Christmas..Part one.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everybody had a wonderful, family and friend filled holiday! Keena and I have been pretty busy so far. I had to work this Christmas so Christmas eve was just me, Keena, Manii and  Shelby (their mom and dad are out of town). We watched some movies and went to bed pretty early since I had to work at 6 in the morning and have been sick for a while. Christmas morning I went in to work and got out around 11:30. After coming home and taking care of the dogs, I went to see Charles and his family for the holiday. We had a fantastic time and ate lots of delicious food! We got home and relaxed and then today Charles and I did some shopping. I finished buying Keena's Christmas presents and bought some other family members some gifts. When I came home I gave Keena her gifts! She got a new pretty pink collar (people always say she looks like a boy!), a bag of weight control treats, a scapula (shoulder bone), a nylabone that she isnt really sure of and some christmas rawhides. It sounds like a lot but we went to pet stores and places with some seriously crazy after Christmas sales! Also, her new giant bone was not even 4 dollars! Santa Clause treated Miss Louise very well this year! :)

She loved her weight control treats!

I'm an Aunt....Again!

Keena and I have been busy busy busy. On December 16th, Keena and I drove down to Evansville for a long weekend of family fun! It started on Saturday with the 3rd Annual Boyles Family Christmas night. We get our whole family together (Mom, Dad, Abbie, Brian, Macie Gavin, Allie, and myself) and watch some Christmas movies. It is really nice and helps me get into the Christmas spirit. We made a whole bunch of delicious food and just enjoy each others company. My niece and nephew cannot sit through a whole movie very well with all of the distractions and excitement but overall it was a fantastic time. Keena hung out in my old bedroom because my parents' house is very small and Macie and Gavin do not like Keena very much. She is so much bigger than they are I do not blame them for being frightened. I was proud of Macie, however, who got very close to Keena and ALMOST pet her as long as Aunt Allie was holding her. Someday I hope that they can appreciate what an amazing animal Miss Keena really is. She is so good with the kids she really doesnt do much or seem to care that they are there! Which is exactly what I want. Someday they will be friends.

Lilah Jean. Don't you love the hat?!

Keena loved all of my mom's Christmas decorations. She kept sniffing them all. Here she is snoozing in her own little winter wonderland. :)

   Next for my lovely weekend was a lot of hanging out with friends and family. I even went out to a bar! I haven't done that in quite a while and I thoroughly enjoyed myself! The most exciting part of my time in Evansville was on Monday, December 19th, at 9:27 my newest niece, Lilah Jean Mitchell was born! It was fantastic to meet her and spend quality time with my sister, brother in law, Macie, Gavin and my mom, dad, and Allie. It was just a great weekend and I look forward to going home for new years when we celebrate our own family Christmas since I have to work this weekend and Abbie just had a major surgery and needs some time to recover. I cannot wait to see Lilah again and see how much she has changed in the week and a half I will have been gone!

Keena vs. Kong

   When I first started looking for a dog I went out and bought a lot of things because I had no idea what kind of things my new dog would like. One of the kinds of toys I have always loved are puzzle feeders so one of my first purchases was a Kong (gigantic size of course)! I even looked up "recipes" online of different ways to stuff the Kongs and different foods to put in them.  When I first started giving them to Keena I knew I had to make it pretty simple since she had never had one before. Well, let's just say that Keena can be a lot like me (a little lazy.... :)...) and I found that she would simply give up leaving all kinds of tasty treats inside! Well, on this snowy, lazy day off I decided to try the Kong again. I always try to keep a few cans of dog food around as a Kong stuffer. I put a layer of some of her favorite treats, a little kibble and them some dog food on the top.

   I was determined that today Keena was going to finish the whole Kong! I wanted to watch her "methods" and see what we needed to work on. Well, her problem was that she was only trying to use her tong (big as it may be) and not those gigantic paws! I let her go at it for a while then when she gave up, I litterally picked up her paw and hit the Kong with it causing a little piece of kibble fell out. It was like a light bulb went off! She kept batting at it and before long all of the kibble and treats were gone! I was very very proud of my baby! I know she is smart...she just needs to work a little harder at it! :) The next time I stuff the Kong I plan on freezing it overnight so that the canned dog food is a little tougher for her to get through. Who knew all I needed to do was show her how to use her strength to her benifit!

The Meaning of Things

   This evening I received some very disturbing news from my sister when she told me that her home was broken into and she was robbed while at work. I was very upset and sickened at the thought of someone breaking into her home and rifling through all of her things. My sister is one of the hardest working people I know and she has spent a lot of time and put a lot of effort info making her new house a home. I will never understand why people take to stealing and live that kind of life. I do not know why they cannot work like the rest of us and earn what they want and desire in life. Fortunately they police did a wonderful job and cought the three people who did this and recovered most of her belongings. :)
   I asked her if she was upset and hurt....and she said that she was ok. Sure she is angry but she knows that life will go on. She is much braver than I would be. I've been thinking a lot about all of the "things" that I have. Little of them have any real value to the average person. More of my belongings have sentimental value to me than cash value to others. My most prized possession would be my dane love, Keena....if, that is, you can really possess another being. I love her dearly and if I found out that my house had been broken into I would be more worried about her safety than anything else I own. You cannot put a price on unconditional love. The worst part about my dog is that she loves me SO much she wants to cuddle with me which can be dangerous. (140 lbs on top of you is a whole lot of dog).
     Society today puts so much emphasis on objects, pieces of plastic and metal, and I feel like we lose sight of what is really important in our lives. Recently two of my good friends (and roommates) were in a horrible car crash. Their car malfuntioned and their car rolled four times. They had one of their dogs with them too. Thankfully they all came out ok (minus the car :(...) and the worst injury was Caitlyn's broken sternum...OUCH! If it had been Keena and I in that car I am afraid that Keena's weight alone...coming at me at 70 miles an hour...would have killed me. This really made me think. I don't want anything to happen to my beloved fur baby so I took some action. I went to PetSmart and got a "doggy seatbelt" as I call it. It's a safety harness that you put the seatbelt through a special part of the harness and it will hopefully keep Keena in place. I have only put it on her a few times in the house and we have not ventured to the car with it...but as the holidays approach and I begin my usual traveling, I want to make sure we are all as safe as can be.

Keena in her harness....not the most thrilled.

   We all need to take some time each day to think about what we have and how lucky we are. I am like everyone else and often take things for granted. I don't want to do that anymore. I have noticed, however, that as I "grow up" objects become much less important to me. I really don't care about the "finer" things in life. I'm a hard working woman who is lucky enough to have an amazingly supportive family and circle of friends. Also, I have found the most amazing man to spend my life with and I thank the Lord everyday for bringing him into my life. Never before have I felt so loved or have been so adored. We are starting our own little family and as long as I have Charles and Keena (and all the other amazing family I am blessed with) I am good to go. :) Be thankful for what you have! Hug and kiss your loved ones!

Thanksgiving! Gobble Gobble!

Thanksgiving!!!!! Well, it's over now and I am a little late posting this but I had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving! This year was a very romantic Thanksgiving and my very first to cook by myself! Charles and I were on our own this year and it was very lovely but filled with mixed emotions. We enjoyed the time together and the chance to make some memories and new traditions, but we both missed our families dearly. There is nothing quite like a Thanksgiving surrounded by family....or in our case this year three dogs and a cat!
  Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks for all that we have in our lives. I have soooo much to be thankful for. My friends and family that love and support me no matter what, my amazing dog that brings me so much joy and unconditional love, and my boyfriend...the man of my dreams. I have waited my whole life to have a man love me so deeply and dote on me all the time and sometimes I can't believe that I got so lucky to have met Charles. He is the sweetest, most amazing man and I'm not sure what I have done to deserve him. Every girl deserves to be told that she is beautiful everyday and that's what he does. I love you Charles!

Homemade Mac N Cheese

Sausage Cornbread Stuffing...from scratch! ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

My plate!

The spread!

our lovely table...all pretty.

  

I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday!

Trip to the Vet and Stomach Tacking

Yesterday I took a half day to take Keena in for her yearly check up. This was our first visit with our new vet! I liked the first vet we used....he was very nice and all but he was a much older vet and the only vet at that facility. Their hours were not working well for me and he didn't seem to take my questions and comments as seriously as I would have liked.  Our new vet clinic is the Zionsville Country Vet Clinic and it's actually on the same property as the Country Kennel I have taken Keena to in the past (which she absolutely loves). When we got there everyone was all over Keena saying how pretty she is and how well behaved she is. I would like to take credit for her behavior but to be quite honest she came that way. Haha.
  Anyway...the visit went well and Keena now officially weighs OVER 140 lbs! Dr. Sharri would like her to lose about 10 lbs and I feel bad that she has gotten over weight but her new found appetite since we have moved in with three other dogs is big! I was instructed to cut her food back by about 3/4 of a cup a day. We will try to go on more walks to help her trim down. I asked the doctor about her eye boogers (goopy gross stuff that is ALWAYS coming from her eyes) and she took a look and discvored that Keena does have some eye abnormalities. Like most danes, her eyes droop and so excess dust and other debris can get into her eyes and her eyelids are shaped a little differently. Fortunately they did not find any eyelashes growing into the eye witch can plague great danes as well. They did a tear duct test to make sure she is producing enough tears (which she is) and she didn't like that very much. They gave me some ointment for her eyes and after ten days we will see if its an underlying infection causing the eye gunk or if its just her eye abnormalities.
  I really like this new vet and am very excited I moved Keena to this clinic. I am a first time dane owner and I have my concerns and plenty of questions! Dr. Sharri answered all of them without batting an eye! She did a thorough exam of Keena and was very nice. She even gave Keena a free rawhide! (She was telling me about rawhides and used one that they normally sell as an example and Keena tried to take it out of her hand so she gave it to her as a "welcome to the clinic" gift!) Keena did very well, even though we was a little frightened when the doctor and the tech came at her at once to draw blood. Haha...I don't blame her. She is a wonderful dog and was so relaxed otherwise that she was even sprawled out on the floor chewing on her rawhide while waiting for her shots!
  It was a great visit and we will go back in a few weeks for a Lepto booster shot. I have one thing to mull over though and if anyone has an opinion I would greatly appreciate it! I asked the vet about Bloat, which terrifies me, and she gave me a lot of suggestions and preventative type techniques but she said the best way to prevent it is tacking the stomach. Does anyone have a dane with a tacked stomach? Has anyone ever looked into it for their dane? I am curious about it and Dr. Sharri said she could give me a quote on prices. If anyone has an opinion....please let me know!

Traditions and Fall Days

  Well, it's that time of year again and the holidays are quickly approaching. This year is promising to be a little different than the normal for a few reasons. I work both Thanksgiving and Christmas this year and my sister is expecting her 3rd baby! Lilah Jean will be born on the 19th of December and we are all very excited! Well, the other day Charles and I were talking and it turns out that his family is going out of town for Thanksgiving and now I will be making my very first Thanksgiving dinner....just Charles and I! We are both very excited actually and I decided that it will be a good time to start a few new traditions.  I found some new recipes and made a menu already for the big day. Charles and I will start our own little traditions as we grow closer in our relationship. I can't wait to make a lifetime of traditions with him!
   Since the weather is getting cooler and very windy lately we have been cooped up in the house a little more. Gotta love lazy fall days lounging around the house!

Danes really do know how to stretch out....don't they?

Everyone is comfy and cozy.

Busy Day

Today Keena and I had a fantastic day off of work! It was very busy! We started our day with going to Speck's Pet Supplies because I had gotten a coupon for a free do it yourself bath! I was very excited but a little worried that I would be able to get her up into the tub by myself. I called ahead and they assured me that they would help me if I could not do it on my own. It was a very nice set up and the bath tubs actually had ramps the dogs can walk up. I haven't trained Keena to walk on ramps because there have never been any situations where she had the chance to so the young worker and I heaved Keena into the tub. She did a great job but was NOT a fan of the drier! It was pretty loud, in her defense. I was proud of her and convinced that from now on I'm always going to take her to the do it yourself baths because everywhere else charges SOOO much money to bathe her because of her size. Plus, this is good bonding time for us. :)
  After the bath I let her pick out some treats for being such a good girl and then we were off to the vet to pick up her monthly preventatives. I took her in with me and asked if I could weigh her. Keena now weighs 139.6 lbs!!!! Holy crap I think its time to cut back on treats! I am taking her to the vet for her yearly check up in a few weeks and I will talk to the vet then. She is back to eating twice a day and I have been giving her extra treats in her transition to living with other dogs. I'll keep her off treats and just let her have her food and bones. She loves her rawhides and other chew bones. We had a great day together and watching her eat her first Bully Stick was hilarious! She kept trying to pull peices off and it would spring across the floor and she would have to chase it! I love my Dane baby and really enjoy our time together.

Sitting in the tub. They said that they have had bigger dogs but she filled up that tub so I don't know how that worked out for those owners.

Had to sniff this stuff out.

Looking sad and pathetic.

She was NOT a fan of the drier.

The Devil Drier

"That's how we get out of here, right?"

Happy HOWLoween!!!

Its that time of year again...tricking, treating and dressing up!!! I really wanted to dress up Keena (even though I said I would never be THAT owner) but where do you buy a costume big enough for a great dane?! In MY closet of course! I decided that Keena would be a college girl....she weighs more than a lot of them anyway! She was a boilermaker...of course. We went to Specks pet supply last night because they were having a big Howloween celebration. We got free treats, met other dogs, and even got our picture taken to be entered in the costume contest! I have no idea if she will win but we had fun anyway! Everyone loved her and her costume and kept ooohhinng and aaahhhhing. :) She's a star!

Boiler up!

I love this one. :)

Little prarie woman.

 

New Routines

It's been so long! We have been doing well here in our new house and Keena is loving life! She plays with the other dogs and is back to eating her full 6 cups a day. Before we moved she was barely eating because she wasn't getting any stimulation or enough excercise I guess. She is a handful now and I am finding it very essential to have practice training sessions of the commands she used to know soooo well. She still listens and "minds" but it's harder for her with all the other dogs around wanting to play with her.
     Well not too much has been going on with us. About a  week and a half ago Charles and I went to Evansville for a weekend visit and my neice's birthday. It was a lot of fun. Keena stayed with her Aunt Caitlyn and her best friends Manii, Shelby, and Enzo. She really is growing and thriving here and it warms my heart. :) Here are some cute pictures I have taken of our recent home life events.
 

Me :)

Charles!

Keena destroying a Betty Boop doll. She plays with toys now!

Enzo and Keena

Shelby

Manii...chewing on a toy...what else is new?

Keena and Tabbs the cat laying down only feet apart.

Tabby. He's cute...and semi suicidal.

Keena Says.......

RELAX!!!!!!

A Whole New Dog

What a week! This week has been the craziest and best week! Since the move there have been lots and lots of changes happening in the home dynamics and in Keena! Before I moved here Keena was a pretty lazy dog who didn't play with toys, was pretty much a mute and slept all day and night. I love her no matter what (cuz let's face it, I'm a pretty lazy person when I'm at home) but I just thought she was an extremely low energy dog. Boy was I wrong! Since we have moved in she has been full of energy and plays all the time! My friend (and new roommate) Caitlyn and I were wondering how long it was going to take all of our dogs to get along. Keena can be reactive to other dogs and is protective of me and one of Caitlyn's dogs is the same with her. It turns out dogs adapt way better than people do....they are all good friends now and love to play, run, chase, and play bitey face! It's such a wonderful thing to see...it actually melts my heart and makes me smile. My baby girl has friends! As I sit typing this Keena, Manii, Shelby and Enzo are all curled up in balls all over the apartment sleeping. This living situation is going fantastically! Another thing I found interesting was that Keena has NEVER been interested in toys and has only barked a few times since I have had her. I came home from work when my Caitlyn had been off work and she had all the dogs out and they had been playing all day. She told me Keena played tug of war with the other dogs AND barked when she was playing. She has done this several times since then and I even got a few pictures of it! I am extremely happy with the way things have turned out and am loving our new home! :)

Manii attacking Keena

Keena has never played submissive before...I like it.

Three way tug of war

I love this picture...fair fight? (Enzo is the little one)

Keena...playing with a toy!!!

Moving Day

  We have moved!  Keena and I are officially in our new home. Life is crazy and the next few weeks with four dogs and a cat!!! So far I am just going to try to keep Keena in her safe place (my room) and let her out when the other dogs are up. I know they will eventually get used to each other but it will take a little while. I have faith in them! I have no picture as of yet and I am soooo exhausted I dont think I will have any for a few days. Have a great week everyone!

Back to the Fifties Festival

Fall is here and I am in love! Fall is my favorite season and with this glorious weather comes festivals galore! I have always loved festivals and when I found out that my little town is having it's annual "Back to the Fifties Festival" tonight and tomorrow I knew I would be making an appearance tonight! I was hoping to bring Keena with me because I love to introduce to her new people, places and experiences but this particular festival said no pets. :( Now, for those of you who know about the Fall Festival in Evansville, IN where I am from....this festival was MUCH smaller. It covered about one block with approximately five food booths and one blow up bouncy house. The Fall Festival back home cover multiple blocks (cant even tell you off the top of my head) with over a hundred and twenty food booths and an entire section devoted to rides and carnival games! The Fifties festival, however had something my hometown's lacks, Shirly Ann and Bobby, the official "Fifties" couple. Shirly Ann and Bobby have been married for 60 years and the few moments I got to speak to them were very inspiring and sweet. They love each other so much and are so adorable I could cry. I spoke with them after they finished one of their dance numbers and told them how much hope and happiness they give me. Shirly asked me if I have a young man in my life and I said yes. (I just wish Charles had been there with me!) She told me to love him with my heart and be honest and if he was a good man who cherished me the rest would take care of itself. How sweet is she?! I'm pretty sure that I won't let down Shirly Ann and I know Charles will make Bobby proud....he makes me proud everyday! What a wonderful little festival for a sweet little town in Indiana. :)

They had a bunch of really cool old cars so I took some pictures of my favorites.

Our cute court house with the local band set up in front.

These are Shirly Ann's and Bobby's bikes! Too cute! The signs say that they gratuated from schools in Fishers IN in 1941

Shirly Ann and Bobby

Meanwhile....back at the house this is what Keena was doing. :)

ZZZzzzzZzZzZZZZzzZZ........

 

Hiking

Today we went on a hike! The Indianapolis Great Dane Group had a meetup today at Eagle Creek Park.  This was the first time I was able to go on one of these hikes because they have always fallen on Saturdays that I am scheduled to work. Charles and I packed up Keena and headed to the park. It took us a bit to find the entrance we were supposed to find and we were close to being late but made it just in time. Keena really enjoyed the hike and since the weather has been in the 70's for the past week she did not get nearly as tired as she normally does. Charles and I, on the otherhand, were a litte sleepy after this long trek....but we had a lot of fun! Luckily, on of my "dane friends" took pictures so I stole them from her! It feels good to get out and hike and be in the woods. We even saw three deer!! Keena actually spotted them first, I saw her looking in the woods and could not figure out what she was looking out then I saw them. They surprisingly did not run away from us and our dogs and were standing pretty close to us for at least 5-10 minutes. We were extra careful because it seemed to be a doe with her twin babies. :) Nature is fantastic!

My friend Trice with one of her danes Frisco.

Charles walking Keena...I am really glad he is wiling to get involved in her care and taking charge of her. She is a powerful dog that doesn't listen to just anyboody...you need to get her to respect you. It's special to me to see her gaining more and more respect for Charles. :)

Frisco cooling off...he was sitting in the water for a while...too funny.

From the left (dane wise) is Gracie, Keena, Cooper

Gracie and Dutchess

All that walking makes a girl thirsty.

Cooper is one of my favorite danes in the club. He is so vocal and will "talk" to you. Trice is giving him some loving and he is talking away!