Happy third day of Fall! As always, it’s been forever since I last updated you, so I
have lots to report.
First and foremost, though, I am pleased to announce our
most recent addition to our family- our sweet little Darcy. We really weren’t
planning on getting a dog right now, but were thinking we might after medicare advantage
season (the busiest time of year in my line of work) ends in December. I had been looking around, though, and when I
saw an irishdoodle listed at $300, we jumped at the opportunity. I had really
been wanting a doodle-mix because I want a big dog, but definitely will not
have time to vacuum the whole apartment every day. The only issue with getting
a doodle was the cost- which is usually anywhere from $600-$1200. We really
just weren’t willing to pay that much for a dog, when there are plenty in the
shelters. Although, I do have to throw out there that the dogs at the local
shelters here are from $250 up to $350, which seems like quite a bit for an
adoption!
On Thursday, when I saw the ad online, I nervously called
Michael to see what he would think. “well….uhh….uh….” he said at first. I
thought for sure he was trying to find a nice way to let me down and tell me I
was being ridiculous. What he actually was trying to find a way to say, and
eventually did, was “do you have to go to work tomorrow? Or could we go get her
before you go to work?” Turns out he was just as excited as I am. Though we
definitely wouldn’t have time to go before work, we ended up leaving the moment
Michael got home from school that evening. It was such an unexpected but
exciting turn of events for what started out as a typical Thursday. Unfortunately,
it didn’t turn out as smoothly as we planned…
The breeder was about 3.5 hours away from Des Moines, but we
wanted to get our puppy ASAP because the lady had an ad coming out in a couple
of newspapers the next day, and I didn’t want them all to be taken. When we got
to about 2.5 hours away, we had one of my tires blow out. At first I was super
frustrated because this is the 5th flat I’ve had in the past 2
months, and the second tire that couldn’t be repaired and had to be replaced.
Plus, we didn’t have an actual spare; we just had a doughnut and we weren’t
sure if it was going to get us the rest of the way there and then back home again.
We were just too far from home to go back without the puppy, so we decided if
the tire would last 2.5 hours home, it would also get us to the breeder’s house
first. Unfortunately, we had to drive 50mph on the doughnut, instead of the 78
that we were driving, so the entire trip ended up taking us about 8 hours. We
didn’t get home till after 2am!
Even though it wasn’t what we expected, it was a fun
adventure, and I think we both really needed that. At one point during the ride
Michael stopped studying and said “ya know…this doesn’t feel like real life. It
just doesn’t”. I knew exactly what he
meant. Our entire lives here, especially his, are so consumed by his school
that we don’t ever, ever get to do anything spontaneous and out of the ordinary
together. I do get time to relax and occasionally go out, but never with
Michael. His life literally revolves around school. We don’t get the luxury of
making last minute plans or going to a movie because we’re bored. He can’t have
a lazy day, a sick day, or even take an hour a day for himself. There’s really
no leeway for him to make the “irresponsible” choice for any period of time,
and not choose to study. To do something so rash and yes, even irresponsible, together
was just… a dream come true! We talked and laughed and got a puppy out of it :)
So far, we absolutely adore her! She’s such a sweetie, and I’m
pretty sure she’s going to be smart too! She’s caught on very quickly! She
doesn’t really have accidents much inside (other than her explosive problems in
her kennel last night, eewww!) and now actually stops and knows what I’m referring
to when I say “no”, as she tries to chew on wires or the carpet. I’m
anticipating quite a challenge with training a puppy, especially a big one…and in
an apartment, but I also know it will be a bonding experience for Michael and I.
Our family feels very complete for the time being. We’ve added as much
responsibility as we can handle, without the addition of actual kids, and life
just couldn’t be better (as least while we live in Iowa lol).
Aren't they so sweet together :)
Baby's first bath
Gizmo looks like a rat because he'd just had a bath too!
They love each other!
She has the fattest belly ever haha!
As always, work keeps be busy, but it’s been good. I was one
of the qualifiers for the trip to Kansas City, which was a couple weekends ago.
We had a lot of fun, but I felt so bad for going out and enjoying myself while
Michael was stuck at home studying. We stayed at a really nice hotel and I went
out with the girls during the day on Saturday for some shopping and lunch at
the Cheesecake Factory (my fav!). It was so amazing to actually hang out with
girls I really have a lot of fun with, but I was a little anxious to join the
guys at a sports bar so I could watch the first Aggie game in the SEC, against
Florida. We didn’t get back in time to join the guys, but while everyone was
getting ready for that night out, I did end up watching the last quarter of the
game, while texting back and forth with Michael. It just felt like history in
the making. Our first game in the SEC….so monumental… and I wasn’t even able to
mug down with my hubby. He was so sweet and understanding about everything,
though, and I ended up having an awesome time that night, before heading back
home on Sunday morning.
Other than that, it’s been the norm around here. Weather has been in the 60's to 70's in the day and 40's at night. The trees are starting to change and it just couldn't be more beautiful! Michael studies more now than he ever has. We heard somewhere that the 2nd year of the program is supposed to be easier than the first, but we would definitely disagree. It’s hard to miss him all the time, but we’re making it through okay and I am just keeping the mindset that it will be worth it. Last Sunday was the first time in a long while that he was going to be able to go to bed with me. It seemed like such a waste to just go to sleep, since we get so little time together, so at 2 am, we ended up just snuggling on the couch and watching Lost. By the end, we could hardly stay awake, but it was just too comfy to get up and go to bed, and I didn’t want our time to end.
A few Saturdays ago Michael also surprised me with a new Monopoly game. Monopoly is definitely one of my favorite games and while we have been together, he’s bought me 3 or 4 different versions. This latest version is by far my favorite! Though it’s less extravagant than the glitter, princess castles, and pewter pieces of the Disney Monopoly game he bought me for Christmas, it has totally different rules and adds 4 extra properties on each side, along with an extra dice that has a function other than moving spaces. We really enjoyed playing, as dorky as it may be to be playing a board game at home on a Saturday night while in your early 20’s. His thoughtfulness is always so appreciated!
Well, that’s all for now! I’ve got a puppy waking up from
her nap that needs tending to :)
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