What's Summer Doin' Here?

I babysit two little boys during the week and yesterday, while pushing the 4 yr old on the swing, we got on the topic of favorite things. His were *dancing*singing*hiding*picnics*cars*

Today, Sally and I went for a ride in our old pick-up truck, which she LOVES, and it got me thinking about her favorite things (which she is VERY serious about) *playing*running*riding in the truck*treats*friends*back rubs*sleeping*

And, so I think it's only natural to think of my favorite things, too... but try to keep them in their simplest forms, like my friends above. My favorite things I guess would be*warm weather*Jeff hugs*painting*Sally laying on my toes*gardening books*outdoors*

Yeah, today I got to/will enjoy every one of them. What a good day.

P.S.- I put up a .gif last year, but for some reason it didn't run...SO I fixed it, and if you are Jeff's side of the fam (especially Marsha's fam), you might be interested in checking it out HERE. :)

2012 Thus Far

 Jeff turned 25! 

Jeff's long time friend, and our favorite couple to hang out with happened to be able to make it (THE BUFFINGTONS!). I don't think Jeff could have asked for a better birthday.

Ella joined the chess team, and helped break in our awesome chess set.

Sally, surprising, yet unsurprisingly, had something "off" about her face...

Which called for an emergency run to the store for Benadryl.

 This is what she is supposed to look like, in case you may have forgotten:

 

 All we can figure is that she must have tried to love a spider to death (like usual). Only this time it tried to love her to death, back.

We've had a lot of visitors, lately. After seeing about a million wild turkeys, Jeff mentioned how when we were in Yellowstone we barely saw any wildlife. We move back home, and it's everywhere.

And then there was the whim to make a homemade cookie monster...

 Now, a normal cookie monster is delicious (where we just buy everything that goes on it, and put it together). But a homemade cookie, homemade ice cream, homemade whipped cream, homemade hot fudge, and a homemade caramel cookie monster is monstrously delicious. And somehow took just about the same amount of time to make.

I've been thinking a lot about the past, lately. More specifically, the past before I was even thought of. I've been converting my grandma's songs from tapes to mp3, and just read a small book on my other grandma's family. Makes me want to move into the hills, and start a folk band honestly. It also makes me want to do a family history adventure, where Jeff and I track down old stories and places from our ancestors.-More to come on these projects in the future.

I've also been thinking about this pretty huge artistic project I've been building in my mind...oh, to be back in college, when I had all these weird connections and could pull it off...I'll have to see what I can do...

I think a lot. Too much, probably. I'm a dreamer.
Fortunately, Jeff got me a project planner for Christmas. It's been helping me keep my thoughts organized...
And I might actually get some done.
Goals. Goals. Goals.

FYI

i love this picture

Who can? Pelican

 The first Saturday Jeff and I got back, I woke up early to take Sally on a walk...And then we saw the pelicans! I've never seen so many in the wild...in the middle of Idaho. I had no idea. So Sally and I power walked home to grab my camera and my husband...And we had a lovely Saturday.

But any Saturday involving a perfect snow cone is a lovely Saturday.

It's Only Tuesday???

Public Service Announcement

For Dog Owners

 

I was just about to write about what a long week it's been...when I realized we aren't very far into it! Things are going really well, only...my poor puppy. After a very sickly weekend for her, I took Sally to the vet. I did a little research to try to figure out what she had, but it really could have been anything. The one thing I hoped most for it not to be (and the only reason I decided to go ahead and have her checked out) was what she did indeed have: THE PARVO.


It's a very terrible, and often fatal virus for puppies. But all is not lost! Sally is a tough little puppy, and seems to have made it through the worst! It will still be a couple of weeks before I'll feel she's totally in the clear, but today she is feeling like her old self (just a little slower, skinnier and not as hungry).


Parvo pretty much sucks. Not only does it cause havoc to a poor pup's body, but it can be quite terrible to deal with on it's own. I had to embarrassingly tell the neighbors my dog just infected the entire yard, and that I'd try my best to clean it up(not fun in freezing weather). I'm slowly trying to decontaminate my house, and bleach is apparently the only remedy. Sally will be slowly getting better over the next couple of days, then about a month or so after that she will finally stop excreting the virus. Then a MONTH after that! the virus typically dies off indoors...and not for another 7 months (after the cold is over) will it be safe in the yard again for dogs. Sheesh. 

But even after everything caused from Sally having it, it still isn't nearly as bad as most puppies who get it. Get your dogs' shots!!! She had her first round, and that's more than likely what saved her life. It's a rather common, and easily transmitted virus. I also caught it early. If your dog shows signs, go to the vet! Better safe than sorry. And if you catch it early, recovery could be faster (meaning less in vet bills). Also, I was fortunate enough to have gotten her from a shelter who took responsibility for her condition, and assisted me in providing vet care. I've heard of most people adopting a puppy, and only a couple of days later learning they had parvo, and ended up spending over a $1000 on vet bills for a dog they barely even got to know.

I'm just grateful my little puppy is recovering, and that it can't be passed to humans.

Everything looks bright.