Holiday Photos

While there's still a few leaves left on the trees, I wanted to get our Christmas photo taken. I texted our neighbor this morning to see if she'd be up for snapping a few of us, she met us over at our park, and within 10 minutes we were done! (per Aaron's request - he's not real fond of picture taking!) 

Photo shoots with Ruger are always interesting...but he did sit/stand fairly well for them!

This is us - October 2016. 

Five Friday

5. There are currently 8 days of school left. This year absolutely flew by...I cannot believe it! I definitely had two extremes my first two years of teaching. Last year, to be honest, I wasn't sure if I wanted to teach another year. I remember telling Aaron, while sobbing, that I did not want to go back. I'm glad I did though. I have had so much fun with these kids...I want this group again next year! Also, I just have to brag that my kids have been doing calendar time all by themselves the past few weeks! They love doing it because every day one of the kids gets to be the teacher/leader and leads the rest of the class through the calendar routine.

4. Ruger has Panosteitis again. I had no idea what that was, so besides what the vet told me, I did some web browsing and educating myself about it. It is a painful inflammation of the bone that causes limping (temporary pain/limping - it's like growing pains). He has had it two other times, but I think this time was the worst. He wasn't even walking on his front right leg it hurt so bad, so basically he was walking on three legs everywhere. The vet prescribed pills to bring down the inflammation but after giving one to him (even with food) he got sick. As in throw up sick. The rest of the evening he laid with his head on either Aaron or my lap and he looked so sad and in pain. We really felt bad for our boy. I can already tell today, though, that he is feeling better.

3. Aaron and I have had lots of laughs with the face swap filter on snapchat. It is so terrible, but so funny.

2. 20 days until my NV/AZ/UT trip with my sister! I don't travel a whole lot, so I am very excited. Still trying to figure out a place to go with Aaron this summer though. His request - "not too far". Hmm...there is not much within a 6 hour radius of our home...

1. We are having chili for supper tonight. It snowed today! Not a lot of course, but at recess there were a few flakes coming down. Add in no heat in the school (they turned it off after having 90 degree days last week) and it makes for a chilly day! And of course, today was the school "beach" day where kids were able to wear beachy attire. Ugh!

Saturday Morning Hike

This morning Elizabeth and I hiked the trails at the Knife River Indian Villages. I didn't realize the miles of trails they had there! I think this will be a staple walking place this summer with Ruger.

TRNP

Today was spent at Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Besides the wind, it was a beautiful day! The herds of buffalo, wild horses, and views did not disappoint!

spring day

Today after my eye appointment, I picked up Ruger and we headed to my in-laws. We meandered up and down their tree rows, taking in the fresh air. Thankfully Ruger sticks around really well. He'll run up in front of me, zip through the tree rows, end up in back of me, run to catch up to me...the cycle keeps going. I love when he can get out and run, leash-less. He sure was huffing and puffing though...this 65 degree weather is almost too hot for him. "Oh Rue," I told him, "you have a long hot summer ahead of you!"

When fall rolls around I always think that is my favorite season. But now when spring gets here, I swear I love spring the best. I think it's safe to say I love the seasons...I don't think I'd like living down in Arizona year round.

Anyways, I brought my Nikon with. I even charged the battery before hand. I got there and (suprise!) no card in the camera. Urgh!

So these are a few I snapped with my phone.

Happy Birthday Rue!

Starting the middle of March last year, I would come home from school and immediately check the breeder's website to see if Ruger's litter was born yet. And on April 3rd, oh what a happy day! I then waited every week to see updated pictures of the litter until May 29th when we brought the little bugger (biting bugger I might add) home.

We went to Bismarck today and got him a new leather collar, a rope/tire toy, and a bone. A little later we plan on taking him for a long walk (his favorite thing in the world) and then we'll let George and Thea, our cats, in. (Watching and chasing them is another one of his favorite things to do!) Happy Birthday to our energetic boy that always makes us smile, every day!

Ruger, the far left one

Easter Break '16

Easter break.

I am thoroughly enjoying the time off from school! Aaron went dirtbiking today with his brother and friends and I spent the afternoon with my sister-in-law. We walked the tree rows and enjoyed being outside in the crisp spring air. Ruger thoroughly enjoyed it too, running back and forth and through the trees. I think he only treed two of Nathan and Heather's cats this time (ugh!).

I ended up bringing our in-law's dog, Wylee, home with me since they are going on a quick overnight trip. I put him and Ruger out in the back yard when I got home and so far things are very quiet, which is great (and unusual)! Usually Ruger wants to play and so Wylee will screech out a snarl at him. I say screech because he's so old, his snarls are all scratchy and screechy. Poor Wylee.

I'm very thankful for facetime this Easter, since I wasn't able to be home with family. (I really miss not being home!) I was able to see my two little nephews and their mom, along with my other sister and my mom via internet.

Now I think I'm off to bring up the old door from downstairs that mom brought me last year. I'm finally feeling motivated to sand/scrape all the old chipped paint off it and paint it. I'm ready to have a headboard on our bed! Stay tuned for pictures!

Beautiful February Days

Spring fever hit, yesterday, when it was in the 50's. It has been so beautiful lately and it looks like it will continue to be! The forecast is for high 30's to 40's this next week and I am absolutely loving it. Is it really February?! My days have been spent going to work and then coming home and taking Ruger for long walks. Occasionally Aaron comes along, which makes for good chatting time. Today we spent awhile out in our backyard, cleaning up Ruger's mess. When the snow melted, we were able to see a blanket that Ruger completely shredded, part of the lawn mower he chewed up,  and lots of branches that he drug up from behind the garage. Throw in cleaning up lots of poop the snow had covered and that was our afternoon.

A Mystery

This morning I got up and went to let Ruger out, but saw he was already let out. (Aaron had let him out after his phone call from the plant at 6am.) So, I stepped outside to give him his morning four cups of food. He came running from around the garage and just started crying. And it was a terrible, awful, super loud cry like he had just gotten hit by a car! I had no idea what was going on...and he continued to cry all the way into the house and for about 3 minutes IN the house. Safe to say he woke up Aaron and Karsten! He finally eventually stopped crying and I was able to get him into our room. He jumped up onto the bed, cuddled up to Aaron, and they both fell back asleep.
I let him back outside after about 45 minutes because we had to leave for our church fellowship meeting and I was a bit worried about what he'd do. He went out happily though, and when we arrived home around 12:00pm and I let him in, he came in without crying and greeted us all, tail wagging.
I'm still baffled about what happened this morning. I thought possibly it was the cold, but he has been outside all winter during the day and he doesn't seem to mind it at all. (I actually thinks he likes it more than the hot, summer days.) So I crossed that possibility out. He was favoring his back left foot when I let him in when he was crying, but he quit favoring it once we got in the house.
I have no idea what was going on this morning because, like I mentioned before, it was not a little whimper. It was so painful to listen to!
I'm just glad he seems back to normal. I snapped the picture below of my two boys after the whole incident happened. I love these two.

Ruger Antics

Our life must have been kind of boring before we got Ruger! This week he has been the reason for lots of laughs in our house. Yesterday he hid his bone here...

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Also this week he decided to use Aaron's hat as his new chew toy. "Still wearable!" I tell my husband. I don't think Aaron was impressed. (Good thing the hat was a freebie and he has lots others in the closet!)

1st snowfall of 2015-2016

We had our first true snowfall yesterday and oh, our boy! I'd kick the snow and he'd run and try to jump on it. When I walked, he would pounce at my feet and then jump back and cock his head. What a strange sound the snow makes under my boots! I chased him around the yard until I was fully out of breath and my mouth was watering. It felt wonderful!
That evening, I gave Rue a pig ear to chew on as Aaron and I started a Christmas movie. He loves to bury his "goods" in the couch cushions and behind chairs but last night he buried it under something new - Aaron's leg. We got a good laugh from that as he dug under Aaron's leg, pushed the pig ear underneath, and then made the motions with his head of pushing dirt or whatever he was imagining back over it.

Cuddling with my boy.

Raising Ruger

Right now Ruger is over 6 months old and I would imagine he's in the toddler stage of puppy hood? When I say toddler, I mean always going and going. This guy has energy! I was trying to facetime my mom the other day and I had to laugh; Ruger was wild. As in running around the house full speed, trying to pick up anything that would fit in his mouth. I suppose it didn't help that I was chasing him...!

He is wild at times, but he is good, too. He doesn't bark in our back yard (thank GOODNESS) unless he hears Jack, the neighbor dog, on the other side of the fence. He doesn't jump on us (just guests because he gets so excited...we're working on that..). He's potty trained. (hallelujah!) And he's wonderful on walks. He's starting to ignore other dogs that bark when we go by and he is getting lots better with not stopping so much to sniff!

We love him so much and more often than not it's my husband, the guy that swears he doesn't like animals in the house, that is saying "Why don't you let Ruger in?" I have to chuckle as I go to the door and let the big baby in. He'll gingerly walk up the steps in the garage and then shoot into our bedroom, jump on the bed and give Aaron a wet, sloppy welcome on the face and lips - tail going crazy. "I don't let just any dog do this Ruger," Aaron will say to him between licks. I just have to sit back and smile before joining them on the bed (or rather, 1/8 of the bed since Ruger takes up over a half).

Ah, puppy stage - you make us laugh even when you're exhausting!

6 months old

Happy 6 months (and two days) to our Ruger Booger! 

Pebble Beach

This evening we spent some time on the beach of the third largest man made lake in the United States. The temperature has been in the high 90's this week and with no AC in the school, it makes for a pretty toasty day with my 18 kinders! And to come home to a house with, once again, no AC...let's just say the beach and water felt amazing.
We skipped rocks, talked about some land that potentially may come up for sale, watched Ruger chase waves, watched Ruger run up and down the shore, watched Ruger get scared of some birds, swam, walked up and down the beach, and did I mentioned we watched and chuckled at our dog? :)

Not quite sure why this was the first time we've ever been to Pebble Beach, but I know it won't be the last.

Ruger - 4 months

Technically our boy turned 4 months on August 3rd, so I guess he is 4 months and 7 days today. 

Has he ever changed from when we first brought him home!

What was life like before we got him? I can't even remember! ha!

I love 'im  so much, as documented on instagram (#rugervig).

At four months: He travels in a vehicle like a pro, is still very much distracted on walks and loves to chew on the leash, gets so excited when visitors come that he just has to welcome them by jumping on them! (We're working on not jumping...) He knows not to bite on hands/feet anymore and he loves jumping at (not on!) the cats when in the house. He has outgrown the "large" size crate so we will be purchasing the "extra large" crate, soon. It's sometimes hard to forget he's only four months old!

In three short weeks, though, his life is about to change. He'll go from seeing me every day/almost every hour, to a little bit in the morning and then again in the evening. It makes me a bit sad, but we sure were lucky with the timing when we got him! It couldn't have worked out any better with bringing him home one week after school let out in May.

I'd say the summer of 2015 was the summer of Ruger.

And into August!

...we bought a new vehicle

...I continued to work in my classroom. Lots of work left to do!

...Ruger started to LOVE his pool. He doesn't play in it, but he loves to sit and lay in it when it is super hot out, which, it has been a lot lately. 

...Elizabeth came and visited and we went to the musical!

...we finally started building our fence in the back yard. Thanks for the help mom and Will!! We already love it. 

...especially this guy!

...and occasionally this has been happening. 4 months old!

Today we leave for my in-laws for the weekend (haven't been there all summer!) and then on Thursday I'm meeting my step sister in Billings for a quick getaway. Finally taking advantage of the fact that we live *kind of* close to each other?!

And that, I think will be a wrap of my summer!