Boxer – …on the B.L.

I love Christmas tree hunting even more beause of Beau. | Sweater | Jeans | Flannel | Boots | Beret

Christmas tree hunting has been a tradition my entire life.

What is the definition of Christmas tree hunting? For me, it means, first, locating a Christmas tree farm: one that grows Christmas trees. [My personal favorite in the Houston area is High Star Christmas Tree Farm. It’s north of Houston. They have amazing prices and friendly staff.] Once at the farm, the hunt is on. Grab a saw and a measuring stick. Find the plumpest, tallest, most symmetrical tree that your space allows. Lay down on the ground, saw that tree down. Shake it, bundle it, pay for it, put it in the truck, head home to set it up and decorate!

Every single year, minus 1999, 2014, and 2015, I have gone to a tree farm, hunted the perfect tree, and cut it down. By I cut it down, I mean, my father, my boyfriend, my friend, my boyfriend, anyone that wasn’t me cut it down. We’ll get to that in a moment. The reason for no tree hunting in 1999 was: My family and I weren’t home for Christmas. We were celebrating in California with family, so we decorated a Christmas cactus. 2014 and 2015 did not have a tree hunt because I was living with my best friend’s family, and they have a fake tree.

Beau loves the big dogs that moo so much!!!

Out of my thirty Christmases, I have had a real live tree personally cut down (by a someone close to me but not me) for twenty-seven of those Christmases.

The most fun part about Christmas trees… I’M ALLERGIC!!! Our love is greater than my inability to touch them. I have a commitment to real trees because I love them, I love their smell, I love having a real tree that I picked out of the ground. Luckily, I have people who love me enough to struggle cutting down a tree, setting it up, and decorating it. I, graciously, take on the role of manager, pastry chef, and barista. Everyone gets what they want, but mostly I do.

Loving on the best girl in the whole world.

Once Beau entered the family, she started coming on the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. This is her fourth year. This year, we have five extra dogs in the house. We decided to save our sanity, and only brought Beau with us to hunt. She loves it. She loved looking at the big dogs that go moo and rubbing up against the pine needles. She did her very best to try and greet every human and pupper she met. And per usual, she did not want to cooperate for family pictures, but I managed to get one nonetheless.

This is also the first Christmas in my own house. A house with a very high ceiling, a very large living room, and fireplace warranting a large ass tree. I managed to find the chonkiest twelve foot tree I could find. It is a giant of a tree. I love it so much. The amount of joy it brings me is too great for words. Pictures will be coming soon. Bringing it in, setting it up, and decorating it was a several day process because it’s very large and very beautiful. I am in love with my Christmas tree.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna + Beau

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Blog + Dog

New Mom, New House

July 15, 2020July 15, 2020 RaeAnna

Binge watching Netflix and Hulu with the kiddos. | Pajamas | Slippers

The puppies are only four months old. We’ve been in the house for a month and a half. Even Tess has only been with us for four and a half months. It’s all still pretty new.

Everyday is a new day with new challenges because the puppies are growing like crazy. Four months old, and they’re all almost or over thirty pounds. They’re about as big as their mama; she doesn’t tower over them anymore. They’re huge puppies and not super well trained because they’re puppies and there are four of them. So we’re constantly puppy proofing and trying to teach them how to behave. While also keeping them from teething on everything and peeing inside. Their big toofers are coming in, and they look like they have people dentures stuck in their mouth. (Although, I’m not sure there’s any other kind of dentures, so I probably didn’t have to specy “people dentures” on that one.) It’s funny, but they don’t stay still long enough to get a picture of this phenomenon.

We definitely have our work cut out for us. But there is a routine, and they’re doing so well. They know how to sit and – kind of – stay. They sit, stay, and wait for their food… almost. They go into their kennels on command. They’ve learned not to bite/nibble/chew on people and furniture. Shoes are another story. We have only had one accident inside in the last three weeks. They know not to play on the couch; that’s for sitting and sleeping and cuddling. They are super smart, which is good and bad. They learn quickly, but they’re smart enough to figure things out that I’d rather them not. Sometimes I call them my terrorist infestation, but all of the time I love them with my whole heart. There’s nothing better than coming home and seeing all six fur-kids in the window.

Tess is an angel. She has truly come into herself over the last four months. She is less neurotic than Beau. I have no idea how I got so lucky with such a smart, good girl. Training has been such a breeze with her. We haven’t done too much, but she knows sit and come, which are the most important anyways. She also knows when she’s getting a treat; that one she learned very quickly. She doesn’t like giving kisses, but she loves snuggles, playtime, and just being with me. I can pick her up and carry her around like the puppies. She is wonderful.

Tess is heartworm positive. Now that she has weaned the puppies, gained some weight, gotten comfortable, and as healthy as possible, we have started the de-heartworming process. She’s a month and a half in. Next month, she will have her first shot, and hopefully it goes well. She just had all her vaccinations, and she’s getting spayed and microchipped next month. She’s on her way to being healthy. I cannot wait for her to be able to run and play unhindered. I didn’t know if she would be a runner or player when she first came home. Being as heavily pregnant and sick as she was, she was happy to just sleep. Not anymore, she is rambunctious. It’s going to be great seeing her live her best, healthy life in a few months.

Beau has finally accepted the puppies are here to stay. She loves Tess, but the puppies took some getting used to. They are absolutely infatuated with her, but that’s probably because Beau is completely ambivalent towards them. Beau has made it known that I’m her mom first and their mom second. I think she’ll love them someday when they’re less tiny and stupid.

I am the kind of person that likes to have everything unpacked and organized right away. That did not happen. I’m new mom, new house tired.

We moved in with most of the puppies, who were the main priority. Now that we have it whittled down to the ones we’re keeping, life is working into a new rhythm. I finally have time to unpack and start painting… Except I’m still exhausted. I have been sleeping more and doing as little as possible because raising the puppies was exhausting and draining. I have needed to take some time to recuperate. The puppies are the main priority. Sleeping has been the second. Work has been the third. House has come very last. So only the essentials are unpacked. I’m starting to get back to my old self, so hopefully things will start shaping up around the house.

For now, I’m gonna go back to binge watching Peaky Blinders or stand-up comedy with my children.

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna, Beau, Tess, Knight, Duke, Makeda, + Bear

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Baked Goods, Blog + Dog, In The Kitchen

Adoption Day & Valentine’s Dog Treat Recipe

February 13, 2020 RaeAnna

Refusing to look at me until I gave her treats.

There was some impatience while I took her picture. She was getting treats, but having them in front of her was too much.

Beau will go down in history as the best Valentine’s present ever. Three years ago today, she came home with me. We have been through so much in the past three years, but I wouldn’t change a day of it. I love her with my whole entire heart. She is my world. If you know me or met me, you already know this. She is at the heart of my life and my happiness. I don’t know what I would do without her.

For as obsessed as I am with Beau, it’s a surprise I have never made her homemade dog treats. I did this year!!! She LOVES them. They’re completely safe for puppers and humans. Dylan tried the dough and the biscuits. He says they taste like peanut butter and pumpkin, which makes sense. Even if you’re not celebrting adoption day with your dog, the puppers in our lives deserve some Valentine’s love too. Honestly, they probably deserve it more than the humans in our lives. I love the humans, but I love the dogs more. Beau is perfect, so I made her some homemade dog treats and cut them into hearts because she cares so much… I don’t usually do hearts, but it’s Valentine’s season!!!

Dog Treats Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup Peanut Butter – safe for doggos
1 cup Pumpkin Purée
⅓ cup Vegetable Oil
2 Eggs
2 ½ cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°
Mix peanut butter, pumpkin, oil, and eggs until well mixed.
Add in dry ingredients. It will be a stiff dough but very oily.
Roll out on a floured mat. For little dogs roll it thinner. For bigger dogs, roll it thicker!
Cut out into whatever shape you want!
Place on cookie sheet. For a smaller biscuit, bake for 12 minutes. I baked mine for 15 minutes. For a hard biscuit make until there is no give when touched.
Let cool.
Then generously hand out to the dog in your life!!!

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

Blog + Dog

Fence Climbing Dog

January 16, 2020 RaeAnna

wp-1579159455927 — Running because she wasn’t cooperating and it was the only way to get her to go straight.

wp-1579159455978 — Walking away from the camera because you have to in order to walk towards the camera.

wp-1579159455948 — Staring at the other dogs who CAN’T climb fences. | Dog Collar | Yoga Pants | Hat | Leash

We went to the dog park today, which is not unusual, but I did find out about a fun new skill Beau has acquired.

Abandonment issues are something both Beau and I have in common. Although, hers are much worse than mine. I don’t freak out when my people are within eyesight. Beau does. If there is something keeping her from me and I’m walking away, she’s not a happy camper.

Setting the scene:
Dylan and I walked around the dog part as Beau zoomed and zipped and sniffed butts. She pooped all over the place. She did one last big poop as we were about to leave. Dylan stayed in the dog park with her to clean up the doo-doo pile. I walked to the truck to grab her towel and shampoo so we could clean the gross lake water off her.

Action continues:
As I walked through the gate to go to the truck, Beau started freaking out because the gate and the fence was in her way. She didn’t care Dylan was right there with her. She ran from one side of the gate to the other, SCREAMING!!! Beau was so very unhappy. Even though she could see me, she wasn’t with me.

New found talent:
I was at the truck and turned to look at her. Beau was CLIMBING the fence. When she was near the top of the fence, she looked over it and realized getting over it would be hard. She climbed back down the fence and continued to stare at me whining.

We were reunited a whole two minutes later. It was very devastating and emotionally traumatizing for Beau. I am, obviously, a terrible mother. She managed to survive the whole experience, and we’re curled up in our chair amid a pile of pillows. Tomorrow is a new day, and we will continue to work on our abandonment issues. For now (and hopefully forever) I will remain her dedicated stay-at-home dog mom.

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

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Blog + Dog

Ruff Holidays

January 8, 2020 RaeAnna

She’s excited to be able to go outside without three coats.

wp-1578525065381 — Puppy kisses are the best kisses.

wp-1578525065588 — There is no place like our chair. | [the softest] Pajamas | Bralette | Glasses | Blanket | Chair

As much as I love the holidays, sometimes they are really stressful. Holidays 2019 ended up stressing me out, but Beau was the one who suffered the most. She had a really rough holiday trip. It did not go so great for her, but the last leg was really the worst.

People always wonder how Beau does in the car for long periods of time. Honestly, she does great. I think she does a better job handling the car rides than I do. Then again, she gets to sleep, and we’d all die if I did that. So no issues there.

Beau stayed with Dylan and his family when I ran up to [not literally, I drove] my best friend’s in Minnesota. Dylan’s family has a German Shepherd, named Harley. He’s a lovely dog, but he likes to be all up in Beau’s face all the time. She loves to play, but she also likes to spend 92.3% of her time lying on the couch, sleeping. There was a ton of things going on combined with the dog, so Beau was on edge and stressed out of her mind.

On Christmas Eve, Beau came to my family’s house. She did really well except for the cats. She wanted to play with the cats and give them all the mouth cuddles. I really do mean mouth cuddles; she didn’t want to hurt them, but she loves to mouth things. Suffice to say, she was crazy pants, and it stressed me out. My hand got scratched up by one of the cats because I got between them during a “CUDDLE ME!!!”/“DON’T FUCKING COME NEAR ME” encounter. Come to find out: If I left her alone in the house with the family, she didn’t mess with the cats…. I swear, dogs are just like kids. They’re on their best behavior when the parents aren’t around. I’d rather have her behave when I’m not around and test her boundaries when I am, though.

So far so good. All of these things are completely manageable. A pain in the ass, but manageable. Part of life in a family. Part of life with a dog.

What made the trip really hard was at my parents’ house in Ames, Iowa. What happened was no one’s fault. I’m not harboring any anger, but it was traumatic for Beau and for me. This past fall, my parents’ rescued a new dog. His name is Barney, and he’s very sweet. We don’t know anything about his background, but he’s getting used to his new life in my parents’ house.

We pulled into my parents’ driveway just after dark and in the rain. We took the truck because it’s easier on Dylan’s back for long drives. We left Beau in the truck while we unloaded everything from the bed into the garage. Dylan let Beau out of the truck; Dad didn’t have a hold of Barney, and I was in the truck grabbing a few other things. All of a sudden, I heard snarling and screeching and yelling. I dropped everything and ran around the back of the truck. Beau was on top of Barney, and they were spiralling. It was like a horrible, terrifying scene of the worst dog fight you’ve ever seen in a movie. Dylan and Dad were trying to get them apart. I jumped in and reached between them (you’re not supposed to do that, but I’ll be damned if anything or anyone hurts my dog). I picked Beau up and had her in my arms. She was screaming, and Barney was hanging off of her with his teeth on her throat. My dad ended up punching Barney to get him to let go of her. Beau makes a lot of noise and pins other dogs when she’s attacked, but she doesn’t ever bite. Barney didn’t have a scratch on him. We thought Beau was fine because nothing was evident at first. An hour later, I looked at Beau, and her neck was covered in blood. Dylan and I took her into the bathroom. She had huge gauge marks on her neck and tons of scratches on her ears. She didn’t whine or complain once as we cleaned it, covered her in antibiotics, and wrapped her neck in a towel to protect it.

I sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. It was so bad, but it could have been so much worse. It wasn’t Barney’s fault or Beau’s fault. They’re both rescues. These things happen. Barney is still getting acclimated to his environment. By the end of the trip, they were getting along much better, but I won’t be leaving Beau alone with him in a room. Accidents happen. Beau’s wounds are all scabbed over and healing nicely. She was an absolute trouper. I can’t believe how brave and strong she was through every cleaning and disinfecting. It still makes my stomach churn when I think about it, but it’s behind us now.

We are VERY happy to be home. Beau is feeling much better after the holidays now that she’s in the comfort and predictability of home. We’ve been cuddling a LOT in our big comfy chair. The holidays are beautiful, but the everyday pieces of life are my favorite bits. I wouldn’t change these simple beautiful moments with Beau for anything in the whole wide world. Our chair is our happy place. I’m watching her snore, curled up in the chair as I type away.

bisous und обьятий,
RaeAnna

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wp-1578525065468 — That’s the *are you out of treats?* face.

Blog + Dog

Beau and Christmas Tree Hunting

December 4, 2019 RaeAnna

On the hunt for the perfect Christmas tree!!! | Beau’s Christmas Sweater | Black Shirt | Jeans | Sparkly Shoes |

201911298969766097102059910 — Posing while Beau is straining to greet passers by. | Beau’s Christmas Sweater | Sherpa Jacket |

The simple joys in life bring me the most happiness. Christmas tree hunting with Beau is one of the best things we do all year.

This was Beau’s third year Christmas tree hunting. She doesn’t contribute anything but cuteness to the adventure. Actually, it’s a total hassle bringing a dog. Trying to find the perfect tree to fit in the home I have and not the massive living room I wish you had and cutting down a tree with a saw while juggling an enthusiastic people greeter on black Friday at a Christmas tree farm is a hand full. Worth it! But a handful.

Last year, we took our Christmas picture at the Christmas tree farm. Beau was cooperative for picture last year. This year… a whole different story. We weren’t planning on taking the Christmas picture… but a nice picture would have been grand. There is ONE picture where she’s looking at the camera. The rest, she’s straining trying to go say ‘hi’ to all the people cooing at her. Suffice to say, we gave up on the family photo this year. *Insert our efforts here.*

THE good one. It was also the first one. | Black Shirt | Jeans | Sparkly Shoes | Beau’s Christmas Sweater | Dylan’s Buffalo Plaid Flannel |

Beau was more comfortable on the tractor this year. She even laid down. A cute little boy, named Leo, gave her a sticker. She didn’t love it, but she managed to keep it on until we got to the car. A five year olds feelings were not hurt on our search.

We’re working on decorating the tree today. It’s been up and decorated with lights since Friday, but we’ve been busy [read as: lazy], so it hasn’t been done yet. My office is decorated, and most of the house is decorated. Just the tree and a few garland strings need to be put up to finish the look!

Now it’s time to start baking because I have fun recipes coming your way for Christmas/winter inspired goodies!!!

Fun Fact: I am allergic to Christmas trees. I can’t touch them because they make me itchy. If they poke me hard enough, which is not hard at all, I break out in cute little pustules. Merry Christmas, I look like I have the plague.

bisous und обьятий,
Beau + RaeAnna

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Tag: Boxer

Christmas Tree Hunting in 2020; A Family Tradition

New Mom, New House

Adoption Day & Valentine’s Dog Treat Recipe

Fence Climbing Dog

Ruff Holidays

Beau and Christmas Tree Hunting