dogs.

I love dogs. Well I love all animals (except the creepy, crawly kind), but I especially love dogs. When I was growing up we couldn't have a dog because it was just mom and five kids so it was too much. But then we got a dog. When I was 11 I think. He's just a little guy and he was so much fun when I was growing up.

He's super old now and has a lot of problems, but he's still a little gem. He's got a little growth on his forehead that looks like a horn so I call him a unicorn. But he's a good sport and still lets at least my mom cuddle with him.

But we have a lot of dogs in our family and I love all of them.

Kelsey

Molly

Buddy (pre-horn)

Chase

Rex, of course.

Because of my love of dogs, it's no surprise that at Thanksgiving, when I saw a little lover of a dog, I immediately gravitated toward him. His name is Hatchi. I spent a few hours of the time we were there just sitting on the ground next to him scratching his neck and just loving on him. I was covered in hair when I stood up but I just couldn't resist.

Hatchi was in a fire when he was younger (hence the black burn marks on his face, and more on his back). He went through a lot to recover from them all, but now he lives a life of leisure with Mac. He spends his days laying on the patio and sleeping in bed and walking around the neighborhood. He is just a love. They call him "terminator dog" which is totally fitting for his appearance but his personality reads "spa dog."

date night.

We try our best to have a date night every week. Sometimes it's all planned out like a concert in Hollywood or Santa Barbara. Sometimes it's simple like dinner at a delicious Thai restaurant. Sometimes it's casual like taking Rex to the dog park. Sometimes it's just picking something on Netflix that we both want to watch and not being on our phones or computers while we watch. Other times it just doesn't happen and I count trips to the grocery store or an outing to get soda as our date night. 

This week date night was actually planned. We planned to go to the movies and see Gone Girl. I read the book and really liked it and I've heard only good things about the movie so we made it a date night.

We are very simple people and Alex working at home and me only working part time, there are some days that we don't put on real clothes. It's sweats and tshirts or basketball shorts and tank tops. Easy, comfortable, and no hassle. So date night is a time for us to actually put on real clothes and looks like real human beings.

It's always a lot of fun to be able to plan a date night because it gives me something to look forward to during the week. But movies can be so expensive! At $12.50 a ticket, you're already paying $25 just to get in. Then another $20 or so if you want a soda and popcorn. And don't even think about candy. I'm usually a strict no concession stand kinda gal. I just can't get over the fact that I could spend half as much money and get more treats somewhere else. Which is usually what I do and then sneak them into the theater in my gigantic bag.

(Side note: when we lived in Idaho and had zero money to our names, we went to the cheap movie theatre for a special night out and I literally snuck in two 44oz sodas, a bag of candy, and a steaming Tupperware full of leftover heated up chow mein. I am professional at sneaking treats into movies. It embarrasses Alex to no end, but he still partakes.)

But for date night I relented and we got some treats at the theatre. Just sodas and a small popcorn. Like I said, don't even think about get candy. I did sneak in a bag of chocolates and caramel apples pops because I couldn't resist. 

All in all it was a successful date night. Good movie. Good company. Good treats. Gone Girl was definitely a good pick. 

rex.

≈ Rex's first picture ≈

I figured if the husband got a post about how great he is, the dog should also get a post.

He is a great dog. He is loving and cuddly and obedient and kind and sweet and a little dumb and easily distracted and highly motivated by food and crazy and energetic and cute and obsessive and a handful and every other good thing.

≈ beach dog ≈ tired dog ≈ regal dog ≈

He came to us in such an interesting way. I have always liked origin stories. You know, Superman came from the ice planet whatever and Batman had his troubled family past. Well Rex has a good origin story too. A lot of it is speculation and observation on our part because you really can't just go up to someone and say "So you neglected this dog, right? And you just decided one day that you didn't want him so you put him in the garage to hang out while you decided what to do?" That doesn't go over very well.

But we had been living in Idaho for almost five months and been married for about five and a half months. Pretty much the whole five months I asked if we could get a dog. Finally Alex relented and started looking on craigslist and shelter sites for a dog; he was very noncommittal about it and didn't really think anything about it. One day he saw Rex on craigslist in the free section. He was a cute little guy about a year old, pit bull mix, the ad said well tempered. Alex had a feeling about him so he sent me the link and the picture. I about died at how adorable his little face was and that night we went to see him.

He was in a non-temperature controlled garage (in Idaho. In January. With snow on the ground.) with a little bowl of food, little bowl of water, and a huge bone. When we walked in he ran up to us and licked our hands and wagged his tail and let us pet him and sat in front of us...just pretty much wanted attention and love. He was definitely underweight (I could see all his ribs and spine) and he had little black sores on his paws and testicles. The guy told us he was well behaved, house trained, leash trained (not!) and just a big lover. Alex noticed a little cement kennel area outside that looked like it was his bed and bathroom and eating area all in one.

We went home that night and talked about it and said every thing that was wrong with us taking him. We came up with every single reason why we could not handle having this dog in our tiny apartment, and the list was really long. It was definitely convincing to any sane person. We went to bed that night and one of the last things we said to each other was "so what time are we going to get Rex tomorrow to bring him home?" There was no question that this little baby needed to come live with us. Even with everything against the decision (tiny apartment, big dog, house trained??, no time, school, work, our deposit, etc.) we some how both knew that he was our dog and we needed to bring him home.

Now...ten months later...I would still make the same decision. Even with Rex's abandonment issues, anxiety, neediness, depressive episodes, fear of the dark, and tantrums (oh were there tantrums!! every time we left the apartment he would freak out), I never regret taking him home. He's our baby. Our 70 pound, pit bull/rottweiler mix, hunk of pure muscle baby. And he is such a baby. And we love him so much.

     

                                                          ≈ sad dog ≈                                                                ≈ lazy dog ≈

 ≈ booty shame face dog≈

≈ creepy dog (I woke up to this image inches from my face)≈

So much...that we got him his first halloween costume. Here comes the T-REX!!

husband.

I have a wonderful husband and I feel the need to tell anyone and everyone who will listen. Literally. I talk about him all the time to girls at work. They are definitely tired of hearing how great my husband is. But he really is. Presenting the best husband ever…Alex!

 

≈ our one year anniversary in August ≈ my sister's wedding in July ≈ Alex and Rex in Idaho ≈ Alex in his element ≈

I got sick on our last day in Texas. It was travel day, of course, and there I was with the start of a head cold and some bad stomach pains. Because everything that can be wrong with me at one time, will be wrong with me. But he handled it like a champ. Helping me through security, getting me a hot drink for my throat, letting me lay my head on his shoulder, making sure I always had water. He is the ultimate sweetheart.

And obviously the sick did not stop when we got home. So he made me lunch so I would not have to get out of bed, brought me tissues and medicine, filled my water bottle, washed the dishes so I would not have to. All while going back to work first thing. He kept texting me from the living room during the day to ask if I needed anything and if I was ok.

But don't get me wrong, he wasn't perfect at it. He kept getting frustrated when I couldn't make up my mind and annoyed when I would ask him to make six trips to the kitchen because I needed juice, and then napkins, and then more ice, and then tea, all within ten minutes. Or when I wouldn't take my medicine, he would offer to force feed me the pills. But he did it all!

And that is why I love him. Always willing to serve and help when I need him. But I know that he is praying that I do not get sick again anytime soon...for more reasons than just my health.