If you are speaking of near future, I would say, not now. It appears from all of your posts recently that you have a lot of stressors and things to tend to that don't allow for the time it takes to put into a dog, much less a giant breed dog . Also from my perspective as a mom to 2 Newfoundlands (giant breeds), I think you must be a specific type of person to handle the giant breeds. They are not a breed for everyone and really not for owners without adequate time able to be dedicated to them. Aside from the obvious of the high cost to provide for them- there are other considerations. They need training and socialization from a young age. The last thing you need is an untrained giant breed living with you. They are large enough to rest their heads on your tables/counters so manners being taught is critical at a young age. They can easily counter surf if they feel like it. They are big enough to knock you over if you are using your stairs at a time the dog is also using them. Their slobber is not just wet, but slimy and that creates unsafe wood/ lvp floors if not cleaned up immediately. I have fallen stepping into a slobber puddle in the dark or shadow that I didn't see. You need a vehicle that can accommodate this size breed. They also need to be trained to get into your vehicle. We started with ramps but our oldest Newfie began refusing to use it. You can't force a breed that large if they don't want to do something. We had to find another way to get him to load... which were heavy and clunky petloader stairs. They are a pain to use but hold the weight of a giant breed and with some training and lots of patience, both of our Newfies load now with no problem. They attract a lot of attention when you are in a store ( Home Depot/ Lowes) and for us, that means our trips for a quick store run are no longer quick 🙂. They have shorter lifespans and bloat is the #1 killer of this breed so having the stomach tacked is recommended as well as educating yourself on the warning signs. I LOVE having my Newfies but I will be the first to tell you that it is a LOT of dog in many ways and a lot of work too. I wouldn't trade them at this stage in my life for anything.

I had been using Dove sensitive skin. I recently discovered Cetaphil Ultra Gentle Body Wash and love it!!

I am sorry to hear of all your stressors at this time. I agree with others that you need to take care of your immediate family, as well as your self right now. Sending hugs.

I am so sorry. Life can be cruel and so hard at times.

Oops

We use our hot tub much of the year as we live in the Interior of Alaska and we have winter for so long! It was quite the investment, not just with the cost of the tub, but also having the electrical lines run for it as well as having our porch reinforced underneath for the weight of the tub. Keeping chemicals balanced and filters/ chlorine changed out is regular maintenance, along with added costs. You also need to change out the water, clean the tub, fill and rebalance chemicals every few months. For us it is worth it as we keep it running all year, even using it in our well below zero temperatures. So worth it for us! Bonus when we can see the Northern Lights while soaking 🙂

Yes, of course. You never know how much time a dog has and they all need love and a cozy home. I also think adopting an older dog has the potential for many life lessons for your children too.... and not just the 'easy' life lessons.

I live in Alaska if you have any specific questions. Just send me a message. Enjoy your trip!!

Wow! Very generous of her. I hope you all love your new books!

We live in the Interior of Alaska so we have some things that are likely only unique to our location. My husband is quite handy and I can help alongside him so we do much of the home maintenance and updates ourselves. We have hired out for some new flooring install and painting (it was a lot of square feet to cover with giant vaulted ceilings) though smaller rooms like bathrooms, bedrooms, etc.. we do the painting. Anything more than basic electrical or plumbing we hire out. Dh and I do smaller projects like reglazing tubs, adding floor pops, wallpaper, etc... We have a pellet stove as a secondary heat source that my husband is able service himself. We have a below ground tank for our heating oil for winter use and we have a professional clean that out. Any boiler issues we also hire out. We don't want to mess with anything to do with our ability to adequately heat the home when we see temps that are -40's in winter. We have a guy that comes yearly to top off our propane tank that operates our generator when needed. DH hauls our own heating oil and transfers it into the underground tank. Dh takes care of almost all car maintenance and repairs. I do all of the cleaning, cooking, basic household upkeep. We share in the lawn care and winter snow care though I probably do more of the mowing and all of the weeding. I do daily maintenance grooming of our 2 Newfoundlands but hire out for a professional groom every 3 months. We hire out for dog walking when I am out of town and DH works all day. That way the dogs are walked, watered and fed and not stuck in the house for 9 hours straight. And finally, we do our own moose processing during hunting season which we are up to our eyeballs this week with processing.

Gorgeous!! What a great area to backpack in. Glad you had a wonderful time with a good group of people. And to say yes to a last minute plan too 🙂. Good for you!!

My heart is so sad for you. Back to back losses of loved ones is so, so hard. The compounded grief can feel suffocating. Try and be gentle on yourself. Praying for you.

Another vote for Mpix. They do such great work and shipping is quick.

I am sorry you are dealing with such stress.

Given she has been a part of your 'family' for years and she was close to you, I would have taken the call. If the call would have started taking a path of conversation I was not comfortable with, I would have gently communicated that. Otherwise I see no harm in speaking with her given the circumstances.

Wonderful news!! So happy for you.

Nope, would not even consider it.

We have a Traeger smoker here...one of our best purchases ever. I wish we would have taken the plunge and bought it years before we actually did.

Sounds like a really rough night. I am sorry. Losing a pet is so, so hard. What a comfort you were to him as you held him while he passed. Hugs.

Me too! I would have loved a glimpse of the lovely day, venue and couple.

I am sorry to hear of the accident. Praying for the both of you for healing and comfort!! As for some cuteness... attaching.... spotted recently here in Alaska 🙂

All smiles watching them dance! How fun!!

What beautiful memories you’ve created! Well done on the backpacking trip too! I can understand the itch for more. Maybe join your friend in September for the next hike?

I am not good at envisioning remodel ideas either so no help there. But I did want to say that I adore your built ins. So much character and charm in older homes unlike how so many are built today.

Depends on how much he is bothered. How does that look? That would determine where I’d start. Both of my boys were competitive swimmers( year- round) for 10 + years… eventually at high levels. By their mid teens, both sustained injuries to shoulders as they were both fliers as one of their strongest strokes. Of course they continued to train/ race without telling me the scope of their pain and eventually they were unable to hide it. We started with primary care doctors both times. Both boys were sent for MRI scans with/ without contrast as well as X-rays. Then we were referred to Otrthopaedic specialists as well . One DS needed weekly physical therapy and rest for 6 months. The other needed twice weekly physical therapy for 9 months ( no swimming or shoulder activities) along with OMM every month, he also had knee issues along with the shoulders. With the ok from the specialists and PT doctors, they both eventually healed and were slowly back in the water after injury but their training looked different as well as their before/ after stretching routines on training/ race days. One continued swimming NCAA for 2 years in college and my other DS swims club for college.