When you love someone, show it.

Our dogs find it impossible to play "hard to get." When they are happy, they show it. When they're upset, they show it. They are constantly wearing their hearts on their sleeves, so to speak. They can't hold grudges, they can't hide their feelings (although Grace knows how to manipulate). They forgive freely and easily and life goes on to the next game of fetch. To constantly live in the moment and remember no past trespasses must be liberating. Even when they are being punished, they wag their tales. When they are disciplined, they still know we love them and are unable to harbor ill will.

Another thing that's impossible for our dogs is multi-tasking. When there is a task at hand, they pour their hearts and souls into that one thing, whether it's fetch, running, napping, chewing their bones, etc. I recently read that this is one of the keys to true happiness: to be able to focus on one task at a time and do it extremely well. To think about anything other than the present risks undermining our happiness. Pete is incredibly good at having a one-track mind, always involving a ball or treats. My personal goal for the near future is to just be very good at what I am doing in the moment. Not to worry about how much further I have to run, not to worry about projects I know are coming down the pipe, just to be completely devoted to the now.

Chris has been out in the field now for three days, and it feels like three weeks. We are all missing him terribly. I took the dogs for a walk last night, and Grace took disliking strangers to a new level: she barked at an infant in a stroller. Definitely need to work on her manners and get that under control. She used to be much more well behaved, but Pete has created a strange new dynamic. I know Grace would never actually bite anyone, but she does have a nasty bark. Pete and I are working on a new trick, only to be unveiled when Chris comes home next weekend : )

Don't trust strangers.

Grace is especially good at this rule. She barks and gets all poofy around strangers. She takes a little longer to warm up to new people than Pete does. Then again, Pete doesn't feel that he needs to prove himself. Grace feels the need to act tough, or Pete gives her a false sense of confidence. One of the two.

Anyways, I need to write about the run I had last night. I'm paying for it today, but it was one of "those runs." If you're a runner, you know what I'm talking about. I am not a runner, but I have experienced these mythical runs once in a blue moon. I hadn't even planned on running last night. It was almost 7 and I had just finished Cheetos and Coke Zero. Something lured me to pull on my New Balance Minimus' and put on my watch. I was pretty upset that my iPod wasn't charged, but I decided to head out anyways. As soon as my feet hit the pavement, I knew. This was going to be one of those runs. My feet felt the pavement through my minimal shoes. The sun had just slid behind the mountains, but the sky was still pink and orange. The heat from the day had mostly evaporated and there were cool spots pooling under trees. My head and my body were working as one. My form was flawless. Breathing wasn't labored at all. It felt so natural, like I could keep doing this for the rest of my life and never get tired. Even as I felt every stride through my shins and calves, it felt good, I actually enjoyed the sensation as it meant I was running and alive. No headphones, minimal shoes, little training over three miles. None of it mattered. I had no deadline, no pressure, no reason to run other than I wanted to. I smiled at people I passed, said "hello." Every time I approached a turn that would take me back home, I kept going, knowing that it was only making the return longer. Everything was perfect. Euphoric almost. 5.56 miles later, and some severe chaffing, I returned back to my driveway. It was one of those feelings that to continue running would feel better, and be easier, than to stop. It was amazing.

If I tried to recreate it tonight, it may only turn into a couple horrible, agonizing, winded miles. But last night will have made it all worth it. Runs like last night keep me going, keep me hopeful, keep me optimistic. Last night, I will not soon forget.

They always know.

So Chris just left for the field this morning. We will be going for two straight weeks without him, then we will at least get to see him on weekends for the subsequent four weeks. Grace and Pete knew something was up last night. They moped around the house, napped more than usual, poutted. Grace has an incredible sad face, by the way. Pete has a pretty good confused face. All I have to do is pick up my iPod and the dogs think they're going for a run. Running shoes, same thing. Running watch, same thing. If I pick up my keys and purse though, they seem to know I'm leaving and they are staying.

This weekend was not a very eventful one. Chris finished his first class in his Master's program. I got a TON of housework done. The dog we are sitting for ate half a television remote, so that was fun. We picked up more firewood and had a nice little bonfire Saturday night. We stopped by the Humane Society and played with some of the dogs for awhile. Chris spent a couple hours packing for the field. We watched football, talked to family, played with the pups. I made of list of potential projects to keep me busy around the house for the next couple weeks (buying pumpkins to carve is on the list). Most of the following blogs will be a way for Pete, Grace, Jake, Lil' Lou and I to chronicle our adventures in Chris' absense. The dog park may be in order.

I found this poem in one of the recesses of the internet, and it brings me to tears every time I read it:

RESCUE POEMOnce I was a lonely dog,
Just looking for a home.
I had no place to go,
No one to call my own.
I wandered up and down the streets,
in rain in heat and snow.
I ate what ever I could find,
I was always on the go.
My skin would itch, my feet were sore,
My body ached with pain.
And no one stopped to give a pat
Or a gently say my name.
I never saw a loving glance,
I was always on the run.
For people thought that hurting me
was really lots of fun.
And then one day I heard a voice
So gentle, kind and sweet,
And arms so soft reached down to me
And took me off my feet.
"No one again will hurt you"
Was whispered in my ear.
"You'll have a home to call your own
where you will know no fear,"
"You will be dry, you will be warm,
you'll have enough to eat"
"And rest assured that when you sleep,
your dreams will all be sweet."
I was afraid I must admit,
I've lived so long in fear.
I can't remember when I let
A human come so near.

Act first, think later.

So this may not be the best advice in all situations, but it definitely promotes living in the moment. Enjoy the here and now and you likely won't have many regrets later, right? People tend to regret things they didn't do, not things they did. In the simplest of ways, our dogs live this motto every day.

Example: Grace can easily clear the fence in our backyard, often playing with neighbor dogs on their home turf, much to the dismay of their owners (we're working on this). We never imagine Pete would be able to clear the fence due to his low center of gravity and hearty waistline. We found we were wrong. Several nights ago, I put Pete in the backyard so I could go for a run without worrying about cleaning up an "accident" when I returned home. I made it almost out of our neighborhood when I looked down to realize that Pete was running with me. We turned around, ran home, and I put him in the house. This morning they went out to go to the bathroom before I left for work. Grace jumped the fence, and adrenaline must have, in turn, lifted Pete over the fence. When I called them back in, Grace bounced right back into the yard and pranced into the house. Pete, on the other hand, was stranded in a strange backyard with no remaining adrenaline to lift him back over. A couple pitiful jumps proved futile. Just as I was about to pull out of the driveway to circle the block and free him through their gate, he must have realized the seriousness of the situation, and fear of punishment gave him the boost he needed to catapault back into our yard.

Act first, think later. Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission; that's the dog's motto. Even as he was getting scolded for leaving the yard, his tail was still wagging which was frustrating at best. Grace knows she's smarter and faster than me so her scolding fell on deaf ears.

Chris and I have both realized lately that life has become increasingly busy and slowing down to enjoy things has become impossible. We're going to try to take this weekend to just relax and spend time together before he leaves for the field for six weeks. I'm sure the pups will enjoy the undivided attention : )

"In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semihuman. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog." - Edward Hoagland

Animal Hoarders

Our friend Josh has been transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore for further treatment on his noggin'. They still haven't decided if the tumor is cancer, but another round of MRI's today should help clear up the picture. Either way, they are receiving the best care possible.

In light of Josh and Amanda's journey to Maryland, we are pet-sitting their animals for the time being. Their cats are fine to stay at their house with a daily check-in, but we have moved their boxer-mix (Murphy) in with us for convenience reasons. Chris and I used to joke about being animal hoarders, but now realized that we are not, and could never be. All of the dogs are fairly well behaved for the most part, with the exception that they are all two years old and over 40 pounds. Two of them being male, it's a constant "marking" war in the backyard. Grace tends to keep to herself (with her bone of course). All of them needing to go to the bathroom in the morning, then herding back in the house for breakfast with muddy paws, puts me on the verge of an anxiety attack. But then I remember back to when Chris and I went to Gulf Shores with my family for spring break and boarded Grace. I would have rather gotten up at 5 am every morning to let her out, than be without her. So when we start to grumble, I try my hardest to put it all back in perspective.

In other news, most of our friends are all deployed now. If you'd like addresses to send care packages, please just let me know. The FOB one friend is stationed at had their dining facility and kitchen get bombed so he's happy with dried muffin mix for now. I know they all appreciate every little bit.

Chris is doing very well leading his platoon. We're both hoping for an XO or Specialty Platoon next! This is the last week Chris is home before he deploys to the field for six weeks. He'll go two straight weeks out there, then come back on weekends. Every time Chris leaves for the field, I seem to accumulate another dog to care for on my own :) I think this will be the longest stint we've gone sithout seeing each other since we've lived with each other.

Chris' school is going well, I have applied to UTEP for their Master's program. My work is going very well. I survived the end of the Federal fiscal year, but nothing seems to be slowing down yet! We will be buying tickets this week to head to Michigan for Thanksgiving. And to all family reading this, after this year, we're expecting family to come to us for a couple holidays.

Marathon training is underway and it is horrible....need to keep thinking positive. Chris received acceptance of his annulment case so now we just wait for the final decree. The sooner the better so we can get this Church wedding moving! Chris and I are debating volunteering at an animal shelter in town a couple days a month. We really like the work that the Humane Society does, and we'd get to play with the animals without the responsibility of caring for another one full-time : )

"If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men." - St. Francis of Assisi