God created her, I carried her, now she is my happiness and my laughter.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Dog training

I felt like a kid waiting to be picked up at school, but his ride never comes as I waited on a park bench trying to will cars to turn into the park and come out of their vehicle with a dog. I held a dog training class at a park in Anacortes last Friday and Saturday but only one person showed up. She was a friend and client whom I had already been working with but I appreciated her support. The weather was awful that weekend, too. There was a very cold wind. So, I'm not surprised that it wasn't a good turn out. Jason, as always, is very supportive and started thinking of ways to better advertise. I did not get any hits from the flyers I put out at vet clinics and pet shops. I only got one call from craigslist. I will blame the weather because my class was awesome! Any dog owner would have wanted to go! If the weather is better before I leave Washington I'll try it again at a park in Oak Harbor. And I think I might have better luck in Tucson. I do enjoy dog training so much and my prices are affordable. I wish people wanted more training for their pets. I would do it for free as much as I enjoy doing it.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Update

It's been a trying last few weeks as I figure out what to do with future events that will unfold with in the next month. The family is uneasy as we come into the final days before Jason leaves for a 4 month deployment. Previous deployments have not gone over so well and we are trying very hard to have trust and faith in God for this deployment to run smoothly. I have so many issues that I have to keep under control while Jason is gone and finding the right support group while he's gone was frustrating. There were so many loving, willing people that I didn't know who would be the right one. I prayed for God to lead me to where he wanted me to go and he led me back to my parent's house in Arizona. I'm trusting that God knows what he is doing. There was a part of me that wanted to stay in Washington because I'm loving our new church and my dog training business is actually doing things. But after prayer and much consideration, Jason and I both agreed that Arizona will be the best place for me this deployment. I do very much enjoy going to Arizona and am excited for the trip! My family is making preparations for Emma and I (and hopefully Bagheera) to arrive March 21st. I can't say I'm not nervous. The last couple weeks here in Washington have not made me feel comfortable with Jason leaving. Jason says I've been very indifferent. I've been trying different things to handle my depression and while it is helping me feel more like myself, it does put me in an indifferent state of mind. I think it is better to be melancholy than grouchy. I'm trying to remember and be reminded that my goal is to be courageous and to gain a new, stronger faith in the Lord.
I absolutely LOVE dog training! I have a couple new clients who I'll be working with up until I leave. I'm feeling very confident in my skills. I'm so thankful for my colleges and mentors who have helped me over the last several weeks. Every time I go to observe a class with my mentor, Joy, I'm given a new found joy for dog training and can't wait until I can start up a real business in a building of my own with a steady flow of clients and using all my ideas to make it fun and interesting. I hope that I will be able to keep up a decent amount of work load in Arizona. My family is being very helpful to spread the word.