had just casually put on the floor and realized something was missing. This item had been eaten by a living vacuum. Once again, this was a week ago. I enjoyed a wonderful Christmas concert and a delicious dinner last night with my mom. When I got home I fed Duncan. He ate his food pretty slowly, so this was the first red flag. After I "tucked" him into bed (aka put him in his crate), I fell asleep. I woke up at about 1:30 to a sick Duncan. I was up until 2:00 while Duncan proceded to vomit up 3 socks. I knew he did not feel well at all so I let him cuddle with me on my bed. The slumber lasted a whole hour before I got woken up again with Duncan hacking up ANOTHER sock!! Turns out- he can lift up the top of the hamper with his nose and pull out items as he pleases. So, for the next 45 minutes I am doing some serious cleaning. I fall back asleep at 4:00...what time does my alarm go off? 5:30!! I barely remember the first half of my day because I was so tired. Did I seriously teach a class? That's scary! I get home from work and notice there is more throw up in his crate....awesome! I take him outside and everything is normal out there. When I get back inside I give Duncan some water and he drinks a TON of it. Then... he threw up a TON of it! He continued to vomit everything that entered his mouth for the next 30 minutes. I knew he needed to go to the doggie ER immediately! Keep in mind- this "item" that he had eaten a week ago as yet to surface. I drive erratically to a wonderful emergency animal hospital and await the results. Turns out this "item" has moved beyond Duncan's stomach. I am hoping and praying and keeping my fingers crossed that he can pass it tomorrow. If he can't...surgery! So, it's 8:45 on Monday and I am so lonely without my Duncan! I HATE being home without him here. I know that he is getting everything he needs to stay healthy, but it is so sad to sit here and not have a little baby curled up next to me. Of course, I'm also blaming myself for him eating the "item." I will definitely NOT be going into work tomorrow. I don't exactly want to be sitting in front of a class of students when I get a phone call that Duncan needs surgery. I will keep everyone updated. Thank you so much for following this post!

Duncan, a Great Dane?? NO Way!!

Duncan sure is a unique boxer! Like I said in my previous post, I spend a lot of my weekend time at the dog park. I have had two people ask me if Duncan is a Great Dane. Ok, have either of those people ever seen a Great Dane? You don't have to be a dog breed expert to know that Boxers do not look anything like those massive breeds! Maybe they are just looking at a few of Duncan's features and automatically assuming that there is no way he is a Boxer. Let's start with Dunk's ears; they are so adorably massive that they are flipped back, or inside out, half of the time. The cute thing about it is he acts like nothing is different about him. We all know that Great Danes have really cute, large floppy ears, so I could see where people could mistake him for this breed just by looking at his ears. Next, there is the extremely cute under bite! Sometimes his "upper lip" gets caught on his bottom teeth; Great Danes have a long snout; therefore, no under bite...Boxers don't really have a snout at all! Now to Duncan's legs; they really do resemble that of a Great Dane. Duncan's are so long that he still runs a little bit funny! Last, but certainly not least is Duncan's tail. One reason why I love Boxers so much is because of their little nub, and how their whole butt wiggles when they wag their tails. However, Duncan's tail is unusually long for a docked tail (but not as long as a Great Dane's). His long nub definitely makes him the most unique Boxer I know! One very positive aspect about his tail is that it actually wags... and really fast! I have provided a picture for each of his special features. This will also show how much Duncan DOES NOT resemble a Great Dane! All of these features make up the cutest Boxer I have ever seen!!

Inside out ears!

Under bite!

Look at those legs!

His long "nub!"

Fa-reeezing!

I know I talked about it in my post yesterday, but the chilly weather deserves its own post! I have the heat set on about 71 degrees in the my apartment, and I am STILL cold in here! I don't notice that it is actually warm in my apartment until I step outside. Just because it is miserably cold outside, does not mean 8-month-old Duncan doesn't need exercise. I went to Target after work to get a couple things before heading home. One of the items I purchased were some gloves; Target has two pairs of regular old gloves for just $1.50! That is my kind of price! I have a set routine when I get off work; I come home, take Dunk out of his crate and head right outside for him to use the bathroom. After that I bring him back inside so he can eat and I can change out of my work clothes. Today wasn't any different, other than the ridiculously windy, cold weather! I put on my workout pants, a long sleeve shirt, and then a long sleeve shirt/hoodie over the top, some ear warmers, and a pair of the gloves I bought. I knew I was going to be running a little bit, so I figured that the double layers would be plenty! About a mile into the two mile walk/run, I about had it! I wasn't THAT cold, but the wind just got on my nerves. Needless to say, I might have to be selfish for the rest of this week winter, and take him on shorter walks! Sorry Duncan...actually I should be saying sorry to myself, because a boxer that hasn't had enough exercise is not exactly fun to be around! Hmmm... we'll see how long his "shorter" walks actually last! Oh yeah, one more thing- I feel really bad complaining about the weather when my best friend lives in Rapid City, South Dakota! I can't complain about the 29 degree weather right now when she has already experienced six inches of snow!! Love you Amanda! :)

This Week's Weakness

This is a great beer for the chilly weather! I think I might have to open one now! :)

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas!

I have been slacking a little bit on my blog! I always think of really good post ideas throughout the week, yet I never get on to update everyone...sorry! I have also thought about the idea of just posting everything on Sunday, but then I have found that my posts get too long! I think I will just try to update it when an idea comes to me! Last Sunday, my mom and I went to Harry's Farmer's Market, so I could buy a mini Christmas tree. I had such a good time decorating it; I put on some Christmas music, cracked open a beer, and began assembling the decorations for the tree. It is the most perfect size and Duncan can't get to it (a double bonus)! Something I am not enjoying so much this holiday season is the weather! Wow, is it cold!! I spent a good portion of my weekend at the dog park to get Dunk's energy out and I could barely stand it, especially today! I always used to get so annoyed when it was about 60 in December, but now I am thinking I like that better than a high of 38! Of course, then I couldn't sit by the fire at my parents' house if it was 60 degrees. Note: Even if it is 60 degrees out and you still want a fire...don't have one. We did that two Christmas Eves ago and the fire department came to our house because there was smoke in the basement (the cause:  it was too warm out and the smoke from the fireplace in the den was coming out of the fireplace in the basement back into the house). Ok, here I go again, rambling on about nonsense! I absolutely LOVE this time of year, despite the cold. I love the smells, the sight of snow(if it happens) and the overall comforting feeling of having friends and family together. I have put a few decorations up to make it feel cozy and Christmas-like in my apartment. I even have a holiday collar for Duncan! 

This Week's Weakness

Thanksgiving dinner! Duh! What else would I have put?!

Better Late Than Never!

I was originally going to do a post on Thanksgiving, but I didn't have my computer with me. I am thankful for some many things! I am thankful for: My parents- I would not be the person I am today without their constant love and support, My sisters (Ryan and Courtney)- Two of the best sisters/friends a girl could ask for; this sounds super cheesy, but they are my world, My friends- It's not about quantity it's about quality; I have the best group of really great friends, and My dog- Although I can get extremely annoyed and frustrated with his puppy antics, he is always there to make me smile. Ok, so I do have to be a little selfish and explain some material things I am thankful for. I am extremely thankful for my cell phone and car. Even though I am still sporting a Blackberry (not a  Droid or iPhone), I still love it! My car is still kickin' it with about 130,000 miles on it! It's the car I have had since I was 16, and I will drive it until it can no longer move! Oh yeah, one more thing I don't want to leave out that I am thankful for....FOOD! I am what you could consider a "foodie." I will try just about anything once. My thanksgiving meal was D-lish! 

A beautiful walk on a beautiful Thanksgiving day!



Pumpkin and apple pie- YUM!

This Week's Weakness

I have quite a large weakness for purses. My friends really got me into cross-body bags satchels, and I could not resist this one! I guess I can't complain about not having money anymore...

8 Months Old!

My Dunky boy turned 8 months old yesterday! I can't believe that I have had him for 5 months! It has been a very fun, crazy, EVENTFUL, 5 months....to say the least! As much as I love my big bundle of joy, he sure has put a dent in my savings account, and also has done a good job at making my credit card statement A LOT higher than it should be! But as I have said many times, there is no amount of money I wouldn't pay to make sure Duncan is healthy and safe!  Some of you may be wondering what I have had to pay for. Let's see: at about 4 months old he ate a pack of gum and was in the hospital for 2 days, he ate a sock (and some other items) and needed x-rays to make sure there was no blockage, he got neutered, and last but not least, he got a nasty cold and needed x-rays to make sure he didn't have pneumonia! Whew...long list for a dog that is only 8 months! Unfortunately, Duncan got this cold last Monday, so he has been all stuffed up for about a week. He is not supposed to be around other dogs until his cold is gone. Poor little guy! I couldn't even take him to the dog park on his 8 month "birthday!" I did take him to Petsmart and let him pick out a few bones! I can only imagine what I am going to get him for his actual birthday! I wonder if I should start saving now! He seems to be feeling better today- woohoo!! As much as his puppy antics annoy me, I love Duncan so much and I can't imagine life without him!

He was actually small at one point!! The day I got him!

Enjoying one of his treats!

My View

Wow! Courtney informed me of websites that have free blog backgrounds. I told myself I was just going to keep the background that I had, but I was just too curious so I looked at a few websites. Well, that just occupied about 30 minutes of my time. My dinner is still sitting in the microwave, because I am so intrigued by all of the different options (Fortunalely, this has caused me to refrain from eating seconds...I'm satisfied from my first helping)!

Ok, on to the actual reason why I am posting again. I found that work this semester has really been tiring me out. It's a pretty crazy school year. I am usually in bed by 9:30 or 10:00; however, I am still SUPER tired when I wake up (at 5:30). Aren't weekends the time to sleep in? Nope!  When you have a puppy that needs to be taken out at 7:30 in the morning, sleeping in doesn't exactly exist. I let Duncan out, feed him and then crawl back into my extremely cozy bed. Although it seems like I would fall right asleep, I don't. Duncan likes to jump on my bed after he eats and enjoys giving me a very wet kiss (from the water he drinks after his breakfast). This is super cute and it is something I anticipate every weekend now, but he is constantly jumping on and off my bed. He will jump on the bed, snuggle up and sleep for about 20 minutes (This cycle continues until I finally decide to get out of bed).

On Saturday (or Sunday- I can't remember), the view that I saw outside my living room window was enough to wake me up and put me in a very vibrant, pleasant mood. The first thing I did was grab my camera. The leaves against the clouds looked way too pretty to ignore. I am lucky to have a top floor unit in my apartment complex which is equipped with a very large window- it is one my many favorite features of my new place. I know this post is getting long, but I would like to brag a bit. I do not live in one of those swanky apartment complexes with a resort style pool or enclosed hallways with elevators. I live in a very traditional complex, complete with all the necessities: a pool, work out room, a gate, and parking; I actually got lucky and live in a renovated unit for the price of the original design- woohoo! Duncan is the best roommate I could have, and I enjoy everything about my apartment! Well.... maybe not the FIVE flights of stairs I have to go up a down. But I can consider that my exercise...right??

This view definitely put a smile on my face at 7:20 am.

Beautiful!!

Older complexes = more trees! 

This Week's Weakness

This is a post I am going to try to do every Sunday. I got this inspiration from a friend of mine, Kendra. On her blog, http://wasbyfamily.wordpress.com/, she does something called "Wordless Wednesdays." I love it! All she does is add some of her favorite pictures; she does't even add a post descrption. I am going to do my own spin on this idea. Every Sunday (I hope) I will post one picture of my 'weakness' for the week. They will most likely consist of a delicious new food I tried, or sometimes it might be an article of clothing I am really liking, a beer that is fantastic, or just something I really love. I will provide a short description under the picture to inform you of what it is. I know that technically the new week begins on Sunday, but to me it's the end of the week, so this weakness is something I enjoyed the days prior to Sunday. Make sense? I also have the idea of doing a 'This Month's Wekness' and will provide a picture of something I have been obsessing over the entire month.  I already know what I am going to do this month, but you will just have to wait and see! I hope you enjoy what I have posted for today.

Pomegranate Tootise Pop. Enough said!



Welcome

So, I have succumbed to the wonderful world of blogging! I find great pleasure in reading about other peoples' lives, so I figured people would love to read about my exciting life! Are you laughing? I sure am. Why? Because I would view my life as pretty standard, not too exciting. I'm not married, I don't have a child, and I am not spending a couple months of my life in some awesome town out of the country; I am just a normal girl living a normal life, and I enjoy every minute of it! Back up....I enjoy just about every minute of it! Of course, there are those moments where either the stress of work, the stress of having a puppy, or the stress of waking up on the wrong side of the bed make some moments less enjoyable. Now, this new world of virtual story telling is something I will need to master. I mean, it only took me about 15 minutes just to pick out the background; this included applying every style about 5 times to see what I liked. I am hoping this blog will invite you into my life in a little more detail than you may already know. You will see a lot of Duncan posts. Duncan is my 7 month old Boxer puppy (who, as I type, is sleeping with his head on my lap snoring like an old man with a cold). I also love to cook, so hopefully you will be able to see some of the different foods I like to make. Other than that, it might just be a whole lot of random, informational things about none other than....me! :) Enjoy, and don't forget to leave comments, please!