A day of strolling on the streets of Budapest, trying out new bars, doughnut shops, and spending some quality time with each other
When Echo’s Path Crossed Ours <3
Last week Echo got a little sick and while I was at home with him, I couldn’t help but think about the first time I met him and the way his path crossed ours. I remember like it was yesterday. In one way, it was a snap decision because I got him while I was on a trip for work but the truth is that we were considering getting a dog for a long time.
We should get a dog – said the heart / Don’t be an idiot – over spoke the brain.
What a constant battle. We went through months and months of pro and con list writing, asking for other’s opinions, looking at puppy pictures on Pinterest (mostly me!!!)..etc.
I had to move to California for about two months but we agreed we will bring the topic up again when I get back. But then plans changed a little…
My roommate in California had a gorgeous husky and she was thinking about getting another one. Oh no…puppy fever is back… I, of course went with her to visit shelters because let’s be honest, I am not strong enough to stay home. We looked at photos online, talked about puppies for hours, it was heaven… but hell at the same time (Can we just adopt all these wonderful, button-nosed babies who are so desperately in need of a loving home?????).
And then one day I came across a picture of a tiny, dirty-white, fur ball. I knew we were in big trouble right away because that puppy had to be ours.
Echo’s Advertisement
We were looking for a small dog so we can travel with him/her easier. I called my husband right away, forwarded him the picture and he said let’s go and check out the puppy. The place was an hour away, I got there 30 minutes before closing time.
Oh gosh, what am I doing? – I thought as I was nervously standing in front of the door to see my little guy. Yes, he was my little guy and I felt it in my heart. It was a done deal.
They brought Echo out, he was twice as big as on the picture. All his siblings were adopted by 2.5 months but he was still here at 4.5 months old. I think he was waiting for us! ❤ Here is skinny, scared, little Echo the first time we met!
They put him on the ground and the little clumsy dog that I already had so much love for, started sprinting across the room, back and forth, he ran into my legs, wiggled his butt, playfully jumped around me, slipped on the floor, tripped in his own feet, stepped into a water bowl, tried to jump up on the bench but fell…he just couldn’t stop. My heart was full.
I love him – I whispered under my breath
I picked him up, but he couldn’t stop moving (Echo still has this ability up to this day). He was soft, warm and a true love bug.
I couldn’t take him home that night but my roommate and I went back to get him 2 days later. We prepared for the puppy’s arrival, went to Target to get a leash (that Echo destroyed in a month…and then he destroyed another one and another one), bowls, food, a toy! My roommate was truly the best and the biggest help throughout the entire time! She is one of the nicest people I have ever met! I am so thankful for her!
This was Echo’s first toy ever! A frog! I got him a frog because my friend’s nickname (who I missed so terribly much and whose room I was living in) was frog.
THEN….
AND NOW….
I was in love with Echo from the first moment I saw that picture of him. It was so hard to go to work and leave him behind. In the mornings we spend some time out in the backyard. Echo loved his husky friend, Pepper!
I took so many pictures of him and kept sending it to my husband. Here is Echo sleeping, here is Echo eating, Echo laying down, Echo sitting, Echo breathing etc…
Look at that cute face ❤
Mom…I think i have to pee.
Echo loved sitting in front of the house watching people
Eventually we headed back to Arizona but had to make a stop half way there…Our first visit to PetSmart…or I mean…Puppy Heaven on Earth
The first morning after we got home…best friends right away!
and our very first hike that day. It was a short one, Echo was scared to walk far from the car but we got 0.5 miles in 😀 Oh, how things have changed since then haha
And the first bath time…Echo LOVES bath time. He used to go into the tub by himself after his first bath…
Echo is now a year and a half old, he is smart, quick, always happy, loves hiking and a huge advocate of unconditional love. He keeps giving every day and even though it is not easy to raise a dog, I am so happy we made the decision to get one. I am also very happy we didn’t do it earlier. Having a dog comes with a huge responsibility and I don’t think we were ready for it before but now I couldn’t imagine our lives without him.
Questions for you:
- Do you have any pets?
- Are you a cat or a dog person?
Please follow our adventures at My Red Travel Shoe.
Share this:
Echo, Snow, a Fun New Magazine, and Lots of Eats
Hello Everyone,
It is April and we just had a snow storm last night. I am just gonna leave this as my opening sentence. I am not complaining, this is just something that had to be mentioned.
Currently, I am sitting at the best spot ever. I can’t believe I have never taken advantage of it before. Looking at beautiful snowy mountains, with a cup of coffee, perfect spot to write this recap post. Or actually….a really bad spot for writing a recap post. I keep staring at the mountains without getting any job done.
Last Tuesday, we made one of our favorite Hungarian dishes for dinner, called layered potatoes (Rakott Krumpli). It is pretty much a multi leveled ‘potato-sour cream-sausage-hard boiled egg’ deliciousness with cheese on top. Like most Hungarian dishes, this is not on the light side either, but once in a while, you just gotta indulge. (I will post the recipe soon;) )
Before bed I was trying to teach Echo how to crawl. It was not going too well. I tried to present the idea for him and how to do it but he tilted his head to the side and looked at me like: “What can possibly be your problem?” Then started chasing his tennis ball. I would say round 1 was a fail.
side note: he needs a haircut.
On Wednesday I worked all day. Didn’t have much time until the afternoon but wanted to make sure I get a little work out in. Every week I try to run twice (at least) and do yoga 4 times. It has been a little hard with all the traveling on the weekends, but I try to stick to this system most of the time. After work out I was hungry, so I made a little snack plate.
It had half of a chocolate chip cookie (home made, sugar less, so good!) apple and banana with peanut butter, some plain yoghurt with honey and popcorn. Could not be any more random…I think if someone who is a culinary expert would see what food combinations I use sometimes, he/she would run away crying.
After the above mentioned delicious meal, I went on a walk with Echo to one of the trails. We didn’t go too far, but it was nice to be outside and Echo loved running around.
When we got home, I snuggled up on the couch and read Bella Grace. My friend showed me this magazine and I am IN LOVE. The magazine comes out quarterly. It is 160 pages and there are ZERO paid advertising in it. They already had me at no advertising. I get so tired of flipping through magazine pages and only seeing parfume and make up advertisements. I get bored and usualy just put the magazine down. But with Bella Grace, it is 160 pages of pure information, great stories, and inspiration. The magaizne’s purpose is to show and help find the extraordinary in our ordinary lives, to embrace imperfection, the mess, and celebrate every day’s small victories. Oh so goooood! The stories are all written by bloggers and carefully picked by the editors. The whole magazine just screams comfort and cozy!!! My kind of stuff ❤
This is also from the magazine, this is pretty much my life in a quote:
For dinner we made cheese quesadillas and a quinoa- baked cauliflower mix. It was pretty delicious. Again, what a random mix.
Thursday morning started a little early. After I did some work in the morning, I made a rice cake – fried egg breakfast with some cereal, strawberries, and plain yoghurt on the side. I have been on a green tea roll lately.
After breakfast I went to Barnes and Noble, looking for a book. The book I was looking for was out of stock but I really wanted to find a good read so I kept looking. I found Megyn Kelly’s book, Settle for More.
What an amazing read! So far I have been enjoying it a lot. I read a little slower in English, I have to process the information a little bit more to get the full picture, but it has been doing a fantastic job with grabbing my attention. She is such an intelligent and strong lady! Great inspiration! It is available on Amazing too for 50% off!!! I can highly recommend it, if you are looking for something!
When I got home, I packed some lunch, grabbed my new book and took Echo to the park. The weather was a little too windy so I couldn’t really enjoy the sun, but I bundled up and started reading. It is nice that I can just sit in one spot and Echo brings the ball back to me. Between each paragraph I threw his ball, and while he was running after it, I just kept reading. This is our new favorite thing to do.
In the afternoon I went to Sprouts to grab some ingredients for dinner and some epsom salt…not for dinner.
Lately my muscles have been hurting pretty badly; I play tennis almost every day, try to run twice a week and do weights and yoga too. A good mix of epsom salt and baking soda can do wonders (I heard) so I decided to give it a try and made a warm bath. I don’t know if it was placebo effect, the eucalyptus and peppermint scent, the hot water, or it actually works, but I got out of that bath feeling a lot better. I will keep using it.
For dinner we made pizza muffin roses. It is a quick and delicious dinner option.
On Friday morning we woke up to some snow. I left for North Dakota but apparently it snowed 6 more inches during the day haha. I see all those posts on FB and Instagram about spring, it made me laugh a little when we had to scrape the window in the morning. But the thing that made me laugh even harder was the fact that it was warmer in North Dakota.
On the way there…
I found an awesome (oh gosh I just thought of a terrible word joke…pawsome) mug at the airport at Caribou Cafe.
The trip felt a little too long; I was tired and very excited to get home. Sunday night Ben picked me up with a rose and a slice of carrot cake. ❤ What a lovely, thoughtful man, I don’t know how I got so lucky.
For dinner we had take out. Mediterranean salad and glazed chicken flatbread. We were gonna go grocery shopping but we had another snowstorm so we decided not to.
Echo and I grabbed Starbucks this morning (how cute is that cup?) and then went to the park to read and chase some tennis balls.
Hope you all had a fantastic week! I would love to hear a little about it!
Questions for you
- What was the highlight of your week?
- Anything exciting coming up?
Visit http://www.myredtravelshoe.com and check out our new website!!!:)
How I Adult 