I have nerves...

I have to have surgery on the 18th.

I'm glad because I need it.

But nervous because, well, it's surgery.

And they tell you every teeny tiny little thing that can go wrong.

Like I need to hear that before I go under.

All I can say it that I sure am glad to get that first shot that makes you go night, night!

Then you magically wake up.

On the puppy front -

Gracie is walking on a lead better - not so much stopping and flopping.

She can follow the commands, sit, come, down.

We're working on off - she just started jumping up on us like 2 days ago.

And she's still chasing after the cat.  I can't get her to stop - I thought the cat would have taken care of it by now - she did with Gabi.

I guess she's just old and tired.

Gracie also talks back when you tell her no.

It's funny - but not because I can't figure out how to teach her not to bark.

I guess that's a question for our puppy class tomorrow!

11 Weeks and Growing!

Here is a photo of me and Gracie Jane at 9 weeks.

And here is a photo of me and Gracie Jane at 11 weeks.

I don't know if you can tell or not...but she's growing!

This is my favorite photo my hubby took while we were walking in the park right beside our apartment.

We were carrying the little nig nog because there was shattered glass all over the sidewalk and on both sides in the grass.

Here's one with my hubby.

It was a beautiful day.

Gracie Jane Comes Home!

Gracie Jane came home with us on October 16th when she was 9 weeks old.

We Drove up to Dallas in our new SUV, here's the big statue of Sam Houston.  Pretty good photo for going about 75MPH.

My hubby talking to me...he wasn't really expecting me to take a photo.

Here is Gracie Jane's Daddy.  I have a photo of her mother but I can't figure out which one she is!  They had 3 Adult American Mastiffs and they were all so sweet and cute.  Too bad we couldn't pick up Gracie earlier - I would have loved to see her brothers and sisters.

Here's my hubby meeting Gracie - she looks so small.

And here I am holding her - he paws are so big and thick.

This is Gracie on the drive home - she whined for about 10 minutes then slept the entire way back to Houston.

Isn't she so cute!?

Gracie Jane is Coming Home!

I received more photos of Gracie Jane!

Isn't she adorable?!  We're going to pick her up tomorrow morning!

I've bought all the necessary items except one...her tag.  I'm going to get that one today.  I got her a cute adjustable collar - it's grey and pink.

I also bought her a dog bed and it's a bit bigger than this one, but not as big as it's going to need to be!

She also has babies waiting for her to play with.  A pig, a chicken, and one thing that I'm really not sure what it is...

They are indoor toys - I'm not sure if she's going to toss her toys in the house - but if she does they need to be the soft ones.  Not tennis balls.  They break things.

The outdoor toys she'll get later, after we get an idea of what she may prefer.

We are so excited - need to make sure the camera batteries are charged up for tomorrow!

Gracie Jane Update!

Here is the new photo of Gracie Jane!  She's about 6 weeks old now.

Isn't she adorable?!

The breeder said that they have put on about 2 or 3lbs but I can't tell because there isn't anything next to her for scale.

When we get here I'll be taking photos so we can document growth - next to a toy maybe?

I can't wait to get home and get settled. 

Only 3 more days!

Life is good...

Really good.

It's the Final Count Down!

If I remember correctly isn't that a song by Asia?

Am I dating myself?

Anway here are the stats!

I have:

3 days left at work (not counting today)
1 day left until the movers pack me up
7 days until I leave on a jet plane!

I can't believe it's coming up so fast!

We've sold just about everything we wanted to, and the rest is going to a service called Take My Junk UAE.

http://www.takemyjunkuae.com/

They take your stuff and either sell or donate it to needy families.

I'm not sure how much actually goes to needy families - to be quite honest I don't care.

They are the only ones I've been able to find who will come take my junk away, so they get it.

We have quite the agenda for the first weekend back home.  My husband wants to buy a car, and I want to find an apartment.

And of course I'll be dealing with Jet Lag.

JET LAG

Which means I'll be ready for bed everyday for a week or so at 6pm.  I always feel like I've been drugged when I go home.  And when I fly to Dubai.  But flying to Europe is pretty easy - it's just anything over 12 hours kicks my ass.

Then the 2nd weekend we are home we're going to get Gracie Jane!  Unless we can't get an apartment right away.  Then we'll have to wait.

I bought the dog whisperer book on how to raise a puppy since I've only raised a dog from about 4 - 6 months old not 8 weeks old.

I figured I'd need a little more info and guidance on how to take care of a baby puppy.  And of course it's been a long, long time since I had a dog of 6 months.  Like 9 years ago.

I'm really looking forward to seeing her grow up.  I'm sure I'll be posting tons of photos of the little fattie as she grows.

Ciao!

Say Hello to Gracie Jane!

We got a new puppy. 

Yes, I know it seems quick, since Gabi passed away on August 11.

But I think Gracie Jane was meant for us.  She was born on August 12.

My husband and I had been talking about when we thought we would get another dog and what kind.  He had mentioned American Mastiffs a while ago so I started researching them to see if they would be a good fit.

Because you know, we are not the high energy, must run everyday without fail, working dog kinda people.  We are more the laid back, take a leisurely walk everyday, and socialize with the other dog owners, kinda people.

And guess what!  They are a good match for us...they are very calm, social dogs who are protective of their families.  Which is great - a dog that gets along when you take it to the park but will be a bit protective if someone breaks into the house in the middle of the night.

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americanmastiff.htm

Anyway when I was checking to see if they had any breeders in Texas I came across the breeder site.

http://www.americanmastiffbreederscouncil.com/American%20Mastiff%20Breeders.htm

And there is one in Texas:  www.fivebranch.com

So I go on the website and what do I see? 

Puppies.

Lots of puppies.

10 to be exact - AND there were two females that had not been placed into homes yet.

So I sent the breeder a note, saying that we wouldn't be back in the States until the beginning of October and most likely not be able to get a new dog until November at the earliest and when did they think the next litter would be born.

Well she came back and said, well if you want one of the remaining females we can keep her for you until mid November.

So I ask my husband, do you think we should get one?  He's like sure why not?

So now we have a new puppy, and we'll most likely pick her up the 2nd weekend in October!

YEAH!

So now without further ado...here is Gracie Jane!

Isn't she just the cutest thing you've ever seen?!  Look at that face!

I can't wait to meet her!