Wedding Anniversary and Birthday

This year was our nine year wedding anniversary and my birthday was a few days after that.

I am in the middle of non-stop potty training a three pound dog, so I feel like my life revolves around that right now.

Joseph made sure I had a wonderful anniversary.

He got us a hotel room and put my favorite chocolates on the bed.

Our anniversary always falls on Arizona Restaurant Week, which is just amazing timing. This year we went to Chelsea's Kitchen.

I just realized I have no photos of our desserts. I probably dug right in as soon as they were put on the table.

My birthday was wonderful. For Sunday night family dinner, my Mom made me a cookie cake. And one for my sister Danielle, whose birthday is four days after mine.

My Mom, who knows I loooooove frosting, had saved some in a bag and told me I could add decorations. I wrote "my fav" on there with extra frosting and told my sister that Mom wrote it. My sister crossed it out and wrote "my love" on hers, which I then crossed out.

My sister Stephanie drew me a beautiful mermaid card. It says "Never forget to be yourself" and on the inside it says, "Unless you can be a mermaid. Then be a mermaid." Love it.

Joseph made me a delicious dinner and then cleaned up all the dishes.

This was my Mom's "wrapping" job on my present. It cracks me up.

I really love my coworkers. Jen took me out and treated me to lunch Monday.

Tuesday was my actual birthday, so I took the day off and my Mom treated me. My Mom is so funny, she posted on FB where and when we were going, and then said (in jest, I'm sure) that anyone who wanted to show up was invited.

Well I am so glad Katelyn and Brian took her at her word.

I didn't get a photo with anyone else, we ended up just having a good time talking and laughing, but my Mom and Dad were there along with sister Danielle, her son Jett, brother Mike, and of course Joseph. It was a fun lunch.

Wednesday my team took me out. We went to Ah-So. And sweet Asmahan picked up my tab. I felt so bad, because it was a little pricey. And I remember trying to pick up the tab (for her cheap sandwich!) for her birthday this year but she had a coupon and all I bought were her chips.

They told the server it was my birthday and I got a delicious dessert.

Then Thursday Laura took me out to lunch. Friday was a department celebration because we reached out goal for donating to United Way (they do it every year) so there was a delicious lunch provided. Fabulous way to end the week.

J got me some wonderful, thoughtful birthday gifts (to include an air compressor - I can finally use my nail guns!!!). One of my gifts was going to see the Iron Giant in theaters. It is such a cute movie, I really like it. They did a remastering (whatever that means) and had two new scenes. My brother Mike met up with us and it was a good night.

I don't mind getting older. I wonder if there will be a point when I do.

Next year is my ten year wedding anniversary, and my parents' 40 year wedding anniversary is right behind. We will be on a beach vacation. Oh yes.

Tiny

We were driving back from Abby's twins' birthday party Saturday night, August 15th. We had stopped at Chino Bandinos to get some delicious dinner. I had just passed the corner Walgreens and was in my neighborhood. And I slammed on my brakes to avoid what I thought was a rabbit. I missed the tiny creature and was about to keep going, when I noticed a guy on the side of the road, a ways away from his stopped vehicle. He looked like he had been chasing the rabbit. I was driving really slowly, staring at the guy, trying to figure out what was going on, when he turned around and went back to his car. Then I realized it wasn't a rabbit. I pulled my truck over. J asked what we were doing. I told him we were going after the dog. He was confused. "That wasn't a dog, it was a rabbit."

It was a tiny little dog who runs like a rabbit.

She was scared. Luckily we had the food in the truck and that really helped coax her over. We took her back to our house.

"We are not keeping her!"

J's brother Jacob and his wife Crystal had been on their way over to hang out. They arrived at our house minutes after we did. That's when Crystal found the ticks.

So we had to buy special tick bath and drops for her ears. Jacob and Crystal took off about 30 ticks. I am so glad they were there, I don't think I could have done that.

We looked for her family. She wasn't microchipped.  No one claimed her.

"We are not keeping her!!"

Luckily Crystal fell in love with her and wanted to keep her. So she went to live with Crystal and Jacob.

We babysat at few times.

This little dog does not like to be left alone. She only climbs the baby gates if she doesn't have someone with her. We lock up our old man Micah at night because otherwise he has occasional accidents (he is an otherwise potty-trained dog, so I think he is scared of walking around in the dark on his arthritic legs). While we had her, we had been keeping her locked up separately.

Then Crystal and Jacob decided they didn't want her. I asked J what the heck we were going to do with this tiny dog.

As a rule, I do not like small dogs. I was tricked into Micah. Osa is a medium-sized dog, so she doesn't count.

Small dogs are yappy and have small brains.

Well she is not yappy. She is a very quiet little dog. I was able to teach her a few things, like the bedroom is off limits and how to sit. We are working on potty training. It will look like she has it figured out and then she'll have an accident in the house.

We took her to the vet September 14th and he said she is just a puppy, 3-4 months old. So I am still hopeful regarding the potty training.

I had Osa trained in a day. But her brain is about 17 times bigger.

Once we buy you a collar and tag, you are official. So I am now the crazy person with three dogs and a cat.

I think the universe sent her to us. She plays really well with Osa, and Osa needed a buddy to play with. Lilly the cat and Micah the old man dog want nothing to do with Osa. It is very amusing watching a three pound chihuahua play with a 30 pound chow chow.  It did take a little while for Osa to figure out how to play with her. Osa would take her very large paw, which probably weighed more than the tiny dog, and shove her. The little dog did not like that. But Osa quit doing that and has figured out how to get her to play tag and tug of war. It's adorable. 

We lock her up at night with Micah, and she is perfectly happy behind that gate as long as she has her buddy. I think she will get the hang of potty training.

I didn't pick out a name for her because we were NOT going to keep her. I was just calling her Tiny. Well now she thinks that is her name and answers to it, so it's stuck.