What I Did On My Summer Vacation...

Scelena and My Before (May 2013) & After (July 2013) Travel Photos

I traveled to 7 different countries in Southeast Asia & Western Australia! And had an amazing time doing so! We traveled in Indonesia, Western Australia, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, and South Korea from May 7th - July 29th. I blogged my entire adventure at the link below:

http://passportnecessary.wordpress.com/

After returning, Dean swept me away for a 5 day stay at the Salish Lodge in Snoqualmie, WA. Talk about romantic! It was the best way to recover from jet lag. I slept 9 hour nights, and took 2 hour naps daily. It was beyond peaceful. We had a lovely time reconnecting after our 3 month separation.

Once we returned to Tucson, the packing began. That's right! We are returning home to Seattle, WA. Dean is involved in a start-up located in Seattle, and so off we go! He had to immediately travel once we returned home, so I was left to pack the house. I've become quite the pro at packing since this was our 5th move in the last 3 years. If I move ever again, it will be too soon!

Two weeks after returning home from my travels, I had to finish packing, and hop on a flight to Seattle, WA for a wedding on Whidbey Island. I played the role of the Maid of Honor, and enjoyed seeing my dear friend, "beat me down the isle." Yes, I did say that in my speech, and it was got some pretty good laughs.

Soon after the wedding, I stayed for a week to enjoy some much needed family time. And of course, go to the annual Dave Matthews Band concert at the gorge. And finally, a road trip back home to Seattle!

Sissy and Me at the Saturday Show

The Head and the Heart (Sunday Show)

Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge (Sunday Show)

After a weekend of pure music bliss, my sister dropped me off at the airport for Tucson, AZ. Immediately off the plane, Dean and I drove to Los Angeles (our first stop on our road trip back to Seattle, WA). I was exhausted. My sister and I barely got any sleep over the DMB concert weekend, and jumping off of a plane to drive 8 hours makes a girl very sleepy! But we love our road trips!

DeLaney & Finnegan Meeting Me at the Airport

California Coastline

Finnegan Relaxing in the BackSeat

Onward to San Francisco

The Golden Gate Bridge

My First Time Driving Over the Golden Gate Bridge!

The Dog's NOT Enjoying HWY 101

Welcome to the Redwoods!

Dean Enjoying some Redwood Forest Time

DeLaney Sleeping with A Pillow in the Back

The View from our Beach House in Cannon Beach

The Vacation Rental's HUGE Backyard in Cannon Beach

We Finally Decided to Take Out the Nice Camera -- Beach Time

Finnegan's First Time Seeing the Ocean (DeLaney's 3rd)

Enjoying the Water

Once in Washington, I stayed with my family again for another week with the dogs. My parents had to meet Finnegan! We had a lovely time in Doggy Disneyland (my parent's backyard is a wonderland for them). My Dad played ball with them everyday...they were definitely sad to leave!

DeLaney & Finnegan with Their Uncle Gary

Exhausted from LOTS of Fetch Games!

Can We Come Back Inside, So We Can Beg To Go Back Out!?

Now we are settling in our new home in Seattle. And the pups are loving it. They have a backyard, a lovely neighborhood to walk in, and a BIG old house to rest in. They are in heaven!

Smiling Dog Ranch Visit...

Finnegan recovered so quickly from surgery. I'm so relieved. Getting boys fixed is so much more simple than getting ladies fixed! So, since Finnegan healed and has completed his puppy shots, we decided to give Smiling Dog Ranch!

I really like this dog park. There are plenty of trees for shading, and it's right off the River Walk, so we can get some leash practice in on the way. Finnegan's first experience at a dog park went well. DeLaney was extremely excited to be there; which helped Finnegan's spirits a bit. Although, he was a little timid meeting new dogs for the first time, he calmed down pretty quickly.

DeLaney and Finnegan had a blast running around and making friends! I think I will start taking them to this place a couple times a week...

DeLaney trying to get someone to chase her

DeLaney in the tunnel

Finnegan wanting to join DeLaney in the tunnel

Finnegan sniffing out the park

Post-Op

Finnegan has returned from his castration. He is completely out of it, and hasn't moved from DeLaney's kennel. You can tell DeLaney was concerned. She is laying near the kennel, and every now and then I catch her just staring at him. And no, she isn't jealous that he is in her kennel. She could care less about that...she prefers his kennel anyway. My sweet angel knows he's not feeling well and is worried. What a dear.

I love him so much. I'm hoping for a quick and easy recovery! I do not want a repeat of DeLaney's spaying adventure. Here is a photo of my poor lil man...

Vet Visits

Finnegan has already gone to the vet twice since we got him. First, for his wellness examination and shots. And second for a pretty bad case of diarrhea. Poor guy! We are taking him to Northwest Pet Clinic. It's a lovely practice. Everyone is SO kind and informative. I like it more than any other vet clinic I've been too. 

His first appointment went well. He's already 30lbs! I cannot believe that. DeLaney is full grown and only 40lbs. I wonder how big he's going to get. Our new veteriarian is Kerry Gillooly-Collins. She's really sweet. The first thing she said when she saw Finn was, "woah, he's gonna be a big Springer!" She gave him his exam, and shots. She said he was a beautifully healthy young boy. And at the end of the appointment, I set up the neutering exam. Poor lil guy!

His second vet appointment was about a week ago. He came down with a terrible case of diarrhea -- in the middle of the night. He was whinning in his kennel, which was not common. So I took him out, and he exploded. It was actually quite funny because he had these horribly loud farts, and he scared himself. He would fart, and then run away from the noise. Haha, aww my poor buddy. Well, anyway...we took him to the vet and he was put on antibiotics  He is now all better, but not before he gave it to DeLaney. Luckily, hers only lasted two days. I made an appointment for her, but she got better just in time. So I cancelled...thank goodness. (She HATES the vet.)

Now I have two healthy, happy pups who are passed out next to me. One on each side. I'm so thrilled to have these two in our life. I couldn't be happier and more in love. I leave this post now with a photo of Daddy Dean and his tired babies...

They like me more :)

Jay and Silent Bob

I've nicknamed DeLaney and Finnegan, Jay and Silent Bob...

Finnegan is Silent Bob since he is obviously silent and chunky, and DeLaney is Jay because...well, DeLaney doesn't shut up. She is a constant barker. Someone rings the doorbell, bark. I grab the leash, bark. Someone has a ball in their hand, bark. Ugh...please Finnegan -- DON'T LEARN THIS TRAIT!

Also, please -- continue to do cute poses for the camera, you adorable duo:

Finnegan (left) and DeLaney (right) nose to nose sleeping -- puppy kisses!

The Arrival

Finally, we have Finnegan. I'm so excited to have him.

We arrived in Tucson the day before he did -- we had a pretty intense traveling schedule over December. He was suppose to be delivered at the beginning of December, but since we weren't going to be in Tucson -- our breeder Terri was SO kind to board him for an addition month. She is one of the most kindest people I've ever met. A genuinely good person, who is 110% commented to her pups. I thank God we have her in our lives. 

Terri sent us this photo of Finnegan in December

He came on Alaska Airlines. He didn't get sick or have any accidents in his crate, which was great. He came along with a bunch of goodies too -- including an awesome Seattle Mariners blanket! I knew I chose the best breeder in Washington. Go Ms! The first thing that I noticed about Finn, is that he is extremely confident. The strong, silent type. I'm going to like this lil man.

As I mentioned before, we had arrived in Tucson the day before -- late. So we spent the night in a hotel, and hadn't even picked DeLaney up from her daycare. We got the keys to our new rental earlier that morning -- so Dean and I split up. Dean took Finnegan to the new house. And I went and picked up DeLaney. She was extremely excited to see me -- and a bit frantic. Poor thing. She had a rough morning, I scheduled a bath and haircut so I'd have a freshly groomed pup to come home to. But, like the trooper she is -- she let the grooming happen and was happy and smelling fresh when I arrived.

The meet...I recorded it on my phone. It went rather well. DeLaney at first didn't give Finnegan any attention, and only wanted to snuggle me. But after a few moments, puppy play took place and they have been best friends ever since. This makes me extremely happy!

So the trio becomes a quartet. Welcome to our family Finnegan.

We Found A House!

Thank goodness we took our time! The house is exactly what we wanted: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a fully fenced backyard (a big one too), a heated pool, and a hot tub! It's in a decent part of Tucson too. We couldn't be happier with this rental. The backyard is what sold us...it's so large. It even has a cabana! The dogs will definitely LOVE this place.

Our Lil Man

Terri sent these to us...isn't he the cutest lil man!?

Finnegan getting kisses from his sister

Finnegan

The Pool

DeLaney loves her pool time...

Seattle to Tucson: Our Road Trip

Phew! These last few weeks have been incredibly tiring. DeLaney got a horrible case of Kennel Cough from her daycare on my last week of work. And with Dean being gone, (he went South to begin work at the end of September) I had to deal with his on my own. She really can't be left alone for a full day just yet, so I ended up taking a few vacation days to watch her. It was really frustrating since it was my final week at work. I missed my goodbye lunch -- which of course brought me to tears. I adore my work family, but my commitment is to my family; so I stayed with DeLaney. It also gave me ample time to pack. Since Dean was already in Arizona...I was on my own with the packing of boxes yet again. 

Dean returned home for one last friend gathering at the house before the movers came - and of course wine in blue solo cups is a must

This move was particularly hard. This was the first house in Seattle where I felt at home. We lived in a beautiful house in a neighborhood where our wonderful friends were within walking distance. The last thing I wanted to do was give up this place. But my true home is where ever Dean and DeLaney are -- so to Tucson we go. And even though I was saddened to leave my Happy Place, I was excited for our Southwest adventure. Especially our Road Trip down! What an experience!

Dean, DeLaney, & Myself at Scelena & Tom's apartment about to leave!

After a little car trouble in Seattle, we were on our way to the first stop: Kalispell, Montana. I was incredibly excited to visit Montana for the first time. I was going to see Glacier! A National Park that I've always wanted to visit. 

To get to Montana, we had to drive through Idaho!

We made really great time! Montana, here we are!

DeLaney did a fantastic job in the car -- of course we gave her meds, so she slept most of the trip. We gave her one pill, and she was SO sedated. It was actually quite frightening. Her inner eyelids were nearly closed when she was awake, and she was completely out of it for a good 12 hours. The rest of the trip we decided to lessen the dosage, but continued to use the medication since our time on the road was so long.

Dean and I in front of Hungry Horse Dam

DeLaney hiking in Flathead National Forest

Me smiling at Dean - it was freezing

Hiking

Gorgeous rivers in Glacier

DeLaney and me in Glacier National Park

 Hungry Horse Water Reservoir - playing fetch

DeLaney fetching the stick - she loves water

All that fetch made me thirsty

We had to BLAST the heat for DeLaney - she was FROZEN

Our second stop was Bozeman, Montana. We only stayed overnight, and woke up to enjoy the day in Yellowstone and drive down to Jackson Hole Wyoming.

A road trip in Montana wouldn't be complete unless you stop at the Dinosaur Gallery

Seriously, so random!

Montana landscape - so beautiful

Dean and Cera the Triceratops

Wyoming...here we are

Here we are at Yellowstone - Mammoth Hot Springs

Elk

 There were a lot of elk

 Mammoth Hot Springs were amazing

Don't touch the hot springs

 Smiling even though it smelled like the Earth cut one

Dean was in shock that the Earth could be so stinky

A pretty waterfall in Yellowstone

We saw Bison

...and more elk

 Old Faithful wasn't very impressive at first

I was a little impatient -- it was FREEZING

There it goes -- thank you Old Faithful

When coffee arrived and Old Faithful really started going, I became pretty happy

I gotta say that Wyoming is the most beautiful state I've ever seen. It's stunningly gorgeous. The mountain range, the plains, the color of the sky...it's amazing. I definitely would love to have a beautiful vacation ranch home there -- if only we were millionaires. 

Storm in the mountains - took this photo on our way to Teton Village in Jackson Hole, Wyoming

We stayed at the Teton Mountain Lodge & hiked all around Teton National Forest - DeLaney loved every moment of Teton, absolutely stunning

Beautiful lake in Teton National Forest (there were huge, gorgeous homes on this lake)

Dean and DeLaney on another hike

Road to our hiking adventures in Teton -- below there is a horse ranch with about twenty horses in few

 We found an ATV road that was super steep -- to burn off some energy we kept tossing sticks down the hill for DeLaney

Dean and DeLaney looking over the edge

DeLaney loves running up and down hills

We stayed at our third stop in Jackson Hole for two days. It was so relaxing and fun to get out and hike. No one was on any of the trails we went on, so we let DeLaney off leash most of the time. She loved the freedom. She would run up the trail a ways, and then run back to us. She probably hiked twice as much as we did!

You can't really see, but there are moose way back there

Our next stop was just some motel in Utah for the night. We really didn't want to take time in Utah, so we just drove through. I was way to excited for our next stop -- The Grand Canyon! I've been desperate to see the Grand Canyon my entire life. So Utah wasn't standing in my way.

Entering Utah

Utah is beautiful though

Arizona -- our new home

A dam in Arizona

Dam in Arizona

I have arrived at the Grand Canyon -- I couldn't be happier

I was cracking up because DeLaney was being impossible & refused to look at the camera

Yes, I loved the Grand Canyon

The Grand Canyon

The South Rim allows dogs on the walkway...so DeLaney got to see my favorite place in the USA

We found this awesome trail in the Kaibab National Forest (right outside the Grand Canyon) -- this is Dean looking at the outstanding view, and being quite handsome

DeLaney had so much fun running around at the top of the trail -- we were the only ones, so we gave her full leash freedom

My reward at the top of the trail

Our final stop before hitting Tucson was Sedona, Arizona. ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! I really want to go back. There are tons of dog friendly trails, and the views are amazing. We really enjoyed Sedona and stayed two days.

Me at the bottom of Devil's Bridge

Gorgeous!

Stunning!

We were on the road for 10 days. We had a great time. I drove most of the way, DeLaney slept a LOT, and Dean worked in the passenger seat for most of the driving time. We are currently renting a vacation home while we find something more permanent. We really want a 3bed/2bath home with a fully fenced backyard with a heated pool. Really hope we get lucky and find a great home to rent!