foto friday :: our little super model

I just found this picture in the archives of our doggy daycare photo archives.  I mean Kennesaw hams it up for the camera.  This girl poses - what a sass face!

failed foster–kennesaw update.

This post is a week over due and once again not wedding related but I wanted to share.  =D

Kennesaw’s adopted family did not work out, therefore, we had to go get her from Aiken SC.  I ended up taking a day off and met the woman half way and got our little Kenne back.  We decided that we couldn’t go through the adoption process again and she needed a good stable home – rather than the possibility of another adoption not going through.

So now… The Shanahan-Vines (or Vineahan house as we call it) has 2 people and 2 fabulous dogs in it!!  And for the record, she is for sure a puppy and we have not loved the 6 am weekend play with me wake up calls.  But it is all worth it.

three things thursday.

Oh goodness my life is a crazy amazing beautiful wonderful ride that I love and am enjoying.  I feel like this year I have accomplished ZERO when it comes to my running goals and aspirations, but I am a whole new and different person than I was this time last year and I have my friends and family and Kyle and coworkers to thank. 

1. Not running related: but I am SO SO SO SO SO excited for football season!! =)  But kinda running related: Football Season = Fall and Fall = amazing running weather so now when I want to run I won't be able to wimp out and say "but it is too hot....." And fall also = lots of fun local Atlanta races. 

2.  I am running a 10k this upcoming Monday -- Big Peach Sizzler.   It is my 3rd year running it and it is by far one of my favorite races here in Atlanta.  Truthfully, I love all things Big Peach. There is a small chance I may die.  I have not run 6.2 miles in I do not know how long.  But I think I am not going to run it for a PR but just to finish it and see how I am doing.  After all, I need to assess my fitness since I have a freaking half marathon coming up in October and November.  Are there any other Atlanta kids running this race?

3.  We had a foster dog that was amazing and brought so much joy to my life and to Kyle's.  She 100% interupted out lives for 2 weeks and our working out schedule and then she got adopted to an amazing farm in South Carolina and I cried and I cried and as I got myself together and was heading to Stone Mountain to run my phone rang and it was the dog rescue letting me know that "Kennesaw was not going to work out, she has a "cat aggression" so someone needed to go get her".  ....So we have this dog again.  And we are bound and determined to not let her mess up our working out groove since we decided it is for the best and we are just going to keep her.  SO, we're not the proud owners of two fabulous dogs! =D

the newest temporary addition

I know this blog RIGHT NOW is mainly about wedding planning, but I have the plan to shift it to a “Kyle + Barbie Shanahan Shenanigans” type keep up with our lives type thing post wedding day.   So I thought maybe I would mix wedding and personal posts in because I know that reading all about flowers and shoes and invitations and dresses can be a bit blah and boring.  So I thought I would humor you with a story about Kyle’s big heart and our foster child, Kennesaw.  And it really isn’t humor – this whole experience has hurt my heart and hurt my faith in people even more.

This past Monday Kyle heard about a dog that was dumped by a family in a neighborhood in Kennesaw that needed a home or some help or both. Per Kyle’s coworker… a car drove up.  There was a bark.  The car drove away.  And then there was a stray dog in this neighborhood. Kyle being the dog lover with a big heart that he is decided he would be the one to take her in.  Me… I was not thrilled. With the stress of planning a wedding and 2 months of constant work travel coming up and already 1 not se well behaved pup I became immediately stressed because I knew her fate if we took her to animal control and I just wouldn’t let that happen.  So, I told him that we could not keep her but we could foster her and actively find her a new home.  But this little Welsh Terrier / Wire Terrier mix has melted my heart of ice (as Kyle was calling it) and everything has been much harder than I thought it would ever be.

The 1st thing I said was that she needed a bath and while bathing her we learned she had fleas – so queue the flea bath and then all the vacuuming of the upstairs.  Kyle took Tuesday off and found out that she was both happy and healthy – no parasites, no heartworms – just a little sad that her parents ditched her but happy we scooped her up.  We got SO super lucky and got a dog that is both house broken and crate trained and she has the sweetest personality ever and has SO much love to give (she loves to give kisses) - we just have to deal with Mulligan being a big old jerk from time to time.  She is our little goldilocks, unable to decide if she wants to sleep In her crate or mulligans or on her plush plaid bed, but that is just one of her many cute characteristics.  I love dogs who cuddle and want to be loved on and all she wants to do Is be by your side, her high jumps and constant wiggles just make you smile and I cannot help but smile when I say “hey Kenny whatcha doing Kenny?!”.

I am a firm believer that a dog knows when they have been saved and to see the joy in Kennesaw’s eyes when we brought her home Monday and then to watch her start to trust us more and more is an amazing feeling.  Kyle and I have had the conversation that he is not to bring home any more strays in the future and I do not think we will EVER foster another dog after this one (even though there are so many pups that need a good home, whether it is a forever home or a temporary one) because it will be hard to watch her go.  (Yes, it has only been 7 days and I adore her.)  I am just so grateful she will go to a home through a rescue organization so there will be a home check to ensure she is going to an amazing family and home that will love her more than her original family did.

Kennesaw had her 1st adoption event today and it went SO SO SO well.  I was a mess the whole time and just cried as families would  kneel down to look at her cute face and accepting smile.  Even talking about her and being introduced to a woman who was handing over her foster to a new home made the water works start more.  But the adoption day went so well because Kennesaw found herself a potential furever home with a woman from Aiken SC who is also adopting another wire haired terrier.  Kenny will have 10 acres of land, a swimming pool, a sister, and a mom who will be home all day long to love on her.  I know I should be happy for her but a piece of my heart is breaking and so sad that I will have to give her up should this woman pass the home check.   I know that is just me being selfish and we cannot give her a good home with Mulligan being a big old bully and her not knowing where she can go and how that big dog will be acting that day, but I could not help but get attached to this little ball of love. 

Needless to say this was our 1st and last foster.  I don’t know how people foster animals and do not get attached.  The potential new momma to Kennesaw gave me a huge hug as I was crying and told me “thank you. there need to be more good people like you and you fiancé in this world.”  I know her words were supposed to make me feel better, but oh how it made me cry more.