Update On Lucius...

Y ou may remember my post a while ago about Lucius looking too skinny!  I took him to the Vet, she agreed that he was too skinny, decided to test for worms...  Turns out that was the problem & that he may have had them since we got him!  Due to a paperwork issue, we couldn't take him to the Vet until early this month & so even though I had my suspicions, I couldn't do anything!

Now that Lucius has had his medicine & is healthy again, he is like a brand new puppy!  No more laying around, he no chases Layla in the park, pounces on toys, & well...acts like the 6 month old puppy that he is!  Plus, I bet he's put on 10 pounds, making him at least 95 pounds!  It's so nice to know that he is healthy & playful!

One interesting fact I stumbled upon while researching this topic was that when dogs have worms, their hair can become dull & rough.  Yep, Lucius' hair was that way.  But now, just weeks after the medicine, his hair is becoming silky smooth, just like Layla's!

Just another thing I've learned about dogs :)

We're Back! Dublin Was Fantastic!

We are back!  Dublin was awesome!  I don't have enough time right now to tell you all about it, but I promise that I will take the time very soon!  I will also post all of the pictures that we took {about 300!} through a slideshow, as usual!

Quickly...the highlights of the trip were:

• The Guinness Storehouse
• The Jameson Distillery
• Trinity College & The Old Library {I loved this especially}
• Visiting Powerscourt outside Dublin
• The Pubs!

Also, I turned 24 yesterday!  Wahoo!  What a week it has been!  More very very soon, I promise!

Love to you all!!

Update From Great Dane Central!

ll is well here in our happy home! Lucius' first few days here have gone really well! He & Layla still follow each other around everywhere & play until they fall on the floor & pass out! They're best friends, I think :)

Just as you'd expect, he cried & cried the first night when it was time to go to sleep. We put one of his beds beside Layla's kennel so that they could sleep together. Layla wouldn't go in her kennel, though! I think she was too concerned about the crying puppy! So she laid on the bed & took care of him. But when we shut the door to our room {he wanted to be in bed with us to sleep, which was not gonna happen!}, he just stood on the other side of it & cried & cried! After about 30 minutes, he was quiet. Hooray! I was awakened a few times in the night to the puppy's cries to go outside, but other than that, he was good! And in the morning, after getting up with Don & letting the doggies out, they let me sleep till 9:30! Wow! I came downstairs to find them playing together quietly :)

We've decided to let the two of them sleep wherever they'd like in the house {with the exception of the beds, of course!} because that's what we'd been letting Layla do. She prefers her kennel most of all each night, & I'm guessing Lucius will end up doing the same with his kennel. Although, two nights ago, after letting them outside for a midnight potty break, they both crawled up onto the sofa, curled up tight beside each other, & didn't follow me back upstairs to bed! How cute! I think we're all getting along quite nicely!

Lucius is getting much better at obeying my commands now too! Sit, stay, lay down, bed, kennel, come..... He knew them all fairly well before we got him, he just had to get used to my voice. And learn that I'm boss :)

Just wanted to update you all about how the Ponies are doing! Yes, Ponies... We need a barn!

We Love Our New Mini!

Check out our sweet new Mini Cooper S!  It drives so well -- Heaven on Wheels!  And what a change from driving my truck!  Wow!  Parking this baby is a piece of cake!  What a great car for Europe :)

Tomorrow! | & Layla's Vet Visit

Don's parents arrive in Germany tomorrow for a 2 week visit, & we are really excited!  We have such a nice trip planned for while they are here, & I cannot wait for it!  Germany, Austria, Italy...the Alps, Lake Como, Italian vineyards...  It's going to be fabulous!!!

It's been about a week since I posted last -- sorry!  Things have been busy around here as we prep for our visitors :)  Also, I took Layla to the Vet last week.  I realized that it was my first ever trip to the Vet!  Wow!  And boy was she a good girl.  She impressed everyone with her good behavior & she sat on my lap in the waiting room, which got many grins & giggles!  She even has a little habit now for when she sees little dogs: she lays down on her belly quite ways back from the little dog, & then she does an Army crawl towards them, very slowly, as if saying, "Don't be scared of my size!  I can be little too, see?!  Want to play?!"  It is so cute!  Layla at eye level with a toy poodle is quite the sight.  Isn't she sweet?!

♥

We're Getting A Mini Cooper S!

Don & I have ordered our Mini Cooper S!!!!!!  I'm so excited!  I've been wanting one for a long time, especially since we decided to come to Germany.  What a cute car for Europe!  And practical too!  Going over little bridges, squeezing through tight one-way cobblestone streets & underneath arches!  Perfect!

We went test-driving on Saturday, & obviously we liked it :)  We drove the regular Mini first, which was very nice.  But as soon as Don put his foot to the gas pedal in the Mini Cooper S, we were SOLD!  It was the Sport for us!  That baby has speeeeeed!  Can't wait to drive it on the Autobahn!

We had been thinking about the Mini for so long that we knew what we wanted.  The very cool British man at the dealership who was helping us suggested looking at currently available Minis in the area to see if we could find any that fit what we were looking for.  There were more convertibles than anything, unfortunately.  But he stumbled upon a chili red Mini that is to be made next week, & it has no VIN number or anything!  He called his boss & they decided it must be for a showroom car or something, not for a customer.  They told us if we could decide that day, they would put in our order on this car & hopefully it will be made for us instead of for a showroom!  And so *fingers crossed* we put in our choices for color, etc. & are hoping that we will get this car!  The other way would be to wait at least 2 months for it to be made for us as a 2010 model.  If the first option will work, we should have our Mini around the 1st week of September!

The Mini Cooper S that we ordered will look like the one in the picture above: British Racing Green with white bonnet stripes, white mirror caps, & a white roof!  The salesman, a Brit, was very happy with our choice as this is the traditional style for the British-made Mini Cooper :)  Here is a photo of a 1977 Mini Cooper with the British Racing Green & white details that ours will have.  Classic, huh?!  I am so excited to have our own!

Don is so good to me :)  And I've assured him that he can take the Mini whenever he'd like to drive it -- we will share it like everything else!  But Layla will have to stay in our old BMW...  Although, I have quite the image of her in our Mini, head out the sunroof, ears blowing in the German wind!  You know it'd be cute!!

Pictures Of Our Home ♥

So, I finally got to it!  Here are pictures of our home in Germany!  These are only of the first floor (entryway, kitchen, living room, & dining room) & the guest room.  The rest of the second floor along with the third floor will be coming soon!  Along with the curtains I plan to make & a picture for over the TV :)

Pictures Pictures!

It's picture time!  Here are some new shots of Layla (who we continue to love more every day!), along with some exterior shots of our house AND a picture of my hibiscus which started blooming today!  Wahoo!!

Don & I are leaving on Thursday to fly to Chicago for a wedding for two of our favorite people!  We are so excited for Gerry & Amy, & we cannot wait to celebrate with them!  It's going to be a great (& unfortunately short!) weekend, & we are going to be able to see a lot of friends that we wouldn't see for a while otherwise!  It's going to be great!

Layla! ♥

Here are some pictures of our newest family member!  We just love her already!  Layla is the most calm (& biggest!) 10 month old dog I've ever seen!  She follows Don & me around the house, lays on her bed, & even sits on our laps when we're on the couch (an interesting experience to have a Great Dane that thinks she's a lap dog!) :)  She is such a sweetheart!  She is already at 100 pounds & her back is taller than our dining room table!  She is just a big teddy bear though!!

Layla has already met a lot of the other dogs on our street!  She & I were out in the yard & we ended up with another Great Dane (a boy named Tiny), two mixed breed dogs, & a Min Pin in the yard with us!  She was so well behaved, & everyone kept saying how pretty she is!  We have such a wonderful doggie!

We're Getting A Great Dane Girl!!

Don & I have been wanting a dog for a while, & we have finally found the one! There is a military family here that is moving back to the States & can only take 2 of their 3 pets with them, & the one they have to leave behind (their newest) is a 10 month old Great Dane girl named Layla! We met her today & she is so sweet! Very well behaved, trained, calm, & all around a beautiful dog! The owners called us about an hour after our meeting & they lowered the asking price, saying that Layla really took to us & they liked us too! We're so excited!

Layla's color is called Merle, which is rare, apparently. Sort of a cookies & cream :) Here is a picture of what she looks like! This isn't her, but when we get her on Monday, I will take pictures! (And pictures of the house too, for those of you who have been asking!! :) Don't worry!)  We are so excited to have her & to be able to give her a good home!

We also got a new TV today!  A bit of a step up from my 20 inch college TV that we were using!!  A bit of an Anniversary present to each other -- Layla too!

Tomorrow, we are going to Regensburg for an Antique Market!  There are going to be over 300 vendors there from all over Europe!  Right up my alley!  I'm so excited!  Plus, Regensburg is supposed to be a great place to visit, with a big Cathedral & a nice Old Town area.  Here is a wonderful picture for you all that I found on wikipedia.  I'll post any pictures that we take tomorrow!  Yay!

So, as you can tell, we are having such a wonderful time here so far!  We are seeing beautiful places, doing such fun things, & making some awesome purchases!!  :)  Plus, before long, we'll have a big puppy to join in on all the fun!

Well, I'm off to pull the lasagna out of the oven & then Don & I are going to watch a movie on our new TV!  A year ago, we were at our Wedding Rehearsal.  How time flies!  And we're just as in love as ever!  Life is wonderful!!!!

Love to you all!  Have your passports yet?!  Xoxox  ♥

We Have Internet At The House!

Just a little quick note to say that we finally have internet here at our house! Wahoo! So nice to be connected with the world again :) We're settling into our house more & more every day, & loving it all the while! I will take pictures & post them soon...just need to do a little more work first :)

Love to you all! Thanks for all of your sweet messages! ♥