Maine or Bust

So Saturday was the Zuleta Family pictures. Let's just say by the end, we were ready to be done!!!!

I was able to find a new dress at the last minute (after a solid week of shopping) and I couldn't have been happier! It was a...wait for it...size 10!!! I was so excited!!!!!!

Today I am at home sick though. I had a nail trim that came in yesterday that I think rolled in the grass before it came in. Well many of you know I am allergic to grass. So I was breaking out in hives all on my neck and I was sneezing. So it got better by the end of the day, but didn't go away. So today it is even worse. Plus my arthritis is getting worse with the cold weather approaching. So I am at home, with my Christmas candle lit, socks in place and catching up on my blogging!

We leave for Maine on Thursday!!!!!! We have a very busy schedule, but it is all worth it!!! So if you don't hear from me, it's because my parents have not joined the 21st century and gotten internet connection!!!

Mistletoe Madness

Last week we went to a really nice Yankee Candle shop in Virginia. They have their seasonal candles out already and they had my absolute favorite candle scent ever. I look forward to it every year! MISTLETOE!!!!!!! We couldn't get one then, but that was okay since it really is only September. Guess what he brought home for me today?!?!?!?! Yup a big jar candle of Mistletoe scented candle!! I love him so much!!!!

IT"S FRIDAY!!!!!!!! We just got back from shopping! I had to get a dress for family pictures tomorrow and needed an eyebrow wax....that was interesting, but another story for another day....short version though...she got WAX IN MY HAIR!!!! Then Juli took me to Red Lobster where they are having their endless shrimp special!!!

Next week we travel to Maine so I am cleaning like a mad woman. I get soooooo far behind during the week that on Friday I have way too much to do! Anyways, I can't wait to see everyone! That will be a serious blog post when it comes down to it!!!!

Enjoy your weekend!

15 down....too many to go!

I have officially lost 15lbs!!!!!! I now have a heart rate monitor and am more conscious of keeping my heart rate withing a training mode!!!!! I am hoping to lose at least 10 more by October 1st so we will see!!!!!

I am enjoying my three day weekend so far!!! Laundry, dusting, vacuuming...all very intriguing tasks *rolls eyes* but I am REALLY looking forward to going out with my husband tonight! We are going to Tyson's Corner and out to eat! I can't wait!!!!! Hopefully tennis tomorrow! It has been too long since we have played!!!

Pug Problems

I love my job. Please don't think I don't, but I REALLY, I mean REALLY dislike pugs. They are the most bi-polar dogs I have ever seen. They come in all cute and licking your face off, but as soon as I turn on the water BAHM, totally different dog. I did two pugs today. A nail trim and a full bath. The nail trim was a little puppy who was as sweet as could be till I picked up the cotton balls to do her ears.....OH MY WORD! It took three of us to do this 5 lbs little puppy. But that was AFTER she bit my fingers a couple times! The second pug was even sweeter! Put he had issues!!!! He would try to bite and there is no way to muzzle a pug. So after about 30 mins (which usually takes 10 mins to dry a pug) I gave up and just let him air dry. Poor guy was licking away like crazy and would jump in my lap when the dryer was off!

Well enough of doggy woes for now! I had an amazing weekend. Nothing special happened, we just got a lot accomplished! My incredible husband helped me clean out the spare room and get rid of a TON of junk! Where does this stuff come from? I do not consider myself a pack rat by ANY means so I don't understand how we accumlate so much stuff LOL!!! It is all packed up and labled so when we DO get a place of our own, one less room to worry about!

Glad the Patriots won last night. I missed the game because I was SOOOOO tired (I washed 9 dogs yesterday one of which was a burnese mountain dog that was only 11 months old and thought everything was a game!) and fell asleep at 8 pm last night!

I hope everyone is enjoying their week!!!!

Happy Birthday Parker!!!

Two years ago today, my baby, Parker, was born! He truly was a blessing in disguise. After we lost our daughter, I needed an outlet to "release" all that mothering. Getting pregnant again wasn't an option, so we started searching for the perfect kitten. We could not affor the $130 adoption fees that shelters had so I turned to Craig's List. Nothing was working out. We had very specific qualifications for our kitten and none were meeting any of them. After two months of searching, I found a listing without a picture but a perfect description of our baby. I knew this was the one. It was all the way in Baltimore but we made the trip and prayed that he would still be there. When we finally met up with the owner, she had three left. Out of these three, there was two that we were interested in. In the end, we chose Parker because of his unique "mustache" marking under his nose. That sold us.

From the moment we brought him home, we knew he needed us. Poor guy had fleas, worms, and an eye infection. He was worth all the effort to get him well again!

He is our snuggle kitty. He loves to be held and practically goes limp whenever you pick him up and would lay there for hours if you let him. He loves his brother, Rocky, even when Rocky doesn't want the attention :P He is the first one to greet me at the door when I get home and the one that is always waiting at the window!
This was his first trip out in the snow. Needless to say, he didn't care for it too much!
Parker loves to go wherever we go, so it is no suprise that he loves to go out on his leash. He sniffs everything and never wants to go in!
We love our special little guy because he came into our life at a very dark time. He provided the unconditional love we needed, and helped me on the road to emotional healing. God knew that we needed this little furry bundle, and He used him to help me!
Check out Parker on his leash.

Puppy Love

I had the privilege of washing the cutest little lab puppy I have ever seen! He was better behaved than some of my older "clients"!!!!!! I did 6 pawdicures (nail trimming, nail grinding, and ear cleaning) today on top of my four regular baths and boy am I pooped! By the way, if you have a Pet Perks card, now is a perfect time to get a pawdicure. A pawdicure normally costs $19 but with your PP card, it is only $8. Nail trimming alone is $9 seperately, so it is quite a bargin!!!!!!!

Yesterday was our church picnic. Needless to say it was pouring by the time we ate and it was moved to the basement. We still had great food and fellowship!!

Our good friends Darla (Webb) and Hollis Hillman are starting their new church, Freedom Baptist Church, in Front Royal, VA on Sunday the 13th and I urge anyone in that area to check it out. They are amazing people who love the Lord with all their hearts and are so on fire for God. We look forward to seeing their church grow and prosper.

I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day holiday. I got to spend mine soaking wet and smelling like dog, but had a GREAT time when I got home. Julio did chores around the house for me and cooked dinner! What a truly amazing husband I have!!!!!

Fresh Air

Fall has hit Maryland!! I have all my windows thrown open and I am cleaning so everything will get aired out! I enjoy not melting thank you very much!!!

Phew!!! Isn't it crazy how laundry piles up if you don't do it daily. Since we share a machine with three others, doing it on a schedule is out of the question and now that I am working (my usual time to do laundry) I have to save it all for my day off!! WOW! When you go to your closet and say "I have NOTHING to wear" remember all the laundry you do!! Where in the world does it come from????

I am trying to muster up the energy to rearrange the furniture but it probably won't get done today =( Oh well....there is always next week.

Our church picnic is on Sunday and as always it will be a great time with amazing food and great Christian fellowship!

I got a special snuggling today from my cat Rocky. I think he was just overjoyed at A: I didn't smell like dog, and B: I was actually home all day. He must have spent thirty minutes in my lap and for Rocky, that might as well be hours! I have missed him since working, but I am sure he enjoys food in his bowl more than constant company!!!!!!

On a sad note: I quicked (cut the vein on the nail) my first dog yesterday. I felt so bad. It happens on a constant basis in the salon and is not a big deal because we have special powder to stop the bleeding, if it does, but I still felt bad! NOT entirely my fault (If he had held still like I told him I wouldn't have cut him) but I still felt like a butcher! LOL!! He was completely fine and didn't even bite!!!!! I work four hours on Sunday so looking forward to lots of tips (the big spenders come out on weekends!)!!!!!!!

Enjoy your weekend folks!!!

One of those days.

Yesterday was just one of those days. I had 7 dogs....all of which were huge, furry, and not happy with me one bit. I had to muzzle one just to brush it. Poor thing. It gets frustrating because these Pet Parents will say "oh she is just the sweetest dog or ...they love the water...or my least favorite....I needed to bring him to the spa" As if the dogs are going to ENJOY getting a bath!!!! One of these poor dogs must have been sick because when her owner brought her in she said "Oh I am sorry Maggie must have eaten something that didn't agree with her because she had diarrhea this morning and is fine now" only to find out she ISN"T fine now and has just had an accident all over herself AFTER I had washed, dried, and brushed her. After all that...no tip! Sorry to complain but it was just one of those days LOL!!!


Today was so much better. All good dogs! Plus...............DRUMROLL PLEASE..................................................................................................................................................................................................

JULIO PASSED HIS CITIZENSHIP TEST TODAY!!!!!!!!

He gets sworn in be the end of the month!! I am so proud of him. He has been here since he was 5 but the whole process has taken about 20 years and thousands of dollars. It has made me appreciate my citizenship so much more because I have seen the stress of trying to deal with a faulty system! Thank goodness that is all over with!

Fall is in the air! It has been quite chilly today!! I think for the first time I am NOT looking forward to the cold weather only because I am constantly wet and fear freezing LOL!!!

Love to all and congrats on all the accomplishments fellow bloggers have gotten this week!!!!