Puppy Dog Eyes...

In just a couple more days, Brian and I will be heading back to good ole Deutschland for two weeks... He's going for work, and I'm joining him so that I can work on my research for my Master's thesis (and after those two days of observations are over, I get to enjoy the rest of the time with friends! Love it!)...  Sadly, we weren't able to bring Vander along on this trip, so he'll be staying with Brian's parents while we're over there.  And, I think he's pretty much figured that something's up, since these are the types of looks we've been getting from him this week... 

This look speaks for itself! :)

Sometimes he'll just sit there and stare at us, and just look so darn adorable, that it makes it hard to leave him behind! :)

And those puppy dog eyes...  He knows how to work them! :)

Such a poor, neglected pup isn't he?! :)

Our Little Sheep Herder...

Last Saturday we signed Vander up to participate in a sheep herding seminar.  We thought it would be a fun way for him to get some exercise and experience some new things.  In our minds, we figured it was similar to the sheep herding we had seen on "The Dog Whisperer".  You know... Where they put the dog in a huge gated area with a bunch of sheep and let him have at it. :)  Well, we quickly realized how wrong we were once we arrived at the seminar.

To start the morning off, the woman in charge came over to meet us (and Vander).  Now let's just say that Vander was slightly excited to be there...  I mean, he's a five month old puppy, who had been placed in a crate and driven about 45 minutes in the back of our car, taken out of the crate at our destination to be met with a bunch of new people, dogs, sheep, and lots and lots of area to run... Of course he's going to be slightly crazed! :)  We tried to get him to calm down and sit down so that we could properly introduce him to the instructor, but it was to no avail... Once his paws hit the ground, his nose was operating in full force, and trying to get him to focus on anything besides all the wonderful new smells he was experiencing was futile.  :)  Brian and I thought it was rather cute and we understood that he was just excited to be there.  The instructor, on the other hand, did not think it was all that cute.  In fact, she went on to ask us a few questions about Vander and then basically insinuated that we were bad puppy owners...  All because he was pulling on his leash so that he could sniff over by the gated area.  (Now, I know that we're not perfect dog owners by any means, but I have to say that I think Vander is pretty darn well behaved for being only five months old!  He's definitely better behaved than the two crazy yellow labs that live next door to us! :))  She then went on to tell us that when a dog pulls on his leash, it basically means that he's doing his own thing and he doesn't even realize that you're holding onto the leash...  Now this comment struck us as humorous since the Schutzhund (obedience and protection) training we have him in encourages him to pull on his leash as it promotes "drive".  But, I digress... We simply smiled and nodded at the woman and proceeded on to the next thing.  However, based on this introduction, we weren't really too thrilled to be there at that point.  All of the excitement and anticipation had worn off and we were feeling slightly irritated.

But, we hung in there and proceeded to let the instructor continue with her assessment of Vander.  She looked him over and asked a few questions, and then she informed us that she would have to take him (by herself) into the gated area with the sheep, and we had to stand off to the side behind the gate.  At this point in time, she was basically treating us like we knew nothing and she had all of the answers when it came to dog training.  So, we watched as she tied Vander up to an 80 foot rope, walked him inside the gated area, and closed the gate behind her...  This is where the day got much more interesting! :)

She walked Vander around the area and had him sniff everything he came into contact with.  And, the funny thing was that during this whole time, Vander kept looking back at us for direction and she would pull him so that he would listen to her (He doesn't know we exist, huh?! :)) Once that exercise was complete, she began to assess him to see if he had any "natural instinct" at herding sheep... Well, once she got to that portion of the test, I don't think she was quite prepared for what happened next.  Somehow, she managed to drop the rope out of her hands, almost precisely at the same time that Vander spotted the running sheep... Vander took off like a bolt of lightening after those sheep!!  The instructor yelled out a few expletives and started running after them trying to get the rope to pull Vander back in.  By that point, Vander was clear across the field and closing in on the sheep.  In her desperation, the instructor (who was wearing a very heavy Carhardt jacket/pants combo) threw her coat off and started running after the animals... We're still unsure as to why she threw off her coat... Perhaps she thought it would give her more speed?? :)  Either way, she finally got ahold of the rope again (after Vander circled back around towards her) and stopped the fiasco...  But, not before Brian and I got a few laughs out of it! :)  I think the best part of the whole situation was the fact that we asked ourselves if we should go into help her as the scene unfolded before us... But, after her initial attitude towards us, we opted to let her handle it on her own.  Hee, hee! :)  And, to make this even more entertaining... We got the whole episode on film!! :)  Hilarious!!

So, after that fiasco, Vander did quite well for the rest of his assessment.  Afterwards, the instructor informed us that he definitely has a very good natural instinct (you think?! :)) at herding sheep.  She then went on to explain that they offer lessons in sheep herding and we could sign up for them...  Excuse me, lessons in sheep herding??  Seriously?! :)  Needless to say, we declined the offer... If we so happen to want Vander to herd some sheep at some point in the future, I'm sure we could probably find a local farmer that needs some help. :)  After Vander finished his run with the sheep, the instructor told us that we could stay and watch the other lessons if we wanted... So, we ended up staying and watching a few.  And, can I just say, that it was rather difficult to keep a straight face while standing there?! :)  These people were SOOOO excited about and really into this sheep herding thing...  And, if the dog didn't do what it was supposed to do, you would hear them screaming and yelling, "Hurry up!! The sheep are getting away!!" (As if they could escape from the fenced in area they were already in! :))  I mean, they were all so serious... And, do you know how hard it is to not find it slightly funny when people are shouting that sheep, which are in a fenced in area, are getting away...  Well, I'm here to tell you that it's very hard! :)  So, I spent the rest of that morning holding back alot of laughter.

Overall, I'm happy that we decided to participate in this seminar... Vander seemed to enjoy it, and it was definitely an entertaining way to spend a Saturday morning! :)  So, without further ado, here's a sneak peak at Vander's sheep herding experience... Word of advice... You might want to turn the volume up on the video... The reaction of the instructor is hysterical, plus you can hear Brian and I's debate in the background about whether or not we should help her out...   And, based on the video, I'm going to say that I think he likes sheep herding... Too funny!! :)  I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!! :)



Vander Herding Sheep from Kristin on Vimeo.

Poor Baby...

Vander turned 5 months old on Friday... Yay! :)  So, for his birthday, we (or should I say Brian?! :)) decided that we would tape his ears up... Yep, that's correct... Since the poor pup wasn't able to figure out how to get his ears to stand up on his own, we had to help him.  Personally, I was rather fond of the floppy eared look he had going on. :)  But, Brian (as well as our breeder) decided that we should be proactive rather than reactive and tape them up before it was too late...  So, now the poor guy is walking around looking rather ridiculous with two taped up ears... Here's hoping that this works sooner, rather than later!! :)  

Here's the before picture...
The cute floppy eared look he had going on for the past few months! :)

Poor baby!!
Here's his new look...
(The original tape was white, which caused it to stick out like a sore thumb... So, me being me, I had to make him  look a little more stylish, so I picked up some black tape to make it look a little less obvious, and a bit more camouflaged! :))

Snowy Day...

We had a snow day this past Friday, so we decided to take advantage of having a free day... So, we headed out to Mayberry State Park with Vander and ventured out into the snow! :)  Since Vander LOVES the snow, he truly enjoyed this experience! :)  It was the perfect way to spend a snow day! :)

Heading out for our walk...

Look at that adorable face! :)

I can only imagine that he was probably thinking to himself here, "I wish she would stop taking all of those pictures and just hurry up so we can start on this walk!" :)

We opted to head to the fishing pond...

Vander was loving the fact that he could wander through the woods!  

He had to explore every nook and cranny! :)

I love how everything looks with a fresh blanket of snow on it...
So pretty! :)

Clearly he was bummed that we didn't pack a picnic lunch! :)

Apparently it was time for a break! :)

Say Cheese!!
Brian just "loves" my attempts at self-portraits! :)
*giggle*

Time to head home!
Looks like it's almost time for a new crate! :) 

Winter Microbrew Festival...

A couple of weekends ago, Brian and I headed up north with our good friends, Sherry and Billy, to check out the 3rd Annual Traverse City Winter Microbrew & Music Festival.  What a fun time we all had! :)

The Microbrew fest was held outdoors in the Village of the Grand Traverse Commons.  It's a pretty cool location considering it used to be the home of the Traverse City State Hospital (formerly known as the Northern Michigan Asylum).  They've renovated many of the hospital buildings and turned them into indoor marketplaces filled with eclectic shops and fun little cafes and coffee shops.  Meanwhile, they've turned the grounds into a very pedestrian friendly park with hiking and biking trails. It's definitely a far cry from what it used to be! I'm definitely eager to go back and check it out this summer... From what I hear, they hold lots of festivals and concerts there during the warmer seasons... And, to make it even more enticing, they have a farmer's market set up there during the summer... Woohoo!!  I'm definitely going back! :)  But, I digress... Let's get back to the Microbrew Fest... :)

The festival consisted of about five huge tents set up around the grounds.  Each tent housed about 10 different Michigan Microbreweries, a couple of food stands selling local eats, and a music stage.  And, being that it was pretty chilly outside, the tents were also heated... Yay! :)  So, we basically wandered around from tent to tent, sampling lots of delicious beers (all of them being from our lovely state of Michigan! :)) and listening to some really great music!  There was typically a theme for each tent, and we found ourselves attracted to the European themed tent (go figure!) which consisted of beers which are typical to European countries.  We also found the music in that tent to be far better than any of the other tents we were in!  They had a fabulous modern polka band called the Kielbasa Kings that we loved listening to!  They played modern music with a touch of polka...  Lots of fun! :)  And, the food in that tent was delicious!!  Pierogies and Kielbasa... Yum!! :)  And don't even get me started on the beer in that tent...  Lots of yummy hefeweizens, Kolsch style beers, and some delicious "hoppy" IPA's! :)  (I have to admit, after our few years in Germany and my love affair with hops, I'm now finding myself drawn to the hoppy flavored IPA's... Delicious! :))

Overall, it was such a fun-filled evening!!  It was so fun to wander around outside in the snow, warm up around the bonfire, listen to great music, sample fantastic beers brewed in Michigan, and just enjoy spending time with good friends!  We're already looking forward to next year's festival! :)

Sherry and Billy waiting for the shuttle to take us to the festival... 

Can't wait to get there! :)

The Village at Grand Traverse Commons...
This used to be the old State Hospital... 

Good times with great friends! :)

Sherry prosting to a fun-filled evening! :)

Prost!!

Sherry fell in love with Grandma's Perogies!  They were delicious! :)

Clearly, Brian was enjoying his Kielbasa! :)

The Kielbasa Kings...
They were fantastic and so much fun! :)

Singing and dancing along with the Kielbasa Kings! :)

Brian and Sherry were making friends around the bonfires! :)

Cheers to a great festival!!
Can't wait until next year! :)

40 Years...

January 17th marked a very special day... It was 40 years ago, on that date, that my mom began her teaching career in the small town I grew up in.  Since that date, she has dedicated herself to educating and nurturing all of the children within our community.  As a child of a teacher,  I remember spending many evenings after school, weekends, holidays, and summer vacations in her room helping her to get things organized or put up bulletin boards (I think my sister, brother, and I became quite knowledgable about putting up bulletin boards by the age of 5! :)).  At the time, it was the most annoying thing ever... Imagine being stuck at school when school wasn't even in session! :)  But, as I get older, and now that I'm also pursuing a career in education, I now fully appreciate all that my mom did.   My mom has worked tirelessly putting her heart and soul into her career.  She loves teaching and working with children.  She gets so much joy out of watching children develop into responsible citizens of our community.  And through the years, no matter how crazy things may have been at home (it can get rather crazy raising three children, and we definitely didn't make it easy on her! :)), she never gave anything less than the best in her classroom, and her students have gone on to accomplish many great things because of it.  She has truly made a difference in the lives of so many people within our community.  I've always admired what a wonderful teacher my mom is.  I can honestly say that I've never met another teacher with such drive, dedication, compassion, and determination in all of my schooling.   My mom is my role model, and I can only hope that I can make half of the impact on my students throughout my teaching career as my mom has on hers.

In order to mark this very special occasion, my sister, brother, dad, and I decided to host a surprise luncheon for her.  It was a small gathering of teachers and it was held in the teacher's lounge of her building.  We made the decorations, organized a tasty smorgasbord of food, prepared a scrapbook which we filled with comments and memories from her past students and old coworkers, and dad ordered her 40 long stem roses to mark each year of her teaching career (and they were absolutely gorgeous!!)... And we managed to do this all without her knowing! :)  On the day of the luncheon, my sister and I stealthily set everything up (and we were very jumpy in doing so for fear that she would walk into the lounge at any given moment! :)).  Mom's principal also worked with us in getting her out of her classroom and giving her time during the day to enjoy her luncheon.  And, when she walked into the lounge, the look of surprise on her face made it everything worthwhile. :)  After all that Mom has given to our community over the years, just being able to give something small back to her, meant more than anything. :)  And, to top off an already exciting day, the weather managed to take a turn for the worse that afternoon, and school was actually cancelled at 12:30...  So, Mother Nature apparently wanted to show her gratitude for mom's 40 years of service as well, by giving her an afternoon off! :)

So, thank you, Mom, for being a role model to so many and for being such a dedicated teacher through the years (as well as a wonderful mom throughout!! :))  You have made a difference in the lives of so many, and for that we are forever grateful!! :)  I'm so proud of all that you have accomplished!  I love you, Mom!! :)

The set up...
The decorations were all handmade by my sister and I... From the banner to the centerpieces.
Gotta love being crafty! :)

The smorgasbord of yummy food! :)

40 long stem roses from my Dad... Absolutely beautiful!!
(I found that I kept standing by them and smelling them throughout the day! :))

The cupcakes we made...
Apples and chalkboards!!  :)

The centerpieces...
How creative is my sister for coming up with this?! :)

More centerpieces... 

The surprise!! :)
Mom was definitely not expecting any of this, so the look on her face was pure shock! :)

Mom and Dad... :)

The girls! :)

Kaden really enjoyed the festivities as well! :)

Our family... :)

To Date...

... this is definitely my favorite Vander photo!  I love it! :)

Vander at 14 weeks...