Wow!!! What a Weekend!!!

Lexi and I competed in a USDAA trial near home this past weekend and she was amazing!!! On Saturday she Q'd in 4 out of 5 runs!!! That is a rarity for us:) We just had so much fun!!! At the end of the weekend she had 2 first places and 3 second places, and finished 2 titles:) I couldn't ask for a better finish for the year!! Here are a couple of videos of her runs from the Cullman, AL run the weekend before and the Holly Springs show this past weekend!

For all my non-agility friends and family...

I just wanted to take a minute and thank you for all your wonderful comments and support for my favorite hobby of agility. Especially when you probably don't have a clue what I am talking about!! This post started out from a request from my Uncle Bob, wanting to know a little bit about what I am always talking about.

In agility a Q, is a qualifying run. Besides the fun we have running with our dogs, it is what we are all striving for.

In USDAA, there are 5 types or games of agility. They are Standard, Jumpers, Snooker, Gamblers, and Pairs. Standard is what most people think of when they hear agility. It has all of the obstacles such as the Aframe, See-Saw, Dog walk, Table, Tire, Tunnels, Weaves, and Jumps. Jumpers is just jumps and tunnels. Snooker is apparently formulated after a billiards game, but just about any obstacle can be in it. Object is to get the most points. In Gamblers, you are again going after the most points by picking obstacles to complete, and then doing a distance sequence behind a line(the gamble). You must complete that sequence in order to Q. Last, is pairs. You are paired up with someone, and each team runs half of a course. Both teams must complete it correctly under time to Q.

In AKC, there are 3 types or games. They are Standard, Jumpers with Weaves, and FAST. Standard is the same as in USDAA. Jumpers with weaves can have jumps, tunnels, and weaves. (Weaves are 12 poles that must be taken by the dog in a slalom like fashion, always entering from the right of the pole and existing to the left.) FAST is very similar to Gamblers above.

There are typically 3 different levels of competition. In USDAA, there are Starters/P1, Advanced/P2, and Masters, P3. In AKC, there is Novice, Open, and Excellent. Each level gets progressively more difficult, and the Excellent and Masters have to be completed correctly with no errors under time.

Accumulating 3 to 10 Q's in each level(depending on the level) gets the title in that class and you can then move up to the next level.

That in short is what agility is all about, and thanks again for all of the love and congrats you all give !!!

Fun Raising Money for Chase Away K9 Cancer @ PKC Agility Trial

Besides having a great agility weekend with Foster and Lexi(Double Q, and awesome runs respectively) @ the PKC agility trial in Paducah, I also had great fun participating in the club's fundraiser for Chase Away K9 Cancer. Altogether the club raised $1200, and by raising over $1000, AKC judge Scott Stock agreed to run the course (as the dog) in a Little Bo Beep Costume!!! (Handled by Gene from PKC) The club needed a replacement challengerdog for Scott, and I agreed to participate with John from PKC as my handler. Have fun watching the video:) It was agility from a whole new perspective for me!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgJAHMiRjjE

Simon Says Stamp Challenge Blog Hop!!!

Today is the last day to enter the blog hop contest over at Simon Says Stamp challenge blog!! It is a fun hop with a secret word you must go to each blog to get a letter:) Having done that all that is left to enter is your holiday art!!!

So I went with Halloween because it is coming up so soon, and created a tag using Tim Holtz stamps, & Distress Inks amongst other items. I used the Chipped Sapphire, Peeled Paint, Spiced Marmalade, Dusty Concord, Black Soot, and a little Vintage Photo as well. I was hoping that the embossed skeleton would have picked up the colors of the tag a little more than he did, but oh well. (by the way, look really hard and you can see him in the lower left hand side of the tag :) )
All in all I really liked the way it came together. Now that I am in the Halloween mood, I think I will need to go and get some candy today ;)

Long Overdue Videos

Here is the videos of Foster's runs in Murfreesboro from the AKC show earlier this month. He was amazing, qualifying 3 out of 4 runs!!! (Some 1st and 2nd places too!)We had a great time! I really love that facility in Murfreesboro in August because the A/C is amazing!!! You literally need a jacket if you are just sitting and watching.




Since then we are working on our recalls through an e-course with Susan Garrett!! It is a lot of games, and they are so much fun!!! I am doing this with all 3 dogs too! Lexi and I are still working on her confidence and my mental game:) We are having a blast and things seem to only get better!! We are stepping back into the ring in September! I can't wait!

This past Saturday my friend Sally and I worked with my agility teacher, Elaine, on one of the agility games, Snooker. It is supposedly just like the pool game, but I have never played. It is one of my favorite agility games though!!! It was really hot even @ 8:30am, but Lexi and I learned a lot and she did really great!!! I can't wait to play for real in September!!

Can you tell I am excited to get back to doing agility with Lexi in competition?? :)

Til next time....

Project for Simon Says Stamp and Show contest!!

There is a contest for Wendy Vecchi inspired art going on @ Simon Says Stamp and Show blog!! My entry is below. :) Grungepaper, filmstrip ribbon, Wendy stamps and distress inks galore!! Not too mention a cute pic of me & mike as well as the tiny pics of our pups too!!

Giveaway @ my LSS

http://eclecticamemphis.blogspot.com/2010/08/sei-giveaway.html

Check out the really cool giveaway at my favorite LSS, Eclectica!! You could win some really cool papers from the new SEI Halloween line!! Contest ends Friday!!!

Dallas Visit

Last weekend I drove to Dallas (well McKinney, TX actually) to meet my new niece, Lucy!!! She was born on 7/5. She is adorable!! I also got to visit with my parents who drive down from St. Louis, and of course my 3 yr old niece, Imma-Jane. Imma is a bundle of energy and getting so big!!! I made my brother take me on a tour of downtown McKinney since I saw the write up on McKinney as the 5th Best Place to Live! The article said that they had a "gem of a downtown" and they were right!! Very cool place!! Lots of Victorian houses, Craftsmen style houses etc. surrounding the actual square that is downtown. The square has quite a few good restaurants, and a ton of people just hanging out listening to a band etc. Fun! I was sad to leave on Monday, but so happy to get home and see Mike and the pups:)

Dad and Lucy

Mom and Lucy

Baby Burrito!

Imma sitting on Brian

Downtown McKinney

Happy 9th Birthday Foster!!!!

Here are some pics of Foster on his 9th Birthday!!!!

Waiting to eat the Pupcake!!!

Rub my Belly!!!!

Happy Birthday Lexi!!!

Lexi turned 4yrs old today!!!! (Happy Birthday to her sisters, Jean and Blue, and her brother, Parker!) We celebrated with some pupcakes from Three Dog Bakery!!! YUM!!!

I've been neglecting the blog!!!

Well, in April, Lexi, Foster and I competed in one AKC trial here in Memphis. Foster was entered just for a day and a half of the 3 day trial, and he ended up with 1 Q in Jumpers and a 1st place!!! He had some really great runs!! Miss Lexi and I didn't Q at all but it was kind of expected. It is a very hard venue for her because there really aren't any walls around the ring and people could be anywhere!!! LOL SO, we (Lexi and I) are taking off the rest of the summer to freshen up on our training :) We are working on building a better understanding of what is expected on all of the obstacles and increasing her confidence. Foster and I will be doing a show in June in Birmingham!! It is indoors on soccer turf which is his favorite:) Mine too, easy on the feet and the knees!!! I will put together some video highlights soon, but for now here are some pics from the past month!! I will try to be better about posting here too;)

Bailey relaxing in between tennis ball tosses


Smart girl!! Chilling in the shade!!


Happy Foster!!

Pictures and Trial Updates!!!

First, here are some pictures of Foster and Lexi from the Murfreesboro AKC trial, taken by Phyllis Ensley.





Lexi and went to a USDAA trial with Jill and her two cavaliers George and Atticus in March. The club there put on a great trial!! Sorry there is no video but Jill and I were running too close together to tape each other! Lexi finished her P1 Jumpers title and got 1st place on Saturday!!! Then on Sunday she got her 1st P1 Snooker leg, 1st place and another Q in Jumpers and 3rd place!!!! We tried P2 Gamblers for the first time and realized that we do have some work to do with our distance handling!!! Standard is still our nemesis, BUT she did run with just 1 mistake (blown A-frame) on Sunday!!! It was a smooth run and very fun!!! We are getting there:) Jill and George finished up there Performance Dog 1 title with many Q's and placements!!! Atticus was running well too, taking home a couple of Q's and placements! It was a very fun weekend and we will definitely head back in the fall for their next trial!

We have another AKC trial coming up in April and 2 more in May!!!

Tomorrow Mike's brother Tim and their family are coming to Memphis to stay with us and see the sites here! I don't think we have ever had that many people stay here at once! The dogs will have a blast with 4 kids running around here all week! Fun!!!

Well I am going to get back to watching my friends at the AKC Agility Nationals!!! Hope everyone had a great weekend and have a great week!!!

Murfreesboro Show!!!

So here are some links to videos from the Murfreesboro Show we did last weekend! We had a blast at the show and enjoyed all of their fundraising efforts for K-9 Cancer! Foster and Lexi both did well, with Foster getting 2 Q's in Jumpers and a 2nd and 3rd place with those!! Enjoy!!! Lexi and I are off to Cullman, AL for our first away from home USDAA trial this upcoming weekend! Exciting!!!! More to come soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3GaPKpki_4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcKzMebWeE0

Plus here is video of Moana getting Q in Excellent Standard!!! Listen to the crowd cheering her on at the end!!!! Great run!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rze7KzlyNpM

Foster's Back on Drs. Foster Smith Website!!!

I was ordering some stuff from Drs. Foster & Smith's website for the dogs, and I went to the Sale Center and who had returned as the photo for the dog stuff but FOSTER!!!! YEAH!!!!

Check it out!!!

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/general.cfm?gid=142

Fun @ the Dog Show & in the Snow!!!!

We (Lexi & I) had a great time at the USDAA show in Holly Springs this past weekend! 4Paws did a great job putting on this show!! Lexi had some great runs this weekend, but she just has the worst luck a scaredy cat dog can have!!! She encountered a judge that stayed VERY close to the contacts AND a puddle of pee on the table all in her STD run on Saturday! Luckily, she had gotten her last leg for her P1 Gamblers title shortly before that! (2nd place too) On Sunday, as seen in the video, she wasn't over the judge and the contacts as she cut a few glances at him (different judge from Sat) and then leaped over the yellow like it was fire !!! LOL But somehow she did all 12 weaves after missing the entrance on the first try! Anyone who has watched us knows that this is HUGE!!! And then right afterwards leaped onto the table and into a down. PERFECT!!! She did get another Q in P1 Gamblers and 3rd place on Sunday! (And got those A frame and teeter contacts) Then the scary chute flapped and snapped in the other ring during Jumpers and she got scared again! LOL She pulled it back together and had a great run! The show was great, with an awesome potluck and great raffles!!!

Here are some pics from the 5-6" inches of snow we received this morning as a complete surprise!! The weather guys said it would just be rain!! So much fun with the pups! I couldn't get up the hill and out of drive way in the Jeep(2 wheel,rear wheel drive)...so I am working from home! Now it is sleeting, and maybe more snow tonight! So here are some pics of the pups out in the snow, and Hank the snowman! :)

Lexi and Hank the Snowman

Foster and Lexi wrestling in the snow


Bailey carrying the ball through the snow

This picture of Foster is just hilarious!!! I think he was eating snow as he was running, but it is just a hilarious face he is making!!!

Where Have We Been???

I would love to tell you somewhere exciting, but alas it is not to be! After taking the month of December off from Agility, Lexi, Foster, and I started back to practice in January. I think that we all had really missed it! Lexi and I started back to class 2 days a week too. We are getting ready for the USDAA trial in Holly Springs next weekend!! Many of our agility friends are off to Franklin for an AKC trial this weekend, IF the ice they say that we are going to get isn't too bad! Two of our friends are starting their newest pups and I hate that I will miss it!! Good Luck Janet and Carol!!! Reba and Luke will be amazing!!!

I don't think I have missed this trial in 4 or 5 years...but Lexi really wasn't ready with her weaves so we stayed home. So why, you might be asking yourself, is Lexi doing a trial the very next weekend?? A couple of reasons...The trial is close to home, and USDAA has a few classes that can be done without even attempting the weaves:) It will also be a gauge as to where she is at with weaves in the ring.

I have also been busy creating some fun things for gifts, and for some swaps that I am doing for the Everything Wendy Vecchi Group...a little deviation from what I normally post here, but check it out!!


A project for an EWV swap (bummer i don't get to keep it :) lol )


A Mini Album for Mom Boz with pics of us from 2009

Cover of a DVD that I made for someone as a Christmas gift

Last Thursday, Mike and I started P90X!! It is a set of fitness DVDs that help you get into shape over 90 days...they are really hard!! But so far we are sticking with it, and we really like!! (Well Mike doesn't like the yoga dvd)

I wanted to share with you a gift I received from some of my agility friends, Jennifer, Jill, Marion, and Barbara, for Foster's PAX! Isn't it amazing!!! She painted right on a leaf!!! AND it looks just like him!!!!


Lastly, (well for tonight anyway) we celebrated Bailey's 9th birthday on the 19th!!!