Europe Day 2

On Monday afternoon, Mom and I began our trip from Barcelona to Provence.  At the guidance of our wise friend, Rick Steves, we made a few detours along the way.  Most notably, was our day trip to Carcassonne, a remarkably intact, fortified city in Languedoc.

After Carcassonne, we drove a few hours until we reached our destination.  Mom met a couple from Georgia a few years ago while on vacation.  She kept in touch with them, and when we traveled to Europe, they generously insisted we stay in their summer home in Vers, France.  Not only did we save a pretty penny in lodging, we got to live like French natives, in a stone fortress, complete with a spiral staircase!

Mom and I settled in and planned our next day's adventures.  Only 2 more days til our best friends and traveling buddies, Jess and Cheryl, were set to arrive! To be continued....

Europe Day 1

One week after my birthday, I headed to Europe for a week with my Mom.  After months of hinting to my Mom that my passport was collecting dust, she caved in and planned a trip across the Atlantic. Of all the times I have been to Europe, I have never spent any time in Spain. Fortunately, Mom decided to begin and end our trip in Barcelona.  I arrived in Barcelona at 8AM (1AM in Nashville), and Mom had a full day planned.  I don't drink coffee, but I sure could have used one!

Seeing as we only had 1 full day there, I insisted we do the tourist thing and hit as many landmarks as possible.  Before checking into the hotel, we strolled down Las Ramblas, the long promenade that stretches through the heart of the city. Along each side were mimes, street performers, and vendors. 

After a shower and quick nap, Mom and I headed out for a bus tour of the town.  I was itching to see La Sagrada Familia, so we made this landmark our first stop. It was a gorgeous day for sightseeing and we spent the next few hours visiting other famous sites.

That night, we met up with our family friends, the Schmidts. We wandered around the old city, ate dinner, and stopped to check out the street performers. I even got to take part in one of their stunts!

The next day, we visited the famous La Boqueria, the colorful market which features local meats, produce, and other specialties. 

After this, we said Adios to Spain and began making our way across the border to France!

Rewind to April 29

It has been so long since I posted a blog, I almost forgot how to compose one! Needless to say, I have been quite busy. To those reading, thank you for sticking with me!  To recap I will start with my birthday.  April 29 fell on a Sunday this year, so I had an entire weekend to celebrate.  Will had his last exams EVER the first week of May, so I spent the beginning of the weekend in Knoxville with him, and the later part of the weekend in Nashville with friends and family.

Birthday Brunch in Market Square

It was a great 25th birthday.  My brother was in town, and friends new and old joined me at Jackson's for dinner.  It was one of the best birthdays yet! Thanks so much everyone who made it special!

Next up...EUROPE!

Bruce on the Loose

Bruce is already potty trained which is a blessing.  He is not, however, crate trained. After a few short but successful trial runs, I decided Bruce was ready to be out of the crate for a longer period of time.  I set up my puppy cam, left for work, and let Bruce roam around my room.  At lunch, I came home and my angel hadn't so much as ruffled a sheet.  


After much praise, I left for the second half of my day, confident that I would never have to put him back in that awful crate again.  When I returned home later, my room was in quite a different state.  If you ever wonder what your dog does while you're away, here's your answer.

He also thought that if he scratched at the carpet enough, he may be able to claw a tunnel into the living room. I was less than amused by his costly, failed attempt.

In order to avoid any further damage to my apartment, I begrudgingly put Bruce back in his crate this morning.  I came home at lunch, and as I opened the door, guess who came trotting out of my bedroom? My stomach did a flip. How did Bruce get out? Is there someone in my apartment? What damage has been done since Bruce escaped? How much does a new crate cost? I turned the corner and saw...

Somehow, the crate was not broken, and the door was still partially closed.  I had to head back to work, so I set up the video camera and put Bruce back in the crate.  I even turned on Animal Planet in an attempt to comfort my distraught pup.  I decided I would have to clean up the towel confetti Bruce had created later.  When I got home that evening, Bruce was once again sitting by the door.  This is what I saw upon reviewing the video footage.....

Amazingly, Bruce escaped unscathed, but I am too terrified of what could happen to him if he tries it again.  I will have to take my chances leaving him out of the cage.  If anyone has advice on how to keep your dog out of the crate AND out of trouble, please help me out!

Puppy Love

 I am thrilled to announce there is a new man in my life, and I think he's going to stick around for a while.  Everyone warned me I was getting too attached and would end up in tears when he left me for someone else.  After several meals together and a dozen long walks in the park, I couldn't bear the thought of losing him.  I found a way to keep him around for a long time.  He has blonde hair, brown eyes, and gives me lots of kisses!

That's right, I adopted Bruce!  I decided to be a foster mom to dogs so that I could really see if I was ready to take on the responsibility of pet ownership.  I can safely say, having Bruce in my life has made me happier than I ever thought.  I can almost see why people say becoming a mother or father is so amazing. Almost. 

 Not many places are dog friendly, and I don't like leaving my new child home alone.  Until I can trust Bruce by himself in the apartment, I really am having to prioritize my errands.  I just don't ever want to leave this snug bug!

Wish me luck as we try to master crate training this week! 

Bruce the Tank

Critter Cavalry is a great organization that rescues animals from overcrowded shelters in Kentucky and Tennessee.  Only 1 in 10 animals are adopted from shelters.  If the animals are not adopted, they are euthanized.  Critter Cavalry has volunteer foster parents who take these helpless pets and give them a temporary home until they are adopted.

On Friday while I was at work, Will went to pick up Bruce, my first foster dog from Critter Cavalry.  He is what I call a chorgador: a Chow, Corgie, Labrador mix.  

+

+

=

He looks like a lab on short legs with a black tongue.  We have fondly nicknamed him Bruce the Tank.  He is gentle, low-maintenance, and beyond adorable. We went on a few walks this weekend and literally everyone that saw Bruce stopped us to comment on his cuteness or to take a picture.  Will calls him "our novelty" because he truly is one-of-a-kind.

When someone does adopt him, I will undoubtedly cry as I watch him waddle away.  Until then, I am thoroughly enjoying having this chug-a-lug around.  If you or anyone you know is interested in adopting Bruce or becoming a foster puppy parent, please contact me!

I Can Hardly Believe It, but....

I became a Godmother over the weekend to this sweet thang.  She is 4 months young today!

I feel beyond honored that Wilson and Tippins have given me the opportunity to take on this role in Elle's life.  It was a very special weekend to me, and it was great to have my Mom in Murrells Inlet to share in my happiness. 

Mom meets Elle

Daniel (godfather), Wilson, Elle, Tip, and me

The proud parents and grandparents 

Elle with her aunties 

Me, ML, and Jane Emerson

Congratulations Elle, as you begin this wonderful journey with Christ.  I can't wait to share all these pictures with you someday. Right now, I may not know the difference between a table runner and a burp cloth, but, I can happily say, I have a reason to learn!