Dogs Do the Darndest Things

So last night after my first exam, I decided to take the night off to enjoy some time with my husband and pup. Kevin and I went to a great dinner at Sumo where as silly as it may sound, we were excited the waitress we usually have recognized us. It is the closest either one of us have come to being regulars at a restaurant and that felt nice. We then came home and piled up on the couch for some good TV while Charles enjoyed a raw hide bone we got him at the grocery store. At some point during the evening, Charles started up the stairs (which if you know Charles is never a good thing because he gets into mischief when no one is watching him- when the cat's away, the mice will play type scenario)

Doesn't the look on his face just scream, "What???? I'm not doing anything." Well, before he reached the top, he heard Kevin say "Take Chuck for a Walk?" If you read our last post you know, Charles loves to go on walks, morning, evening, rain or shine. The thought of going on a walk makes his day. As soon as he heard the word "walk," he did this.

Stood up straight, ears perked up. Charles was ready to go. And before he bounded down the stairs (I swear our 28 pound dog runs like a Clydesdale horse), he did this

All this to say, I think Charles definitely knows when we ask him if he wants to go for a walk, and the thought of going for a walk makes him very happy!

Back to the study grind. Praying today Charles gets over his "dogsomnia." I don't think Kevin and I have had an uninterrupted night of sleep since Thanksgiving.

Charles's Favorite Things

I'm not a huge Oprah fan but I think she used to do a Favorite Things show every year around Christmas. This post will be dedicated to a few of Charles's Favorite Things as well as a few of our favorite things that help keep Charles out of our hair! This post could probably also be titled, "Things We Wish We'd Known Before We Got a Puppy."

5. Rawhide bones- Charles can chew on a raw hide bone for hours. If you have a puppy or are thinking about getting a puppy, you should probably take stock in rawhide. I only wish we had realized this months ago before Charles feasted on shoes, rugs, window sills, couches and coffee tables. Oh well, we live and we learn!

4. Stuffed animals- Charles loves a good stuffed animal. The only problem with stuffed animals and puppies is if the animal is not durable, the puppy can easily destroy it making a mess of the house. Charles destroyed a Build a Bear while I was at school one day, and our house looked like a white Christmas by  the time I got home. Our favorite stuffed animals for Charles right now are made by Kong and are pretty durable. He actually has this exact toy but his is not in such good shape. Charles's monkey has been "loved"

3. Snuggling- Charles loves to pile up on the couch or the bed and take a good nap. I like to think its good preparation for having a baby one day because he will lay in my arms and snore ever so softly. Let's just hope the garbage truck doesn't make a drive by or anyone has to sneeze- these two things are sure to awaken Charles from his slumber.

2. Taking walks- We hang Charles's leash on the coat rack by the front door. When its time to talk a walk, we ask him, "Charles, where's your leash"? His ears immediately perk up, and he runs over to where his leash is. There are lots of other dogs in neighborhood that Charles likes to visit with on his walks, and we enjoy taking walks to help us stay in shape. Walks also help Charles get rid of some extra energy and ensure a good nights sleep for all. After dinner walks are one of my favorite things to do with Kevin and Charles.

And Charles's number 1 favorite thing is.....................

1. Cape Cod Potato Chips- I know this may sound strange but Charles LOVES potato chips. He can be napping upstairs and hear someone rattling a chip bag and come dashing down the stairs to beg for a snack. Really Charles likes any chips, but I like to kid Kevin that Cape Cods are his favorite. We tossed around the idea of giving him a bowl full on his birthday but decided that might not be a good idea after he had a little bout with colitis. For now, Charles will have to live with stealing an occasional one or two when we are enjoying Cape Cods as a snack.

What are some of your favorite things this holiday season?

And We're Back!

Well, we took a bit of a break from the blogging world for a major event in the life of the Houston family:

Kevin and I got married on October 15, 2011. While things did not go quite as planned, we still had a wonderful day surrounded by our family and friends. Our wedding story had a happy ending and our lives together a perfect new beginning. Following a relaxing honeymoon in New England, we have returned home to begin the newlywed phase of our lives.

Not to worry, Charles kept very busy during the wedding and honeymoon weeks. During the actual wedding weekend, Charles got to reunite with Maggie at her house. While we instructed Charles not to leave any surprises, a little bird told us he left one in Makenzie's room. Sorry, Makenzie. Kevin, Charles and I then spent Sunday night at home before we left for the honeymoon. Needless to say, I think the wedding weekend wore all of us out!

While we were vacationing in Boston, Stowe, Vermont and Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, Charles was having a little vacation of his own with his Aunt Molly. I don't think either one of them is any worse for the wear and by the time we got home I think they had bonded quite a bit (even if Molly won't admit it)

While we had a great time on the honeymoon, we are very glad to be home. Charles is looking forward to Halloween and has borrowed both a t-shirt and a cape from his cousin Minnie the Beagle. Here is one last picture that I think accurately depicts how the whole Houston family felt after the first Monday back on the grind

Where's Charles?

It has been a while since we updated our blog but not for lack of Charles's mischief. In fact, the reason we haven't updated is because between wedding planning, school starting back and keeping up with Charles we have had our hands full. Here's an update on what Charles and we have been up to:

Two weekends ago, Kevin took off to Destin for his bachelor party. He was accompanied by his dad, my dad, Christopher and two of his close friends. They had a great time in Destin and what I've heard was a ton of fun deep sea fishing. Luckily my dad and Christopher didn't manage to scare him off and the wedding is still on! They caught lots of fish and according to my grandfather, the fish were excellent quality. As you may know, I'm not a huge seafood eater so I have yet to test out the fruits of their labor.

While the boys were in Destin, my sister, aunt and matron of honor threw a lingerie shower/bachelorette party. We had a blast, and I really enjoyed getting to visit with my friends who live here as well as the ones who came in from out of town. I can't believe the wedding is just six weeks away. I could not be more excited or more ready to marry Kevin.

The bachelor/bachelorette weekend was also a fun weekend for Charles. He got to spend the night at his maternal grandparents for the first time. He also really enjoyed sleeping in Uncle Christopher's man cave. However, of more importance is the fact that Charles met the love of his life during the bachelor/bachelorette weekend.

Meet Maggie:

Maggie coincidentally belongs to Christopher's girlfriend, Makenzie's family. Makenzie's mom, Marissa, graciously offered to take care of Charles during the shower since "no boys were allowed." Charles has so much energy, and he and Maggie made a great pair. They are almost the same size and according to Marissa did not stop playing the entire time Charles was over for his visit. Charles is very excited that Maggie is spending the weekend with him since my family and Makenzie's family are headed to the lake and Auburn for the weekend. I guess I will go on and say it, "War Eagle!" We are anxiously awaiting kickoff Saturday and can't wait to see how Auburn does this season.

Last weekend, my mom's friend Linda along with my friends Lauren and Alexis, Lauren's mom, Allison, and my mom's friend Carol, hosted a couple's shower. We had a great time catching up with high school friends, law school friends, work friends and family.

We are so thankful for this special time to celebrate and spend time with the people we love.

This weekend we are looking forward to a lazy, holiday weekend filled with football, relaxing and playing with Charles and Maggie. On Saturday night, my cousins Drew and Michael are coming to visit so their parents can have a date night. It's sure to be a full house with two energetic dogs and two even more energetic little ones.

Charles kick started the weekend today with a little mischief. Needless to say, he was very proud of himself

We aren't sure if we are excited or frightened to see what double the trouble can get into this weekend!

Meet Charles

As I was enjoying a rare afternoon off today, I was scanning the DVR looking for something to take my mind off school and work. Little did I know, my wonderful fiance, Kevin

had DVR'ed one of our favorite movies, Marley and Me. As I watched the movie for probably the tenth time, I was inspired and the result was a new blog, Charles and We.

Meet Charles aka Sir Charles, Charlie, or Chuck.

We, Natalie and Kevin, are "nearly weds" getting married in October. Charles is an almost year old Pembrooke Welsh Corgi. He was born in Livingston, Alabama on a farm with 10 brothers and sisters. Originally named Troy, his owners couldn't understand my (Natalie) southern accent and thought I was calling him Charlie. We kind of liked it and ever since the little pup has been referred to as some version of the name Charlie. Charles moved to Birmingham, Alabama in March of this year and neither of our lives will ever be the same. We plan to use this blog to share Charles's funny stories and hope they bring as much humor to your lives as he brings to ours. I think it would be fair to say neither one of us were quite prepared for the chaos and confusion the six month old bouncing baby corgi would bring to our lives. Three months after Charles took up residence in the Houston home, we are down a window sill, two sets of wooden blinds, several dozen pairs of shoes, a handful of shredded bills, one pair of prescription glasses, one coffee table and one blue rug, but we are up many smiles, laughs, and one faithful companion always willing to go for a walk or snuggle on the couch. We hope you will enjoy following Charles's tales as much as we are enjoying living them.

This weekend we are taking a quick 4th of July vacation to

Lake Martin, Alabama, one of our favorite places in the world and site of our October wedding. It will surely be a weekend full of good food, family, friends and many happy memories. We took Charles to the lake last weekend and he enjoyed long boat rides and lots of swimming. I can't wait to watch him this weekend as he usually gets a little braver and more independent when he gets acclimated. I'm sure he can't wait to put on his favorite accessory

He may not necessarily need it but he sure looks cute in it! Hope everyone has a wonderful holiday weekend.

"A dog has no use for fancy cars or big homes or designer clothes. Status symbol means nothing to him. A waterlogged stick will do just fine. A dog judges others not by their color or creed or class but by who they are inside. A dog doesn't care if you are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, clever or dull. Give him your heart and he will give you his. It was really quite simple, and yet we humans, so much wiser and more sophisticated, have always had trouble figuring out what really counts and what does not. As I wrote that farewell column to Marley, I realized it was all right there in front of us, if only we opened our eyes. Sometimes it took a dog with bad breath, worse manners, and pure intentions to help us see."