Chaos

Our lives are very chaotic right now! Last weekend was a whirlwind! I had an interview for a new job on Saturday afternoon and then Charles and I went to my company picnic in Lafayette. The picnic was lovely with some free food and prizes....Charles is the only on in our little group that won anything! After the picnic we went to meet up with some of my good friends for one of their birthdays and then to the hookah bar. It was great to finally meet my good friends boyfriend! We really enjoyed our time in Lafayette.

My interview went really well and I am set to go back to meet the people in person today at 3:00 and am very excited. It is much closer to where we live now and it has so many possibilities for my future. It is probably a little premature to be talking about this since I have no idea if I will actually get this job...all I know is that it is looking good! The job is posted from a staffing company so my first interview was over the phone. Once I meet them in person today they will give the staffing company feed back and hopefully they will love me! I can be very convincing and I know that if they give me the chance I will be a huge asset to their company!

I became CPR certified yesterday! I have wanted to do this for a long time but never really looked into how to do that. My boss came up to me and offered me the chance to do it online (paid for by them)! It is exciting for me because I honestly feel better about my abilities in an emergency....even just while watching my nieces and nephew.

My nephew is coming up to Indy to have surgery at Riley on Friday. He has a wide variety of health issues and we are hoping that this procedure on Friday will resolve some of them. I would appreciate any and all prayers that you can send our way. Hopefully I will have good news to report later.

A Good Deed in my Time of Need

  I have been going through some rough stuff lately and have been pretty bummed. My uncle recently passed away and I have an aunt who is now in hospice after a long battle with cancer. My nephew also has some health issues he and his parents have been trying to deal with. It is all very stressful. All of that plus I am very unhappy at my job and have been dealing with all of that added stress.

 A lady at work and I have been chatting a lot over the past month or so and we often talk about our animals. The other day she came up to me in the morning and told me she had a suprise for me after work. I came out after work and found a table she made for Keena! It's a raised feeder to put her food and water on! I have been wanting one since I got her because raised feeders are really important for great danes to help prevent bloat. Most of them are really expensive and a lot are not even tall enough for her! This table is the perfect height for Miss Keena and I couldn't be happier! This gift and gesture of kindness means a lot to me. For those of you who know me...Keena is very important to me and I want the best for her. I will never forget the wonderful woman who has only been in my life and known me for a little over a month. :)

Keena's lovely new table!

I'm making her wait for a photo opp....she is just thinking, "can I eat it now?"

She made it the absolute perfect height!!

 

Watermelon

Last week I bought a watermelon that was much to big for me to eat by myself. My friend said she had given her dogs watermelon, rind and all, and they loved it! I decided to try it with Keena! It was a hit! She LOVED the delicious summer time fruit. The only bad thing is that now when I eat watermelon her mouth starts watering! Haha..I am glad I found another treat for her that isn't full of fat. As we know..Keena could stand to lose a few lbs. (Who couldn't though, right?!)
   On other news we are all doing great here in the Boyles-Furr household. Louie is proving to be a real character! He has such a big personality and keeps Keena on her toes for sure. The other day she was sleeping peacefully on the floor and he stalked and attacked her face! She was startled but just rolled over and fell back asleep. The two are coexisting wonderfully and becoming friends. :)

I apologize that the picture is so small but It was from a cell phone.

Abbie Turns 30!!

   Last weekend my oldest sister, Abbie, turned 30! This is a bitter sweet birthday for me...(yes I know I'm not the one turning 20)...because Abbie is only 5 years older than me! In a short 5 years I will be 30! Where does the time go? Anywho...Charles and I went Evansville to help her celebrate it!
   First part of the birthday celebrations was going out for pizza and wings on Saturday for lunch.  No one had been their besides Abbie and Brian and it was a big hit! We loved the wings especially and my three year old niece and 2 year old nephew were even eating them like crazy! It was a wonderful time!
   Next part of the celebration was dinner and clubbing! We went to a local favorite mexican eatery where we enjoyed margaritas and I even had a frozen long island ice tea! Next we headed to Stoney's a bar and club. It was a fantastic time had by all! We drank and celbrated my wonderful sister!

Abbie and Brian

Ride that Bull!

Me and the Birthday girl!

Allie and I

Charles and I at Hacienda

Charles and I at Stoneys.

  Keena spent her weekend lounging around at Grandma and Grandpas house. She enjoyed the air conditioning and got to hang out outside with me and Grandpa for a little while. Unfortunately in this kind of heat we have been having I have to be very careful on how long she can be out in that weather! We enjoyed ourselves very much and loved the time we got to spend with the grown ups as well as the kiddos!

Settling In

Things have been going pretty well around here for the past few weeks! Not that much has been going on with the humans in our household except Charles and I did go swimming today with his sister and cousin and that was fun. Keena and Louie are getting along just fine and seem to really like each other. The only thing that has come up in our new living situation is that I have noticed Keena has become MUCH more protective of me in our new home. When people pass in front of our door she gets agitated and does a half bark or "woof" so to speak. Now, that may not seem like a big deal for most dog owners but if you know anything about Keena she doesn't bark much at all. Also, I've noticed that when I am walking her around to complex to do her business she is more on alert than ever before and she isn't like that when Charles takes her out. Lastly, Charles' friends who live in our same complex were joking around and knocked on our door as they walked past our apartment and Keena started barking and all her hair stood up and everything! I think she is getting used to her new surroundings and to having more people walking around in front of our apartment.  We shall see....I like that she is protective of me but I want to make sure she is still the super friendly, loving doggy she is. :) I dont think that will change.

House Fiance?

  Since I have moved in with Charles I suddenly find doing things I normally didn't like enjoyable. I like cleaning up the house and doing the dishes...even cleaning the litter box doesnt bother me! The best thing, however, is cooking for someone other than just myself!!! It is so much better to cook for two than just you!!! Today was my day off and I did a lot of "domestic" things that normally I would have dreaded. I even made homemade banana bread! I cannot wait to share it with the man that I love! :)

My first ever loaf of banana bread! :)

On the Move!

It is official I have moved to Indy with my wonderful fiance! We have an adorable little one bedroom apartment where we are officially getting everything set up from our previous lives as "single" people! The move went wonderfully and with the help of his family and my mom we had everything moved in no time! The best part is Keena a Louie...our new kitty....are getting along sooo well! There was only one incident where Keena got a little aggressive and it ended quickly and they still seem infatuated with each other. Louie LOVES Keena. He is constantly rubbing all over her and loves to be with her wherever she is. I love my fur babies and we love our new place!

Our kitchen from the living room.

Siblings bonding. :)

Our living room from the kitchen.

Our living room and Kitchen from the front door.

  

Lilah Meets Keena

You may remembe from previous posts that my older niece, Macie, and my nephew, Gavin, are terrified of Keena. I don't blame them...she is way taller than them and outweighs them by 100 lbs or so! Not to mention they aren't around dogs on a regular basis. Well, my youngest niece, Lilah, who is only 6 months old (this month) had not been offically introduced to Miss Keena. The thing I love most about Keena is how laid back she is. She doesn't care about little kids other than the fact that it might be someone new to pet her which she is ALWAYS looking for! Lilah is very young and was very unimpressed with my gentle giant. She looked at the dog and looked back at us like, ok what's so great? I only got one picture because I was trying to make sure Keena was gentle enough with this beautiful baby girl. I hope that someday the kids learn to appreciate Keena for her beauty, gentle nature, and easy going spirit. I am not expecting them to play with her or get too wild, but hopefully someday they will be ok with her in the same yard as them and not freak out!

This picture looks like Keena is going to like Lilah but she was panting. It also looks like Lilah is afraid but she is trying to turn around and see the giant creature that is close to her face.

Vacation!!!

   Work has been so crazy lately that I have been working 11 and 12 hour days everyday! I have been simply exhausted because of work and it was worse because several people were on vacation from work at the same time. I decided I needed a vacation! I took a whole week...yes 7 DAYS off from work! My vacation started this past Monday and I will not return to work until next monday! This week is very important for me to just relax and have time with Keena to just chill out but it has already been VERY eventful! I have started making purchases for the wedding and last night I made the biggest purchase when I found my wedding dress! It actually was the first dress I tried on and we all (my mom and sisters and I) knew immediately that it was the one. My mom even cried! Ok, if you know my mom you know that it's not uncommon for her to cry but if you could have seen the faces of my mom and sisters when I walked out of the dressing room....you would know how amazing the moment was.  I cannot wait for Charles to see me in my dress on our wedding day!
  Well, this weekend is also full of family and friends. I will try to take pictures today of my friends and family and I. I hope everyone else is having a wonderful week! Stay cool and have fun!

Charles and I

    When I was downloading the pictures for my last post I found a few cute pictures of Charles and I . The one on the top was taken around Christmas and the one on the bottom was taken the weekend that we got engaged in February! It's nice to have a few pictures of just the two of us!

The Big 25!!!

June 9th was my birthday!!! I am now a quarter of a century old!!! Since my bday was on a Saturday that I worked my mom, dad, sister, brother in law and nieces and nephew came up to see me on Friday! We were going to go to the Indianapolis Zoo (we are BIG zoo fans in my family) but we picked the one day they are closed!!! So we decided to go to my favorite buffet Teppanyaki Grill and Buffet. This buffet is huge!!! It has Japenese, Chinese, and American food so there is something for everyone!! We all enjoyed ourselves and stuffed our faces then headed to the Holliday Park. This park was a beautiful find and turns out to be very close to where Charles lives so I will definitely be taking Keena there in the future!!! We had a wonderful time and I am so blessed to have a family that will drive three and a half hours just to spend the day before my birthday with me. I am one lucky lady!!

Sorry for some of the sideway pictures!!! I couldn't figure out how to change them!

Lilah enjoyed the shade with her daddy and grandpa

Gavin has a physical therapist and she said little bridges like this are very good for him so we made sure that he went over it a few times. He didn't seem to struggle with it at all really.

The kids LOVE Charles!!! They always want to hold his hand or stand/walk next to him. Here Gavin is showing  him a little love at the park.

Macie and Mommy

These are the "ruins" they are made from Indiana limestone and were designed for a building in Newyork in the 1920's and when they tore that building down all the states could bid on them and had to show how they were going to display them. We won and now they are displayed beautifully in the Holliday Park in Indianapolis, IN.

A headless statue we found that I insisted we needed a picture with it.

This park even has a nature center!!! The kids loved looking at the reptiles they had, watching the birds in the bird room, and putting keys in audio boxes that would make animal sounds or teach them something.

Charles and I in front of the ruins.

Crinkle Ear

There is a stray cat that has been hanging around our house since we moved in. After talking to the neighbors we found out that whoever lived in our place before us abandoned her! She is very sweet and would always come up to me for some attention. Well, after talking it over Charles and I decided that we are going to adopt the cat we call Crinkle Ear. If you hadn't guessed it, she has one ear that is all crinkled up, probably from some birth defect. She is very sweet and I am already in love. Haha. Well, I have introduced her to Miss Keena and they like each other! Keena LOVES cats! She wants to sniff them and play with them. They do not feel the same way about her, unfortunately, most of the time. Crinkle, on the other hand, seems to really like Keena! She just rubs on her legs while Keena sniffs intently. Everytime we go outside Keena looks for her new kitty sister. It's actually really cute. I went out and bought an entire store of cat supplies! I have never had a cat and am pretty excited myself. We will see what this new adventure has in store for us. We will catch her and bring her home in less than two weeks when we move. Until then, I feed her and give her water and lots of love and attention everyday. She is going to make a wonderful addition to our little family!

Here you can see her right ear is "crinkled".

She loves to play with a string already! I bought  her a carrier for when I need to "catch" her and when we take her to the vet. She doesn't seem to mind it at all and I have been feeding her in there in hopes to make it a happy place! She loves any and all attention and isn't afraid of a 140 lb dog in her face...I think she is a keeper!

Evansville Adventure

Yesterday morning Charles and I drove down to Evansville for my roommate's wedding! Caitlyn and Logan have been together for a very long time and it was wonderful to watch two people that love each other as much as they do get married! While in town I have been doing LOTS of laundry and hanging out with my family a little bit. Keena is really enjoying her time here at Grandma's house (as always) but on the way down here I noticed how dirty she was! Gross! I do not bathe her very often for a few reasons. One, she is HUGE! Bathing a dog her size can be a lot of work. Secondly, she really doesnt get that dirty or smell very bad. I think most of it is because of her short hair. Well, I didnt want to wait any longer to give her a bath so today Charles and I gave her a bath outside with the garden hose! She didn't like the hose very much. She wasn't really afraid of it, but she was not going to go to the hose willingly. Haha. So, after a little coaxing and some petting and kisses she is now all squeaky clean! It has been a great little weekend visit and I am not trhilled about driving back to the "real world" today.

Aren't I cute? AND...I'm clean!

She is sunbathing after her real bath. :)

Hair Hair and More Hair!!!

Hello everyone! I know it has been AGES since my last post! My computer is still not in complete working order! So, what has been happening with myself and Miss Keena in the past month or so? A TON! First of all, all of Keena's hair has grown back! Thank goodness for Melatonin! If you don't remember from my last post, Keen had some patches of hairloss on her sides. The vet couldn't figure out what was causing it and after ruling out a thyroid issue (thank goodness) she told me to try Melatonin to see if it was seasonal hair loss. I guess there are several breeds out there that get seasonal hairloss and a little melatonin helps them grow it back! In just a few months all of her hair came back and she has her gorgeous coat again! The hair loss never seemed to bother her much but it sure bothered me. I am very relieved to see her looking healthy again!  Above is a picture of one of her biggest spots that was missing hair. You can see the whiter lines are the edges of where the patch was. This one was very large!

WW Update

  Sor far I have lost 26 pounds on weight watchers! I'm doing really well and enjoying it for the most part. I do have my moments where I don't want to care about what I eat...but I am really enjoying eating all the fruits and veggies! I can't wait to go to farmers markets this summer!

A Not so Hairy Situation

  Oh my goodness! It has been so long since I have blogged! I do apologize but I have been having computer issues and unable to blog. Well, the biggest thing that has really happened is a mysterious condition that has plagued my beloved dane. Keena has been losing hair! She has patches of hair loss along the sides of her spine. It was bugging me so I took her to the vet to figure out what was going on. Well, she still weighs 141 lbs (holy cow!) even though I had cut back her food and we have been walking a lot. The vet thought it may be a thyroid issue so they did blood work. Fortunately, her thyroid is fine...but that means we still do not know the cause. Right now I am giving her two tablets of melatonin a day to see if the hair loss is seasonal. 
   All of this happened within the last month and today I was looking at the patches and I think the melatonin is actually working. It looks like some of the hair is growing back. I will post pictures later of her spots for curious parties to see. If they do not get better in a couple of months we are going to get a full blood panel done to see if it is due to some other endocrine disease. Keena doesn't care about her balding and they do not seem to bother her at all. I wish they didnt bother me!!! We will get it figured out...as long s she is happy and I'm trying to keep her healthy...that is all that matters!

Sweetness

I forgot to mention some very special things that happened with my neices and nephew at home last weekend! There were a few things that melted my heart last weekend. The first one started with my oldest neice, Macie. She came up to me and said, "We can't call Charles Charles anymore." I smiled at her and asked, "why is that?"  She looked up at me, very matter of factly and said, "we have to cal him Uncle Charles now!"  I couldn't stop smiling! She is soooo sweet and I love to see how much they like Charles. They always ask about him and really enjoy seeing him. :)

I had mentioned early that Charles had a very rough weekend. It was not a pleasant one for him. My sister had explained to Macie and Gavin that Charles was sad because his friends and family were sick. So the kids made him card! They colored them and put fun stickers on them. The top of the cards said, "we love you Uncle Charles!" and "Thinking of you!". How sweet are these little babies that they would make beautiful are for the man that I love. :) What a wonderful family.

Dog Sitting

This weekend my roommate, Caitlyn, is out of town on wedding business and I am watching her two biggest dogs, Manii and Shelby. They can be frustrating when they are chasing the cat and getting into things but they are sweet and fun to be around. I had an idea that I would try to walk Keena, Manii and Shelby all at once. I have never walked Keena with another dog. I can control Keena without much effort anymore but I had no idea how her two dogs would do with me in charge of them. Caitlyn uses a slitter for the two and Manii wears a little backpack and carries things for us! This time in his backpack he carried poo bags, bottles of water and a bowl to drink out of. We walked two miles today and it was about 76 degrees which is pushing the limit for Keena. She likes her walks much cooler than that. They all did very well and I was really proud of myself. I found that I felt empowered walking 270 lbs of dog all by myself through city streets, people and traffic. I think the lesson I learned today (one that Keena taught me from the begining) is that it really is mind over matter. I am not physically strong enough to stop these dogs if they all saw something that they wanted or decided to run off in one direction. The way to control these animals is by gaining their trust and respect. They know that I will take care of them and I feed them...and I have never hurt them so they trust me. It was a pretty powerful feeling for me. I plan on doing it again in the future!

Manii (drinking while laying down), Shelby and Keena.

Busy Busy

Phew...sorry it has been a while since I have blogged! I have been pretty busy lately! I went to Evansville last weekend to visit with my family since my dad's birthday was the 15th of March. We went out to eat to celebrate and I spent some much needed time with my family. Charles wasn't able to come with me this time because he had some unexpected family illnesses and had to work. It was a rough weekend for him and I felt bad for leaving him. He insisted that I go without him and I did have a good time. It was the first time to be in Evansville since I have been engaged and my sisters enjoyed seeing my ring for the first time in person. They also started helping me plan my wedding! It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed seeing them. It was kind of bad, however,  because I gained .6 of a pound from that trip home. Too many times going out and not enough careful measurement. It's ok though....I am sure I will kick some weight lose booty this week. :) I bet you are wondering what Miss Keena was up to while I was away?! Well, she stayed here with my roomie and her mutts and had a wonderful time. The truth is I miss her when I go home without her but she has so much more fun with her doggy friends than if she were in Evansville with me. Here she can play and romp....but there she is the only dog and is locked up most of the time. Plus....distance makes the heart grow fonder! :)

Canine Companionship

  The best thing about dogs is their ability to love unconditionally. They don't care about physical appearance or how much money you make. Keena loves me no matter what mood I'm in or what I have accomplished that day. She doesn't judge me and she gives me the support that I need. Keena can read me better than anyone or anything else in my life. She knows when I need support and cuddles and will not leave my side until she is confidant that I am feeling better. Silently she encourages me to succeed in my weight loss and motivates me to make myself a better person. I want to see life through her eyes, I want to be able to forgive and forget like she can. She had a horrible start to life and was abused and mistreate yet she still trusted me completely to take care of her and love her. There was no hesitation on her part to love me, no period of adjustment....she simply let me into her heart and accepted me for me. I am now her world....she loves me totally and unconditionally. I feel the same way...even though I am a flawed human who does get angry when she does things that she shouldn't or maybe she's not listening to me as well as she normally does. She is more than a dog to me. Keena is my friend, my companion, my confidant. She doesn't tell my secrets or share my fears with anyone else. She accepts people in my life that love me and I know she will protect me from any physical harm she thinks will come my way. I watch the way she interacts with Charles and I really do believe that she knows that we have a special relationship and likes him more just because of who he is to me. That may sound crazy but it's what I believe. Keena will forever hold a very special place in my life. She is my furbaby....and a pretty awesome part of my life. :)

Whirlwind Weekend

 Oh my goodness! This weekend has been a whirlwind of crazy happiness! The man of my dreams asked me to marry him!!!!!! I'M ENGAGED!!!!  He proposed to me at a local mexican restaurant on Friday February 24th, 2012. I don't think I have ever been this happy in my life! We had a romantic dinner and called our parents and siblings to let them know the good news. On Saturday my parents came up to visit us and we did my taxes and went to a wonderful lunch together.  My mom started talking to us about budgetting and how to start planning for our wedding and future. It was a wonderful day and she gave us some advice that we have already found extremely helpful.  After our great visit Charles and I went to Indy to visit his family. It was his cousin's birthday dinner and we all went to Tappenyaki Grill. It was amazing! They had a huge chinese buffet, fresh sushi, and a hibachi grill were you can get steaks made just for you or get your own pasta and veggie combo made. We had a wonderful time celebrating Brittney's birthday and we got to announce to his closest family members that we are engaged! We did not leave the restaurant until almost 10! Afterwards we went back to his parents house and talked some more and eventually made it home around 11. This weekend has been so fantastic...I cannot imagine a better way to celebrate our love and commitment to each other. I love Charles more than anything and am proud and honored to say that I am his fiancee! As far as Keena is concerned...her weekend has been fantastic because she has gotten loved on by Charles and my parents this weekend! I know she is happy that Charles is a more "permanent" fixture in our lives and I love watching their relationship grow. She is getting even more affectionate with him than before and she loves her new father!

My ring!!!

Charles and  at Parky's for lunch with my parents.

 

Healthy Kong

 I LOVE giving Keena treats and little goodies but because of her weight issues I have to be very careful about what and how much I give her. I've been pushing her to try new veggies and fruits and she is finally starting to getting into them! Now, I love using her Kong and I encourage all dog owners to buy their pets puzzle feeders! They are so good for the dogs and keep them mentally stimulated as well as actually wear them out a little bit while your away at work! Also, puzzle feeders like the Kong are much safer to leave your dog alone with than rawhides and bones. I have been packing Keena's gigantic sized Kong with veggies and tonight I put a little bit of fruit in it as well! I use about a table spoon of canned dog food to form a plug at the largest opening of the Kong and then freeze the whole thing over night. Putting it in the freezer makes it even a little more challenging for your pet to get out and they work their minds even more! My roommate gives her dogs Kongs and puzzle feeders as well and she uses all kinds of things. She puts a wide variety of veggies in there, some kinds of meats, and plain yogurt. These dogs go crazy for some frozen yogurt! Guess they aren't too much different than humans!

Her Kong is leaning on the plate and I have prepped some carrots, cucumnbers and bananas

I put about a tablespoon of canned dog food in the top to keep all of the goodies in.

Day Off

   Today is my day off from work! I love my job but I really enjoy my days off! I slept in EXTREMELY late today and didn't get out of my bed until 10:30. That never happens anymore! I'm so used to waking up early and normally Keena will be licking me to let me know she would like to use the restroom....I am very surprised that I got to sleep that long. We had a pretty lazy morning but in the afternoon I gave Keena a bath! I kind of promised myself that I wouldn't give her baths at home anymore but my roommate has an attachment that you can make a spray nozzle to rinse the dogs off. I loved it! Keena was so good in the bath and she even got herself in there! I just pointed and told her to get in it...and to my disbelief she did! She doesn't try to escape or run away...she just looks as me with those big sad eyes. Haha. I had to use several towels to attempt to dry her even though they don't reallydo that much. To avoid her rolling all over the floor and getting Mani's hair all over her wet fur....we went for a walk! I like going to the park and walking Keena because we don't have to worry about as many crazy barking dogs trapped in their back yards and it's just so much quieter! We had an enjoyable walk and both of us were a little tired at the end of it. I enjoyed my day off and got to spend time with my favorite girl. :)

Why People Tell You Not to Run in The House

    Tonight was a little crazy and hectic but I am glad to say that it ended well. When I get home from work I go upstairs and let Keena out of my bed room she runs down the stairs to the back door and prances around until I take her out to relieve herself. Well, today went a little differently. Caitlyn had just gotten in from taking Enzo out to the bathroom and Keena ran into the kitchen and slid on the floor into the storm door. Somehow her paw managed to slide under the storm door when the door was still shut! She started howling and screaming....a noise I have never heard her make before. Caitlyn tried to open the door but it was obviously stuck and the handle broke off! I ran over and slammed into the door to get it to open. Keena was happy to escape her temporary trap and limped only for a few minutes. She let me examine her paw (no damage thankfully) and was happy when we went out and she got to go to the bathroom! Needless to say hearing your beloved pet cry out in pain like that is extremely heart wrenching. I love Keena like a child and I will do whatever I can to protect her....and I know in my heart she would do the same for me.
   Charles came over this evening and he, like always, gave Keena some love and attention. We went to Subway and had dinner and I even gave Keena a few pieces of spinach and cucumber. She deserved it after her traumatic experience. :)

Week Two Completion: Keena's contributions

Well, I finished week two of Weight Watchers and it went well. I lost another two pounds! Yay me! This week was a little harder because I had some more cravings than last week but I managed. Keena is doing her part to help me with this process. She continues to play like crazy and act like a fool with her best friend, Manii. She watches me while I do my excersing of going up and down the stairs...she even joins me occasionally. Also, she like cucumbers, bananas, and pears now! I love that she is trying new things with me! Such a good girl! I never give her very much of any of them but little tid bits here and there....it's nice to be able to give her little treats that I know aren't going to put a bunch of weight on her. We had a good week and if the weather gets a little bit better (or at least not as bad as they are saying) she and I will be walking again in a few days.

WW (Weight Watchers) Update

Today I had my second WW meeting and I lost 7 pounds!!!! Holy moly! Needless to say I was EXTREMELY happy and feel even more motivated than when I began this process! Today Keena and I took a 40 minute walk and I did some stairs. I have been purposely forgetting things up in my bedroom just so I have to go up and down the stairs a few more times. So....tomorrow starts my second week and I hope to be just as successful as this week. When I say that I mean a weight loss...I don't expect to lose this giant of a number every week by any means!!! I hope to post pictures this week of what I look like now and maybe put some pictures up as I hit some bigger milestones. It will be interesting to see what I look like throughout this process and how much I change.

How Does a Great Dane Get Fit and Stay Healthy?!?

Well, as many of you know...I am in Weight Watchers again. This is my frist week and its going pretty well so far. How does this lifestyle change affect Keena? She is a pretty laid back dog and she takes most things in her giant dog stride. Keena has some advice for all of the other dogs out there who are wondering how to get fit and stay healthy....Dane style!

1. Eating Healthy:

I feed Keena Taste of the Wild dry kibble. It is a non grain based dog food. I can pronounce all of the ingredients on the lable! She loves it. Her vet would like her to lose a few pounds so right now she is getting 5 cups a day split between two meals. One thing that the vet recommended was that I could try giving her healthy snack like fruits and veggies. I have been trying some things with her but she has been stuck in her "meat, meat and more meat" mindset. The other day I was packing my lunch and a carrot dropped to the floor. Well, being my trusty sidekick, Keena was at my side to eat the carrot. I didn't think that she would like it but I looked back down and it was gone! Last night I even tried a piece of cucumber and she like that too! She is a new and health food eating dog!

This picture may look like she is snubbing the carrot...but this is what she does when I present a treat. It's her "leave it command" at work.

   2. Excercise:
         My new year's intention was to walk Keena three times a week. Well, now that I'm actively trying to lose weight I really need to get moving. How does my Great Dane motivate me for success?!?! Well, she runs around like a crazy dog when I get home from work because she is excited to see me and has so much energy! Also, she plays very roughly with my roommate's dog, Manii. Anyone that has a Dane or a giant breed dog knows how dangerous it can be when your dog gets hyper inside the house! Keena is doing a very good job at motivating me to excercise!

3. Good Self Esteme:
     Keena doesn't care how much she weighs or what she looks like. She doesn't care about how much I weigh, what I  look like. Dogs have the best outlook on life. They are inspirational. They know no judgement, know no discrimination. Dogs will love you and trust you if you give them some attention and food always helps. Keena will sprawl out on her back in the middle of the floor (even sometimes exposing her lady business) rolling around without a care. She will fart with no fear, burp with reckless abandon, and lick anyone in the face that she likes. Now, I'm not suggesting that YOU do these things (I'm pretty sure you would not get good responses from the public) but take a look at the life of a dog. Learn to love who you are, no matter what society tells you your "flaws" are. You are beautiful amazing people! Embrace yourself!!!!

4.  Be Cute:

     Okay...this one isn't really about staying healthy.....but it hard to be mad at her when I look into her beautiful amber eyes and see those adorable jowels. Its a face any Dane mom would love. :)

New Beginnings

  This weekend has already been a very exciting one and it has only just begun! Yesterday I, Annie Boyles, became a member of Weight Watchers! I am very excited to begin this process. This is my second time joining this wonderful program. I was a member back in college...but with college schedules, going out with my friends, and just being younger and more immature did not work for me at the time. I lost a bunch of weight with the help of Weight Watchers and still have not gained it al back in all of these years...I believe that in itself is a testiment to the program. I have my first meeting Monday night after work....I am very excited. :)
  People don't always realize how difficult it is to lose weight. It's probably one of the most difficult things I have ever tried to do. Overwhelmed by emotions, scared of failure, and hope of a new life power your body to go through this very difficult time in your life. The kicker is that it's not just for a certain period of time that you can do this....it's for the rest of your life! That is a very daunting thought! This is where the wonderful organization of Weight Watchers steps in and helps you take a deep breath. Weight Watchers is not a diet, it's a life style change. The program is geared to help you change your way of life.....change your eating habits...and start getting in the healthy mind set. I know I can do this and am so thankful to have my parents and all the rest of my wonderful family to help me go through the process. I'm also so grateful for Charles. He is so amazing and wonderful and I know that he will help me get through all of this. He is willing to eat healthy and excercise and I know he will be the motivation that I need.
  Wish me luck all of my blog friends! Keena and I are about to embark on a wonderful journey!

Education

  I believe that being educated is extremely important, as I'm sure most of you do as well. There are plenty of topics out there that I do not know much about or understand but these are the topics that I either chose to learn more about or that I don't add much into the conversation when they are being discussed. I know that everyone is entitles to their own opinions and that they should be able to express them how they like but when the topic of my job comes up it is very difficult for me. People are not nearly as educated about commercial farming and livestock as they think that they are. They watch a documentary on tv and see that one farm has been mistreating their animals and they assume that all farms do the same thing. These same people will later watch a clip about farms that grow their food organically and the think they know what is best for the world.  These people are sadly uneducated and I wish they would take more time to do some real research.
  I work on a hog farm where the animals are in confinement. I love my job and worked very hard to get to where I am today. I went to college at one of the top schools for agriculture and learned from some of the best professors in their fields. I had classes learning specifically about the controversial topics in my field and about ways to help educate the community. Not all farms are bad. Some people really do care about the animals and are in it for the right reasons. Saying that all of the commercial farms where animals are raised for meat are bad is like saying that because some of the school systems are less than the best and have bad teachers that all of the schools and teachers may be bad. It's simply not true. When I am at work I'm saving lives. I help bring babies into the world and take care of them and their moms. I give them medicine if they are sick, make sure they have clean, fresh feed and water available to them at all times, and do my best to make sure that they do not have stress and discomfort. I love going into work and seeing the sows and the little babies. I wish other people could hear the other side of the story...or at least act like they want to hear it.
  The bottom line I'm trying to make is that you cannot judge a book by its cover. Not everything is as it seems. Education is the key.....but really think about where you are getting your sources from. Believe it or not, you cannot believe everything that you see on tv or read online.

On a happier note Miss Keena Louise is doing fantastically and LOVING the snow! She is just a gigantic puppy when she sees the stuff! Times like this I really wish we had a fenced in yard so she could at least run free! Hope everyone else is having a fantast week!

New Year's Intentions/ Wogging

Whew...we survived another year! With the new year comes new years resolutions....almost everyone has some of them. I hate that term, however, and feel that resolutions are so easily broken after the first weak of the year! My cousin told me that I should call them New Year's Intentions instead of resolutions...and I like it! Well, I have many intentions this year like saving money, paying off debt, and wogging with Keena! Now...the real intention was to walk Keena three times a week. I really wanna keep her weight down and the Good Lord knows I need to as well! Well, on a walk with my roomie and her dogs, Keena and I fell behind and started to jog to catch up. She loved it! She looked like a puppy in a dog bakery! Haha. So I decided that we will walk/jog (aka wog) three times a week. This week hasn't gone that well because I have been sick and the weather is just crazy. I don't want to make excuses....but it is what it is. This weather (minus the snow and thunder storms) is Keena's favorite! She has so much energy and acts like a crazy dog when you take her out to the bathroom! She runs and jumps and makes me feel like a guy that trains horses and holds the other end of that really long lead and spins in circles. Maybe it's because everyone tells me she is a horse and asks me if i have a saddle for her. Oh the comments people make when you have a giant dog. I'm sure all my other dane lovers can empathize. :) I hope everyone is enjoying the new year and hopefully keeping their New Year's Intentions! Good luck!

Keenas Christmas Presents

I tried posting some pictures of Keena's cute Christmas presents last week but blogger was being silly. So...I am attempting again! :)

Christmas/New Years

Whew....I know I'm a little late but I have been sooo busy this past week! New years weekend was a busy and long one for us. Charles and I left for Evansville for a three day weekend. New years eve we got together with my family to open presents! We raked in the presents! Keena actually stayed up here with my roommate and her dogs while we traveled. I don't like leaving her, especially that many days but my parents' house is so small and with my little nieces and nephew it's just too much! I got so many things I can't even list them...so I'll list Keena's goodies! From my sister Allie, she got a big thing of fresh baked bone cookies (big hit with all the dogs) and from my nieces and nephew aka, Keena's cousins, she got the coolest gift! They found a plate of gingerbread men made out of rawhide...the best part of it is that the plate itself is rawhide too! So when she is done with all of her goodies she will get to eat the plate! Hehe. :) My mom and dad bought Keena a new food and water bowl and a rug to put them on (if you know a dane...you know the slobber!) to keep at their house. I hate bringing Keenas bowls with me when I go to and from Evansville so this is very convenient for me! My last gift to Keena is a new dog bed! Its really cute and big! My cousin actually made it for her so its even better! Her dog bed was getting really flat and uncomfortable looking. She loves it!
 I am so thankful to my family for knowing how much my girl means to me that they would actually buy her something for Christmas. I know they do it for me, but the fact that they do it at all means a lot. Thanks guys! Charles, Keena and I are so lucky to have such wonderful families! I love them all! We got so many nice things and we are very happy! I love Christmas!