Search results for 'clean bill of health'

Nov 15

Victory: Clean Bill of Health!

We recently took Victory to the vet and her exam went well and Victory’s labs came back normal! Doug and I were so relieved! We had a tricky time doing a free catch urine sample this week, but Victory fortunately cooperated with us — but it took the two of us to get her urine sample!

Victory did really well at the vet’s office and she likes her new vet! After much research and interviewing, Doug and I found a vet that we believe is a good match for us and Victory! Doug and I believe that it is very important to have a vet that we can trust and work well with. However, we hope that our vet visits will be infrequent and only for well visits! While we were at the vet’s office again earlier this week for Victory to receive her Lyme vaccine, Victory again hopped up onto a chair in the waiting room like a human! She did really well again at the vet’s office and she has gained some weight which is good. When Victory was found and rescued late this summer by the Michigan Sheltie Rescue, Inc., she was a mere 14 pounds and now she is 20 pounds! While at the vet, Victory also had her nails and paws trimmed! She is looking good!

Victory is doing well and we are so happy that Biscuit sent Victory to us! Each day she is gaining confidence. She is still giving us licks/kisses and she loves licking ears and eyelashes — who would have guessed! Earlier this week, minutes before Doug’s alarm went off, he was greeted with warm licks in his ear from Victory! Victory might be Doug’s new alarm clock!

Happy Friday!

Aug 4

Gone Fishing…

I hope that your summer is going well! We have been doing a lot of swimming; and Alex has been doing horse riding, which she loves. Victory just received a clean bill of health from our vet, thank goodness, per her annual exam! We have been hitting our very low-key summer checklist! And, how has this happened, already — Alex recently started to take Victory for potty, with supervision, of course! Alex is getting so independent these days, and I cannot believe she is three already! I feel like the days are going by way too quickly.

I am taking a break from the blog for a couple weeks to go on vacation; soak up our days together; rejuvenate; and to catch up on some photo editing, as it has been so busy lately, that it has fallen to the wayside. I want to thank you, as always, for being here. Whether you are a recent reader or have been following the blog for awhile, I am honored you take time to read the blog. I am truly grateful.

Meanwhile, if you are in a blog-reading mood, you are warmly invited to visit the archives — the links are shown below.

Dog Related posts

Dog Rescue posts

‘Dog-Centric’ Artists Interviews

For Artists posts

Photography posts

Personal posts

Victory Related posts

Alex Related posts

Happy Summer!

Nov 19

Season of Gratitude: 2019

It is that time of year, autumn, our favorite season; and it is a time for reflection and harvest. I have learned that a gratitude practice can be really helpful. So, on this cool early morning, while Alex is still asleep in her room; Victory is curled up resting on our pillows, at the head of our bed; and Doug has just left for work, here is what I am immensely thankful for:

writing during this cold dark morning in silence with a cup of hot apple cider next to me
the early mornings where I have a little time to myself
sleep and more sleep — so thankful for more (and more uninterrupted) sleep
getting to be a ‘fur mamma’ and human mamma
our healthy toddler who is thriving
our fur girl, Victory, who recently received a clean bill of health at the vet during her annual exam; and, notably, she has even lost a pound, with one more to go, per the vet! Her daily walks and her new food are really helping in this area! (And, Alex has now surpassed her fur sister in weight!)
our warm house filled with wonderful natural light
the sound of Alex’s giggles and growing vocabulary
everything about my husband, the way he smells, his touch, and how he fathers
walks outside taking in the cool fall air
our second trip to the pumpkin patch, as a family of four
our second Thanksgiving as a family of four
opportunities for personal growth
our ‘night-night’ routine with Alex and our fur girl, Victory
our family time together
our family dinners together
our family outings together
a strong, healthy marriage
nearly finishing the revisions on my long-term photography project; it has been such a process and journey; and I am reviewing the body of work and moving onto the next steps
my mentor who has helped guide me through this creative photography project process
friends who are always there, no matter what
Doug’s new position at a research and development lab
the way Alex looks at us in the morning when she has just woken up — there are no words to describe this feeling
listening to Alex talk to herself in the early mornings, which is so endearing
a play school, which Alex loves, where she is constantly learning and growing
spending one-on-one time with our girls
lunches and dinners with good friends
enjoying good books
enjoying time for exercise
the privilege of being taught by others
the ability to be present
the ability to choose
the ability to write, think, imagine, and create
feeling at peace
the way Alex loves Victory, it is just so sweet — even though, for now, Alex is calling Victory, “Lou Lou!”

Wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov 4

Loving: Fall 2019

Happy fall! The fall is one of our favorite times of the year, a time for harvest, and it is finally beginning to really feel like fall, one of our favorite times of year! Below are a few things I have been recently loving this fall!

1. How to Raise Successful People — I recently discovered this book after I heard the author, Esther Wojcicki, on a recent podcast. I found this book to be helpful, and I particularly liked learning about her TRICK method: Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration, and Kindness, with respect to raising children.

2. Aden + Anais XL Sleep Sack — Alex is still using a sleep sack for naps and bedtime, and Aden and Anais is one of the only places I have found that still carries them in her size, as Alex is long — these are super soft and comfortable sleep sacks that wash up well, too. Alex also loves the Aden + Anais burp cloths, which she uses as her little ‘lovies’ while sleeping.

3. The Lululemon Define Jacket — Doug recently bought me this jacket, and I love it! It is incredibly comfortable and great for cooler fall days!

4. Home Chef — Doug and I recently subscribed to the Home Chef meal service, and we love it! We love the meal options and the meal kits are great and produce great dinners, which Doug makes for us! With it becoming cooler and darker earlier, we are cooking more at home, and this is a great option if you are looking to mix things up!

5. The Mary Marantz Show — I enjoy listening to podcasts, when I get a chance. I have really enjoyed listening to this relatively new podcast where Mary Marantz brings you honest conversations and her best tips about business, relationships, faith, goals, and more. I especially loved the episode about finding beauty in our own everyday.

6. Preformatrin Ultra Dog Food — This fall, we recently transitioned and changed Victory’s food to include grain, and we settled on this brand, Performatrin, a Canadian brand. She loves it, so far, and, for a topper, she still eats the wet Fromm food! And, thankfully, Victory received a clean bill of health at the vet recently at her annual exam!

You can view other things I love here!

Happy Monday!

Nov 26

Season of Gratitude

It is that time of year, autumn, our favorite season! It is a time for reflection and harvest. I have learned that a gratitude practice can be really helpful. For some reason, during November, I find myself returning back to this practice I learned many years ago. Perhaps it is the cooler weather and the holiday season in the air. Regardless, it is giving me so much joy to continually name those things I love in this life.

My favorite way to engage in this practice is just by setting aside a good ten minutes every morning and write whatever comes to mind using stream of consciousness.

So on this cold early morning, here is what I am so extremely thankful for:

writing during this cold dark morning in silence with a cup of hot cider next to me
the early mornings where I have a little time to myself
getting to be a ‘fur mamma’ and human mamma
the holiday season, along with the holiday decorations all around the neighborhood
our first trip to the pumpkin patch, as a family of four
our first Thanksgiving as a family of four
our healthy baby who is thriving
our fur girl, Victory, who just got a clean bill of health at the vet during her annual exam recently and she is almost over her ear infection!
our warm house filled with wonderful natural light
the sound of our baby’s chuckles
everything about my husband, the way he smells, his touch, and how he fathers
walks outside taking in the cool fall air
our ‘night-night’ routine with our fur girl, Victory
friends who are always there, no matter what
the way our baby looks while she is asleep — so peaceful
the way our baby looks at us in the morning when she has just woken up — there are no words to describe this feeling
nursing our baby
lunches and dinners with good friends
enjoying good books
the privilege of being taught by others
the ability to choose
the ability to write, think, imagine, and create
family dinners together
the way Victory loves our baby, it is just darling!

Try it for yourself. Set aside ten minutes and write anything and everything you are grateful for. See what comes out. I am very grateful that you spend time reading my words. Happy Monday!

Apr 11

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Victory: Six Months In

“The average dog is nicer a nicer person than the average person.” ~Andy Rooney

Tomorrow marks six months since we adopted our little Victory! You can read more about the previous months’ milestones here. The time is just flying by and Victory is blossoming!

Below are some things that we learned about Victory this month:

She is enjoying her dog training class!
She went to the dog parks for the first time!
She loves the dog park, and she has begun to run and play fetch at the dog park!
She is beginning to eat her dinner on her custom Orvis mat and feeder!
She gave us paw for the first time this month!
She is giving us tons of kisses in bed right before bed time and she loves to lick Doug’s arm pits via his t-shirt right before bed — she must like his ‘natural scent’!
She still loves to chew, and she has been chewing away at her little “friends!”
She loves eating little pieces of her Daddy’s malted waffles on Sunday mornings!
She absolutely loves chicken and cheese!
She started giving me her paw this month!
She let us give her a bath last week without jumping out of the soaker tub!
She received a clean bill of health at the vet last week at her six month check up! Yay! The vet said that she is just healthy and perfect! She is now 25 pounds!
She is beginning to eat adult kibble, she eats Fromm kibble.
She is beginning to spend time on her Orvis bed, which initially she was apprehensive about.
She loves evening walks in her Hound About, which she inherited from Biscuit!
She still has not barked as of yet!
She is still waking us up for her nightly drink of water!
Most of all, Victory has stolen our hearts and she is her Daddy’s girl through and through!

If you have not already, be sure to check out the six month video of our little Victory! We hope that you have a great weekend. It is supposed to be warm and sunny here — perhaps Spring is finally here!

Happy Friday!

Dec 12

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Victory: Two Months In

“A really companionable and indispensable dog is an accident of nature. You can’t get it by breeding for it, and you can’t buy it with money. It just happens along.” – E. B. White

Today we have had our little Victory for two months! The time has really zoomed by quickly! Victory is doing really well. She had a great Thanksgiving and we are looking forward to celebrating our first Christmas together! Victory loves to go for rides in the car, so we know that she will travel well over the Holidays! We are excited for her to meet more family!

Below are some things that we learned about Victory this month:

She loves to cuddle — she is a cuddle bug!
She loves to come jump on the sofa as soon as a human sits on the sofa!
She knows when it is bed time. Victory on her own proceeds up the stairs and jumps into bed squarely in the middle of our bed abutting the headboard behind all of our pillows!
She loves to sleep with us (this is not new to us, but continues on!)
She loves chicken breast, cheese, Cesar Softies, Cheddar Biscuits, and vanilla Chick-Fil-A ice cream (like her brother Biscuit)! We are sure that there are more food items that she likes, but for now, she is venturing out!
She loves to lay in our bed when we get ready in the morning. She loves our bed so much that she does not like to leave the bed when I make it each morning! I am constantly putting her on the floor and then she runs around the bed and jumps on the bed again and again!
She likes car rides! We hope to go on many adventures when the weather warms up! We are also planning a fun trip with Victory this summer!
She likes to wake us up during the night to get a drink of water in bed, as she will not leave the bed to get a drink of water — we know, she is a spoiled princess! However, she is hydrating more, which is good! (We hope to soon get her to drink water in our master bedroom bathroom!)
She loves to sniff — everything. She sniffs us all the time, especially before bed! She sniffs so much that she leaves marks on my glasses trying to sniff my eye lashes!
She likes the snow! She had fun earlier this week walking in the snow!

We know in time that Victory will make even more progress getting acclimated to her new home. We plan on doing dog training with Victory after the new year!

Enjoy the images of Victory taken just before dusk and before the snow hit here — she looks absolutely beautiful!

Below is a side-by-side comparison of Victory — look how much Victory has changed in a relatively short period of time — from the first photo we received of her from her foster Mom in September (left) compared to the photograph taken of Victory this past weekend (right)! She looks beautiful and her precious sheltie furs are coming in!

Additionally, we were at the vet last night for a heartworm check, which was negative, and Victory is now a healthy 22 pounds, which is so much better than the mere 14 pounds she once was when she was found in the hording situation this past summer. At the vet’s office last night, in the waiting room, she hopped right up on the chair like a human! We really do think Victory thinks she is human as outlined above!

Happy Thursday!