Yay for Breaks :)

I'm gonna post a bunch of pictures of the flowers around our house, cause why? They make me happy :) And the damn things cost a lot of money. Flowers are expensive...just sayin'

WOW...it's already past the middle of August...summer has absolutely FLOWN by. And it's been a great one :)

This year I've made it a priority to enjoy summer, since here in Minnesota we only have a few months of lovely weather, then fall sets in (lovely as well, but not early as amazing as summer!) and then the dreaded winter...

Agility is being put on the back burner a bit for me--got the Byes I needed, Lynn didn't get Qualified, but I decided I didn't care to even try after all, will work on that next year...supporting the husband and Crackers through their quest for World Team is for sure very intense. They are doing well, not sure points wise how they are, though I'm sure the husband knows :) I'm just trying to prepare him the best I can as his coach and NOT his wife. It can be tough training your spouse, but I think we are finding a balance :)

I am however, enjoying time away from agility more and more...I'm loving all the things up here in Minnesota that we can do in the summer...I figure I can trial dogs in the winter more when there is little to do. So why not go fishing, play on the lake, jet ski, swim, enjoy the sun. THEN, when winter is here, we have 4 feet of snow on the ground, I'll train and trial :) Or so that's the plan.

I think when you make your hobby or passion your job, things have to change. Priorities have to be juggled around and sometimes one has to take a break from the thing they once had tons of passion for, to make them want that thing again. I LOVE teaching, love love love it, but the actual going to trials I am lagging a bit on. So right now, I've taken a few weeks off to enjoy hiking with the dogs, swimming the dogs and just enjoying summer. Just needed to recharge a bit.

So far so good :) Getting that itch to train again :) The dogs have enjoyed their break I think, not like I train a ton anyway, but training is training and trialing is stressful regardless of how much they enjoy it...the travel, etc etc.

It feels good to take a break from training and trialing. Now I can get back into getting the dogs ready for USDAA Nationals. Not sure I'm crazy about 6 days of Nationals...but that's how the cookie crumbles. It will be fun to see everyone and enjoy the great competition and fun courses.

So many amazing things have happened for me this year, opportunities that have sprung up, I feel very blessed. Positive thinking goes a long way :)

Granted...surrounded by beautiful flowers goes a long way in keeping a person positive...at least it does for me :)

I'm going to look at winter a different way this year, different than I have in the past. This summer I concentrated on really seeing the things in my life (dogs, real life, relationships etc) that were amazing. Instead of focusing on the things in life I wanted to change (wanting to move, wanting more land for more sheep, wanting a building, want want want)...When I opened my eyes and looked at the things I HAD, I realized that life is pretty damn amazing.

So this winter, my goal is to find things I love about winter, or at least things I can enjoy during the winter months. I'm going to look far and wide! And focus on all that good stuff...sounds pretty darn hippie-ish, but it really works! So SCREW you winter! I'm gonna enjoy you even if I lose a few fingers to frost bite! HA!!! I LAUGH AT YOU! HA!! Pointing....HAHA!

Remind me of this when it's 30 below zero OK? Cause I'm gonna need it.

On a completely different tangent (well kinda...I guess)...we have plums! I'm determined to get them before the damn birds do...

I think I can, I THINK I CAN!!!

I always wanted fruit trees where I lived...now, I've got them! YAY!!!

And when the barn was decided on...the husband had to move all our strawberry plants...he devised a way to contain them...a box...which, I suggested that might not be a great idea, considering Vittles is a kitty, and kitties crap in boxes.

Naw...Vittles won't---was his response...

Um YEAH...if the husband gives you strawberries, just pitch them...just sayin'. I've seen it happen...and what goes on in the strawberry box, STAYS in the strawberry box...

The lambs are ready to go...at anytime...Ernestine (remember her? The evil bottle lamb?) has been assimilated into the herd. She still enjoys coming to the fence to watch agility lessons, but she is for sure a sheep, a walking, SCREAMING, sheep :) Yay for Ernestine :)

Remember meth-head lambie?? Here she is grown up...she still looks like she's high on crack and is a very jumpy lamb...great for making the dogs cover...love her!

Fall will be here sooner than later, leaves will change, pumpkins, saying goodbye to lambs, USDAA Nationals...but this year, I'll have my barn :) My VERY OWN barn...pinch me. No really...I think I'm dreaming.

We interrupt this blog post for a note from Bug:

THROW THE BALL BEOOOTCH!!!!

Speaking of the barn!!! I've gotten used to random shit showing up in my yard!! No Xanax required! My brain has realized my yard will return to it's former glory and this is just a weird, disfunctional, totally f---ed up summer of Christmas'...I go to sleep and wake up to...

GIANT SHEETS OF METAL!!!! Jumping up and down!!! YIPPEE!!! Clapping!!! Happiness!! YAY!!!!!!!!!

Men all come out and I am all excited about watching my barn turn into a barn...oops...apparently no screws or nails...OKAY....so slow going this am. BUT...things started moving!

Walls starting to take shape!

And the end of the day results! Walls!!! YAY!!!!

To be able to walk out my patio door to train my dogs...seriously is worth SO MUCH TO ME :) I'm blessed...good things DO come to those who wait (whether it is very reluctantly!).

And another random post...I found this hat...I bought it...I love this hat, she is amazing, and PINK and has SPARKLES. OMG!!!!!

And yes, she's sitting on a watermelon (or as many friends just called it, a MELON--which immediately made my mind go into the gutter)...I just gotta figure out where to wear the hat. I'm thinking some fancy shin-dig thrown by the husbands employer...just to see if he'll claim me. I tried to run it by my DAM teams for USDAA Nationals, but threats were made. Not sure what THEIR problems are...but whatever. Me and my pink/sparkly/amazing hat are just really happy to have found each other.

And on a final note...Lynn is turning into a lovely little dog...seriously. The maturity I am seeing in her this summer is just awesome. She's such a tough little dog, the thinking dog has pretty much left the building and the naughty dog has taken over (my master plan mwwwahahahaha!!) She is so fun. It's amazing to see how far we have come as a team, all she's taught me...I just really love my Steward Little!!!!

I have always believed every dog is a clean slate and you make the dog what YOU want. A dog is always a reflection of you as a trainer...if a dog shuts down, it's been TAUGHT/REINFORCED to shut down, if a dog thinks too much, same thing...everything is you as a trainer. Lynn really made me realize this, and further embedded it into my brain that the relationship we have with our dogs shapes them, and can be a blessing or a curse depending on how WE as trainers see it. I had to figure her out, not because SHE didn't have what it took to become a great little dog, but because at the time, I didn't have the knowledge to communicate...rather more like the patience. KK always says, there is no room for ego in dog training...she is so very right. Lynn didn't need a trainer with an ego, she needed a teacher that was willing to listen to what she was saying. Thanks Lynn :) I listened :) And I'm still listening!

I'm excited about what our future holds, in both agility and herding. She is getting the DW's at trials :) JUST RUN. GOT IT MOM!!!! She still makes mistakes, knocks bars mainly at this point, but I have taken a much less intense view of it. I actually have a much less intense view of dog training as a whole. I've embraced the change, the constant adjustments that need to be made. I'm enjoying the thrill when things work out and also at the same time, enjoying the brainstorming when things don't.

Hard to imagine one little dog did that to me...but she did :) Pretty damn amazing. There is a connection between us that is so strong now...I look back on my posts and wonder how the hell I could have EVER been frustrated with her. She's brilliant, she's drivey, she's evil, she's just what I needed to grow.

I hope I can continue to be the teammate she needs and deserves.

I'm sure I'll fall short...but the good thing about Stewie is? She won't care, she'll just bark at me and bring me a toy :)

Good lord, is this the biggest "Unicorns and Rainbows" post ever or WHAT?!?!? LMAO!

Ok--how for something totally vulgar so you won't think I've gone completely off the deep end!!

Be careful where your deer antlers end up :)

Hee Hee Ace---is that an antler or you just happy to see me? :-) AWWW YEAH!