Hellooooo Doggie!

We need help! Austin and I have been thinking/talking about getting a dog for quite a while now and are soon approaching the reality of a new four legged friend. Excitement!!! As soon as we moved into our house and had a yard, we knew we wanted a pup as soon as we could swing it.  We were so busy planning our wedding (I was busy) and with Austin's crazy travel schedule, a dog just hasn't been possible for us for the past year and a half. Well, now that Aus will finally have a normal schedule (with a job 2 miles from our house) we are ready to take on a new friend and the challenges of puppyhood! It works out great with his job being so close and having an hour lunch break so he can come home and let our new baby out to potty.

Our Dilemma: What type of dog do we get?

We have visited the SPCA, and as much as we would love to adopt a dog, we haven't been able to find exactly what we are looking for.  Plus, they never have tiny puppies (usually at least 5 months) and we really think for Baxter's sake, we need to bring him a little baby so he doesn't feel threatened and is able to grow with him and learn to love him. :) (Our hopes at least.) We have gone back and forth on which breed to buy, researched and read about them until no end, and have narrowed it down to two.  Two very different breeds...

The Boxer

The Boxer has many qualities we like. They are great with families, kids and other pets with a loyal and protective temperament.  They are friendly and attentive and develop strong bonds with their family. They have short hair (minimal shedding) so grooming and bathing is kept at a minimum.  They aren't known to bark unless they feel threatened and are easily trained because of their intelligence level. They are a bit larger than what we would prefer, weighing in at 50-60 lbs for females, and 55-70 lbs for males. (We would definitely get a female for this very reason!)

How precious are these  babies!!!

a

But then they do turn into this...

ahhhhhhhh!

The German Shorthaired Pointer

Our other contender: the German Shorthaired Pointer, and if it were up to Aus, this would definitely be his new best friend. I must admit, they are growing on me, and after searching for puppies and seeing these sweet things, I may just have to let him win this battle. They have lots of great characteristics too: loyal, brave, intelligent, and eager to learn. They seem to be great with children and other house hold pets as well. Easy maintenance with their coat, as they need minimal bathing and grooming and rarely shed. Austin's favorite? He can take him huntin'!  Aus says he's a country boy at heart and he can't wait to get him that there dog and get him a pick em up truck and shoot at some deer! Yee-haw! I do worry about how much activity they need, plus how hyper they are, as they were made to hunt and run the farm. Their size is better, weighing in at 40-45 lbs for females, and 50-65lbs for males. Another plus: their life expectancy.  Most dogs (they say) live between 10 and 12 years, and it's not uncommon for these pointers to live until they are 18!



 

I'll take that!  

So ridiculous!!!

  

 Maybe we should get Baxter's opinion?

Isabella Grace

Last Friday afternoon Austin and I headed to our hometown - Danville, VA for a photo shoot of Miss Isabella Grace.  When proud parents, and great friends of ours, Katie Adams and David Hawker, asked if we would photograph their little one - we obviously couldn't refuse! We were so excited to get our hands on her sweet little body with hopes she would cooperate just as we needed her too. With each newborn shoot we do we feel we learn so much and get a little bit better for the next little one we are to encounter.  Since we are primarily wedding photographers, our newborn shoots are few and farn between! Newborns are definitely a challenge! The shoot lasted about 4 hours, with us stopping every 15 minutes or so, to sooth her, feed her and warms her back up. Katie set the thermostat to 85 degrees in her house, so while we were all sweating our booties off, Miss Isabella wanted more heat! She did such a good job with us - especially right after she had a nice big bottle! She was too cute and we can't wait for our next new born shoot! Happy Friday Everyone!

Here are a few of my faves from the day:

Like what you see? Check us out - Windy Peak Photography 

be sure to 'like' us on Facebook!

Just call me Betty!

Monday nights dinner: Baked Spaghetti, Greek Salad and Garlic Bread 
I forgot to take pictures! I will get better at this, I will get better! 

Baked Spaghetti 

(I looked at 3 different recipes and came up with this:)

1 green bell pepper 

1/2 yellow onion (about 1 cup)

1 lb. ground beef

16 oz mozzarella (I got a big block and grated it all up..way better than

the pre-grated kind)

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 box angel hair

3 gloves garlic, minced 

1 tbsp oregano

1/2 tbsp minced onion

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tbsp of italian seasoning

1/2 tbsp salt and pepper 
Sauté peppers and onions with a smidge of butter. Brown meat. Add peppers and onions to meat. Add sauces, tomatoes, garlic and all spices. Cook noodles and drain. Add cooked noodles to 9x13 and pour all sauce mixture on top and stir all together really well. Put cheese on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubble and a little brown.

It was really good but next time I'm going to add 1/2 lb. of sausage to spice it up a bit.  Maybe a few sauteed mushrooms too.  Our salad was romaine lettuce, diced purple onions, diced tomatoes, tomato basil feta cheese, garlic croutons and greek dressing. 

Tuesday's Lunch (am I good or what? +1 with the hubs!) :) 

My Great Grandmothers Chicken Salad

1 lb. white chicken breasts, boiled and chopped

2 Golden Delicious Apples, peeled and chopped 

2 cups celery, chopped 

1/2- 1 cup Mayo

salt and pepper 

So easy and delicious. This recipe makes quite a bit - good for a week of chicken salad sandwiches! 

A happy husbands lunch! :)

Tuesday nights dinner: Turkey Florentine Meatballs, Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes and Deviled Eggs.

Turkey Florentine Meatballs

1 box frozen spinach, defrosted
1 1/3 lb ground turkey

1 large egg

1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
1/2 med onion, finely grated

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup milk

salt and pepper

Mix everything well and form into 12 large balls. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes on a cookie sheet. I served them with a little marinara sauce on top.  Make 24 balls for appetizer size balls if you wish. 

Deviled Eggs

Egg yolk with unknown amounts of mayo, mustard and sweet relish (just until it tastes right) plus ground mustard, salt, pepper and a bit of paprika to garnish. 

The Scalloped Potatoes were from a box by Betty and they were just okay.  I wouldn't make them again. I definitely recommend trying the meatballs for something healthy and different.  My mama gave me this recipe and it is definitely a keeper. I think next time I'm going to serve them over a little angel hair with a light sauce. YUMMM! 

3/4 cup breadcrumbs

Easy like Sunday Mornin'

Sunday we took it easy - roller skating, NASCAR and a trip to the SPCA pretty much sums up our day.  Aus was glued to the race all day so Abi and I decided to take a trip out to the SPCA to peek at the pups.  We've been talking about a new dog for a while now, pretty much since we built this house.  Now that our new job plans are official we are really getting serious about a purchase. So exciting!  Abi had a great time loving on the little guys and learning about the shelter. We took 3 different pups in the "get to know" rooms to play with for a bit. We came home empty handed, but I do believe if Aus was with us we would of come home with that little black and white hound, Stan.  He was real sweet and looks almost identical to Peyt and Lis's dog, Bosley, whom we loooove!

 Aus's race day manwhich.  Ridiculous!

She is getting so good! 

 Stan

Meatball

Milly

Saturday fun at the Green house!

Saturday night Austin's parents came down to spend the night with us and take Abi to see Madagascar at the Durham Performing Arts Center. Since they all had such a good time Austin and I are now making plans to see a play this spring.  It is such a nice theater, and very special to us as it was where our Rehearsal Dinner took place the night before our wedding. We must take advantage of this very soon!

Abi before heading to the play

Later that night Austin and I cooked dinner.  We had steaks, rosemary and garlic red skin potatoes, salad and apple pie (and lots of wine)! I forgot to take pictures of most of the food, but I did get some shots of my delicious pie!  You should all try this one - much better than ordinary apple pie. 

I got so excited when the pie was finished I forgot to take a picture!  This is what we had after the four of us devoured it! 

Carmel Crunch Apple Pie

1 deep dish pie crust (I used the peel out pie crust by Pillsbury found where the biscuits and all are)

24 caramels

2 T water

4 cups apples, sliced and peeled (I used Honey Crisp)

3/4 c. flour

1/3 c. sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/3 c. margarine

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Melt caramels with water in heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently until smooth.  Spoon apples into crust.  Top with caramel sauce.  Mix flour, sugar and cinnamon.  Cut in margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in walnuts. Sprinkle over apples. Bake in 375 degree oven for 40 to 45 minuets or until apples are tender.

 Steaks before they went on the grill.  Austin makes THE best steak marinades!