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. :)