Dreaming of a White Anniversary

Living in the desert, the chance of a white Christmas is slim to none.  However, this year, we will have a white anniversary.

skiing in dream conditions

We are celebrating wedding anniversary #2 on the slopes in Whistler, B.C.  (Making sure they’re all set for the Olympics in a few, short weeks!)

Meanwhile, back at the Dream, the pups are getting the star treatment from one set of “grandparents” and our Family Dream Room is enjoying a few more days of anonymity before her big reveal.  Here’s a tease:

then

Everything but the floor is changed… for the better, we think.  More on that later, but for now – cheers to us!  Marriage rocks.

Read Full Post »

McDreamy is at it again!

Like most foreclosed homes, ours came sans appliances.  Well, it did have “appliances” – that we’re pretty sure the bank found along the curb on bulk trash day and threw them in so the kitchen appeared “applianced.”  We were not fooled and promptly purchased new kitchen appliances.  However, there was one pesky “mini-appliance” that had to wait.  The garbage disposal.

Have you ever lived without a garbage disposal?  We don’t recommend it.  But, for the last five months, we’ve survived.  Not anymore.

Cue: McDreamy…

inspecting the first of many instruction sheets

a curious bulldog assesses the "before"

Here is where we get really vulnerable with you.  Our kitchen was a DISASTER throughout the duration of this project.  First up, the contents of our under-the-sink cabinet:

how does all this stuff fit under there anyway?!

After “prepping” the area, Mr. Dreamer went to work switching the pipes so the new garbage disposal could be under the right sink – something Mrs. Dreamer really wanted, but cannot explain why.

no pipes - just a gaping hole, but that's a good thing at this point

with a little more fanagling... amidst the mess...

the drain is switched! brilliant!

Now, we ready for it…

the holy grail of garbage disposals.

If you have to install one yourself – you might as well go for the gold.

which is exactly what McDreamy did!

and that's reason to celebrate. cheers!

Read Full Post »

Paris in the Dream (literally, this time)

(We’ve had a lot of “personal” posts lately, not necessarily home-improvement-related.  We’ll get back to those next with some fun before/afters and even a Mr. Dreamer post about an incredibly manly project he recently completed.  For now, grant us a post to boast about our new addition…)

You may recall, we already had a “Paris in the Dream” post – but this time we’re being literal.

No, we’re not talking about a socialite.  We’re talking about a dog.

Meet Paris:

We adopted Paris into the Dream family in November 2009.  She came to us from Love-a-Bull rescue.  The awesome volunteers there took care of her for months – providing thousands of dollars in veterinary care and countless hours of attention and nursing to get her back to health.  You see, she had a long road to recovery…

In early August 2009, Paris was the victim of a hit and run.  The impact broke her hip and sent her flying across the road.  She laid in agony for some time.

she had several open wounds...

and her belly burned because she was unable to lift it off the hot Arizona asphalt

She caused another accident as a car swerved to avoid her helpless little body.  Finally, a good Samaritan scooped her up and took her to an emergency vet.  She was then taken to the Arizona Humane Society.  She had no collar or microchip – so they gave her pain meds and kept her for a mandatory 72 hours.  Her owners never came forward.

Love-a-Bull to the rescue!

Love-a-Bull volunteers then swooped in and saved the day!  She was immediately taken to a great bully-vet for surgery.  Organizations lined up with grants to pay for her care and foster families fought over who would care for this sweet little girl.

paris then had major surgery on her hip, which required eight weeks of crate rest

Once that ordeal was over, she was up for adoption – and the Dreamers (along with Bowdoin) gladly took her in.

Today, Paris is sassy, sweet, and a solidified Dreamette.  Looking at these pictures of her journey, we can’t imagine her that way now.  She is an older gal and moves a bit slow – but that barely holds her back.

sibling rivalry!

So, that’s the story of how the newest Dreamer came to be a member of the fam.  If her story touches you in any way – we ask that you, as we do, donate to Love-a-Bull rescue so more bullies can have a happy ending to their stories.

Read Full Post »