Alyssa + Josh + Gracie + Bluebonnets = FABULOUS PHOTOS!

Alyssa and Josh decided to include Gracie in their Engagement photos. At first I was a little skeptical, but these photos just turned out great! 

The photographer, Lisa Shepard, has been a photographer in Austin for a long time. We met with her and fell in love. She was so sweet, and took so much time with us. Josh and Alyssa originally thought they were going to have the pictures taken at Brushy Creek, where they often go fishing.  We played around with different ideas for the photos, but something felt "off." 

Spring brought a good deal of rain to the central Texas area, so this year, the bluebonnets were really great. We've always loved bluebonnet pictures, but only seemed to take them when the kids were all little. At the last minute, Lisa told us she found the perfect hidden-away bluebonnet field in East Austin. We met her at the studio on Lamar and then all went over in caravan. She was armed with treats for the dog, a ladder for some cool shots and we came with a blanket & a picnic basket.  Lisa and her husband, Don, spent nearly 3 hours with us! It's clear that Lisa loves her job as a photographer. She would often look at the viewing area on her camera and say, "Wow! That looks great!" Then she'd see how the setting sun was hitting them, and shout, "Stop! That's perfect! Turn a little to the right! YES!!!"

What could have been an awkward photo session actually turned out pretty fun for everyone involved. Lisa's website is Aimage, and we'd recommend her to anyone looking for a great photographer.

 For more from 

Alyssa & Josh's 
photo session, 

click here 
to Lisa's blog

For more from 

Alyssa & Josh's 

Wedding Website     

      

Dogs! Dogs! DOGS!

Alyssa, the Dog Person of our Family

I'm not really a dog person. You wouldn't know that though if you came to my house. You would be accosted greeted by three rambunctious dogs. They will act as if they haven't had any attention in years! And, if you think simply patting them on the head will get them to move along to something or someone else, you're wrong.  They will climb on you, lick you, bark and circle around you. Maybe that's why I'm not a dog person.

I'm a gardener. And these dogs LOVE my garden. They bring me stems of plants that I've been nurturing, as if I'm going to throw it as a stick for them to chase. They jump into my garden and lay on the warm earth and the plants as well. I raised the beds, put chicken wire around each bed. And while that might have deterred two of them, Gracie can jump like Tigger - straight up in the air and then leaps forward. No chicken wire stops her.  Another reason I'm not really a dog person.

No matter how cute a puppy is, they GROW UP! They need a lot of attention - and they'll get it from you whether you intended to give it or not. When Hank was a puppy, he would run out the front door at lightening speed, cross the street to the park, and race up and down the fence line with dogs that barked on the other side of the fence. One time, Michael was chasing him back home and he ran INTO someone's house - their front door was left open. Michael was about 12 and he just ran in after her. The people were sitting on their couch and looked at him. Panting, Michael told them he was after his dog! They pointed to the kitchen and Michael made the loop in this stranger's house, chasing Hank back out and all the way home.

Buddy with his Christmas bandana 

Buddy had a couple of annoying puppy habits. He would search out all girls' underwear in the house and eat the crotch off. I know. Disgusting. We would find him digging through laundry hampers, dragging them maniacally under the bed.  Luckily, that habit seems to have subsided. He's a little intimidated by Gracie and still poops in the house. She lays by the door, and he just can't bring himself to pass by her. So we often find little "gifts" at the front door, in the bathroom, or in the closet.  Now, Buddy's not a puppy anymore, so I don't know why we can't get past this. I may simply have to try my friend Allison's leash technique - keep him tied to me and then I take him out after eating or every 30 minutes or some insanely dog-focused thing. Did I mention that I'm not a dog person? We only have Buddy because my mom, who thought she wanted two dogs to keep each other company couldn't take care of him AND Pepper, so Buddy came to us.  Sigh.

Gracie, about to lunge at me for the camera!

Glancing down at the coffee table in my little front room, I see that it has been gnawed by...someone. Great. :/  There's still a little fake snow on the floor from when Gracie attacked a big bag of it the other day. She is a Husky, so I find some amusement in the fact that she went for the "snow." I really wish there was a way to hook Gracie up to a ground sled, like they do in off-season Alaska mushing practice. She would love it so much. She just wants to PULLLLL!

Gracie did not share Buddy's underwear obsession. Instead, she liked the insoles of shoes. She would even pull out the fake cushiony Dr. Scholl inserts to get at the REAL insole of the shoe. No shoe is safe. And, when I was told that Huskies do not shed...well, that's simply untrue. My floor looks like tumbleweeds are blowing past. What a mess. And there was the time that Gracie chewed the keys off a open laptop. Just on one side. Luckily, I took typing so I knew where the keys were without the plastic symbol pads. I really should get a picture of that for you! ha!

So this has been our week at the vet. We seem to do it like that...waiting, ignoring cute little reminder cards, then finally we simply have to get in there. The dogs needed baths from our hike this weekend, but especially they needed nail trims. The clicking of claws on the wooden floor sounds like tap dancers - it was driving me nuts! I'm good with most things, but finding that little vein on their nail and not cutting it _ I just can't seem to make myself do that.  So yesterday was Hanks "Bath Package." Not sure what things cost where you live, but here, that's $45. Nails, ears, anal glands, bath and blow dry.  But Buddy's shots were out of date, so we did his annual appointment. Vaccines, heart worm meds for all three, bath package for Buddy and nail trim for Gracie...$255 later - YIKES!  Oh! And because Buddy's a little dog, he evidently is prone to tooth plaque/tartar buildup. They sent home an estimate for dental work - a cleaning, but under sedation - $250 more!  Ummm...Ron doesn't even GO to the dentist. Buddy's teeth will have to wait. At least not 2 weeks before Christmas!  Another reason I'm not a dog person - they're expensive! But they did get some cute Christmas bandanas. The vet techs were very sweet and had all kinds of cute loving comments to tell me about the dogs. They were shocked to get Christmas tips, but they had so clearly enjoyed the dogs and the dogs looked and smelled great! Finally.


Buddy and Hank were found to be on the overweight side....yes, they called them "obese." They have had free range feeding and I'm afraid that's going to have to change. What has been available all day long, is now going to be only available for 30 minutes in the morning and then again in the evening. And, if they just have to eat more, the vet recommends green beans! Yay! something can be done with the leftovers no one ever goes back for.  Although, I found some doggy treat recipes I might try as part of my Cookie Challenge... even though I'm not a dog person.

I'm still a little sad that we don't have Tasha anymore. She was our Great Pyrenees/Anatolian mix from the ranch. Our little suburban postage stamp of a yard was simply not going to suffice for her.  I am so incredibly fortunate to have my friend Laura who is VERY MUCH a Dog Person... and she has acreage in Wimberley. She offered to take Tasha and love her and bring her into their family. We've been out to see her and she is so happy there. Still, I miss her.

Tasha in the Living Room with Alyssa and Katie

Allison's Cambria "riding" Tasha

So I'm finishing this blog post this morning. Rain is coming down and Hank's on the floor by my bed. He hates thunderstorms. He just freezes in fear, so he stays by me. Buddy always sleeps with me, so he's here. And now that Alyssa has left for class, Gracie is jumping on the bed, burrowing her head under the covers trying to get me to play with her. Who is going to tell these dogs that I am not a dog person??

OK, Hank looks pretty cute here

Friday Family Updates!

Here's an update with what's happening in our world....

Michael has been in Nicaragua for nearly 3 months. He was in La Paz with a warm loving family. He had lots of classes, lots of supervision and it was all prep for the assignment.  But tomorrow he is moving to his new permanent location on the eastern side of the country, the South Atlantic Autonomous Region (RAAS).  This portion of the Nicaragua has been notably separate from the rest of country. Michael described it as "cattle country" and said it looked like scenes from an old western movie - dirt roads in town, saloon, old buildings.  That was when he was on a week-long visit to the new location. The elections are over, Ortega (a Sandinista) is still in power, and so maybe it will stay calm while he is there. It's VERY possible he will be the only white guy in town, definitely the only American. His Spanish still needs more work, but he'll get plenty of practice. Most of the people around him on this side of the country do not speak any English. And his original host family found it improper to correct him, so he's not getting it as fast as he had hoped. That will probably change! I think his biggest lesson might be to learn to not speak up when he sees oppression and political problems. He already told me that in the elections, there were sometimes more votes cast than there actually were people in the town. hmmm. (Michael, shhhhh!)

Katie has been in Manhattan going to acting classes full time.  Her roommate is from England, so that has been interesting for her. She takes special coaching classes now to help her with tightness in her body that she didn't realize she had. This weekend, she has tickets to see An Evening with Mandy Patinkin and Patty LaPone at the Ethel Barrymore theatre. She will LOVE it!!  And she comes home for Thanksgiving next week. Tickets were half price to fly ON Thanksgiving Day, so she will be breezing in just in time for a 4 PM feast! Poor child has been living on Lean Cuisines and street vendors!

Alyssa is wrapping up Phase 2 of Avenue Five's Cosmetology program. She has been on the salon floor for 2 out of 5 days per week. Phase 3 moves into 3 of 5 days per week.  She has several aesthetician friends that are graduating (there program is 1/2 as long) and she's a little sad about that.  But she's on track for graduation in early May.  She has a 104% attendance rate (she clocks in early in the a.m.'s). This strikes me as funny because I think she had about a 64% attendance rate when she went to Pflugerville High School.  So I'm meeting her for lunch and we're doing a little shopping at Cavender's - right across the street from her school. "Mom, it's a Miss Me Jeans sale!!!"

Ron has been trying out different campgrounds each weekend. But THIS weekend, we're putting together a greenhouse for the backyard! No more lugging plants into the bath tub with a grow light for the winter! Now they will have their own winter home and that makes me happy!!

I'm trying to spruce up the house for Thanksgiving. Ron's brother Scott and his wife Pam are coming for dinner.  Alyssa and Josh are going to his parent's house at 1 p.m. and then back to us at 4 p.m. I might send them to pick up Katie.

Gracie...back inside, comfy on the couch!

*1 more update! Gracie escaped this morning! I heard barking and I thought it was the dogs barking out the front window. But the door wasn't shut all the way when Alyssa left for class and there was Gracie, sniffing around in the yard. It was sending Buddy around the bend, he knew it was ALLL WRONG!!!  So, one quick, "Hey Dogs! Treats!!" and she was right back inside. As Josh would say, "that's a trained dog!"