Tru Vizslas - The Blog -

Desi is home!

2009-09-05T22:30:00.004-05:00

Dan went and picked up Desi tonight from the field trainer. I am thrilled that she is here :) Now time for a mental vacation and then she and I will continue on with her field work.

Time to begin again!

2009-08-07T11:54:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the long hiatus in blogging. The past several months have been tough for our family, but all is on the upswing and this blog is back in business!

Stay tuned for new posts.....

She did it again!

2008-12-07T20:01:00.003-06:00

Gracie turned in another stellar field performance and took home a fourth place ribbon from the VCOI December Walking Field Trial.

Way to go George and Miss Grace!

Desi sends lots of smoochies to her beautiful daughter :)

GM Bailout

2008-11-13T07:51:00.003-06:00

For the record, I was not in favor of the $700 billion bailout for the financial industry. I'm also not in favor of bailing out the car industry, GM in particular. GM is a company with nearly 2 decades of mis-management. There are reports circulating that if GM fails, 2 million people will be unemployed taking $150 billion in compensation out of the economy (the study is done by an industry group, and I'm not entirely convinced I believe their numbers). But even granting that these numbers are reasonable, the study doesn't say what will happen even with a bailout. Clearly GM (and the car industry) is going to get smaller in the short term. How much smaller? I have no idea, but I'd assume 20-40% smaller, in which case, there are still going to be the knock-on effects the CAR study suggests. Given GM's track record the last couple decades, even pumping the $25 or $50 Billion into it is no sure thing to save it, long term. Remember, this is the company that brought the EV1, which single-handedly killed electric cars for at least a decade. And more recently the eyesore Pontiac Aztec.

Particularly baffling to me is Obama's support for the bailout. Of course, since he carried Michigan, and since Dems love to get union support, it's not really shocking. What I do find surprising is that no reports or analysis tie out one of his other "bold" plans for "transformational change". He wants to spend $150 billion on alternative energy over 10 years, and claims it will generate 5 million jobs. Creating 5 million new jobs in a green industry sounds great - not to mention sustainable. And it's more than DOUBLE the claimed job losses to the (environmentally dirty) automotive industry. Granted not all Joe the Car workers will simply switch over to become Joe the Alternative Energy worker, but on a macro scale, it's a trade I'd be willing to make. Maybe top-off the plan with some education credits to throw at automotive industry line workers to help switch their skill sets to help get some of those new 5 million jobs.

...and then there were two.

2008-11-02T09:28:00.001-06:00

Yesterday we said goodbye to Sedona (aka Donut) and now it is just StarBaby and Speed along with Tru and Desi. Two girls, two boys... balance.

I will now have more time to update this blog regularly :)

A very special weekend for a very special dog....

2008-09-22T07:41:00.003-05:00

Dan and I so very proud to announce that Gracie (Tru Miss Grace JH CGC) competed in her second field trial and took a fourth place in Open Derby with 13 starters. She then went on to WIN AMATEUR WALKING DERBY! The stake had 10 starters and gave Gracie her 2 point she can carry over for her FC.

Gracie is owned, loved and trained by George and Mary Haines. They have worked hard with Gracie and done their homework and it has paid off. Little did they know when they wanted "just a pet" that they would find a whole new world opened up to them.

Dan and I tip our hats to their hard work and dedication.

Look for Gracie at a future field trial... at 18 months old she is just about broke and will soon be running in the Gun Dog stakes.

GO GO GRACIE - We love you!

Quick Update

2008-09-19T14:39:00.002-05:00

Quick update - Desi has a light case of mastitis that we are working on. She is fine and will recover 100%.

We will be field trialing this weekend and the puppies will be going on a vacation to their grandma's house (the woman who bred their dad).

I will post photos of our adventures on Monday!

Go Truman!

2008-09-14T09:00:00.002-05:00

In other news, Tru placed second in a 13 dog Open Gun Dog stake up at Pine Island. Many thanks to Randy Boggs and Mark Smith. Mark handled him (and also took first with the Pointer dog Ranger). Look out Limited stakes!

The dog does just enough no to get his funding pulled...At least he placed early in the fall season - next step, winning some points!

We're absolutely thrilled!

Go Irish

2008-09-14T08:58:00.002-05:00

Great victory for the Irish, yesterday! Would have liked to see more sustained offense, but the Irish took the Skunkbears' gifts and converted them into points.

Watching (parts) of the game with the three year old was fun. He's convinced the Irish score "Touch-Ups"! Kinda makes sense with the hand signal, in a warped sort of way.

Awwww, what a good mama!

2008-09-06T20:17:00.002-05:00

Desi is a very good mama and I love this moment I captured. She was sleeping with her pups.

Eyes are opening!

2008-09-05T09:26:00.002-05:00

So last night while we were recording weights, I noticed that a few of the puppy eyes are starting to open just a crack! It is super cute looking and I will try to get a photo in natural light today...

Also, they are all up on all fours learning how to walk... they look drunk!

Wanna see my new toy?

2008-09-04T11:45:00.003-05:00

You show me yours and I will show you mine.... :)

Okay, here is mine - Ain't it cute?!?!?!?!

So I have had a Blackberry Pearl in white, but hated the short keyboard so I decided it was time to upgrade. I think I will be able to stay organized now!

This also gives be the ability to report field trial placements as soon as they are announced! How cool is that??

Will the real Rouxby please stand up?

2008-09-04T11:32:00.002-05:00

The puppies had some visitors on Monday.... Mark and Steph came by to have some puppy time before they jetted off to Hawaii (lucky them!). They are getting one of these puppies and have decided to name her Ruby, but spelled Rouxby as a nod to Steph's NOLA roots.

So will Tru Rouxby Red please stand up??

New Child of God

2008-08-30T22:36:00.003-05:00

Today marks a very special day. We had Oliver baptised into the Catholic Church. What a magical moment! While Ollie was being anointed with the water he was smiling and laughing, it was truly a blessed moment.

We took a ton of photos - I promise to post some tomorrow. We have out of town guests here right now.

New photos coming soon!

2008-08-29T08:06:00.000-05:00

So after a few months my camera battery finally died. So it is on the charger and hopefully will finish charging soon and then we will have new puppy photos!

Day 2 - A trip to to the vet's office...

2008-08-26T22:42:00.002-05:00

... and we came home minus dew claws and a bit of tail. The pups also got some new probiotics to help with the stinky liquid poop. YUCK!

All pups are doing well and even the tiny girl is gaining weight.

More photos tomorrow :)

Day 1

2008-08-25T23:12:00.001-05:00

and all is well...................

The Super Seven Have Arrived Safely!

2008-08-25T04:00:00.001-05:00

All are here, happy and healthy. We have 5 girls and 2 boys - same as last time. The last girl was big... right at 15oz!

Desi is doing well... now I am off to bed - This chick is tired :)

Another one for Team Pink!

2008-08-24T23:58:00.001-05:00

She is super tiny... half the size of the others.

Four are here - Two were born in the car!

2008-08-24T23:08:00.002-05:00

Desi's first pup took her sweet time coming out.... after 3 hours of hard labor we were on our way to our vet's office... on the way she decided to make her appearance. Quickly followed by her sister! My poor Trailblazer is now in need of a detailing! :)

We then had a boy followed by another girl.... there are more in there but Desi is taking a break right now...

Stay tuned!

Puppies are on the way.....

2008-08-24T09:42:00.001-05:00

Desi is is labor.... stay tuned!

Random Puppy Musings

2008-08-15T11:29:00.002-05:00

Desi is due in 8 days.... I often find myself cuddling with her, with my hand on her belly feeling her babies move. It is as amazing to me as feeling my own babies while pregnant.

This pregnancy has not slowed Desi down one bit. She is still her crazy, goofy-girl self, she just eats a lot more, pees a lot more and takes a couple of extra naps. During her last pregnancy she really slowed down by this point, but not this time. She is now nesting and will squeeze herself into any small space she can find. I have her whelping box set up and am finishing up washing her fleece, then she will have the box to nest in. In a few days I will give her some stuff to shred - She has a huge desire to make a perfect nest for her babies and is now going through tons of stuffy toys... not for enjoyment like usual, now it is a job to her.

I am thrilled with this breeding and I can't wait to see what it produces. I am planning on keeping one or two puppies. It depends on what we get and which ones really touch me.

Please help Northern Illinois Vizsla Rescue

2008-08-08T12:40:00.004-05:00

Are you looking for a way to help vizsla rescue? Here is your chance!

Please sign up at igive.com and designate Northern Illinois Vizsla Rescue as your choice. Then everytime you shop, go to igive.com first and a portion of your purchase will be ear marked to come to us at Northern Illinois Vizsla Rescue. You can also use their search engine for donations too.

Check out our new website

http://www.northernillinoisvizslarescue.org

Thanks!

Does this flower make my gut look big?

2008-08-07T14:49:00.004-05:00

Desi was less then thrilled with our photo shoot this morning.... :) It ias bad enough that she is pregnant, but the indignity of being dressed up like a daisy was just too much. I love my girl!

Countdown to puppies... 16 days!

Ode to a stud dog...

2008-08-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

Too funny not to share!

My job is making puppies
And I get two tries at that
They pat me on the head and say "Good Boy"
And that is that.

It's half my job to give'em
teeth and toplines, fronts and other,
Remember, it's just half my job...
They also have a mother.

It's not my job to carry pups
And make them grow and nurse 'em
And feed and clean and teach'em,
That's for a "mother" and a person.

It's not my job to wean
And feed the calcium and food
And stack and gait and housebreak and
make 'em a showing brood.

It's not my job to plan the breeding,
And learn what produces well,
To study pedigrees, learn what's there,
And pick out those to sell.

It's not my job to guarantee champs,
the breeder picks the pair,
to mate and whelp and feed and show,
and HOPE the champ is there.

It's not my job to be on hand
when points are handed out.
The breeder, owner, dam and friends
Take credit with a shout.

It's not my job to deliver the winner
It's only genes I sell
But let the puppies turn out bad....
And guess who catches HELL

Author unknown

The verdict is....

2008-07-22T14:36:00.002-05:00

Desi is most definitly pregnant! We are not able to know litter size until the week before when the x-ray is done, but our vet feels that Desi is going to have at least as many as last time.... YIKES!

Keep you fingers crossed that the rest of her pregnancy goes smoothly and that we can have a normal delivery.

It is good to be the King!

2008-07-11T21:31:00.001-05:00

MeowMeow would like you all to know that he makes all of the rules and holds supreme power over all beings in the house. :)

Nekkid kitty's rule!

Green - Is it the new "black"?

2008-07-09T13:18:00.002-05:00

Are you green? I am proud to say that we live a green lifestyle and I continue to research and make changes to become even greener. (Is greener even a word? LOL!) It seems that in our society being green is becoming the trendy thing to do. I am just happy that people are thinking twice about the decisions they make and the footprint that they are leaving.

What are some things that you and your family are doing to be crunchy?

Here are some of the things we do:
- We use CF bulbs where appropriate.
- We cloth diaper Oliver.
- I breastfeed Oliver.
- We use BPA free plastics.
- We use only natural cleaning products, laundry detergent and other household products.
- I use natural makeup.
- We recycle.
- We buy organic and local whenever possible.
- We don't blast our air conditioning and only turn it on if we are miserable.
- We reuse packaging when possible.
- We have energy star appliances.
- We do not use chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
- We use rechargable batteries when possible and rechargable lawn care toys such as the hedge trimmer and weed wacker.

Reduce - Reuse - Recycle

Oil Prices

2008-07-06T15:38:00.004-05:00

My favorite magazine (The Economist) has another article absolving speculators for the rise in oil prices. Full disclosure: my company is a market maker on the NYMEX for oil contracts. Politicians attempting to correlate the rise in trading volume (Hedge Funds, pensions, etc now trade oil futures contracts) to a rise in the price are making a huge mistake:

The market for nickel provides a good illustration of this. Speculative investment in the metal has been growing steadily over the past year, yet its price has fallen by half. By the same token, the prices of several commodities that are not traded on any exchanges, such as iron ore and rice, have been rising almost as fast as that of oil.

The way Oil Futures contracts work is that the CFTC forces those not equipped to take physical delivery of the contract (and I believe the NYMEX Crude contracts are for sizeable amount of oil) to close out several days before the actual contract expires. Thus, speculators only bet on where the price will be - they CANNOT actually affect supply by "hoarding oil".

Any change (taxing speculators, excluding those not capable of taking physical delivery, and the other hairbrained ideas floating through Congress) to the futures market would be a bad idea.

At least higher oil prices make "greener" forms of energy more commercially competitive. I would favor changes to the tax code which subsidize the oil industry as a way to further level the playing field for solar/wind/tidal/geothermal/nuclear power. An end to sugar tariffs from Brazil would be another start, as ethanol produced from sugar is more cost-efficient that from corn.

Happy Fourth of July!

2008-07-04T23:50:00.002-05:00

I hope everyone had fun today and celebrated with an excellent fireworks show.

Cheers!

Summertime.... and the livin' is easy!

2008-07-03T10:43:00.005-05:00

Bring on the barbeque! Tonight Dan and I will pack up our boys and head on over to RibFest. One word to describe this culinary summertime delight is YUM!

The RibFest is in The lovely town of Naperville Illinois which just happens to be Dan's hometown. This annual festival is always in July and attracts some of the premier barbeque chefs and their teams. These teams travel all over the US to compete in barbeque contests many of which you can check out on The Food Network.

A little piece of trivia for you.... Did you know that our good friend (and Dan's ex-roommate) Nathan is a certified barbeque judge? That is a job that I would love to do in my spare time.... all of the barbequed ribs, chicken, brisket and pulled pork you can eat. Talk about gluttony, but I digress.

Tonight's entertainment is Big Head Todd and the Monsters. Dan happens to love them, so it was an easy choice to make tonight RibFest night. The boys will be entertained by the petting zoo, circus acts and other assorted happenings going on in the family area.

Oh no! Say it isn't so...

2008-07-02T12:16:00.005-05:00

Starbuck's is closing 500 additional stores :(

Wall Street Journal article

I am going to assume my favorite drive-thru is safe due to the amount of soccer moms who frequent it on an almost daily basis (me included, though I am a future soccer mom!)

Usually I do not endorse or support big box stores, but right now my snack of choice is a venti iced caramel macchiato and a raspberry apricot thumbprint scone - YUM! In fact, I think I need to go out right now and indulge!

My new name is "Nomamano!

2008-07-01T17:10:00.002-05:00

This is according to my three year old son Ethan. Whenever I ask him a question he responds with "No mama no!" Hence the new name ;) Those of you who have toddlers understand this change in name phenomenon as well as I do. For some unknown reason Dan's name has not been changed to Nodaddyno and I wonder why... Could Ethan be playing favorites at such a young age? More then likely yes, he is a total Daddy's boy and lives for Dan.

Dan and I are very grateful that for the most part Ethan is a complete joy as a a toddler and was as a baby too. He is very sweet and kind, sensitive to others and does not stress about anything (except potty training, but that is a totally other post). Thus his "Nomamano!" attitude really isn't much to handle at all.

Future Domer?

2008-06-30T20:10:00.003-05:00

oh my! Our little guy is growing up so fast! Do y'all agree with me that these photos should be brought out in the future on prom night? :)

Note that he is reading a Notre Dame book - He is his daddy's son!

...and then there were two.

2008-06-28T22:37:00.004-05:00

My house is a bit quieter and I have shed some tears, my beautiful Fire was picked up by his new mom today. He was happy to see her and happy to jump up into his new kennel. I know he will be spoiled rotten and loved forever... just not by me and that makes me sad.

I am sad that Fire was not destined to stay with me longer, but that is how life is sometimes...

Saying goodbye to Flynn.....

2008-06-27T22:15:00.005-05:00

I reluctantly met up with Steve today to return Flynn. I absolutely would have loved to keep Flynn forever! He is a super lover boy vizsla who has that special vizsla magic that you can feel.

Now I keep telling Desi that she needs to give me a boy puppy just like his daddy ;)

Tru Great Ballz of Fire

2008-06-27T22:06:00.003-05:00

Actually, his new name should be, "Tru Great No Ballz of Fire" - Fire was neutered on Thursday at the clinic just down the street from Dan's office. It is a new place we are trying out for future use. We were pleased with the outcome of Fire's procedure and feel that we will continue to use them in the future.

If you haven't seen a large dog who was neutered as an adult, it can be a bit of a surprise. When the neuter takes place, the attending veterinarian removes just the testicle out of the scrotum and what is left looks like two pancakes flapping in the wind. Poor Fire!

He came through the surgery just fine and other then a hot ride home (the air conditioning in Dan's Equinox needs a recharge) he is resting comfortably. His new owner is picking him up tomorrow afternoon and it will be her responsibility to continue keeping Fire quiet for another day or two until his incision is a bit more healed up. After that he should be good to go.

Mission Organazation!

2008-06-26T13:06:00.003-05:00

For those of you who know Dan and I personally, you know that we are not always the most organized of folk! Well today I have made a resolution, call it a self promise if you want, I will call it a faint glimmer of hope that one day I will be an organized neat freak!

In the crazy, fast paced life that we live (and love) there is not often time to really break each room down piece by piece and organize it, therefore I am making it a goal to get one or two rooms totally in order from top to bottom. This will include a thorough cleaning, organizing of any storage space, adding storage space where/when needed, putting the finishing touches on decorating and any other odds and ends that need to be completed.

My timeline is to finish the entire house before Desi's litter is born (assuming the breeding takes.) Wish me luck on my latest endeavor! I will post photographs of my progress.

Thanks in advance, Meow-Meow

2008-06-24T12:13:00.005-05:00

I saw this link on ESPN about the health benefits to owning a cat:

But that's what researchers at the University of Minnesota have determined. Indeed, as reported by the Web site of the Star Tribune newspaper, their study concludes that feline-less people were 30 to 40 percent likelier to die of cardiovascular disease than those with cats.

As much as pooch lovers may want to believe differently, the study determined that dog owners had the same health risks in this regard as non-owners.

So, in addition to being such a wonderful pet for Ethan, thanks for reducing our
chances of cardiovascular disease.

On the subject of felines, Jodi found this hilarious post on CraigsList

Important Dates to Remember...

2008-06-23T22:14:00.004-05:00

for Desi :)

Ovulation Date: June 21, 2008
Palpation/Pregnancy Check Date: July 21, 2008
X-Ray Date: August 18, 2008
Whelp Date: August 23, 2008 (this is going to be a tough one... it is my parents 35th wedding anniversary party YIKES!)

Baby Swing - Mom's Best Friend

2008-06-23T09:06:00.007-05:00

I remember back in the day when Ethan was just a few months old... he was totally addicted to his baby swing. In fact, he loved that swing so much he just plain wore it out! Dan and I used to joke that "The swing always wins!" Whenever we would put Ethan into his swing, the motion of the ocean would lull him into blissful slumber - It was great!

After we brought Ollie home from the hospital we were desperately hoping that he would be just as swing obsessed as his big brother. The early attempts were not promising. Like the good parents we try to be, we did not give up and viola! Swing love has reached Ollie. He loves to be in his swing just relaxing and watching the mobile move and listening to the music.

Here is the swing he loves - it is from the Rain Forest Collection by Fisher Price. Dan loved the jungle theme and bright colors so it was perfect.

This swing is fantastic and we highly recommend it! One of the features is that it plugs into an outlet instead of only using batteries. We give it two thumbs up!

The Perfect Gentleman.....

2008-06-22T19:12:00.006-05:00

....should be his name ;)

We picked up Desi's boyfriend Flynn yesterday from his owner Steve. It is considered somewhat unconventional for the owner of the bitch to get the stud dog and handle the breedings, however it is an option in some cases and funny enough this has been the situation for both of Desi's breedings.

One really nice thing about having the stud dog at our house is that we can really see what their day to day temperament is and how they handle the chaos of living in our house. Flynn has not disappointed us in any way. He handled the long car ride (Ohio to Illinois) without issue even being kenneled next to a ripe bitch in standing heat. He was quiet and slept.

After we arrived home we let him have the run of the house (alone) so he could get the lay of the land. He never jumped up on our couches (though we do allow this), tried to get into the garbage or attempted the ever popular vizsla trait of counter surfing. Needless to say I was impressed.

The next test came with Ethan... How would Flynn react to a crazy toddler and a house full of his uber annoying toys? Add to that a newborn who likes to cry and a nekkid kitty... Flynn handled it all in stride - he truly is a perfect gentleman and has impeccable house manners. He does not chase the cat - he does point him and when he isn't looking, the cat stalks him LOL! He goes into his crate easily and does not make a peep or carry on. This is unlike Fire who is more then happy to continually remind us that Desi is in season and that he knows about it. Does anyone have some ear plugs??

Keep your fingers crossed and think puppy thoughts for our Desi Devil!

Up up up they go!

2008-06-20T13:17:00.002-05:00

Desi's progesterone levels are going up.... it looks like Tuesday or Wednesday will be the day :) That would give us puppies on or about August 27... Can we say yahoo!?!?

Please keep your fingers crossed!

Bananas about Bananas

2008-06-18T13:48:00.004-05:00

Most of you who know me, know I don't like bananas. At all. I'll peal one for Ethan, but that's about as much as I'll do with them. Saw an interesting article over at the Economist about them:

The Once and Future Banana

Interesting to note how economics can drive out genetic diversity, not unlike the hoof problems Thoroughbreds are experiences (witness Big Brown and his bid for the Triple Crown).

Potty training a very stubborn toddler

2008-06-18T13:26:00.008-05:00

Eeeeek! What happened to my original post?????

Post Father's Day Thought

2008-06-17T21:26:00.004-05:00

If I had told myself 5 years ago how cool 3 year olds were, I'm sure I would have thought I was crazy. Ethan is so much fun! Even when he's moody/defiant (in as much as that little angel could be), it makes me chuckle inside.

Newborns are cute in their own right, of course, and now that Oliver's smiling, he's starting to get more interactive and more fun.

How did we get such cute and wonderful children?

Go Oranje

2008-06-17T21:18:00.004-05:00

Gotta love how the Dutch are playing The Beautiful Game. Exciting on offense,
very creative play and amazing finishing. I'd love to see Ruud come play in
the States - he'd have as much impact (on the field at least) as Becks. Not going
to happen any time soon, though...

I remember watching Edgar Davids creative attacks in 98 and have rooted for them since. Ajax has been one of my favorite clubs for a while (add the fact that John O'Brien played there to seal the deal).

Go Celts!

2008-06-17T21:16:00.004-05:00

Not that I follow the NBA much, but I'm rooting for Boston (or is it against
Kobe?).

Sidenote: Is there anything more mis-labeled in sports than the NBA's
"20 second" timeout?

Day 2

2008-06-17T11:58:00.003-05:00

... and the marriage date has been set ;)

We start testing on Friday, keep your fingers crossed.

Just to tide you over, here is a photo of Desi and one of her pups from her last litter

Let the countdown begin!

2008-06-16T21:38:00.004-05:00

Desi did it again.... she came into season early. I have been suspecting something for a few days and today was the start.

Time to make a few phone calls and set up her arranged marriage to Flynn. Keep your fingers crossed!

I will keep you updated.......

People who dump dogs.....

2008-06-16T13:36:00.004-05:00

make my blood boil! It is especially heartbreaking to see old dogs dumped. Apparently this is the way some people say thanks for being my dog, but I no longer need you.

There is a 13 year old intact vizsla bitch in California at a high kill shelter. WTF? This kind of dumping is the worst kind.

As most of you know, Dan and I handle vizsla rescue for northern Illinois. We are lucky in that our local breeders take responsibility for the pups that they breed so most of the dogs who come our way were originally purchased at a pet store (Happiness is Pets), were strays from the shelter or who came from a crappy breeder who does not take responsibility for the dogs that they breed.

Here is a list of excuses I have gotten from people who want to turn their dog into rescue:
- "He has bitten all of my kids, plus me and my husband so he needs to be in a different home"
- "I can't exercise him"
- "He has a heart murmur and I can't afford the medicine"
- "I can't keep her because of personal reasons"
- "I can't afford to keep him."
- "I bought her as a companion for my other dog and we don't want her anymore"
- "I am getting a divorce"
- "We are having a baby"
- "We bought her for the kids and they are back in school so we don't want her anymore"
- "We are moving and don't want to take him with"

The list goes on and on. My absolute favorite (insert sarcasm here) is the poor old girl who was left at the dog park. What a cowardly thing to do.... people who do this are asshats!

This type of thing does not just happen in vizslas, it happens in all breeds and in all animal/pet industries. It is just sad.

I understand that not every dog (insert any pet in here) works in every situation. I just found a new home for one of my personal dogs. What I have a problem with is people and breeders who are not stepping up to the plate and taking care of their responsibilities.

Happy Father's Day to the two best daddy's I know!

2008-06-15T20:36:00.006-05:00

First off, I would like to wish my dad a very happy father's day. He is the best kind of dad a girl could ever want. He is kind, patient, understanding and wise.

He has taught me many things....
- How to cover every speck of ice cream with Magic Shell.
- How to not stress about the little things.
- How to enjoy eating breakfast while reading the newspaper.
- How important it is to have a great stash of bathroom reading material.
- How to fight for what I want.
- How to love my kids unconditionally.
- How to always put family first.

I love you Dad!

Secondly I would like to wish my dear husband a very happy father's day. He is the best kind of husband a girl could ever want and the best kind of dad for our two boys. This is his fourth father's day with Ethan and his first with Ollie.

Dan amazes me as a father....
- He has endless patience.
- He always offers a hand to hold.
- He puts his boys first at all times.
- He works tirelessly to provide what his boys need.
- He plays with the boys like he is still a kid.
- He handles all middle of the night feedings.
- He loves the boys unconditionally with all his heart and soul.

I love you Dan!

2008-06-13T13:51:00.001-05:00

Created by OnePlusYou

My Cuties :)

2008-06-13T12:00:00.002-05:00

Here they are - Enjoy!

Do lack of photos constitute a bad parent?

2008-06-13T06:53:00.000-05:00

So I get a phone call from my Dad yesterday giving me an earful about Ollie getting the shaft. Apparently I have not updated our voice to say, "You have reached Dan, Jodi, Ethan, Oliver and Tru Vizslas"... oops! Sorry Dad, I have had my hands full. He then proceeded to chide me on the fact that I have not taken nearly as many photos of Ollie as I did of E at this age. My Bad! He is so true and now I feel guilty about the whole thing.

Stay tuned for photos from today :0) I need to get back on the Good Mama list!

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-06-10T17:59:00.001-05:00

Today is my dad's birthday..... he is 62 years young! Happy Birthday Daddy!

Here is a photo of us at my wedding a few years ago.

Baby Ollie Update

2008-06-08T13:42:00.001-05:00

Life here at Tru Vizslas has been super crazy.... Oliver had to have a very minor surgery on Friday. He was born tongue tied and had to have it clipped. They originally clipped it in the hospital, but did not get enough so we had to have it redone.

We chose Dr. Lochmeuller of Fox Valley ENT. He came highly recommended by our pediatrician.

The surgery itself was 10 minutes long - not bad, but having your newborn put under anesthetic is a bit unnerving. Thankfully Ollie came out of it quick and easy.

Now keep your fingers crossed that we can establish nursing and I can get rid of my pump - I hate that thing!

Tomorrow is the day.....

2008-06-05T14:51:00.001-05:00

...that our little Oliver goes in for his surgery. It is a same day, minor procedure, but they will be putting him under general anesthetic. We were informed that it can be tricky to anesthetize a baby so they will be extra cautious. The surgery is only expected to take 5-10 minutes, but we will be at the hospital 4-5 hours.

The surgery Ollie is having is called a tongue clip. He needs this done because his frenulum (the piece of skin that attaches your tongue to the bottom of your mouth) was attached at the very tip of his tongue. This interferes with breastfeed and can interfere with speech down the road. We had his tongue clipped at 2 days old (when no anesthetic is needed) but the doctor who performed it did not clip it back far enough so he is still unable to nurse.

I am pumping and feeding him breastmilk via bottle feeding, but nursing him would be sooooo much easier!

Please keep little Ollie in your thoughts and prayers tomorrow

FireBallZ

2008-06-04T12:45:00.001-05:00

The toughest decisions are always the hardest to make...

When I started looking for a third dog to add to Tru Vizslas I knew we needed a girl. I was looking for very specific blood lines and talked to the guy who owned the stud dog that I wanted a puppy out of. We got to chatting and after he found out that I was looking for a dual potential competition dog he offered me pick male out of a litter he had. The mom was litter sister to the stud dog I was interested in. The pedigree was very tightly bred. I made my decision which was "YES!" and then proceeded to call Dan and tell him I just bought a dog.... ooops! :)

Fire came home to us at 8 weeks old absolutely gorgeous and full of talent. He had a lot of point, a ton of style and would retrieve absolutely anything to hand. I was in love!

He came to us potty trained and never chewed anything. Can you say perfect puppy?

We noticed early on that Fire was not the smartest vizsla we owned.... as he grew up we likened him to a football jock. There are only two things on Fire's mind... birds and babes!

Fire went back to his breeder at 6 months for a season of wild bird hunting. He did well, but frustrated his breeder with his lack of focus and childish antics. After about 6 months he came home to us and helped socialize Desi's puppies.

We decided to send him out to a pro trainer for some conditioning and derby work before field trial season started. He developed a very good relationship with is trainer and we left him there to be competed. Fire would make some very large, very impressive moves and yet he was very inconsistent. We were disappointed. We used him as a personal hunting dog and he was not what we wanted....

Fire ended up being over the standard for size and too inconsistent in the field to warrant us continuing to spend money on his training and campaigning him. We then made the heart breaking decision to place him.

He is an excellent dog with a fabulous temperament - He just does not fit in with why we bought him.

I believe we have found the perfect home for Fire... I will know this weekend. It will be hard for me to see him go... he is the dog that loves me best. I feel that it is best for him to be the center of someones world instead of getting the short end of the stick here. I also refuse to be the type of breeder/competitor who owns a ton of dogs who lives their lives locked in crates 23.5 hours a day. So in order for me to keep a pup or two out of Desi's litter this year, we must say goodbye to the big dumb jock.

I miss you already Fire!

Tru is coming home!

2008-06-03T11:16:00.001-05:00

Just in case you forgot how cute he is.... Check out this mug shot :)

Tru has been at bird dog school with Mark Smith of Remark Kennels since March. Mark has been keeping him conditioned, polishing up his style and working on a couple of issues. Tru has been running clean for Mark and we pleased with his progress. This upcoming weekend is the last Hunt Test of the season. Tru will be at home for a couple of months and then we will send him back to Mark for conditioning and competing this fall.

Knowing Dan, he is counting the minutes until his boy is back!