Homecoming

*Image & print by HANDSworkshop

I'm back y'all!  I am so excited to see my husband and my wiggly bull.  The best sight when I've been gone for so long (or even a short trip, really) is the car pulling up with a beaming driver and a dog that is all bent sideways with wiggles.  The best welcome home greeting ever.  I can't wait.  What makes your homecomings special?

Kissy

*Image & card by hellosmallworld

I love the hand drawn aspect of this card and all of the small imperfect hearts.  The sentiment makes me laugh because it reminds me of my husband, and my bulldog.  Odin gets into these licking frenzies and it only happens with my husband.  I think that the dog likes the saltiness of his skin post run.  Whatever it is, it always makes me giggle when Odin gets in his "kisssy kissy" mood.  I never thought I would appreciate being licked by a dog - in fact I'm still not a super fan, but it sure is funny to watch.  How do you feel about animal "kisses"?

Hog

*Image & card by JulieAnnArt

No, this card would not be for my husband.  He got the salt yesterday.  Too bad my dog can't read because he is the biggest bed hog I know.  I like to cuddle with the bull, but seriously... I never guessed that a 52 lb. dog could take up so much space.  He manages to snuggle up, just so and to squeeze me over until I am fighting for room.  Did I mention that we have a king-sized bed?  Yeah.  Do you know a bed hog?

Pollen

*Image & book by Roger Hargreaves

When it is 65 degrees outside on a January morning, I guess pollen and allergens are bound to begin floating around in the air.  After my inaugural 5K on New Year's day I spent the day sneezing.  I went for a nice walk with the bull this morning and here I am, clutching a tissue while my nose reacts to the outdoors.  I love that it was nice enough to enjoy a cup of tea on the patio with a friend this morning.  I hate that being outside seems to doom me to a day of sneezing misery.  I've tried several brands of allergy meds, but it might be time to see someone.  I know that acupuncture is a good idea, but I don't know anyone in town to point me in the right direction for this remedy.  I use my netti pot to no avail.  Any tips on fighting a day of the sneezes?

Young family

*Image by my husband

Today I'm thankful for my young family, and of course all of the relatives that I get to spend my holiday with.  I'm lucky to be surrounded by family from all sides for a Thanksgiving  feast extravaganza this year and I'm so grateful for the time I have to be with all of these relatives I only see seldomly due to geographical distance.  This is the life.  What are you thankful for today?

Belly

*Image by my husband

This week I'll be blogging about things in my life that make me grateful and make my life better.  First on my list, probably because I miss him, is Odin, and especially his sprawling belly.  This bulldog has a personality I didn't think would exist in a dog.  I love to snuggle him and to hear his snorts.  Who ever thought that snoring would bring comfort to my nights?

Halloween

*Image & card by inkadinkadoodle

Happy Halloween to you all.  Are you dressing up today?  I'm not allowed to dress up for work, neither are the kids.  I am excited to finally have trick or treaters at our house.  I think that if anyone dresses up, it will be Odin for sure.  He is pretty cute on Halloween (not as cute as this duo, though).  Eat plenty of your favorite candy today and be sure to enjoy yourself.  What is your favorite Halloween treat?

Wash

*Image & card by Bremelo Press

Where was this card yesterday when I was blogging about my stinky bulldog?  Who would have guessed that something like this even existed?

Stinky

Odin smells like a butt - that is what we have been telling him for weeks and yet the pup has not been forced into a bath yet.  Little does he know the fate that awaits him tonight... Isn't he just adorable?  (Luckily, you can't smell him through the internet).

Aftermath

The balloons died, but for some reason they are still hanging around on the dining room table.  I like a little birthday aftermath to hang around for a while and we can still be festive because our fat, wrinkled bull turned 3 today.  I cannot believe this 52 lb. lap dog has been around that long.  I also know that in these three short years he has changed my life.  I honestly don't know what I would do without this dog around.  I am so lucky to have such a sweet bulldog in my life.  When we are gone for a weekend or longer we miss him and we even brought Odin a toy from Portland.  Getting home to this wiggly dog makes my day, and his snoring has become my white noise at night.  Are you this attached to your pets?

Limping

*Image via silentmara

Early in the wee hours of Saturday morning my little family was hanging out at the emergency vet's office. After a night with friends we got home Friday night and were finally getting ready for bed. My husband scooped up the bull (he's heavy - 52 lbs.) and plopped him onto the bed. Odin promptly collapsed and gave us quite a scare. He wouldn't put any weight on his front right foot and we were scared that something was dislocated. Not a fun way to end a Friday night, but I'm happy to report that the x-ray didn't show anything abnormal and this morning when I got home from water polo practice I was greeted at the door by a wiggly dog who is almost totally back to normal after a long day of rest. We think he had a sprain or something, but man - that was a scare. Have you experienced any feelings of relief this week?

Favorites

*Image by Karin M.

Tonight we're headed out with the dog to meet up with friends for some delicious pizza under the stars. Pizza, friends, dogs, wine and a birthday to celebrate sounds like a good time to me. Trevor baked our wedding cake this afternoon and I can't wait for all of my Texas friends to have a taste. I'm smelling it right now and am drooling a little. This Saturday night is going to be awesome. Do you have plans?

Bulldog

*Image & art by scratchandsniff

In all of this love, I cannot forget my bulldog. This print might actually end up in my home. if you zoom in, you would be able to see that the silhouette is actually a map of Washington and it includes the area where Odin was born and where we lived when we brought him home. I never thought I would love a dog like I love Odin. Do you have a pet to snuggle with?

Mail-dog

*Image by Trevor Jorgensen

Odin has a new job around the house that he loves, he brings in the mail for us every day. You should see how proud a mail-carrying bulldog is to run in with magazines and bills. He's even good about not really biting into everything. I wonder what other useful household tasks we could teach this bulldog?

Thankful

*Image & card by Cottonflower Press

Today is a good day to reflect on all of the things that make your life worthwhile. I am grateful for such an awesome group of friends and family who constantly remind me why my life is good. I am glad to be greeted on a daily basis by snorts and wiggles from the bulldog (not the husband). I am lucky to have a beautiful home to live in, even if the location is far away from the beautiful Northwest. I have my health, I have everything I want and need, and I am loved. What are you thankful for?

Sewing

*Image & shirt by red paper record

I will be a sewing machine now that I have all of my costume supplies. I am in charge of now not just one dog costume - but two. We're dog sitting and it would be wrong to leave out the other pooch. Plus, I have to sew my costume. I think mine will be the easiest. Oh yes, I am becoming a sewing machine. I would love a day off to craft, but I'll make due. What are you dressing up as this weekend?

Carved

*Image & pumpkin by Trevor Jorgensen

We love our dog. We love him enough to carve him into a pumpkin. We are a bit fanatical don't you think? This is my husband's pumpkin, and needless to say - I was impressed when he produced this creation. What do you think?

Shark

*Image & print by Berkley Illustration!

We have already started brainstorming our Halloween costumes at my house. This year we're going with an underwater theme and I'm pretty excited. We only really have to buy a few catchy accessories and I'll make the dog's costume. I'm also excited to have trick or treaters! Good thing we have plenty of time to plan. Are you dressing up for Halloween?

Dog

*Image by k1rsty

Today my puppy is two. I cannot believe how big he is now and still how snuggly and spritely. This 52 lb. two-year-old. His wiggles still brighten my day. Could I be any luckier?

Teeth

*Images by me

Can you see those tiny little teeth? Bulldogs, for some reason, have tiny worthless little chicklet teeth. For some reason these tiny teeth exist, probably because they are cute. Speaking of teeth, we just found out that my husband needs a root canal. Not fun in the slightest, not cute either. I figured it would be more amusing to post pictures of puppy teeth than aching human teeth. I'm not a personal fan of the dentist either, so that doesn't help. Hopefully all goes well and his tooth gets fixed soon. How is your weekend so far?