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Posts from the ‘Victory’ Category

Nov 4

Victory: A Birthday Celebration — 10 years!

October 12, marked eight years since we adopted our sweet dear little Victory!  The time is going by much too quickly!  We decided to make October 12 Victory’s birthday — the day we went to Michigan and adopted our sweet fur girl.

As such, we recently celebrated Victory’s birthday marking her eighth year with us since her adoption!  This also marks four years of being a ‘big sister’ to Alex!  This year, for Victory’s birthday, we did a personalized theme and a pastel theme! (As shown below, last year, we did a pink theme with gold accent; two years we did a pastel rainbow theme with a silver accent; three years ago we did pastel theme with a gold and silver accent; four years ago we did a gold and champagne theme; five years ago we did a light pink and gold themed birthday; six years ago we did a pink themed birthday; and seven years ago, we did rainbow themed birthday for Victory!)  For this double-digit birthday, we had a small cake made with Victory’s likeness. It turned out beautifully! We also purchased some fun decorations and balloons, along with an embroidered peachy pink sweater for Victory, a tradition, in honor of her birthday!  Victory also enjoyed a Snake River Farms steak prepared by Doug, along with her very own cupcake (with no icing, of course!) Victory looked absolutely adorable and beautiful on her birthday, as always, shown below!  This is the fourth birthday that Victory celebrated with her sidekick, Alex! It is wonderful to witness their relationship blossom as Alex grows older. Alex loves giving Victory treats and hugs (with supervision!) Victory had a fun birthday and she truly enjoyed being over fed and the center of attention! I sincerely believe Victory knows her birthdays are all about her!

We are truly the lucky ones to share our lives with this wonderful, loyal, and loving being.  Victory has been such a source of comfort to us all. She is always by our side. Victory has also fully embraced her ‘big sister’ role!  Victory is very attuned to her little sister and loves to greet Alex in the mornings and evenings!  It melts our hearts!  Victory continues to join us each morning and evening for play time and story time, in addition to all feedings!  We also do our best to keep Victory fully integrated in our outings as well!  We are so very grateful and thankful for our Victory.  She means the world to us and we love her very much.

For Victory’s birthday, we gave her: a Snake River Farms steak; and a new peachy pink embroidered sweater!

(All birthday decorations are via Sweet Lulu.)

Here is a video of the girls celebrating our fur girl, Victory!

A look back at Victory’s birthday celebrations over the years…

Here is a look back at Victory on her birthdays!

If you are considering getting a dog, especially during this difficult time, I hope that you consider adopting a rescue dog.  There are so many dogs in need of a good, loving home, especially now. As shown below, Victory, a rescue, has changed so much physically and emotionally over the years since we adopted her, pictured on the left (image from Victory’s foster mom via the Michigan Sheltie Rescue).  You really can save a dog’s life, while simultaneously enriching your own life/lives. We cannot imagine not having a rescue dog in our lives!

Oct 26

Victory: A Birthday Celebration — 9 years!

October 12, marked seven years since we adopted our sweet dear little Victory!  The time is going by much too quickly!  We decided to make October 12 Victory’s birthday — the day we went to Michigan and adopted our sweet fur girl.

As such, we recently celebrated Victory’s birthday marking her seventh year with us since her adoption!  This also marks three years of being a ‘big sister’ to Alex!  This year, for Victory’s birthday, we did a pink theme with a gold accent! (As shown below, last year, we did a pastel rainbow theme with a silver accent; two years ago we did pastel theme with a gold and silver accent; three years ago we did a gold and champagne theme; four years ago we did a light pink and gold themed birthday; five years ago we did a pink themed birthday; and six years ago, we did rainbow themed birthday for Victory!)  We purchased some fun pink-themed decorations, party hats, balloons, and a pink sweater for Victory, a tradition, in honor of her birthday!  Victory also enjoyed her very own cupcake (with no icing, of course!) Victory looked absolutely adorable and beautiful on her birthday, as always, shown below!  This is the third birthday that Victory celebrated with her sidekick, Alex! It is wonderful to witness their relationship blossom as Alex grows older. Alex loves giving Victory treats and hugs (with supervision!) Victory had a fun birthday and she truly enjoyed being over fed and the center of attention!

We are truly the lucky ones to share our lives with this wonderful, loyal, and loving being.  Victory has been such a source of comfort during this pandemic. She is always by our side. Victory has also fully embraced her ‘big sister’ role!  Victory is very attuned to her little sister and loves to greet Alex in the mornings!  It melts our hearts!  Victory continues to join us each morning and evening for play time and story time, in addition to all feedings!  We also do our best to keep Victory fully integrated in our outings as well, and she has gone on some fun, fall outings with us, as always!  We are so very grateful and thankful for our Victory.  She means the world to us and we love her very much.

For Victory’s birthday, we gave her a new: leash; and a new pink sweater!  

(All birthday decorations are via Sweet Lulu.)

Here is a video of the girls celebrating our fur girl, Victory!

A look back at Victory’s birthday celebrations over the years…

Here is a look back at Victory and Alex on Victory’s birthday!

If you are considering getting a dog, especially during this difficult time, I hope that you consider adopting a rescue dog.  There are so many dogs in need of a good, loving home, especially now. As shown below, Victory, a rescue, has changed so much physically and emotionally over the years since we adopted her, pictured on the left (image from Victory’s foster mom via the Michigan Sheltie Rescue).  You really can save a dog’s life, while simultaneously enriching your own life/lives. We cannot imagine not having a rescue dog in our lives!

Apr 27

Pandemic Puppy

 

Our sweet and beloved Victory, has been such a comfort during this pandemic.  We have all adjusted to our ‘new normal,’ for the most part, going on seven weeks of quarantine, and I am not sure what we would do without her.  Victory has always been a part of every facet of our lives, but she is especially such a source of comfort and solace during this time.  We love her so much.  In fact, other people, who normally would not otherwise have a dog are getting ‘pandemic puppies.’

According to a recent article, “[p]ets have been shown to help ease feelings of loneliness, anxiety, and depression—making them seemingly ideal companions for an emergency situation that demands isolating ourselves from friends, family, and our normal day-to-day interactions.  Pets can also decrease feelings of isolation, and force us to get off the couch every few hours, traits that are perhaps even more important in the era of social distancing, says Kitty Block, the president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States.  According to PetPoint, an application that collects data from more than 1,000 animal-welfare organizations in North America, in the recent weeks, adoption rates have varied greatly across the country, while instances of fostering have increased significantly in aggregate.”  In some areas, there is such a high demand to adopt a dog or animal, that some people leave empty handed and have to return multiple times.

There are also many animals being surrendered to shelters and rescue organizations during this pandemic as their humans are unable to care for them for one reason or another, such as financial reasons.  So, if you think a dog might help you during this time, and you feel you are able to rescue and adopt an animal, for the long term, a ‘pandemic puppy,’ might just do the trick to lift your spirits.  According to this article, “[a]s long as new owners act intentionally and with long-term planning in mind, the prolonged stretch of time at home may likely provide a unique chance for owners to bond with new dog.  This difficult period may mean that people become more attached and attuned to their pets than if they were seeing their animals for only a few hours a day, while working under ordinary circumstances, which may help get them through the hurdles of pet ownership with less frustration.”

Victory has been with us for six-and-a-half years, already, which is difficult to believe.  Importantly, Victory, our rescue sheltie, has given us the invaluable gifts of endless love, joy, and peace during this pandemic.  We feel so grateful and blessed to have her as part of our family; and we are grateful to all be together during this time.

 

Here is a video where Alex has learned to feed Victory from her high chair versus dropping the food on her mat for Victory to eat!  I know Victory is pleased!

Dec 10

Christmas Time: Visiting Santa

This past weekend we took Baby Alex and  Victory to visit Santa, an annual tradition!  The girls were both very good!  Of course, Santa and his helpers remembered our beloved little fur girl, as this is Victory’s fifth time visiting Santa!  Santa also welcomed Baby Alex with open arms, too, celebrating her very first visit to see Santa!  This is the only Santa in our area that welcomes both of our girls!  You can see Victory’s previous trips to visit Santa here, here, here, and here.  Victory wore her Holiday velvet ruff and Baby Alex wore a burgundy dress to coordinate for their visit with Santa!  All proceeds from visiting Santa are donated to a local dog rescue, a very good cause near and dear to our hearts as Biscuit and Victory are rescues.  If you are interested, be sure to check with and visit your local pet stores to see if there is a Santa in your area that specializes in furry family members!

A few images from Baby Alex’s and Victory’s first visit together with Santa are shown below along with images of Victory visiting Santa from the previous four years!  The time really does fly by too quickly!  We are so grateful for our fur girl, Victory!

Additionally, each year, I have a photo ornament made with Victory and Santa for our Christmas tree!  This year, I made an ornament of our Baby Alex and Victory together visiting Santa; and one of Victory visiting Santa!

Other images include our decorated little live Christmas tree from Maine that we order online each year, along with a few images of Baby Alex and Victory in their matching red outfits by our Christmas tree, including our personalized Christmas stockings!

We have so much to be grateful for this year!  We are looking forward to celebrating our first Christmas together with both of our girls!

We hope that you are enjoying the Holiday season!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nov 13

Photographs: Mornings with Mamma

As I mentioned, I love the mornings.  The house is quiet, the sun is coming up, and my loves are all together — there is nothing better!  I love our mornings even more with our baby girl and our fur girl, Victory!  I always play with baby Alex in the mornings and Victory, of course, joins in on the fun!  A few of my favorite images are from a recent weekend morning together with all of my loves together!  We are so blessed and I want to remember these moments forever.  A few images from our mornings together are shown below.  Also, it hardly seems possible that our little cherub is four months old today!  We are so grateful!  Finally, can you spot Victory’s snout in one of the images below?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oct 15

Victory: A Birthday Celebration — 7 years!

This past Friday, October 12, marked five years since we adopted our sweet dear little Victory!  (The time is going by too quickly!)  We decided to make October 12 Victory’s birthday — the day we went to Michigan and adopted our sweet fur girl.

As such, on October 12, we celebrated Victory’s birthday marking her fifth year with us since her adoption!  This year, for Victory’s birthday, we did a pastel theme with a gold and silver accent!  (As shown below, last year, we did a gold and champagne theme; two years ago we did a light pink and gold themed birthday; three years ago we did a pink themed birthday; and four years ago, we did rainbow themed birthday for Victory!)  We purchased some fun pastel decorations, party hats, confetti, and a new pink sweater for Victory, a tradition, in honor of her birthday!   Victory also enjoyed a smoked beef tenderloin that her daddy made for her on the big green egg!  Victory looked absolutely adorable and beautiful on her birthday, as always, shown below!  This birthday was a little different in that Victory celebrated with her sidekick, Baby Alex!  She had a fun birthday and she enjoyed being over fed!  We are the lucky ones to share our lives with this wonderful, loyal, and loving being.  Victory has also embraced her new role as ‘big sister’ and ‘Mamma Victory!’  She is so attuned to her little sister and loves to lick Baby Alex and show her loads of love and affection.  It melts our hearts!  Victory keeps busy checking in on her little sister along with joining us each morning for play time and story time, in addition to all feedings!  We are so grateful for this special bond of our ‘children!’

For Victory’s birthday, we gave her a new: water dish (to use in my office) from one of her daddy’s favorite stores; a pink sweater; and a gift card from her Grandma and Grandpa Carver!

(All birthday decorations are via Oh Happy Day and Sweet Lulu.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A look back at Victory’s birthday time over the years…

 

 

If you are considering getting a dog, I hope that you consider adopting a rescue dog.  There are so many dogs in need of a good, loving home.  As shown below, Victory, a rescue, has changed so much physically and emotionally over the years since we adopted her, pictured on the left (image from Victory’s foster mom via the Michigan Sheltie Rescue).  You really can save a dog’s life, while simultaneously enriching your own life/lives.

 

Sep 25

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Update: Our Fur Girl, Victory!

I thought that I would provide an update on our fur girl, Victory!  Victory is now officially a ‘big sister!’  It is very difficult to believe, at times!  We are so grateful!  We are all doing better overall with more rest, and a little time together under our belts!  We have been giving Victory lots of love and reassurance!  The first month was a major adjustment period for all of us, including our fur girl, Victory!  (We are still adjusting; but our new normal feels more normal!)  I wrote this post to help prepare other similarly situated dogs welcoming a human sibling!  Victory, along with us, is doing pretty well.  In addition to the items/ideas contained in that post, we have been doing the following, below, to help Victory during this big transition.

We have transitioned baby Alex into her nursery in her Dock-A-Tot, which has been helpful for all, especially Victory — baby Alex is a noisy sleeper, often times at night!  Victory now has Doug and I to herself in our bed, the way it had always been, which she loves along with her tuck-ins at night — a favorite time and ritual with her, which Victory loves!  Before bed we have been staying up a little later with just Victory to give her some time by herself after putting baby Alex to bed.  This has really helped Victory.

Our house now has just the four of us, which is the way Victory likes it — she prefers not to have visitors!  This has helped Victory as well!  We are now able to consistently implement her morning routine, which she likes, which consists of the following: potty; back to bed to rest; potty again; breakfast; teeth brushing; and then she goes up to my office and waits for me, just the way she likes it and she rests for the remainder of the day with more potty trots!  She is now giving me my morning ‘feet washing,’ while I sit at my desk, the way she always used to do prior to baby Alex!

We have been taking Victory on outings with us, which she loves, even though the weather has been extremely hot and humid along with a lot of rain recently!  We have been going out for ice cream and a few dinners together, which have all gone well!  This has definitely helped her morale, immensely!  (We are looking forward to the fall, which has officially arrived, filled with cooler temperatures and fun outings planned with our girls!)

When I feed baby Alex, I have started to give Victory some treats to keep her feel included, which she likes!  Victory even licks baby Alex’s little feet and legs — it is quite adorable!

When we read to baby Alex, we include Victory in story time, and she seems to enjoy it!  Victory is even coming into the nursery on her own more often now!

During the day, I make sure I talk to Victory and tell her that we love her and that she is doing a great job, and her little sister is going to absolutely adore her when she gets a little older and discovers our fur girl!

We are making progress on this front and we are doing our best to keep things as normal as possible for Victory; somedays are easier than others!  Overall, Victory is doing quite well and she has been a great ‘big sister!’  We are very grateful for our girls!

Below are a few snapshots of our girls, Alex and Victory!

 

 

Alex and Victory are pictured together, below, recently on the first day of fall!

 

Dec 11

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Victory: Visiting Santa

This past weekend we took Victory  to visit Santa, an annual tradition!  She was a very good girl!  Of course, Santa and his helpers remembered our little fur girl, as this is Victory’s fourth time visiting Santa!  (You can see Victory’s previous trips to visit Santa here, here, and here.)  Victory wore her new ivory cable sweater, that she got for her birthday, for her visit with Santa!  All proceeds from visiting Santa are donated to a local dog rescue, a very good cause near and dear to us as Biscuit and Victory are rescues.  If you are interested, be sure to check with and visit your local pet stores to see if there is a Santa in your area that specializes in furry family members!

A few images from Victory’s visit with Santa are shown below along with the previous three years’ visits with Santa!  The time really does fly by!  We are so grateful for our fur girl, Victory!

Additionally, each year, I have a photo ornament made with Victory and Santa for our Christmas tree!

We hope that you have a lovely week enjoying the Holiday spirit!

Happy Monday!

 

 

 

 

 

Pictured immediately above: upper left, 2017 visit with Santa; upper right, 2016 visit with Santa; lower left 2015 visit with Santa; and lower right 2014 visit with Santa.

Oct 31

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Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!  I cannot believe how quickly the time is flying by that it is already time for Halloween!  Victory was a fifties girl last year; a lioness two years ago; a butterfly three years ago; a ladybug for her first Halloween, four years ago; and, this year, she is Wonder Woman, shown below!  You can see over the past four years how much Victory has changed!  Victory will help us hand out candy tonight in her costume, along with her pumpkin masterpiece carved by Doug, also shown below.  Doug spent a few hours carefully and diligently working on his Halloween friendly ghost-themed pumpkin!  Additionally, here are links to pumpkins carved by Doug last year; two years ago; three years ago; four years ago; and five years ago — mostly all dog-themed pumpkins!

We hope that you all have a wonderful Halloween!

 

 

 

Oct 23

Victory: A Birthday Celebration — 6 years!

On October 12 it marked four years since we adopted our dear little Victory!  We decided to make October 12 Victory’s birthday — the day we went to Michigan and adopted our sweet fur girl.

We recently celebrated Victory’s birthday marking her four years with us since her adoption!  This year, for Victory’s birthday, we did a gold, white/ivory, with a splash of champagne in honor of Victory’s beautiful fur coat!  (As shown below, last year, we did a light pink and gold themed birthday; two years ago we did a pink themed birthday; and three years ago, we did rainbow themed birthday for Victory!)  We purchased some fun gold and white/ivory themed decorations, balloons, confetti, party hat, and new ivory sweater for Victory in honor of her birthday!  Victory also enjoyed prime rib and smoked turkey in lieu of birthday cake, which she gobbled down in no time flat!  Victory looked absolutely adorable on her birthday, as always, shown below!  (She is always so cooperative with my ideas, and Doug blew up every single balloon and helped to keep Victory’s attention during the photos!)  She had a fun birthday and she enjoyed being over fed along with a trip to the Eastern Shore for crabs!  We are the lucky ones to share our lives with this wonderful, loyal, and loving being.

For Victory’s birthday, we gave her a new: ivory sweater; a custom, handmade ceramic dog water bowl; an Orvis embroidered name blanket; a Jax and Bones rope toy; and a Ware of the Dog toy!  Victory also received, for her birthday, a water rover and a gift card from her Grandma and Grandpa Carver!  We all had a great day together!

(All birthday decorations are via Oh Happy Day and Sweet Lulu.)

 

 

 

 

 


 

A look back at Victory’s birthday time over the years…

 

 

If you are considering getting a dog, I hope that you consider adopting a rescue dog.  There are so many dogs in need of a good, loving home.  As shown below, Victory, a rescue, has changed so much physically and emotionally over the years since we adopted her, pictured on the left (image from Victory’s foster mom via the Michigan Sheltie Rescue).  You really can save a dog’s life, while simultaneously enriching your own life/lives.

 

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