December has arrived....

I've been less than a good blogger as of late - it's just been easier to add things to Facebook, but I realize that I won't have my own little Chronicle of Life if I don't add things here too....  

It's December, which gives me yet another reason to embarrass my kids :)  

 And the stockings were hung by the......  well.....  they were hung with care.  :)  We all have matching stockings this year.  I got the 'big dogs' theirs at the After Christmas sales last year, and picked up the ones for the puppies a couple of weeks ago.  There was no D when I went shopping last year, so K it was for Kota :)  They have pretty little rhinestones on the letters as well... they're quite pretty actually.  :)

It's been raining off and on today so I didn't get the lights hung outside.  That's on the list for tomorrow, I hope.  I'll get my tree after my birthday.

Happy December :)

Happy Halloween 2011

Mia (5 mo), Dakota (8 yr), Chance (4 yr), Mason (6 mo), Sedona (5 yr) celebrate (reluctantly) Halloween while their mom (me) laughs hilariously while snapping pictures.
Our version of a picnic.  :)  Tee hee hee hee hee.  I can't stop giggling at them.  They don't appreciate it as much as I do..  LOL

catching up with the crew

Mason relaxing on the path

Chance, taking his yard guard duty seriously.

The goon squad (minus one goon)

my beautiful, beautiful girls.  

Monkey (Mason) in the middle

part of Mia's day consists of sunbathing

The dogs are all loving their new digs...  the kids are getting so big!  Mia is 5 months old and Mason will be 6 months old on Monday!  I have new pictures of them to post in another post (tomorrow?).  

Welcome to our new back yard....

Looking straight out the back door

looking slightly to my left (hello lovely Lemon tree!)

Looking slightly to my right (the puppy frolicking is an added bonus to this tour ;-) )

all the way to my right

walking down that path you see - insert spa (in the future).

turning to my left to look out onto the yard

turning left, toward the house

Looking back at the patio and back door (Hi Sedona!)

At the gate to the coup, looking back at the house

turning to my right, note the lovely over grown fruit trees of unknown type next  to the huge Lemon tree.  If anyone cares to help me figure it out, I'd love to know just how to care for these obviously unhappy trees.  

turning all the way to my right, shed in very back corner and these two trees.  This front one is peach (it has a tag) but I have no idea about the one in the back.  The kids LOVE to run figure 8's back here.  I think they might have finally found peace with the neighbor dog whose nose we've seen a lot of through the holes in the cinder block.  :)  

example of above said hole.  In this case, the person who owned this place put some mesh up over some of the blocks...  and in some cases, the neighbor has also blocked their side (everyone has dogs out here).  In others, there is nothing, so we see noses.  It's taking my dogs some time to get used to this.  

At the corner of the coup and the neighboring fence looking back at the 'nook' between the fence and the house.  The wires you see on the right are for the spa.  (yes, seriously). :) 

The big monster Lemon tree.  Oh glorious over grown lemon tree.  I will have many lemons soon...  :) 

and behind the Lemon tree, I have a Pomegranate tree (and an RV gate).  

walking back to the path you see between the Lemon tree and Pomegranate tree - greeted by the Cardi crew :)  

At some point we'll get it all landscaped and looking a little more together.  There's lots of space and lots of potential.  And lots more to clean up! ;-)  I love the patio and the trees (despite not knowing how to care for the poor things).  The dogs aren't as against spending time outside now.  :) I'm not either.  :)  

Life update

Life has been on high speed these last few weeks...  I signed at the title company on Friday.  Bringing home that big packet of paper was kinda cool.  I sat it up on the stairs and glanced at it here and there, reminding myself what it was...  Seems crazy.  :)  The boxes are stacking up all over the house. 
The sellers go and do their paperwork tomorrow, so I should get my keys on Tuesday.  TUESDAY.  Like as in... the day after tomorrow.  *happy dance*
I have a couple of awesome friends coming on Tuesday to help me clean the new house.  It's been vacant for 10 months, and we've had some serious dust storms come through the valley this summer...  I will go over every day after work to finish and will start taking things over.  The dogs will begin to go back and forth on Tuesday too! :)  I have Two Men and a Truck coming on Saturday to help with the contents of the upstairs, the appliances, the furniture and as many boxes as I can get them to take in the time I have them for...  :)  Whatever is left, I will transport for the next week.  :)  I will be coming back to THIS house next week to clean THIS place up. 
Just a few more days of carrying the puppies down the stairs.  :)  HOORAY!
Speaking of the puppies ~ they are awesome.  :)  All of em.  :)  Dakota and Chance have had a few nasty little squabbles lately - not sure what's causing them, so I'm watching very carefully.  They're good most of the time though, so it's not causing too much stress.  Sedona is good - she's noticing something is going on and is being a little more clingy than typical.  Mason is getting SO big.  He's got a big lions mane already!  He knows sit pretty reliably and choses to ignore me when I say "come".  He might find himself enrolled in a puppy class.  Mia started handling class today - and she was 'push button'.  Gaited effortlessly, was happy happy happy, stood tall and proud on the table and stood nicely when I asked her to.  She started out looking at me a lot, and by the end, I had her able to look ahead as she gaited next to me.  Push. Button. Little. Show. Dog.  :)
School started for me this week - it's not nearly as overwhelming as last semester.  :)  Two semesters of coursework left, and then my internship.  I'm ALMOST there! :) 

things are a-growin'....

 I broke out the camera today to take some decent pictures... 
She doesn't seem impressed - does she?

 but she's super pretty.... ;-) 

 and so is he...  :) 

 Oh how we grow!  We've got babies growin' in the oven...  :)

 

A comparison shot - above is obviously Sedona from above... and below is Chance from above...  

 And the three furry ones.  No.  Sedona COULD not be bothered to turn around.  LOL 

 A cute shot of her playing with a toy - you can see the baby bump :) 

 Lazy land whale....  and we still have another few weeks ahead of us?  Poor kid. 

 Awwww.  :)  He makes me smile :) 

a safe place to have babies....

So many thanks go out to Penni for loaning me (ok, loaning SEDONA) her whelping box!!!!!  I had no plans for a whelping box, and while Carolyn and Tom were visiting, I had planned on having Tom help me with a whelping box.  When Penni heard this news, she offered to lend me her box that Watson and Holmes broke in (Phoebe's last litter).  The fab four were raised in this box too, most recently! :)  I can't wait to fill it with beautiful black babies in April! 

 I asked Sedona to come and model her new box....  this was her reply.... 

 And then I said "no.  really.  Get in the box!"  She doesn't look very excited, does she?

 Audrey says "Hey - whatcha doin' in there, Sedona??" 

 I sat in there with her for a while and gave her lots of goodies.... so now she wants more.  LOL  Little piggy dog! :)

 A family portrait of sorts - even though the blue dog is a GIRL...  ;-)  Kady says "I'm makin' myself at home!"

 And then the terrific trio had THEIR picture taken in it.  They all thought the box was great! :) 

Thanks again Auntie Penni!!!  Hopefully the next time the box is featured on the blog, it will be full of really fat Sedona...  :)  Keep those fingers crossed.  I'm feeling pretty good about our chances, but it sure can't hurt for all the good thoughts to keep flowing! :)

dog drama

So last week, we had a food raid.  Someone (I have suspects) got into the airtight, sealed dog food containers.  Two of them.  A certain someone looked like she was going to have 9 puppies....  TWICE.  *sigh*A certain other someone looked like he was going to have 2 or 3 the first time, and 4 or 5 the second.  No worse for the wear now, Thankfully.

THEN....

Last weekend I noticed that Kota was getting a bubbly hematoma on his right ear.  I called the vet who did the surgery in May of 2009 and made an appointment to see him.  2.5-3.0 cc's was aspirated on Wednesday.  He's on Prednisone for the next few days.  So far, the hematoma hasn't refilled, which is GREAT, considering his last one refilled within hours of having it aspirated in 2009.

And if THAT wasn't enough.... 

This week, they couldn't just give me a break.  A friend came over, and the dogs began their usual chaos (I want to train them to stop - any one have any suggestions on how?) so when I grabbed Chance to get him out of the mix (Because he's bad) Dakota decided that since I had grabbed Chance that *he* needed to also.  Chance now has a pair of puncture wounds to his left rear leg.  Chance is in noticable discomfort.  I'm keeping him quiet and keeping the wounds clean.  It's quite swollen this evening.  I gave him half a 75mg Rimadyl in hopes of making it feel a bit better for him.  Oh, and on top of all that, I started 3 of the 4 on Benedryl Thursday to hopefully address the itchies they've had that I haven't been able to figure out. 

I think I'm done with dog drama. 

In other dog news, Sedona has a breeding consultation with Dr. Larry Hudman in Chandler to plan her breeding (which is coming up soon) on 1/22, and she has a CERF appointment on 1/23.  :)  At least THAT is good news, right? :) 

The Southern California specialty is coming.  We will leave 1/27.  Sedona is entered in Rally Novice B at the specialty and the two days of Orange Empire.  Chance is entered in Breed at the specialty, and Dakota is entered in Veterans Sweepstakes at the specialty.  Piper is going along for the ride and to be a cheerleader for the last time.  She will get to meet her new family that weekend!  We're enjoying our last few weeks with our PipSqueek.
 

changes for 2011

As of later this month, the fabulous four will become the terrific three once more. 

Piper will be moving to Aptos, CA to live 2 blocks from the beach with a great woman and her family who adored their last Corgi to bits.  I met this lady 7 years ago when she was looking for a Corgi.  I met her at the shows in Dixon, CA and coordinated the transfer of ownership of Chiquita (my Pembroke, Ollie's mother).  Kita became Stacey's best friend and companion instantly... they were inseperable.  I'd hear updates here and there and it warmed my heart to know that I had helped Stacey find her best friend. 

So when I heard that Stacey lost Kita (to cancer) a few months ago my heart broke.  Stacey fell in love with a friends Cardigans from pictures and decided she wanted to go to the 'tailed' side.  My friend wrote and asked if I knew of anyone who had a female Cardigan.  The light went on. 

Stacey treated Kita EXACTLY how Piper wants to be treated.  Piper wants to be the queen of her house.  She wants to be adored and doted on and be someone's EVERYTHING.  That is exactly how Kita was treated in Stacey's very capable hands.  I knew instantly (though had a hard time finalizing the arrangements) that this was the home for Piper. 

Piper hasn't grown up as we had hoped.  She's small for a Cardigan (she's 24 pounds soaking wet) and structurally, she just didn't come together.  She's a lover and has so much to offer, so I'm excited for her future with Stacey, but I will miss the goon a lot. 

Sedona is starting to lose her coat, which means that her next season is imminent.  She will be bred when she comes in (late January/early February) via artificial insemination to CH Coedwig's Malachite (Rocky).  Rocky has produced many puppies with many features I am looking for in my own breeding program.  He is producing nice fronts and well angulated rears as well as lovely level toplines and nice long necks.  The heads on his puppies are lovely, and they have had great bone as well.  The puppies will all be black with brindle points, as he doesn't carry tan.  I'm hoping we are able to get Sedona pregnant and that we have puppies this spring.

Which leads me to the next thing.  We won't (hopefully) be attending Nationals this year in Houston due to puppies.  Sedona would be due the 2nd week of April - just in time for Nationals.  That's ok.  There is no better reason to miss a semi-close Nationals... 

In other areas of life (there are other areas other than dogs?), I intend on continuing my weight loss journey in 2011.  2010 saw 60 pounds go (though, honestly, I gained some back over the holidays).  I hope to see another 40 go in 2011.  Wish me luck.  :)

I'm entering my 2nd Spring semester in grad school.  One more spring semester left ahead of me.  (oh, and a summer and a fall too).  I'm making progress on my masters degree and the little tiny light at the end of the tunnel is getting slightly bigger each day.  I know I will look back soon and think that it flew by, but for now, in the thick of it all, it feels like it's dragging! 

Dating has been interesting in the later half of 2010...  dating is not for the feint of heart.  That's all I have to say about that!  :)

That's about all I have to update right now - but hopefully I will have some cute pictures to share soon.  I've been a little preoccupied with the holidays and such for the last month or so. 

I hope 2011 treats all of my friends and family wonderfully.... 

Here's to an amazing new year ahead!!

Goings On....

Not much outside of the 'norm' has been going on for me and the 'kids'. 

I started back to classes this past Monday... I'm taking 4 courses this semester...  Advanced Diagnostics in Speech Language Pathology, Practicum in Audiology, Practicum in Speech Pathology: Intermediate, and Language Disorders.  At least the two book courses are interesting to me this time around!  Hopefully that bodes well for good grades to boost the weakening GPA :)

The kids are well - Sedona is due in season any day so chaos will ensue shortly...  Dakota has been on glucosamine for a while now and it's been a wonder drug in terms of his limpy rear!  I started giving Sedona glucosamine also - and will have her hips re-x-rayed in a few months...  for one last shot at a passing grade from the OFA.  Chance is going in on the 11th and 12th for his next series of health clearance testing..  On the 11th he's having his Thyroid tested (to be submitted to the OFA) and on the 12th he's having his CERF done (finally).  More feathers in his cap.  I'm hoping he might have his first romantic interlude in the next year...  we shall see :)  Piper is still Piper...  barking and snarfing other dogs bones.... growing up, but not really... LOL She's a clown, a love, a pig, a bossy little.... I love her.  LOL 

School/work is going well... I have 69 kids on my caseload right now, but yet my load still seems lighter than last year did.  I am enjoying my kids and my work...  I am still SO excited and proud of my work.  :)  I work at the same school I worked at last year, and I have THE BEST co-workers! :) 

The weight thing is still going well - I am at a total of 48 pounds lost right now.  I am still on the course to lose 40+ more.  I am finding that I am weedling down my wardrobe day by day.  Clothes are getting bigger and bigger, which is great.  I am due soon for a new wardrobe.  :)  I'm afraid that by the time the show season starts, I won't be able to wear the two pretty new show outfits I got!  Oh well, I guess there are worse things that could happen.... ;-) 

some of this and that...

I've been home from CO for a few weeks now, and have since started back to work...  I see the most amazing kids and staff every day at work.  I have to remind myself how fortunate I am to do what I love doing every day. 

I am also on a "break" from school - classes start on 8/23, and I fully intend on relaxing my brain muscles until classes start again.  I am officially a 2nd year grad student! Eek!  :)  5 more semesters ahead and I will be a Masters Degree holder (finally - Geez!!)

Not sure if anyone has seen my tracker at the bottom of this blog, but it's time for me to  brag on my accomplishments...  I started a new "resolution" for 2010 in January.  I really wanted to get my weight (which had spiraled out of control) under control for 2010.  So far, I have lost 41 pounds, and have a good chunk left.  I am pretty proud of having lost an entire big bag of dog food worth of weight!! :) 

Dogs are well - 2 are losing every little hair on their body, so my house looks a mess all the time right now.  Still major hunting for Sedona - here's hoping she can get that last major in the fall....  (please o please). 

I'm enjoying the monsoon season this year, even thought I missed some while I was in CO.  I love waking up on the weekends to gray skies and windy weather in August...  it's a nice change from the stifling heat of Arizona in the summer.  Wish it got a little cooler, but beggars can't be choosers, right?? ;-) 

What a week!

Wowza.  Tomorrow afternoon will mark a week since I returned home from Colorado.  It's been a whirlwind of a week.  I started back to work on Monday, which as you can imagine, has kept me busy!

The kids started back to school on Wednesday, and I've been running since.  :)  I finished all of the Kindergarten screenings and am starting to work on my schedule...  (homework for the weekend). 

On top of that, I had a final tonight and homework due in one class, had 4 papers and a survey due in another class, and I have another written final due  no later than August 9th.   I'll get a break from classes until 8/23. 

The weather has finally started looking like monsoon season.  It's been REALLY humid and rainy.  I like the rain, but the humidity and stifling heat I could do without! :) 

In case anyone was wondering, I fell absolutely in love with Colorado.  I think I am going to take a trip up to Colorado this winter to see what it's like in the winter.... get a taste of what winter in CO.  :)  Problem with CO is that there aren't as many shows....

Well that's all that's new I guess....  Sedona's still looking for that last major (grumble).  Hopefully she finishes this fall....  :)  I might start Rally with Chance....  stay tuned.  :)

Loveland - Estes Park - Rocky Mountain National Park (really really picture heavy!!)

As I was leaving town I stopped at Starbuck's....  it was next to THIS place....  I had to scratch my head and ask "do I want to know what a "butterburger" is?"

Interesting totem pole on the way out of Loveland...

Cool covered wagon roadside...

the wildlife in Big Thompson Canyon

more pictures from the canyon drive up to Estes Park

Welcome to Estes Park!

Noah's ark??

my future awaits.... ;-)

ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK!!! :) 

a roadside waterfall

the sights.....

I wish I could say that the colors on the mountains were because they were changing colors....  unfortunately there is a problem with an evil little beetle (I have a picture of the sign later) that is killing off many of the beautiful pines....

Couldn't you just picture a deer here.... drinking the cool water from the creek?  *sigh*  Heaven. 

I turned up a road and found a nice little hike up to a waterfall...  This is the story of what happened in that area...

and here, of course, is the waterfall I went up to see

and if you turn around from that spot, this is what you see

Playing with the camera..... ;-)

There were many different kinds of beautiful wild flowers in bloom all over the park (warning: there will be lots of pretty little wild flower pictures too!)

After that little jaunt, I decided to take a 1 way, 11 mile dirt road that went up to the top of the mountains... 

A little waterfall along the creek that went up the mountain...

Off in the distance, I could see this beautiful waterfall working it's way down the mountain....  have I mentioned... Heaven??

And this guy was just chilling road side....  munching on something....  He just hung out as I passed....

 more beautiful water... I stopped for a bit to let the dogs out and to check out the area....

Cool little mushrooms growing on a log....

This little area had bubbles coming up from under the log...  it was neat. 

And then, the kids...  :)  Good little dogs!!

Continuing up the dirt road....

I thought the colors of this wood were really interesting....

In a previous picture, you could see the buildings up at the top of the mountains.... 

I stopped for a "scenic view"... this was about half way up the walk when I turned around..

And once at the top, this was the view into a valley below...

And these were the others who stopped here too! ;-)  We're up above the tree line here....

On the way back down (sorry - some of the pictures are out of order because I took some with my Canon, and some with my Nikon).  These are lava flows....

And a little ways up the road, I saw a bunch of people pulled over.  Anyone who has National Park experience knows that there MUST be something worth seeing when there are that many people pulled over...  And this is what I saw... 

And to the other side...

I kept shaking my head at this fool who kept inching closer and closer to these HUGE animals....

and then I went to the other side of the road for the scenery.... ;-) 

I stopped at another hike up another hill (huffing and puffing - whew!)

And the sign that describes the two above pictures....

Pretty wild flowers....

The end point of the hike....

I had been wondering what these gutsy little creatures were....

It's as though the POSED for pictures!!!

I was able to catch two Yellow Bellied Marmots running and playing... note that one is a bob tail! :) 

On the walk back down I saw these beautiful creatures grazing....

Off in the distance, you can see the lava flow mentioned earlier... and then at the group of cars farther towards the bottom is where I stopped to photograph the elk where the crazy man was...

At yet another rest stop, I saw this cute little 'munk....

And these pretty birds....

Smart little 'munk... gettin' food from people....

He had no fear.  He ended up sniffing the person's hand before running off....

The valley overlook...

On the way back down - more beautiful trees :) 

Chance taking time to sniff the flowers... :) 

And here is the sign talking about the evil beetle killing the trees...

On the way down, I found this beautiful park... flowers and trees and rocks all in memory of people..... 

The kids stopped to take a dip and drink in the river...

The obligatory "cute Cardigan" picture on the bridge...

This is the bridge I took the above picture on....

There was a story about this park...  a huge flood hit in 1976.....

And I did mention earlier that I'd be jumping back and forth... well.... this was taken with the Canon at the very top of the dirt road.... a store that I wasn't able to get out at to take pictures - too many people - not enough parking. 

On the way down...

A potty stop for the kids...

In the Canyon on the way back into Loveland. 

This rock formation was called Devil's Spine...  there was a hike too, but by then I was FRIED!!!

I had such a great day! I included A WHOLE BUNCH of pictures, but if you'd believe it, this isn't even a fifth of what I took!!!  I would highly recommend the Rocky Mountain National Park to anyone who has a chance to visit.  I only was able to do one loop of the park, but it took all day and made me "ooh" and "aah" more than once :)