Project 52 - July 2014 {4}

Week 4 - Numbers

~ Pictures are now uploaded and ready for viewing! Thanks for your patience. ~

I started off this week not knowing what to make my theme this week.  It was a very busy week so I really didn't know when I was going to find the time.  In the town of Oshkosh, WI we have an air show every year called EAA AirVenture and it is big, like 500,000 people big!  Our small town gets over run by tourists for a week every year!  Everything is busy and the hotels are booked.  So booked that people rent out their homes to tourists.  We decided to try this out last year and it worked out very well.  The two couples that stayed at our house were very nice and everything was the same when we got back from our vacation.  We decided to post our home for rent again this year and have two men staying that are working at the air show.  They assured us they are "calm" people that have houses of their own and will look after our home for us.  I had to laugh at this!  While it's very nice to know this and hope that everyone that stays at a rented home treats it better than their own, it's just funny that they had to say this to us.  I hope they enjoy our home as much as we do.

OK, sorry, got a little off track!  When you rent your house out, you want it (or at least I do) to look it's best so I've been cleaning for a couple of weeks but this week was the final push to get it all done. I was working almost all day cleaning and getting everything ready that I just didn't have it in me to even think about Project 52.  But I made myself do it because I knew I wanted to and would be disappointed in myself if I didn't.  So, I took an hour or so out of cleaning and took a walk downtown Oshkosh to look for numbers.  With my Nikon D610 fitted with a macro lens, I played the "I spy with my little eye" and walked up and down Main Street.  It was a beautiful afternoon and it's interesting what you see when you're looking at the little things.  I saw all great ideas for future themes!

I walked into Crescent Moon antiques to find some numbers.  I knew they'd have some cool old stuff!  Well of course they did but they were closing right then.  The owner did let me take a couple pictures before I had to go.  She actually got a little excited about it and led me to some items to shoot.  She was really nice and I'm glad I was able to get some images.  If you're in town you must go visit her shop.  She's great and she has some really awesome vintage items!

As my husband was driving down 9th Avenue and I was looking at the sights of the town, I noticed that someone's actual address is "666."  Can you believe that?!?  I'm sure this is not uncommon but I had never seen it before.  Plus, I've gone down this street many, many times and never noticed it before.  I don't know if I'd buy or even rent a house with that address.  Even if it was my dream house!  Just a little too creepy for me.  What about you?

Well, I edited the images real fast and I was done for my theme.  Yay!

Project 52 - July 2014 {3}

Week 3 - A day in the life of Abby

If you saw my "sneak peek" post you'll already know that Abby is our 7 year old yellow lab.  She is a part of our family just like any other member and we love her so.

We picked up Abby from a farm when she was 7 weeks old.  My husband and I went to check her out first and decided she was the one for our family.  We came home and told our daughter the exciting news and boy was she over joyed!  After going to the pet store and buying all the items for our first puppy, all three of us went to pick Abby up at the farm.  The breeder told us after we had left earlier that week, another couple had come from Chicago and wanted the same puppy we did and offered the breeder 3x what she was asking!  Can you believe people would even ask someone to do that???  We were all so happy the breeder kept her promise to us and didn't sell Abby to the Chicago couple.  That would have been so devastating for us (and especially our daughter!).

We got her home and started our life with our new addition to the family!  All of us had fun watching her grow up to be the beautiful dog she is today.  I trained her in obedience and agility for almost two years.  I never competed her but had fun training her and glad I did because she listens to me (most of the time anyway!).  Abby definitely has a personality and we have nicknamed her "Crabby Abby!"  Which is unusual for a lab to be called crabby but she likes her space and can get "crabby" when you try to touch her when she doesn't want to be touched.  Don't get me wrong, she's still a mild tempered dog, she just moans and groans when you pet her and she is sleeping.  She allows it but lets you know she doesn't really care for it in the nicest way possible.

Here are a few things about Abby's day and what she does.

When one person gets up in the morning, Abby (who sleeps on her bed in the living room) just looks at them from her bed and doesn't move.  When two people (usually my husband and myself) are up, that's her signal it's time for her to get up.  It doesn't matter which one of us gets up first, there just has to be two people up.

We go for walks in the morning before her breakfast and she just loves this!  For breakfast and dinner time, we get her dish, bring it downstairs to fill it up with food.  She waits at the top of the stairs (see picture below) for us and sniffs what is in her dish (I guess you never know what might be in there, haha!).  Abby knows to sit nicely, while I put her dish of food down, and refresh her water.  All while she sits and patently waits.  I finally give her the "OK" and it's chow time!

After a meal, it's play time!  If I am eating and not ready to play with her, Abby will wait and stare at me till I am ready (you know there are other people in the house that can play with you too.  Just sayin').  Every year I notice the amount of play time gets less and less.  It doesn't take much to tire her out these days.  She loves the "chase" game though.  That is where I chase her around the house trying to get the toy away from her!  She's a tease!

Then she lays around the house finding different places to sleep every so often during the day.  When it gets nice out, she just wants to be outside all day (unless it's hot).  She'll sunbathe on our driveway for as long as she can stand it.  And when she's ready to come in, she gives us one bark to let us know she's done.

When I have the front door open, Abby loves to look out and see what's happening in the neighborhood.  Plus, lay in the sun spot!

Abby loves to also play tug!  This is usually a good one to play outside only (more room & better grip on her footing).  She'll go between wanting to play catch and wanting to play tug.  And then there's those times she wanted to play catch and then drops to the ground and rolls over for a tummy scratch!  Love it!

Our daughter just adores Abby and loves it when Abby gives her attention.  Abby loves sniffing and licking her ears (see picture below).  I'm not sure why (they're not dirty, haha!) but it makes our daughter laugh (anyone that has a teenager knows this can be a rare thing).  It's very cute to see them together and it always brings a smile to my face.

Seven years has gone by very fast and it's hard to believe Abby will turn 8 years in November.  She has touched our lives and hearts like no one else could.  We are so lucky to have her in our family.  She brings us such joy and I can only hope that we give her the same amount of joy.

P.S.  I am really happy with the amount of images I captured with her looking right at the camera.  This might not seem like a big deal to some but it is to me because Abby is "camera shy."  She hates having her picture taken.  She will see anyone with a camera/phone pointing in her direction and she will look away usually before you can take the picture!  What a stinker!

Enjoy!

Project 52 - July 2014 {3} - Sneak Peek!

Week 3 - A day in the life of Abby {Sneak Peek!}

Abby is my 7 year old yellow lab.  She is just like a family member to myself and my family.  Life would be so boring without her!  This is a short video from the first couple of weeks after we brought her home.  She was probably around 8-10 weeks old and so cute!  It's hard to remember her so little.  They grow up so fast (but I am glad she's trained now)!  She still has a lot of this puppy still left in her.  She just loves to play!  

Hope you enjoy this sneak peek of what I'm working on this week.  Check back on Monday July 21st for the Project 52 images!

~ While going through some old photos, I came across the photos we took of Abby with her brothers and sister.  Plus, us taking her home and of her first few weeks with us.  I just have to share these too because she is so darn cute!  Hope you like them as much as I do!

~ This is when we picked her out of the litter. 

~ All her siblings were sleeping so she just went right on the top of the pile!

~ Saying "goodbye" to her mom.

~ Yay, my first bone!

~ I love sleeping with my sister.

~ My favorite toy ... ever (we now have "Mr. Quakers" the fourth or fifth - I lost track!)

~ Both are so young and small. Not anymore!

~ Me and my sleeping baby!

~ Let me help you, dad!

~ One of my favorite places to play with my toys!

~ Me and Abby

~ My husband and Abby