An Overdue Update...

I can't believe it has been so long since I updated the 'ol blog! I guess I have just been enjoying these last couple of weeks of summer break. :)

Derek's plate is very full but he seems to be handling it well and enjoying all things...from refacing cabinets, building entertainment centers, epoxying garage floors, going on estimates, discipling 3 young men from church, teaching every Sunday morning in High School/College Sunday School, going to golf tournaments and dog shows, being a husband and father....and, oh yeah, his full-time Deputy job!

Dillon has been in school now for two weeks and is in full swing of the Fall semester, balancing work, school work and time with Brooke. He is excited that this is his final year at COC and guess what? He submitted his application to Colorado State last week! :) It's hard to imagine that this time next year he will be in Colorado...it's exciting but it really hasn't hit me yet!

Dalton is a golfing fool! :) He loves golf and the opportunities he's been given to improve. He is working very hard in improving his game and getting ready to hopefully play college golf! Dalton can't wait to start his Senior year in 3 days! WOW...where has all the time gone? I can vividly remember his first day of Kindergarten...sniff sniff. His school load is light, as is typical of a Senior, and will be able to play more golf....he's quite excited about that.

Me? Well, I have enjoyed this summer break tremendously! It has been such a fun summer, I hate to see it end! :( I have been busy with Ruger, being a homemaker, wife and mother, lesson planning for Dalton and getting ready for my credential classes that begin on September 13th. Oh, and I need to make 5 batches of Boysenberry jam before the 13th! The people at Derek's work are begging for it! :)

Below are two posts with pictures...be sure to scroll all the way down! :) That's a wrap from Big Dawg Ranch...

Santa Barbara...

Last weekend Derek and I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Santa Barbara for a couple of days...hip hip hooray! With Ruger in tow, we attended our very first dog show and the weekend was officially "Ruger's Socialization Weekend". :) We met up with our breeder Jeannie (who handled 4 different dogs all four days of the show!), her daughter Kirsten (who is 17 and also a handler; she showed a female rottie all four days), and Ruger's dad's parents Rick and Sharon. We also met a lot of new people in the 'rottweiler world' and Ruger got acquainted with dogs he didn't know. Below is Ruger with his sister Luci. Luci is co-owned by Jeannie, Rick and Sharon. She is very sweet and the two of them rumbled and tumbled for two days! :) Love this butt shot...that's Jeannie holding a squeaky toy, that Ruger went nuts over...
The big boy "stacked" as they say in the dog showing world...really, is there a "Dog Show for Dummies" book available? If so, I need it!

On day two, during a break, we introduced the Pacific Ocean to Ruger and Luci... These pups LOVE Kirsten and she was great with easing their initial fears...

Kirsten took Ruger into the ocean and...

he LOVED it! He just stood there and let the waves come in and out...I would have loved to know what he was thinking. I know he had to be wondering what that sensation was under his paws as the water retreated!

This beach was great because dogs had to be leashed on one side but could be unleashed on the other. The pups loved being able to run around and play "ocean tag"... :) Both pups are sitting pretty lazybut they were exhausted!

Love this...

And this...Kirsten with Luci and Ruger...

We had such a great time and both Derek and I were not ready to go home! I think that is an indication that we need to get away more often. :)

Favorites...

favorite n. a favored person or thing.

It's been fun to see Ruger grow and develop into his own little (big) self! :) Some of his all time favorites things: taking a bath, eating ice, playing "rolla rolla rolla"(an invented game by Derek where the two of them roll on the carpet from one end of the bedroom to another...very funny!) Documented below are pictures of Ruger just "hanging out" in our bathtub... Whenever he has the opportunity he just jumps in and either plays with his toys or just lays down...hilarious! He will also stare at his shampoo, then at you and back at his shampoo while he is in there...no joke - he is definitely trying to tell us something!
If water is running in either tub or shower, Ruger comes running...this boy LOVES water and baths!

I've actually referred to the tub as Ruger's play pen...it's been great in keeping him occupied when I'm having to get ready to go somewhere...ha! :)