Snow, snow, snow

Today is a SNOW DAY! I get a paid day off...woo hoo!

The dogs LOVE the snow too...see them play! Too cute!

Camp...

Labor Day weekend 2009; my first long weekend married, but without my husband. I have to tell ya...this is getting old. I love that he is so passionate about his work and I am glad to be a part of the whole process but seriously, when is family more important than the job?

Anyway, the pups had fun. They enjoyed eating different bugs than they find at home and were exhausted by the time dinner rolled around.
Uncle Tim made the mistake of letting Banya on the couch and they couldn't get her off. She decided she owned anything and everything on the couch...including the pillows.

Panzer just lounged around on the floor...there wasn't room for them both on the couch.

For some strange reason, they both dislike stairs and so refused to go upstairs to bed; even though I had a nice comfy bed all made up for them.

Panzer was so tired, he fell asleep like this...yes with his bone IN his mouth. Gosh my babies are so cute. I wish their daddy were here to see them this silly.

Yard and Things...

So, I seeded the "mud pit" last week; and thought since I totally overwatered it and then it rained for several days that I wasted my time; but I checked on it the other day and there are little grass shoots! Whoopie!! I am so excited to see grass growing over there. NO MORE MUD PIT! Soon it'll look like we have a real yard again. I do have to mow the rest of the yard, but these little buggers are really growing.

I am going away for the weekend, with the pups. It's been a while since I've gotten away and I'm glad to have the long weekend to do it. I'm joining my mom, my brother, and his girlfriend at our family's cabin for the weekend. I haven't been there for some 6 years and I think the dogs will really like it. I'm a little concerned with having to use the outhouse. But it seems my illness has started to return my body to normal, so it shouldn't be too bad. I have class tonight (for which I have to write two short papers today) and tomorrow I should have time to pack up sheets and foods (do a little shopping) and then Saturday it's off to the cabin. I gave the dogs their flea/tick treatment earlier this week, so I hope it is in full effect because I've heard ticks are bad this year. My brother will just have to help me look them over for the little buggers.

Oh and tomorrow's my birthday! I can't believe I'm 27! I still feel like that awkward 16 year old sometimes, ya know? I do feel a little bad though, because apparantly the in-laws were planning a surprise party for me this weekend, but I'm going out of town. Whoops! I guess that's what they get for trying to surprise me!! Such a nice thought though!

Fence is DONE!!!...

Ok...so the fence company came last Thursday (when it thunderstormed EVERY afternoon for 3 days straight) and started the fence.

Day one was simply stringing the lines, marking the posts, digging the holes and setting the posts. They had to cut short due to the weather, hey I have to give them the benefit of the doubt. I had offered them the use of the driveway for their machinery while they were here, so they left that behind...not quite sure where the miscommunication came in...but again, the benefit of the doubt.

They came back Friday and began cementing the posts and actually putting the sections together. It started raining a little before lunchtime so they quit for the day then but finished the cementing then. It definitely didn't look pretty; between the wet ground and their front loader machine my yard was disgusting. I had to call my sole contact at the company to complain though....my yard had debris strewn all over...cardboard and packaging materials and my driveway was still full of Amish work machinery. Yes, they are Amish and drive front loaders and trucks :? So but anyway I mowed on Sunday (found some pieces they had cut off and a screwdriver they lost, but it looked a little better.

They finished the job today and I have to say I am mostly pleased. It's straight as far as down the line, and although you can tell where the yard has dips and grades, I personally think it's a nice fence. The dogs and kids had a blast exploring the far corners of the yard...all in all I'm happy. I forgot to have them show me the one section of the fence, they left some of my neighbor's yards a mess with mud and dirt and there's bits of concrete all over the place. But come 5:30 am I don't HAVE to stand outside for 30 minutes while the dogs decide when or where to poop!!

YAY!

Sickly Dogs...

I don't know what it is...but I seem to have dogs that only want to have abnormal bowel movements! I know this is kind of a gross topic; but I'm really not sure what to do. In the spring they were sick off and on with diarrhea, which I come to find out they had hook worm. Now this was complete owner/puppy parenting gone wrong. We forgot to get them heartworm meds and so therefore they were vulnerable to these parasites. Ok, we fixed them up; got them started on heartworm meds and they were good for a little while; then two weeks ago Banya (white female) started having diarrhea again, Panzer (tri-color male) following close behind the next day. This only lasted roughly three days collectively and I'm pretty sure was due to introduction of a new food type. My husband and I thought it'd be nice to have "treat food" canned wet dog food that they get only once in a while. You know to break up the monotony of the same food day in day out :-P
Well...ok not giving canned food anymore; now Panzer is at it again. It is so weird since they are fine ALL WEEK until Thursday (in this case 3 AM Friday morning) and I don't want to call the vet if it's nothing, i.e. the last time. I don't know that he's eaten anything weird in the past 24-48 hours and that's what scares me. How long does it take for food to go through a dog's system (large dogs, Panzer weighs almost 120lbs)? I mean gosh...the dog sitter we had once let them eat plant fertilizer and no harmful effects (needless to say; he is no longer a sitter) but they seem to be prone to this, which is very stressful to say the least! UGH!

**UPDATE** Must have been something he got a hold of...cuz it was over by Friday night! So mysterious...I don't know. Hopefully everything is fine!