Yay, it's summer! (and other stuff worth mentioning)

Ok, so its been most of the winter and all of the spring since I've blogged, but there just wasn't anything worth mentioning.. Well, I guess that's not exactly true, but that's my excuse and I'm stinkin' to it!
So, I guess I can tell you now that I'm a bonnified College student.  Yep, that's right.. I'm taking online classes through the University of Phoenix and I'm really enjoying it!  It's a lot of work, but I like a little challenge and the end result is gonna be my Accounting degree.  (associates at first, but I'm planning on going all the way!)  I just finished my first 'block' and am now on to my second 9 week block.  I'm taking Research Writing and Critical Thinking, which is gonna kick my hiney.  Luckily for me, I'm taking them during summer break (coincidence??) so I'll have more time to devote to the reading and writing.. and more writing.  (I foresee A LOT of writing..)

Also, that beautiful trampoline I mentioned in one of my earlier blogs was destroyed a few months ago during a storm.. see below.. :(

I know, stinks right?  Both the bottom and top frame were broken, so there was no fixing it.  We dismantled it and sold the mat and bouncy pad for a couple bucks. 

In it's place we bought the boys a swimming pool (of course that was our vacation fund, so they'd better enjoy it! hehe)

Here are some pics of todays swim..

Ramsey hanging out on his floaty lounge..

Riddoc jumping off the ladder!

Austyn jumping off the ladder!

Chillin' out..



And last but not least, Boondock.. he LOVES to swim.  I pull him in and he just does lap after lap.  When he gets tired, he swims up to one of us and we hold him up for a breather.. then he kicks off and is back at it!

I guess I can't forget to mention the sports.. since I've blogged last, two out of three Ferrier lad has entered into a sport.  Riddoc did soccer (it just ended last weekend) and Austyn is just now starting baseball..

Here's Riddoc the Dominator!  (he's number 9)  It was hard to get a picture of him because he was always on the run.  He definitely rocked that soccer field!

and here's a pic of my future little leaguer.. Austyn the Ambitious!  (Go number 4!!!)

Ramsey has yet to pick a sport (at least a sport that doesn't cost $100 a month.. like karate..) but I'm sure he will when/if he feels like it. :)

Ok, so that's it for now.. I have some dinner and an assignment to get started on..

Talk to you later!!! 

True Blue Dogs!

Ok, so by now most people who know me have figured out that I really like animals.  I always have..  I can remember when I was still living at home, my parents were also animal lovers (thankfully) and they didn't mind me having a myriad of critters in my room.  At one point I had close to 30 pets.. in my room!  Granted, that included my terrarium full of lizards and frogs, but I also had furry four leggers too, like rabbits and guinea pigs. 
One of the little lizards of that era always sticks out in my mind.  It was a little black and red newt with three legs.  I was going to get a much prettier lizard when we went to the pet store, but i was so worried that this little guy would never get a home because he was 'flawed'.  My little teenage heart went out to him and I just had to bring him home.  By the way, did you know that lizards can regenerate all of their limbs, not just their tails.. freaky!  Anywho, he was the first of many 'flawed' creatures to grace my home as my heart still goes out to them.
This passion of mine for the 'underdog' has brought me to a new idea for this season of my life.  I've been trying to figure out what it is that I'm suppose to be doing, either with a career, or lack of one, and my talents.  Sooooo I've decided to start a charity, or organization, or group, or program.. k, so I'm still trying to figure out exactly what it is.. so for now, we'll call it a program.  I'm naming it True Blue Dogs: K9 training and rehabilitation, and it will focus on the literal underdog.  I'm going to be working side by side with the local humane society to help get some of their dogs adopted. 
Here's the basic plan.  I'm going to foster a dog (one at a time) that has been in the shelter for more than 4 months.  I have certain criteria lined out that this dog will have to meet, but I'm basically taking on dogs that appear to be 'unadoptable' and doomed to die sad and lonely deaths at said shelter.  I will devote the necessary amount of time to this dog, between 1 and 4 months probably, training, rehabilitating and loving on it until it can take and pass the AKC Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test.  Once that happens, then the dog will be put back up for adoption (while it lives with me) and the shelter manager and I will see that it gets placed in the perfect situation.  And then I'll foster another dog and do the same thing all over again!  essentially I'll be taking a dog that's not adoptable for minor behavioral reasons and helping it to meet its full potential and prove to the world that it is extremely adoptable and that anybody would be blessed to include it into their family.
I have already met with the board of directors of the Lebanon Humane Society and they've given me their blessing to go ahead and do this at their shelter.  I brought home the first 'inductee' last week and we're making terrific strides at accomplishing our first set of goals!  (BTW, this first little girl I'll be adopting myself so that I actually have a dog that has completed the program.  It just seemed like the right thing to do.)
Anyway, I created a website for the program and any ones welcome to jump right in there and look around!  I'm anxious to get some pictures up there and to get started on the next inductee in a few weeks!

This is Jolly Roger (named because she loves to bury all her little treasures)  She's just under a year old with an unknown past.  She was found abandoned and tied to the gate at the Humane Society a few months ago. 

www.mytruebluedogs.com