Merry Merry!



Max and I hope you have the merriest of all Christmases!!



Baby, it's cold outside...

ABCs...

A couple of years ago, I compiled a list A-Z of things for which I'm thankful.  I created a list for this year and compared it to my first one.  Though some of the things are the same, there are many new things added this year!

Here's my 2011 list:

A: Another day!  Though life is hard and exhausting, I'm grateful for each new day I'm here on this Earth.

B: Brothers (in-law)!  They're just fantastic.

C: Computers!  What was life like before Internet, email, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger, and Pinterest?

D: Deep South Pout!  My new favorite boutique in Starkville.  Love the clothes and atmosphere but love the people even more!:)
E: Eight-year-olds!  Though my students drive me nuts sometimes, I still love them dearly (all 25 of them!)!
F: Friends!  I have THE.BEST.
G: Grandparents!  They all hold a special place in my heart. 
H: Henry! My almost 5 year old nephew.  My buddy!

I: Independence. I'm 30 years old and single.  Being on my own and knowing I can make it on my own, is a wonderful feeling.  I'm thankful that I am don't depend on a spouse (or anybody else!) to survive!  God really is all I need. 

J: Jones!  My 1 1/2 year old nephew.  My favorite little man.

K: K-Love!  Besides country music radio stations, this is the only other station I listen to!

L: Laughter.  As Charlie Chaplin says "A day without laughter is a day wasted."  Couldn't agree more.

M: Max!  My pup (duh).

N: Noelle!  My sweet new niece...

O:  Old people.  Seriously. You can learn so much from them!

P: Parents!  I'm blessed.

Q: QUIET'NESS'.  Those who know me well, know that as social as I can be, I also very very much love "me" time.

R: Relationship with God!  It's the most important of them all!

S: Sisters!  They're my favorite!  I would be a sad person without them.

T:  Teacher friends!  What would I do without them?

U: MY University--Mississippi State of course!

V: Veterans!  Never will we ever be able to repay all of those who have served or are continuing to serve in the military and fight for our great country.  As I've gotten older, I've begun to appreciate the selflessness of these men and women more and more.  If you are one of them, then THANK YOU!

W: Wireless capabilities!  Confession: I love my cell phone!

X: X-mas.  Not a fan of the "x" replacing the "Christ", it was the best I could do with this letter.  Christmas is, after all, the most wonderful time of the year!

Y: Yesterday.  Not literally, but you know what I mean here.  I'm thankful for my past.  I've felt lots of happiness and lots of sadness.  My heart has been broken, abused, stomped on, cheated, and hurt, but I'm THANKFUL for that.  I wouldn't be who I am without the good times (and bad times!) of my past.

Z: zzzzzzzzz.... Never will you meet someone who values a good night's sleep as much as I do!

I'd love to read your ABC list!  If you create one and post it to your blog, leave me a comment and
let me know so I can check it out!

Happy Thanksgiving week!

5!

My Max is 5 today!

Although neurotic and slightly crazy, he's still my main man and my best buddy! :) Today he's 5, and will definitely be receiving extra belly rubs and treats today!

Again I say, what would I do without this guy?

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." - Roger Caras

30 day blog challenge- Day 27

Day 27-Pets

Well duh. This is a no-brainer of a post.

Say hi to Max.

He's the only pet I've ever had to myself and although he's crazy and neurotic at times, I can't imagine what my life would be like without this little guy!

Here are a few things I love about him:

1. He LOVES tolerated Santa long enough to get his picture taken with him. 2. He loves me. Sometimes he "shows his love for me" by not allowing others anywhere near me. Some find this trait annoying, but I take it as a compliment. :)
3. He hates Ole Miss. That's my boy!
What's not to love about a dog?

"If you don't own a dog, at least one, there is not necessarily anything wrong with you, but there may be something wrong with your life."

Roger Caras

He's only a little confused.

Apparently Max thought we were playing Ole Miss today. Even when I explained to him that we were playing LSU, he still insisted on wearing his "favorite" shirt.

He's still hoping Ole Miss loses today.

What a smart boy he is.

a much better Max.

Emily, a teacher friend of mine, requested that I post a recent picture of Max so everyone could see how much better he looks! I know I told you that he was doing so much better, but I guess I neglected to post a picture so you could see for yourselves. Compare this picture of him to the one I posted just a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, he looks AND feels so so much better! I love him.

I apologize for the demon-possessed-looking eyes he has here. Ha! Not sure how to take care of "green eye" in pictures...

RELIEF.

GREAT NEWS!

I had to wait over a week to get Max's test results, but I found out today that MAX IS FINE! I said before that Max's dr. was hoping it was a bacterial infection, but he was afraid that it was too severe and he was preparing me to hear not-so-good results. I honestly was expecting to hear that Max had something severe that was going to cause him to be on medication for the rest of this life as well as shorten his lifespan. The thought of that terrified me. Seriously.

I was absolutely relieved to find out today that it really was just a serious bacterial infection that will cause no long term problems. He looks and feels so much better, THANK GOODNESS!

Oh, and just in case I've failed to mention it before, I LOVE MY DOG.

If you're single and live alone, I hope I don't find out because I will find a way to convince you to get a pet DOG! :)

Oh, and about the house that I wanted to so badly?...Well...unfortunately I was let down once again. :( It fell through and YES, I was disappointed, but oh well. That's life, I guess...Sad.

But did I mention that Max was healthy and happy again?

Welcome back, Dave.

So...after about a 2 month hiatus from good 'ole Dave Ramsey, he's reentered my life. I found it nearly impossible to stick to the envelope system during the holidays. I did well with my Christmas shopping, but I shamefully didn't stick to the "just use cash" rule.

2010 is well underway though, and I'd really like to get back on track with Dave.

So, if there's still a week left in the month and I want to go to dinner with friends, but find that there is no money left in my "recreation" envelope? Well...I'm just going to be out of luck.

Anyway, I've got to really really start pinching those pennies again.

Why you ask?

Well...

Perhaps you remember me flirting with the idea of buying a house. I've been looking a lot and praying even more and a few weeks ago I found a house I really liked! So after much thought, I made an offer on it, but unfortunately it fell through. :(

I continued looking at other houses and came across another one that I LOVE (even more than the 1st!)! I actually made an offer on it this weekend and I'm waiting to hear back. I'm trying not to get my hopes up, but I really REALLY want this one to work out!

Cross your fingers for me, will ya?
I'll definitely keep you posted...

I'm also still waiting to get Max's biopsy results back, so be expecting an update (hopefully a GOOD ONE!) soon! Thank you much!

poor little guy.

Thanks so much for praying for my buddy today. I worried about him all day and was relieved to get him home with me a little while ago. Here's a picture of him:Doesn't he look pitiful? It breaks my heart. He had to have a couple of stitches, and I think he's in a good bit of pain right now. They had to cut the hair around his mouth and nose which makes these horrible sores even more noticeable. His eyes even look swollen to me.

Please keep praying for this little guy! We'll get the test results back next week sometime. The Dr. said that hopefully it's just a severe bacterial infection, but if that IS what it is, he's never seen it this bad before. That's a little discouraging to hear!

My sweet little Max.

Max.

Hey friends. I need to talk about my best buddy, Max tonight. The poor pup has been a little under the weather for the past day or so.

A couple of days ago I noticed a rather large sore around Max's mouth. I was hoping it would go away on it's own, but instead, it spread and now he's got sores covering his entire nose and mouth. I've never seen anything like it. It really hurts me just to look at him! I freaked out when I noticed them last night.

Needless to say, I took him to the Vet immediately after school today and he was even a little unsure about what was causing it, but it doesn't look or sound good. I've got to take Max back in tomorrow morning and he'll have to spend the day at the Vet. They've got to put him under anesthetics and get a biopsy. They'll then have to send it off to Texas A&M (for some reason), and then I'll have to wait for a few days to get the results. I'm hoping for a good, treatable diagnosis, but I'm still worried. He's not really eating, he doesn't want to play, and he's just not being himself. I'm sad.

I know he's "just a dog," but if you've followed my blog long enough, you should know by now that he's sorta, kinda, just a little special to me.

And while there are so many people who need prayers tonight, could you please squeeze little Max onto your prayer list? His mommy would greatly appreciate it.

I'll let you know as soon as I find out what's wrong with him.

Thank you much.

LT

not really loving the whole "time change" thing...

I'm a very routine person...I eat breakfast at 6, lunch at 11:45, and ideally I like to eat dinner around 6. I guess my child dog has picked up on some of his mommy's character traits...

He eats EVERY night at 5:00. And don't worry...if it's after 5, he'll LET ME KNOW. Today he starting telling me that he was hungry around 4 (and YES, he does TELL me when he's hungry!). I finally realized that his little 8 lb body hasn't quite adjusted to the time change!

Take a look. I just think he's the cutest thing here.

Oh...and uh..go ahead and ignore my whiny, high pitched annoying voice. If you've been around Max, you know that the higher your voice, the more he tilts his head! :)

Oh, and in case you're wondering, I did feed him a little early. I mean, how could I say "no" to that? :)

Max (aka "Big Bird")

So...here's Max's Halloween costume (thanks for sharing it, cousin Sophie!). As you can see, he's beyond thrilled about it. HA!

So, what's YOUR child (OR pet!) going to be for Halloween this year?

Max is 3!!!!

My best buddy turns 3 today! I'm going to refrain from posting an A-Z list about this little guy, because I don't want any one to call me names (you know, like "psycho," "crazy dog lady," etc). BUT, if you're a loyal reader to my blog, you know that Max has been through a lot with me. I look at him everyday and think about how happy he makes me! If you have a pet, you probably understand. This is the picture I always use when talking about Max. In fact, I think it's the only decent picture I have of me holding him. This was taken the day I got him. He was only a few weeks old. I fell in love with him immediately. :)

And all of you single people out there who live by yourselves: GET A DOG. I've preached this several times on the blog, but I'm serious. It's life changing.

He's 21 in people years. That means he's legal. Think I should put a little something in his water bowl? ;) I don't know; maybe that would make me a bad mom.

Happy birthday little guy!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Happy Halloween!

Love, Laura ("Little Red Riding Hood") and Max (my "little devil" who totally needs a hair cut and refused to cooperate for this picture!). :)

Max...

Sweet Max was diagnosed with a serious case of Separation Anxiety and will now be on medication for this problem. HOPEFULLY this will help get readjusted to my schedule. Apparently he is upset with me for leaving him everyday, and his way of showing it is by becoming aggressive towards me. I guess it makes sense. And yes, I take full responsibility for my dog having to take ANXIETY MEDICATION FOR DOGS. Seriously?

Maybe it's a good thing I don't have any children.

Anyway, I appreciate you understanding how important this little guy is to me and by leaving your sweet comments of concern.

Hopefully this is an easy fix.

Have a great day!

WANTED: DOG WHISPERER

Where are you Cesar Millan? You need to head down south and meet my Max.

Here's the lastest situation I've been dealing with. Any suggestions/advice that you may have will be greatly appreciated as I am at a complete loss!

I do want to preface the following by telling my readers that I love my dog. A lot. I got him 2 years ago, 2 weeks after I began living alone and he really is the best thing I've ever done for myself. He's loyal, protective, and very sweet natured and I have never regretted my decision to dig into my savings account to purchase him.

Max has become VERY aggressive lately--and I don't mean "playfully" agressive. As I've mentioned, he's very very protective of me. Some of you have witnessed what he is like around me. He doesn't want ANYONE to come near me and he follows my every step. Apparently he's not into sharing. Do I like this behavior? Of course not, but I've always felt that this was his way of demonstrating his loyalty to me. THE PROBLEM: He's becoming aggressive towards ME! This is totally new. He's always loved on me and wanted me to pick him up and cuddle. He sleeps with me at night and stays in his kennel (which is like his little home), and has never seemed to mind being in there. Over the past couple of weeks, though, sometimes when I go to pick him up, he growls and even shows his teeth! And putting him in his kennel in the mornings? That's a totally different story. Not only does he growl at me and show his teeth, but he's even snapped at me before! I don't know what to do. This has become an everyday thing to the point where I dread every morning when I have to put him in his kennel. I'm planning on visiting the vet soon and discussing this new behavior. Hopefully he can offer some assistance. I just have no clue what's brought on this new behavior.

He has such a playful, sweet natured personality, so this is totally unlike him at all.

Any dog experts out there?

I really need to become friends with Cesar.

Happy 2nd birthday to the love of my life...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAXWELL!!!

That's right! Today is Max's 2nd birthday! He knows it too. When we woke up this morning, I immediately started playing with him and telling him happy birthday. He is so excited! As many of you know, I am as attached to this dog as anyone can possibly be. I live alone, and getting him in '06 was the best thing I could have done for myself. It was BY FAR the best ___ dollars I've ever spent. :)

Those of you who know Max, understand why he's so easy to love. He's sweet natured and loves to play with anybody (well....almost anybody). He's VERY overly protective of me and has snapped at people more than once if they get too close to me. He follows me around everywhere I go. It's always safe to assume that if he's not right at my feet, he's probably somewhere doing something that he isn't supposed to be doing! When I have a bad day, Max is there to help me forget about it. When I'm sad or sick, Max knows it, and he'll sit in my lap and snuggle as long as I need him to.

Maybe you think I'm kidding or exaggerrating a bit. Judge me if you wish, but I flippin love this dog.

Finding a couple of my favorite pics of him is difficult. Therefore, I'm posting multiple pics for you to see. Enjoy!

Max's birthday cake last year. That's right...he had a cake. And it looked like him.

Max's innocent face when he got busted eating toilet paper.

One of his favorite hiding spots. The laundry basket....weird I know.

Our '06 Christmas card picture. Yes, you read that correctly. I sent out Christmas cards with THIS picture on it. What's wrong with that?


His first visit with Santa.

Showing his love for the bulldogs. (Sorry, Trace!).

I love this picture. He hides behind the couch when he knows I'm about to leave him.

Angel face.

Here he is strutting his polo given to him by his Aunt MSKS.

A few more important notes worth mentioning: 1. The season finale of The Office is coming on tonight! A full hour!!! 2. TOMORROW IS FRIDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 3. A week from today I'll be out of school! 4. Check out the ticker up top, baby....I'M HEADING TO THE BEACH IN 11 SHORT DAYS!!!!!!!

My little helper, IDOL talk, and a VERY disturbing video...

I had to post this picture. Look at that little face (try to look past the fact that his eyes make him look possessed). He always loves to lay on clean towels that I am folding, especially when they're just out of the dryer! The other night I was folding away and when I noticed his little head resting on a couple of towels, I placed 2 more folded towels on his head. Being the spaz that he is, I thought he'd jump up immediately. No. It must have been comforting to him because he stayed exactly like this for a while (his little eyes even closed after a few minutes too! Haha). He didn't even budge when I walked out of the room to get my camera. He must have had a really hard day. Bless his heart.

Man, I love that dog.

Alright, so it's crunch time on Idol. We're down to 6 contestants (one of which will be eliminated TONIGHT). I want to hear your predictions. Mine? David Cook ALL THE WAY. After I was able to get over Michael, the Australian hottie, getting eliminated, D.C. became my man. In my opinion, he's the most consistent and the most versatile of them all.

I've added a poll on the right side of my blog, so you should definitely cast your vote and let me know what YOU think.
And finally...are you ready for this? I saw this on the news tonight and was completely APPALLED. I understand that there are quite a few people out there who disagree with George W., but SERIOUSLY? This has gotten out of hand. To make things worse...THIS IS A CHILD!!Take a look at this:

WARNING: You should NOT watch this with children around! This little boy has quite a potty mouth!

Unbelievable.

I'm back.

So, my blogging "break" only lasted a little over a week. For some of you that's nothing, but those of you who are regular blog readers of mine know that 9 days is way too long for me to go without posting. So I'm back.
I've always said that in the midst of trials, it's important to focus on the good things in life. That's exactly what I've decided to do. As you will see below, the good things in my life heavily outweigh the bad. This realization allows me to believe that I am going to be just fine.

So, I've compiled a list of things that have particularly made me happy this past week and a half:

1. My parents. THEY ARE THE BEST. I can't even begin to describe all they've done for me, not only during this time, BUT ALWAYS.

2. My sisters. Want to know how great they are? They BOTH changed their plans last weekend and drove to Starkville because they knew I needed them here. Wow.

3. Henry. Just looking at that face makes me smile. I melt when he says "Lala" or kisses me on the cheek. Spending time with him somehow makes me worry-free.

Bully, Henry, and "grandaddy" at Super Bulldog Weekend.

Henry hugging on his favorite stuffed animal.

4. My friends. Overwhelmed is a good word to describe how I've felt this past week because of my amazing friends. I'll never know what I've done to deserve such loyal, caring friends. They've gone out of their way to check on me and make me laugh, even if I don't really feel like it. This friend allowed me to spend the entire day with her and her little one the other day. (He did a pretty good job of making "LT" smile, too!). This friend insisted on flying me to Texas to see her in a couple of weeks, so this other friend and I are heading to Alpine soon! Yay! My "teacher friends" are awesome too. I won't even go into the number of encouraging phone calls, messages, emails, and cards I've received from caring friends, too. I'm so undeserving.

5. My students. I missed a couple of days of school last week and when I got back, several of them had cards and pictures for me. They said "I love you, Ms. T" or "I missed you." Even though they can most defintely drive me crazy sometimes, :) spending many hours a day with them helps keep my mind off of other not-so-happy thoughts!

6. Flowers. As you probably know from previous posts, I'm a big fan of flowers. I love them. Last weekend when Kristen, Rob, and Henry were here, we planted flowers in my yard. I also bought fresh flowers for the inside of my house (Oprah says you should ALWAYS have fresh flowers in your house!). It's amazing how flowers really CAN make you feel better. Aren't they pretty? Maybe I'll be a gardener when I grow up.

7. MAX. WHAT IN THE WORLD WOULD I DO WITHOUT MY DOG?! Enough said.

8. Ann Taylor Loft. You know that's my absolute favorite. Last weekend, I told my mom that I needed to go shopping, so we headed to ATL and did just that. I bought several new pieces, which made me happy. New clothes ALWAYS makes you feel better, right?

9. (Lastly, but most definitely not least!) God's neverending love! I know I have not been forgotten, and that although the uncertainty of my future scares me at times, God DOES have a plan.

Thank you so much for your sweet blog comments and prayers! I hope you all had a great weekend.