Happy Tails with Old Mother Hubbard

This post is sponsored by WellPet but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Fostering dogs has been one of the most rewarding things we have done as a family.  We often joke about the revolving dog door that we have.  There isn't an actual doggy door but our home and hearts have been opened to quite a few dogs over the last few years.  All come with their own stories, all get the same loving until they are adopted and go to their forever homes.  

We recently took in one of the sweetest pups to every crash here.  At 4 months old, this not so little guy got a rough start at life.  His first few days here were spent keeping to himself, tail tucked and moping around.  He was so unsure of everything.  We named him Rocco!

Right away, I knew we were going to have to take our time with him and put in the work to get him to open up.  Puppies are supposed to be happy and playful.  They should be full of energy and personality.  Rocco was serious, timid and kind of a loner.  He preferred the chair instead of the couch if he couldn't have it to himself.  He was more comfortable with the boys than me.  I knew there was a sweet boy under all that sadness.

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Foster Dog Diaries: Meet Rocco

My Facebook messenger app beeps at me and all I see is "INCOMING" in my notification.  I laughed because I knew exactly what was coming next.  But I didn't open it right away.  Instead I texted David and all I had to do was tell him who messaged me.  "Your call" he wrote.  So I thought about it.  Asked myself the usual questions.  And decided why the heck not.  

Quarantine has the boys all sorts of bouncing off the walls.  Literally.  They have been telling me they are bored out of their minds and they want to get out of the house.  We talked about going to the beach or the pool but I wasn't quite that ready yet.  So when I got the call I knew it was the perfect time to say yes.  

So, Meet Rocco!

He was a little shy at first.  But I would be too if I was him.  This guy didn't have the best start in life.  He is  4 months old and a giant couch potato.  He won't be with our family for long before he is adopted but he will be living it up until the.  Preferably from the patio couch.  With the pillow! Seriouly, check him out!

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Menu Plan 6•8•20

Who is ready for the week?  Im not 100% ready, but Im ready to make the best of it.  Its been a foggy few weeks.  And I am really counting on a good week.  Got up early today to get the dog out and fed before the day started.  Took a few minutes to collect my thoughts and run though the to-do list for the day while I had coffee.  Spent a little time thinking about the beach.  Today is World Ocean Day after all.  I have to see if our usual spot needs a reservation or not.  

Anyways.  First stop on my list is to get my menu up and shared.  Once again I totally slacked on getting my curbside order in and had to go into the store.  I love HEB but going into the store makes me so anxious.  By the time we got though the store and I got to take my mask off I had to lay down because my head hurt so bad.  But we got everything.  Well almost.  We did go to Walmart for bagels and hot pockets for the boys.  You guys, they are bottomless pits!  Ok, to the menu.  Here is what is lined up for this week.

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What's Up Weekend 9•27•19

Its Friday!  For some reason I keep thinking it's the last day of the month too.  I'm getting a little ahead of myself.  Probably because the weather forecast says we will be in the LOW 90s next week and I am so freaking excited!  Hopefully it actually happens, although, now that I typed it out loud, it probably wont.  Watch!  Oh well.  I'm just going to be happy that its the weekend.  It will be a busy one by the looks of it.

Today I'm linking up with Lindsay from The Flynnigans, Charlotte from My Pixie Blog and Beth from Coffee until Cocktails.  Every Friday we share all the things that we are happy, grateful and thankful for!  Stop on over and see what everyone else is sharing today! Here is my list for this week.

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Foster Dog Diaries: Duncan the Dane Puppy.

It has been 3 years since we had a puppy in the house.  Then one day, I'm having lunch with my girls and the next day I have a puppy.  I'm a sucker.  Turns out if you buy me lunch, I will take a puppy. Actually, I am going to have to pin this one on David.  He always says there is an 18 month age minimum for fosters, but then I showed him a picture of a poor little puppy and he folded.  We have been in love since.

And even though we weren't sure we were ready and he was not as old as our usual fosters, he has been a dream dog.  Sure the first night was rough.  It was his first night away from him Mom and it was storming something fierce out.  I spent the night on the couch with my hand on the kennel.  But that was it.  Kennel training has come easy for him.  That is something we work hard on with all our fosters.  I know not all of them will continue to be kenneled, but I think it is important that they are able to be kenneled it if need be.

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Toes, Thai and Dogs, OH MY!

Its Friday.  Good Friday.  And everyone is home today.  This week has been busy but full of laughter.

If all weeks were like this week, the world would be a better place.

Today marks year 6 on the liver transplant list. Sure its been a while, but 6 years ago, I didn't know if I would even make it to see Alexanders 1st birthday.  Hes 7 now!

We started the week refreshed thanks to spring break. The boys are still talking about our trip to the coast! A simple night away made so many memories.

Reading with my boys.  Better yet, listening to them read to me.  It makes my heart so happy.

Dog sitting for a friend.  Everyone is always helping me out, its nice to be able to help them all too!

When you friends say your going to lunch and then treat you to a surprise pedicure.  She said she didn't tell me because she knew I wouldn't spend money to do something for myself.  Her husband got her a gift card to cover all 3 of us.

Lunch with my girls. Its been a while.  And when we are together, things get a little crazy.  But I don't think I have laughed that hard in a good long while.  

We entered the last 9 weeks of school.  You know what that means.  Summer is almost here.  I can't wait!

Our newest foster dog is a 14 week Great Dane Puppy.  He is clumsy, squishy and so so soft and he makes it hard to not write the check and foster fail him now.  And the other dogs have taken well to him and are happy to share the bed.

Kennel Training.  Sure the first night was a nightmare, but last night was great!  He only woke up once to go out and there was no fuss.  

Having everyone home today.  Its not often that David is home when the boys are home.  After having him home for the whole week last week, I was missing having them all home with me.

Did I mention the puppy???

Wishing everyone a Good Friday and a wonderful weekend.  Happy Easter too!  

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Foster Dog Diaries: New Bowl. New Appetite!

**I received these bowls in exchange for a review.  All opinions are my own.**

Oh Morris!

These words come out of my mouth atleast 10 times a day.

Oh Morris, I love you!

Oh Morris, watch your tail.

Oh Morris, please dont sit on the table.

Oh Morris, not the trash again!

Oh Morris, you really do give the best snuggles.

Oh Morris, thanks for welcoming me home!

Oh Morris!  You ate all your food!!

Backstory in one breath...

Morris was hit by a car and found paralyzed and covered in his own filth. The rescue fixed him up and got his walking but the germs were already invading and putting up a nasty fight. We medicated and washed. When that didn't work, his meds got tweaked. He quit eating. He dropped weight so fast I didn't even see it happen.  I struggled.  He had to take the meds even though they lowered his appetite.  He finished them.

Then he started eating again.

He still isn't fattening up.  Which is breaking my heart.  Most of my fosters come here to fill out and do so in no time.

Oh Morris, please get fat.

Or put on a pound or 5.  

Speaking of eating, the boys got new food bowls.  The last ones were not non skid and they would litterally chase their dinner around the kitchen.  Zitriom sent us 2 new non skid bowls to try out and they have been a blessing. I don't know why I didn't have them in the first place.

The bowls are 32 oz and hold just enough food for the boys.  They are shallower than our old bowls so even Chico the Chihuahua can get to them easily.  And they really don't move much. They are super light, easy to clean and so far, have been able to handle my boys.  Which means, they have been chewed on, picked up, dropped, stepped in, slobbered on and washed a million times and are still in great shape.

Morris is eating 3 times a day now. He is done with the medication that was causing his appetite to hide.  And considering since he has been off of them, he has eaten bananas and tomatoes off my counter, not to mention his dumpster diving. Not sure how they got the pantry door open though.  

So here is to Hope.  He hasn't had an easy start to life.  And I am hoping that we are able to fix whatever it is that is hurting him.  I want him to be healthy and happy and hopefully adopted.  I think he broke Walters record and has been with us the longest out of all our fosters.  It he hasn't broken it yet, he will soon I'm sure

Happy Tuesday!

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Foster Dog Diaries: Morris

Summer sucked up a lot of my brain.  I realized I had two Morris posts that I had meant to share but completely blanked?  Anyone ever do that?  I shared a photo yesterday and asked for some prayers.  I wanted to explain.

When Morris was picked up from the rescue, he had be hit by a car.  Paralyzed in his back legs and in horrible condition!  Just covered in his own filth, starving and paralyzed.  The rescue picked him up and he was up and walking just days after his surgery.  But even though they had cleaned and cleaned him prior to surgery, somehow he got an infection in between the bone cement used to hold his hardware and spine together.  And as much as we have tried antibiotics, it just wont take a hint and go away.

The only other option the Dr. gave us was to have the hardware removed.  His spine is healed and everything is back the way it should be.  How amazing would that be to just take out all the pins and screws and have him heal up and be ready for adoption.  Its amazing to the tune of $6000.  His first surgery was around the same amount.

We opted to try a different antibiotic regimen until we figured out our game plan.  A few weeks ago Morris started eating less.  He was eating 3 cups twice a day.  And he was only finishing about 2. Then over the last two weeks I have really had to bribe him to eat anything.  I could get him to eat 3 cups but half of that would be ground turkey and veggies that I would add into his food.  And over the last week the weight has just fallen off of him. The part that is puzzling is that most of his weight loss has been in his head.  His temples have shrunk in.  He breaks my heart

If you have been around my blog before, you might remember THIS post about our last foster dog Walter. It was a heartbreaking time for our family.  But we knew that we didn't want to give up on our foster journey. So when Morris landed in our laps, we happily took him on.  We worked though some kennel issues.  And I remember the first time he actually sat on command.  Big deal for a guy with a once shattered spine.  We hoped he would get adopted but have loved him as our own anyways.  I might use the term "Foster"  but in this house, they are always family.

Yesterday we had labs done.  I'm expecting a call sometime today for results.   I am truly hoping for the best.  Holding out for a miracle.  But preparing myself for the worst as well.  The dreadful C word came up and my 10 year old said, what ever it is, I just don't want him to suffer.  Me either son.  Me either.

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Review: Cute and Cuddly Pet Odor and Stain Removal Spray

There is no denying I love my dogs.  I do.  I love their company during the day when the boys are at school.  I love that they know when I am not feeling well and are all loving and snuggle with me. Honestly, I can't imagine a life with out dogs.  What I could do with out is the messes. Enter Cute and Cuddly Pet Odor and Stain Remover.

Chico is 14 and is having a hard time holding himself over night.  Now yes, I could kennel him. But these two have become so bonded that without Poncho, Chico does not sleep.  And Poncho has graduated from the crate to dog bed in the living room.  And occasionally the boys beds at night. Chico goes everywhere he goes.  But every now and then, in the middle of the night, he will wander out in to the hall and let it flow.

Its been a a good while but yesterday I found a spot I had missed so I got out the Cute and Cuddly Pet Odor and Stain Remover and went to work.  It had already dried up and I was worried that it might not work.  But it did. I wet the area and used a towel to soak up the water. Then I sprayed it enough to saturate the area and let it sit. I might not have waited the 15 minutes the directions call for but I used a clean towel to soak up what was left. After I vacuumed and low and behold, no stain! Afterwards I steam cleaned the whole carpet.  My house feels so much cleaner now!

I also sprayed it where Walter had an accident when he started his Heartworm treatment.  The Doc told me that he would have to go more often, but I was to late.  Chicos puddles are nothing compared to the pee puddle of a Dane/Mastiff.  I had cleaned it after it happen and there was no stain.  And even though no one else could smell it, my mom nose knew it was there.  And it wasn't pleasant. I sprayed the area too and the smell is gone.

The smell of the solution can be a bit much at first.  Its a strong but a clean scent.  And when you are done, the smell is just right.  Not overwhelming at all.  I used it to spray down the dog beds too. To freshen them up a little between washes.  I did try it on an older stain and it did not work as well.  It did help a little though. And it also discourages pets from repeating the offence so, hopefully there will be no more surprises in my hallway!

I've always been so shocked when I would look at the other enzyme removers.  But now I know why.  I received this product free for my review but if you would like to try this for yourselves click HERE.

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Foster Dog Diaries: Somewhere over the Rainbow Bridge...

I know.  My last post was asking for prayers for Walter the foster dog.  It breaks my heart to even write it, but Walter crossed over the Rainbow Bridge that afternoon.  He gave me one last look from those big brown eyes, then he laid down, closed them and slipped away.

I was planning on bringing a different dog home that day.  But them Walter looked at me with those eyes and there was no denying them.

During his heartworm treatment, Poncho and Chico laid with him. He was in quite a bit of pain and then was on kitchen arrest.  They stayed with him day and night and never went to far. 

Poncho took his big brother status seriously.  These two became so attached to each other. When Walter lied down, Poncho always had to be touching him.  Usually he would rest his head on his back.

Just after his Heartworm treatment was done, Walter started limping and we took him in to see the Dr.  Turned out that he had an arthritis flare and the muscles in his leg had atrophied.  We spent a lot of time icing and resting.  Poncho never left his side. 

The thing though, even though he was going though all his own pain, if one of the boys fell asleep on the floor, he would get out of bed and lie next to them.  Walter and Alex were best buds.  It was quite common to find them napping together on the weekends.  Walter would walk up to him and touch his nose to Alexs asking for hugs and love.  Alex sang to him when he wasn't feeling good. He iced his swollen leg and rubbed his ears until his pain meds would kick in.  Alex was his boy. 

And when he just wanted to be left alone he knew where to go for that too.  I would catch Walter in Anthonys bed, head in his lap and Anthony just whispering to him.  And every day when Anthony did his reading homework they would sit like this.  Usually tucked away in bed, but if Walter didn't feel like getting up Anthony would go to him.  

Our tiny house seems so empty with out him sprawled out in it.  I still expect to see his sleepy face greeting me in the morning.  Even David said it hurt to come home and not be welcomed by his big ole head.  See the thing is, he was never supposed to be ours.  We were fostering him.  But somewhere in there, we fell in love and he just decided we were his.  We were hoping for so much more time with him.  We find peace in knowing that he is pain free and that he knew great love in his last months with us.  

Rest easy now and know that you were loved so very much

We will miss you Big Boy

You and those big brown eyes

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Foster Dog Diaries: Oh Walter!

Walter and Poncho

Look who is still here.  3 months now.  He is officially the longest foster I have had. I'm not complaining either, because he really is a great dog!  I am just going to enjoy the hell out of him while hes here.  

Walter is a 5 year old Dane Mastiff mix.  When he came in to the rescue his back right leg was busted but they got that fixed.  His next hurdle to jump was his heart worm treatment.  For four weeks he was kept in the kitchen and not allowed to be active because of the risk of one of the worms breaking off and causing a pulmonary embolism and the like.  But not getting daily exercise caused his muscles in that leg to atrophy and he got an arthritis flare too.   All just a few days before he was to be adopted!

So, he is still here.  Still waiting. but we are enjoying his company while we have it.  There is still a chance the family who originally wanted him will still take him.  I don't know how he has made it this far without a solid adoption.  Everyone he meets loves him.  He is super chill.  I don't ever worry about him, chewing, peeing, or jumping.  He is a gentler boy.  Happiest while he is loafing around.  He does great with my dogs and kids.  After 2 weeks we packed up the kennel and he sleeps in the living room at night and when we go out.  As much as we would love to hang on to him, I'm excited for the family that takes him home because they will be getting a great dog!

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Foster Dog Diaries: Heart Worms and Best Friends

Fostering dogs is not for the faint of heart.  I've never had any serious issues, yet.  But I do seem to fall in love with the "wonky leg" dogs.  I think my last 4 fosters all had leg issues.  Walter had to have his knee repaired. And when I saw that I though, yup, we are taking him home!  I knew his knee was bad, but he is my first Heart worm dog.  I'm sure the first of many to come but Im glad he was my first.

The fast kill treatment for Heart worms is brutal.  If you are a dog owner you have been talked to by your vet and know the importance of HW Prevention and now seeing how hard the treatment can be I will not ever be late on ordering my boys their meds.

This is Walter.  Day 1 after I brought him home from the clinic.  I kid you not when I say I laid on the floor and pet him and iced his injection site and just about cried seeing how miserable he was.  And I had to take him back again in the morning for his second one.



After his second injection, he seemed even worse.  I started getting nervous when the dogs refused to leave his side. When they did leave the kitchen and heard him get up they would rush back to his side.  It was amazing to watch!  But heartbreaking too.



With the fast kill treatment its very important to limit mobility and kennel rest.  But since Walters idea of exercise was a short stroll from the dog bed to the food bowl, he got to come out of the kitchen every now and then and sleep in the living room.  And the dogs still stood er...laid guard over him.



We made it till the day before lock down was lifted and Walter started limping.  Poncho was great at holding the towel and ice pack on.  Walter was finally feeling better too.  But it nothings every that easy in Rescue it seems.



They are inseperable.  You can just see the tip of Chicos ear next to Poncho.  Hes never far from his little brother.  Yes, I said little.  As in age. Chico is going 14, P Dog is 4.



After Xrays and an exam on yesterday, we have good news and bad.  His hardware is still good and holding up.  But his knee is very arthritic and has muscle atrophy.  We have got him some meds and will start some at home therapy to help him build up that leg.  Hes not a fan of the idea, but, it sure beats hopping around on 3 legs.

Walter was super close to going to his forever home but his knee issues prevented that.  That's ok with us. And I'm pretty sure the dogs won't mind him hanging around a little longer to heal up. They have quickly become the best of friends.  He is a great dog and by far the easiest foster I've ever had, so he is plenty welcome here.

If you or anyone you know are interested in fostering or adopting a dog, please stop by the San Antonio Great Dane Rescue page and see what dogs are available. We always have a need for fosters, especially but not limited to, big dogs.  If you can't foster or adopt and still want to help out, fill our the volunteer form here. Its a great way to do some good and have some fun!

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Friday 5: Five +1 reasons to adopt an older dog

Walter the foster dog may have found a home.  And the other night David and I were talking about our next foster.  He has got his eyes set on a certain dog.  He favors the 18 month range.  We have had all ages of foster dogs. We had an 14 week old and Walter is our oldest at 5-ish.  As for our own dogs, Chico is going on 15 this year and Poncho will be 5 this year too.

Poncho says " You show me who called you old" 

A few weeks ago while Walter was out at an Adoption Event, a kid walked up to him and asked about him. My heart about broke when the mom said Walter was to old and only had a few years left.  I really had to bit my lip to keep from saying something.  He is 5.  Yes for a Dane that is older, but not OLD!  I've heard of Danes living to be 12 and 13 years old.  And whats wrong with an older dog anyways?  He has by far, been the easiest of all our fosters!  Why?

1. The most common question I get is "Are they potty trained?"  Yes!  Most older dogs are already house trained.  No puppy pads and puddles on the floor.  So little presents scattered around the house.  I find that to be the hardest part about puppies.  They are messy little things.  Bigger dog, bigger messes.  And if they are not trained yet, say because they spent their life chained to a tree outside (just saying), older dogs are quicker to catch on.  


2. Chewing.  Enough said?  No one likes finding their favorite pair of sneakers shredded and in a pile of slobber.  Ever had to wrestle a 70lb puppy for a shoe the dog decided its a better chew toy for him than a shoe for the kid that has outgrown ever other pair of shoes you bought him?  Ever been woken from a deep nights sleep wondering why it sounds like someone is cutting a tree down only to find your kenneled puppy chewing on your window sills from between warped kennel bars?  Older dogs are done with that puppy teething stage.  They know bones are for chewing not dining chairs. 


3. Are you a napper?  Or maybe you have younger children?  Trying to put the baby down for a nap when the puppy is whining for your attention too.  Wait!  The puppy!  Where is that little thing? You put him in the kennel he cries.  You let him out to potty and when you let him back in he is peeing before you can shut the door.  Puppies are a full time job.  Yes the idea of your baby and the puppy growing up together is a fun idea.  But its like having 2 babies.  Are you ready for that?  We have all seen puppy energy right?  Older dogs are much more low key.  Much less energy needed.  And you will have a little more time to breathe and enjoy the new dog too!


4. Can you teach an old dog new tricks?  You better believe you can.  I find it has always been easier to teach the older boys things than any puppy I've ever had.  They have a more patience and know that when the treats come out its time to learn not time to play.  Which also helps get things done faster. Poncho learned "speak" in just an hour.  He also learned shake by watching the little one do it. Granted some dogs are more stubborn than others.  Just saying...CHICO!


5. You know what you are getting.  I can not tell you how many big dogs I have seen surrendered because they got this sweet little puppy that grew and grew. I kid you not!  I read once a lady was given the sweetest little hound dog.  Turned out to be a Great Dane and she needed to rehome him because he was to big for her.  With a full grown dog, what you see is what you get.    

And just because I love them so much, one more reason to adopt an older dog.  They need love too.  There are so many older dogs sitting in the shelter or getting over looked at rescue adoption events.  For what?  Do they not deserve to have homes too?  Or to be hugged and loved.  Imagine if we gave up on out human elders as people do to dogs.  Loving them for their last few years might be hard on you, but its worth it when you think of how much it must mean to them.  So when you are out looking for a new member of the family, don't pass up the older dogs.  Give them some love and let them show you some in return.  You wont regret it.

Have you adopted or fostered an older dog?  I know I'm not the only one who isn't crazy about puppies!

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Easy Apple Chips

What happens when Christmas time rolls around.  OK well around here its almost all year, but y'all know what I'm talking about.  The doorbell rings and its the neighbors with handful of goodies for you.  I was so looking forward to holiday baking but we ended up being overrun by the flu so I never got around to it. Back to my story. What do you do when you have the sweetest neighbors but they have a few allergies that make cooking for them a little tricky if you don't know the ins and outs of the allergy.  My fix.  Apple chips. Because, whats better than apples, cinnamon and a little sugar?

The idea of Apple Chips came to me after seeing this post by a fellow blogger friend Jennifer.  A little back story. If you have been following for even just a little while then you know that I foster for the local great dane rescue. One day I shared a call for a foster family for a momma who needed to be separated from her pups so she could start her medication and get better.  Well Jennifer stepped up for me and welcomed Viv into her home with open arms.  Then her sweet son decided that Viv was his and so they started raising money to officially adopt her.  And they did this by selling the homemade apple chips. And now Viv has a forever home.  They used a dehydrator for theirs but I figured the oven would work too.  

Click here for a printable recipe

All you need is about 4 apples, some sugar and cinnamon.  

Wash apples and preheat oven to 225.

In a small bowl mix sugar and cinnamon. 

Slice apples with mandolin.  Or by hand if you can.

Arrange apples on cookie sheet.  But be sure they are not touching.

Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.  No need to go crazy.

Bake for one hour. Flip. And bake for another hour.

Once they come out of the oven they will crisp up even more.  I suggest making sure they are not stuck down to the pan because if they harden to the pan they are a pain to get off.  

I hope y'all enjoy them as much as we do.  They boys think they are the coolest thing.  And keep asking what else we can make chips out of.  I'm wanting to try Kale chips but I'm worried they will be to tempting for me even though there is enough VitK in them to cause me some trouble.  What else could we turn to chips?

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Foster Dog Diaries: Hello Walter!

What is it about the holidays that makes time just fly right by?  If we are friends on Facebook/Twitter/IG then you have already been overwhelmed with this face for the past few weeks but I want to share him with everyone so...

Meet Walter!



Walter is a 5 year old Dane/Mastiff mix and is a dream dog.  He gets along great with other dogs. I have a Dane and a Chihuahua. He is probably the most laid back dog I've fostered so far.  He is not asking for anything more than a comfy bed and some love.  Don't let his size fool you.  He doesn't take up much room at all.  He is also my heaviest foster, weighing in at 145 lbs and yet one of the easiest dogs to walk.

Walter came in to the rescue with a busted back leg but has healed up great. On occasion he favors it but other than the scar you might not ever notice.  He really is an amazing dog and I am hoping he finds and even more amazing house and family.  Just look at his face!

So why isn't he adopted if hes so great?  Ill tell you why.  Because he is 5.  I cant tell you the number of times I heard "Oh wow, so hes pretty old".  And it breaks my heart. I like to think a dog is like a car.  You get out what you put in.  I've heard of Danes living to be 11 years old.  Proper care and nutrition will do that.  So yes, Walter is no puppy.  But hes housebroken, crate trained, leash trained.  He is very well socialized and is an all around great dog.  If you are looking for a laid back kinda dog, Walter is your guy!

In the almost 3 weeks of fostering him, he has settled in quite nicely here.  And as much as I love him and would keep him, that would mean a full house and no more fostering, which I truly love. What is that saying? If you love it set it free.  Something like that.  Knowing that he is loved is all my heart needs.  Isn't he just the cutest!

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Happiness is ______ {2014-W26} #happinessis

Oh Hello Wednesday!  Its time for some happiness.  I know I usually over share and post a ton of photos, but I've been so crazy busy that I am just going to share one thing.  But it is full of happiness.

If you have follow on other social media you will know who this guy is.  If not, meed Leroy.  He is my latest foster puppy.  He is bursting with energy so I am always trying to find ways to help him shake some of it.  He isn't a big fan of walks and prefers to just bug the crap out of my two other dogs.  But of course that makes everyone super grumpy.  The other day I was spraying off the patio and discovered this.  Leroys true happiness. I've never see a dog drink as much water as this guy, but I had no idea just how happy it made him until I turned on sprinkler!  And there has been no looking back.  Its his favorite time of the day, when he sees me pulling it out.  And he stays out there for hours just playing in the water!

Happiness is water and a very happy puppy.

Looking for more happiness?  Stop by Crazy Adventures in Parenting and get your fill!  There is enough happiness to go around.  What brought you happiness this week?

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Happiness is ______ {2014-W25} #happinessis

So I woke up this morning, finished the new Janet Evanovich book, had a slice of pizza and sat down at the computer to renew our licenses.  Well Davids.  I only have an ID.  But then I glanced down at the little clock and date on the bottom of the screen and though "oh crap its already Thursday?!"

Im consistent at one thing.  Island time.  So here I am posting a day late,  again....But I bring happiness so deal with it :)

Happiness is

Two wore out boys.  OK, I do feel a little bad for the horrible sleeping conditions.  But they boy promised they were not tired and thankfully I only needed a few things.  But I was able to get in and get it done quick. The fell asleep before we even got it the store.

Happiness is scaring the life out of my baby sister by snapchatting her with a mask on.  In the middle of the night.  Fun stuff!



Happiness is more watermelon.  What is better in the hot sun that some cold and juicy melon?!  Not much!



Happiness is more pool time.  This time with Uncle Lester.  Even better!



Happiness is Sea World.  More pictures to come of this too :)



Happiness is a box full of dog goodies for the boys!  Seriously, Klout has been really good to them!



Happiness is only having to tell them once.  Well actually I only asked Chico to sit, but the others are such good listener!  Haha!



Happiness is another great Bountiful Basket!  Even if half of it is already gone!



So there it is.  A little late but lots of happiness.  I will share more photos later.  We had a great weekend with my brother here.  And I am already working on next weeks posts because this week has been pretty awesome too.  Im waiting for some test results that I am having faith in and a certain dog has his first official adoption event Saturday.  Throw in a Friday night gathering and there is bound to be some good times to share!

Until then stop by and see what happiness others are sharing over at Crazy Adventures in Parenting!  Much love!

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Rambo the Foster Dog

On Saturday, we picked up our first foster dog of the year.  I happened to come across his sweet face on Facebook when a Rescue shared his plea from a shelter in Huntsville Texas.  And when I shared him, David sent me a text that said "we have to get him, hes so cute".  David is not a big animal guy.  He's very supportive of my wanting to foster and falls in love with all of them, but he has never been one to insist on a dog, until now.  Because really how could we let this face stay in the shelter any longer? Meet Rambo!

The boys had named him Tank, but I guess he already had a name!  Rambo is an 18 month old Fawn Great Dane who is very emaciated.  You would never guess it from the first picture but one look at is whole body will make your heart ache.  

You can count his ribs and run your fingers along his spine.  He has a huge ball of fluid on his elbow (you can see it in the picture).  He walks super slow because he is in so much pain.  He cries out when he gets up out of bed and sometimes while he is laying down asleep.  My original plan was to keep him in the kennel, but he cant stretch out and get comfortable so I am keeping him in the kitchen with the baby gates.   He is such a sweet sweet boy.  And his eyes are just so full of hope.  He is eating great and we are going to give him all the love he needs to get better.

We dropped him off at the vet today to get check out and we are praying that everything is treatable.  The vet noted that he seemed to be in pain and is having problems with his back legs.  I let her know that we only live a few minutes away so that we could bring him home so he can eat and get comfortable before going back for more tests.  My heart just breaks for him.  Its hard to see such a big beautiful boy in such bad shape.  Its hard for me to see any dog like this.  What's even more sad is that a human did this to him. 

I have faith that in no time he will be living up to his name.  He will fill out, get healthy and find a home where he will be treated like he deserves.  A home with kids to love on him, a mom to make him yummy treats and a dad to sneak him a few extra treats behind moms back!  Hes going to be even more stunning when he gets some meat on them bones.  He weighed in at 107.8 so I'm guessing he will be up to 120+ and bouncing around in no time.  

So many people have said that there is no way that they could foster, because they would end up loving each one.  Is giving them up to their forever homes hard?  Heck yes.  Do I want to keep each one?  So far, yes. I've cried seeing photos that their new families send me.  But mostly its because I am so glad that I was able to help.  What some people fail to understand is, that adorable puppy or dog that is in the shelter.  The one that you wish you could adopt or foster but are worried you wont be able to give him up, today might be his last day.  Here is San Antonio, our shelter is very high kill.  Every day dogs are put to sleep, simply because there is not room.  Some dogs come in and go straight to the euthanasia room and others are only give a few days to find a home.  It would be so much better to hurt over giving them to a home that is going to love them, than it is to cry because you did nothing about it.  That's the way I see it.  

Have you ever thought about fostering?  Or have you fostered before?  I'd love to hear about it. We are fosters for the San Antonio Great Dane Rescue, but there are many other rescues and shelters that really really need fosters!  If you can afford some extra dog food and have a safe place and love to give, why not. Try it.  You never know, you could see just how rewarding it is! Save a life in 2014. Whether its one or ten, every dog deserves a chance!

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