5 Pairs of Shoes Later...

Quique, Quique, Quique… I know that she’s all I talk about, but she and Dustin are my life and with how crazy schedules have been the past few weeks, it feels like I have barely seen my darling husband.

Anyway, my spoiled dog usually goes over to her friend’s house down the street every day, but they were out of town last week. So… she was stuck at home every day. Big mistake!

Monday, I mistakenly left some shoes in the living room and there went that pair of shoes.

Tuesday, I forgot to close the closet door and there went 2 more pairs of shoes.

Wednesday, my mom got into to town. So I took her with me and no harm there.

Thursday, she played with her brother. Thank you Charlie and Connie!!!

Friday, I KNOW that I closed the closet door, but apparently she got in and there went 2 more pairs of shoes. (Notice how it's always my shoes... never Dustin's.)

My mom of course thinks that I spoil her way too much and that I’m not a “Pack Leader”. Too many Dog Whisperer episodes for her… so on Saturday to save any poor shoes I had left, Quique was treated to Doggy Daycare by her Grandma.

Even though this week probably cost me a couple hundred dollars or so, she is still my little angel. After daycare, she was exhausted! My cousin’s 5 month old baby was sleeping on the sofa, but every so often, Quique would get up, go over to Isaac and just lick his hand. When they were putting Isaac in his car seat, Quique went right up to the car seat and laid right next to it like a protective mama. So my cousin took out Isaac to pet Quique. Quique immediately rolled onto her back all submissive to let Isaac pet her.

It’s precious moments like that when I could care less about 5 pairs of shoes.

Thriller

Last night I had the privilege of going to Odyssey Dance Company’s production of Thriller at Kingsbury Hall. My dear friend April teaches dance with this organization so she was able to get us tickets for a very enjoyable Girls Night Out. (Thanks again April!!!) I have heard about this production for the last two or three years but was not able to experience it until last night. It was excellent! The dancing was great (although dancing was only a part of it), I loved the choreography, the dancers really got into their characters and I was laughing out loud (if you know me, I am not one to laugh out loud, I usually just laugh on the inside). What more could you ask for? Some of my favorites were the River of Blood Dance, Salem’s Mass, Dem Bones, Frankenstein & Frankenstein, Miss Alli’s Nightmare and of course Lorena Bobbitt singing “The Way We Were”. The men didn’t seem to find this piece as entertaining as I did… I wonder why? And of course, how could I forget the Lost Boys piece. Men dancing and leaping around in black leather pants…WOW… how could I forget to include that? Anyway, thanks Ladies for such an enjoyable evening!!! I am so blessed to have such great friends.

The Agony of Defeat

Two nights ago we got the kids together (aka the dogs, Quique and her brother Charlie – they are the kids in my world) for a few hours. The two of them together are a site to be seen. One of these days I will have to upload a video and put it on the blog, but my technical skills have yet to reach that level (so don’t hold your breath). Except for the fact that Charlie has about 10 – 15 lbs. on Quique, they are twins. The looks the same and their mannerisms are identical. The way they beg, the cute little way they cock their head at me when I’m talking to them, the way they wag their bums (not just the tail, the whole rear end)… it’s adorable!

The two of them love to play together. When I talk with Connie (Charlie’s mom) on the phone, I have to refer to Charlie as “Chuck”, We also have to spell things like p-a-r-k and w-a-l-k if our meeting is not going to be immediate when hanging up the phone. Otherwise, I have a dog who is whining at me and following me around everywhere. It’s cute at first, but that wears off quickly. One of these days she is going to understand what I'm spelling- isn't that just like having a child?

Anyway, back to last night. When they play, their favorite game is to play with 1 item together and chase each other. It can be a ball, a stick, rope, anything. (I’m talking plastic bag anything). If it’s a stick or a rope, they usually play tug of war or just run around the yard together while both are holding onto the object. But the favorite game is when they are playing with an object that only one of them can have so that a game of “chase and try to gain possession of the object” can begin. "Chase" is Quique’s absolute favorite game. When we go to the dog park, her goal is always to get the other dog’s to chase her. Surprisingly, she’s actually quite good at it. It doesn’t matter the shape or size of the dog, she’s had Terriers to Great Danes chasing her around the park. So last night, Dustin gave them one Gatorade (plastic) bottle and the entertainment began. It soon became apparent the Charlie's "time of possession" outweighed Quique's. As I just mentioned, Quique likes to be chased, she doesn't like to chase. So Quique pretends like she’s not playing any more and just “sulks” in a corner. Charlie will then drop the bottle and come over to her which is then her chance to steal the bottle and gain control of the game again. I think that Charlie has finally caught on because he doesn’t give in nearly as much as he used to. And the other night was no exception to that. Quique needed a new tactic so now she takes off his collar. Dustin would put his collar back on and when she felt too much time had passed where she didn’t have the bottle, off went his collar again.

I try not to humanize my dog, but it is so hard. Especially at times like these when I see this sweet puppy that is so cute and nice to everybody and every dog work so hard to manipulate her brother and be such a sore loser! I know that competition lies in all aspects of life, even for animals, but it just cracks me up to see my dog so upset when she feels that she is losing. Apparently she needs some help in the sportsmanship category. But whatever the case, she is a true joy in my life. Who thought that a dog could do so much, but I know that both Dustin and I can’t imagine our lives without her. She is and will always be a member of our family. Here are two shots, one in the evening and one in the morning - both times after a nice hard play with Charlie.

Quique with her favorite duck (it used to make duck noises)




(Quique in one of her "normal" sleeping positions)

Acupuncture 101

I have alluded to this in past posts, and since I’m not very private about this topic, I’ll just lay it all out. Dustin and I have been trying to get pregnant for about 18 months now. There doesn’t seem to be anything really wrong with either one of us. It certainly has been frustrating and depressing at times over the past year, but we have wonderful people around us (both friends and family) that provide a lot of love and support. I am always looking for something new to increase my fertility so April sent me an article with 10 ways to increase fertility. A lot of it was the same old stuff, until I cam across acupuncture. That was one I hadn’t heard before. I have never in my life tried acupuncture. Most of what I have heard about acupuncture has to do with pain management. My dad used to do it when he had a lot of back problems. Anyway, I did some research on the internet and found that there were acupuncturists that specialize in fertility. So I thought… why not? So, here is what I learned today.

I did some research and met with Linpin at Acupuncture and Chinese Herbs. Once we got through the hour of Q&A about my body, treatments for fertility, tests, etc, she had me lie on the table and stick out my tongue. Apparently you can tell a lot about what is going on in somebody’s body by the color of the tongue (could be liver related), the texture of the tongue, or if there is a layer of film/coating on the tongue (spleen/digestion related). She mentioned that if you look at a terminally ill patient’s tongue you can tell that they are sick just by looking at their tongue. Who knew that you could tell so much just from looking at somebody’s tongue?

Next, she took my pulse. This wasn’t like getting your pulse taken at the doctor. She held my wrist for a few minutes. Then she did the same with the other. Then she asked me if I ate breakfast, which I thought was random. Anyway, apparently my pulse was somewhat weak. Sometimes that is due to not eating, but other times it can be because of an imbalance in the body or a weak organ. She used three fingers, one for the heart, one for the liver and one for the kidney. Apparently my kidney seemed to be the weakest of the 3.

She then told me about her focus on 3 of the organs. First was the spleen, which signifies digestion. Next she talked about the liver which holds your emotions, such as depression and stress levels. And third was the kidney which holds the essence. In other words for a woman, the female things such as egg quality, ovulation, etc.

Then it was time for the needles. She put one in each ear and one between my eyebrows. The sole purpose of these needles was relaxation. She put two up by my rib cage (I think where my spleen and liver are), one in my lower abdomen and about 6 or so in my legs. If only I could remember what they all meant. My body then felt really heavy and I just relaxed with needles in for the next 20 minutes. I haven’t been that relaxed for a long time. After taking out the needles, she rubbed my legs, head, scalp and neck with some type of essential oil. It was wonderful!

I was so intrigued by all that she taught me about the balance of the body. All I could think about was my sister and how proud she would be of me because she loves this stuff! I am not sure if this will help or not, but I definitely learned a lot about my body. I did find some research that for women going through In Vitro Fertilization, the % of success for those doing acupuncture during this process compared to those that did not was significantly favorable for the women involved in acupuncture. Anything to increase our odds… right! (Well maybe not anything, but you get the point).

Hello Louisville!

So Dustin was going to post about this, but he's so busy and now he's in Jamaica or Cozumel, I don't even remember to be honest. How bad is that? All of his trips just seem to blur together. Anyway, since he is gone until the weekend, I thought that I would take it upon myself to talk about Louisville or shall I say Lew-ul-vul as they say it in KY. This was my first time in Kentucky and it was absolutely beautiful and the people were so nice... we loved it!

On Friday, we went to the St. James Court Art Show in historic Louisville. The scenery was beautiful and their was some great artwork and pieces, we had a blast. We found this photographer that we loved who had photos all over Europe. We wanted to get his card for a future purpose and while talking to him we soon discovered that he has a gallery in Park City. How funny is that? Also, when the food stands consist of corn dogs (the kind that looks like they've dipped them themselves), brats, fennel cakes, fried corn and crabcake sandwiches, that only makes the atmosphere that much better for me!

We then decided to visit the Louisville Slugger Museum, how could a baseball fan pass that up. As you approach the museum/Corporate Headquarters you are greeted by the World's Biggest Baseball Bat. How much does that thing weigh you ask... only 68,000 pounds. It sure is cool!

Of course we had to also make a stop at the all too famous Churchill Downs. No I didn't witness or bet on any horse races, but we did stop for a picture and we checked out the gift shop. What a beautiful building!

Then... after some yummy BBQ at Mark's Feed Store, it was time to head to the game. The stadium was beautiful!!! As we were making our way to the stadium, there were tons of UofL fans saying "Go Utes". At first, we thought that they were being sarcastic, but in fact they were just extremely nice and wishing us luck. Nicest fans ever! Although I must say that the Oregon State fans were pretty nice too. We've been pretty lucky so far this year.

Once we made our way into the stadium, there were tons of military personnel attending the game. Apparently they choose one game per year to attend. They have this whole procedure for marching into the stadium and it was so awesome to watch. Looking at their faces, I couldn't help but notice how young each of them looked. I have such adoration and appreciation for these young men and women who have and continue to put their lives on the line so that I can have the freedoms that I enjoy each and every day. God Bless the USA and the military!
All is well that ends well! After a 44-35 victory, it made for a great night. Although it got a little too close for comfort towards the end, it was great to see the team win on the road. It has been an emotional year for the team and it was great to see these guys enjoy a victory, because they definitely deserved it! And Steve played really well so that always makes it fun too! At the end of the game, the players for Louisville went around the entire stadium giving everyone 5's. They even went by the Utah section doing the same thing. We were all so impressed. Dustin yelled to them how classy they were and how well they played. They said how impressed they were with us for coming out all the way from Utah. How cool is that! What matturity in these 19 and 20 year old men!

The next day we lounged around in the morning and then had some awesome New Orleans food at this little fast food restaurant (can't remember the name). I had some VooDoo Chicken and Bourbon Chicken and it was excellent. (I desperately need to make it to New Orleans one of these days.) It was a great weekend and the Utah win only made it that much sweeter.

If you haven't been to Louisville, it's certainly a charmer. Beautiful streets with trees arched over the middle, great food and some of the nicest people offering their finest southern hospitality!

Happy Birthday Bryson!

So I'm a few days late. Dustin and I were in Louisville this weekend (I'll post about that tomorrow) so although Bryson's Birthday was on Friday, we actually celebrated it a week ago Sunday when the whole family was in town. Bryson Boo as I call him is one of the smiliest kids around. In fact, I babysat him tonight and he would just start laughing at various times for no reason at all. At least no reason that I was aware of. Anyway, we had a nice dinner on Sunday and then in place of birthday cake Brooke made a brownie and put whipped cream on top. I don't know what it is with the Tate side of the family but none of them like cake. To me, I can't imagine a world without cake. Wedding Cake, Birthday Cake, I am always willing to bust out a cake for any celebration. So I have made it perfectly clear to Dustin that our kids will be raised with Birthday Cake. If they decide they don't like it, then they too an live in the sad world without cake.


Anyway, I love my Bryson Boo so very much. He has beautiful big eyes and he will always flash you a smile. I couldn't imagine a happier kid. I still remember a year ago Friday when Brooke was induced. It was the same day as the Utah vs. TCU Football game. As soon as Bryson was born, the family was off to the game, so I stayed with Brooke, Tyler and Tate to see if there was anything that I could do to help out. Any excuse to be able to be around this sweet precious being that had just entered this world. Truly an angel on earth. I am so blessed to have such wonderful nephews. They are a light in my life. I love them so much and I am so excited for the nieces and nephews that are still yet to come. Happy Birthday Bryson Boo!

When in Rome...

I was browsing the internet and I found this quiz. I know... usually the quiz thing is lame, but anyway, I found this quiz that has 6 questions and then it tells you what city you belong in. I just thought that it was so cool that it said I belonged in Rome.

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart which is why you are attracted to the romance of Rome. Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand and gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

Rome is one of my absolute favorite cities. Dustin and I have so many wonderful memories. We had great food (gelato every day), saw some of the most amazing sites, took in a lot of history and just enjoyed the romance that Italy has to offer. We spent 11 days in Italy (3 days in Rome) and we have already started planning what we would do the next time we go because it's not a matter of if we go, but when we go. Some of our best memories together (the funny and the not so funny) are in Rome.

Enough of my nastalgia... if you'd like to take a 6 question quiz as to what city you belong in... here it is.

Candle Wax Disaster

On Friday night, my darling husband somehow managed to drip a nice long trail of candle wax along the carpet in our room. He is usually the one to freak out about something like that except for the fact that he did it this time, not me. I (of course) remained calm knowing full well in the back of my head that we were going to have to replace the carpet after a disaster like that. Trying to remain calm, I tried working on the wax to see if I could get it out of the carpet, but there was so much wax that it was not looking good. (Please excuse the bad photography).

Before - (Here is just a portion of the beautiful wax trail)

So... I decided to get online and see if there was anything that I could do to salvage my carpet (yeah right). I saw something that mentioned taking a paper bag and putting it over the wax and then using an iron over the paper bag. You want to leave the iron heating up the paper bag and the wax, but you don't want to leave it too long otherwise it may burn the carpet. To me, my carpet was already ruined so why not try it out.

After

I was in absolute shock! My carpet now looks as good as new! Hopefully you won't have the same mishap that we did, but if you ever do, I promise it will work! Thank goodness for the internet and all of it's wisdom. How did people ever survive without the internet?