It's A Dog's Life

Memories of Ralph

2012-01-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Turns out, I've been dressing up my pups for a loooooong time!

This is me holding my dog Ralph. I must have been about nine-years-old and, yes, that is a real baby's dress on Ralph.

Does he look unhappy to you?? NO!

Mark thinks I'm torturing the girls when I dress them in little sweaters, jackets, swimsuits or Halloween costumes. I completely disagree. And, no, I do not put them in real baby clothes...because that would be just weird.

Ralph was a cock-a-poo and he was a great little dog. My mom used to have him shaved down in the summer to help him stay cool. For some reason his head was never shaved, so he looked like a lion. When I was in the third grade I told my teacher, Mrs. Thompson, that I had a pet lion and I asked if I could bring him in for show-and-tell. I don't think she believed that I had a real pet lion because she said yes, I could bring him to school.

BEST SHOW-AND-TELL EVER!!

One day my mom's cousin came to visit. She and her family fell in love with Ralph. They lived on a farm in Eastern Washington. My mom gave Ralph to them and they took him home with them. He literally went to "live on a farm"...lol.

Daniella is 3 Today!

2012-01-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Baby!

Danni

2012-01-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

This week my Baby-Girl Daniella turns 3! So here's a few pics from her first two days in her new home with us...

She was so tiny!

Doesn't she look like a little sleeping bear cub in this one?

Her first bath...She was NOT a fan and, unfortunately, she still isn't.

She still has the cutest little pink tummy ever!

I am hopelessly in love with this little girl. She stole my heart the moment I laid my eyes on her sweet little face and has brought me non-stop joy ever since...even when she's a naughty little devil.

Thankful for Dr. Anderson

2011-12-23T09:42:00.000-07:00

Today I am very grateful for Dr. Anderson at Cottonwood Animal Hospital. He has saved my bacon many times and is always kind and reassuring. He never makes me feel stupid - even when it would probably be justified - and he takes great care of my girls.

Oops...

2011-12-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

An Explanation is due.

In my last post I forgot to include an explanation of how Isabella was injured. Sorry. Obviously, it's been a bad few days.

Here's the scoop...my sweet little Gabriella went all Cujo and attacked Isabella. This has been happening a lot lately, although we've never had any serious injuries before. Until last night, I had been the one who was most seriously injured.

Turns out breaking up a dog fight is a very dangerous activity.

In my effort to save them from each other, I would get between them, and in their continuing effort to kill each other, I would get bit. Sometimes repeatedly. Sometimes badly. I actually have a perfect set of teeth marks on my thigh from a couple years ago. (It looks like Ted Bundy got a hold of my leg.)

Little Stinkers.

We have been trying to work their issues out, needless to say without success, for quite a while now. I still remain optimistic as we have found a true (and local) Dog Whisperer who is coming to teach us all how to get along. It will be like family therapy...with puppies.

I'll let you know how that goes.

300 Bucks, 2 Shitty Days, & 1 Cone-head...

2011-12-20T09:39:00.001-07:00

I shoulda known. I mean really, things were actually going good. After all, I got to spend a week in my beloved North Shore swimming with sea turtles and kickin it with monk seals.

Life was good. It was destined to happen...to come back home just to get bitch-slapped by reality. Several things have put me in a foul bah-frickin-humbug mood, but tonight was the cherry on top.

Check out my poor little cone-head...

Here's an up-close of the damage...

Can you see the row of stitches on Isabella's little ear? Yeah, those 10+ stitches cost me two-and-a-half hours in the puppy ER and $300.00 tonight.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Merry friggin Christmas to me.

Thankful For My Girls

2011-11-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

Today (everyday really) I am especially thankful for my three sweet girls. The happiness they bring into my life is such a blessing.

They give me companionship, they make me laugh, they teach me about trust, loyalty, undying faith, devotion, and friendship, and their limitless and unconditional love gives me joy beyond measure.

All Hallows Eve

2011-11-01T12:16:00.001-06:00

The Girls waiting for our little
trick-or-treaters to arrive...

They're Hot-Dogs!

Happy Halloween Everyone!!

My Pup-kins Getting Ready for Halloween

2011-10-20T12:53:00.001-06:00

SCARY Cute!

The girls are excited for Halloween...Wait till you see their costumes!

Gabby on "Puppy Crack"

2011-09-30T12:14:00.000-06:00

This is how we entertain ourselves...

Gabby is totally addicted to chasing the red laser dot. It's like crack to her. She does it every night and won't stop until we turn it off. I found this device at Brookstone and had to have it.

Danni and Izzy aren't the least bit interested in the laser dot. Instead, they chase Gabby while she chases it. Things can get a little out of control, so I usually keep Danni and Izzy in a separate room.

Just Chillin'

2011-08-29T10:39:00.000-06:00

This is how Gabby likes to sleep...

Doesn't she looks like she has a tough life?

Oregon Coast Trip 2011

2011-08-29T10:35:00.001-06:00

Our first stop on the Oregon Coast was Seaside. I have wanted to take the girls to the ocean for several years, as they have never been to a real beach with real salt water. I was not disappointed, they loved it!

A close encounter of the equestrian kind.

I loved it too. Nothing calms my soul or speaks to my heart like the sounds, smells, and feel of the Pacific Ocean. It's always been a deeply spiritual place for me. I feel such gratitude, peace, safety and assurance at the waters edge. It's like coming home to my essence and being. It's where I feel alive, connected and like I belong.

On our second day at the Coast we headed to Cannon Beach.

Danni loved running free on the sandy beach.

A little fetchin' time.

A little chillin' time.

Pilot & Co-Pilot

2011-08-18T04:20:00.001-06:00

Hard Day in Seaside

2011-08-18T04:19:00.003-06:00

Turns out, spending the day running up and down the beach on the Oregon Coast is just exhausting!

My Dog Ate My Homework...For Real

2011-07-18T00:01:00.000-06:00

Gabby's in the proverbial dog-house.

Last night while I was laying in bed reading, I noticed that Gabby had gone AWOL. Izzy was laying on one side of me and Danni was on the other. But no Gabby.

At first, I just figured that Gabby was just being her typical daddy's-girl self and was shadowing Mark somewhere. But, every time I saw Mark walking around I didn't see Gabby.

I had a niggling little feeling in the far back reaches of my consciousness, but nothing big enough to do anything about.

Finally, Mark crawled into bed. No Gabby. I asked Mark if he knew where she was. Nope. We started calling her name. Nothing.

I asked Mark where was the last place he'd seen her. He said it had been in his office.

Uh-oh.

I told him he'd better go see if she was still in there and what she was up to.

Next thing I hear is "Gaaaaabby, what did you do?"

Double uh-oh.

Yep, My Gabbster ate my HOBL's current assignment for his PhD program. LMAO!

Worm Hunting

2011-07-15T00:01:00.002-06:00

As a hound (beagles are in the hound dog family) Isabella has an extraordinary sense if smell. Her latest trick, and new favorite pastime, is sniffing out worms. Yes, I said worms...buried down under the dirt and can't be seen worms.

First she paces around the backyard, nose to the ground. Then, she suddenly stops and her sniffing goes into overdrive. Next, she will paw at the ground to partially unearth the worm and then she starts rolling on the poor little thing.

Daniella and Gabriella have gotten in on the fun now too. They will follow her around, waiting for her to find a worm, then they take their turns rolling on it.

Izzy sniffing for worms with Danni helping...

They found one!

Izzy rolls first...

Next, it's Danni's turn...

Now, Gabby's turn...

Danni coming back for a little more...

Danni and Gabby rolling in stereo...

My pups are so weird.

"Independence" Day?

2011-07-07T10:40:00.000-06:00

Hmmmm...

Not if you're a pup at my 4th of July BBQ!

Poor babies. With hot dogs, burgers and chicken on the grill these three had to be detained.

Memory Lane...Bringing Izzy Home

2011-06-28T00:01:00.000-06:00

Last week we celebrated Isabella's 5th birthday, so today's little trip is from the day we brought her home to join our family.

After my baby girl Spice died, I swore I'd never get another pupplet. I just couldn't stand ever having to go through the heartbreak of losing another beloved furry family member. But, Mark knew that I needed a love-bug to fill my broken heart and so he talked me into getting a new puppy.

I looked around for a few weeks, trying to decide exactly what kind of pup I wanted. The minute I saw her adorable Beagle face I was in love. She is without a doubt the sweetest little Beagle on the planet...a little naughty at times - like yesterday when she drug trash all over the back yard - but sweet nonetheless. I love you Izzy-belly!

Above: Meghan holding Isabella at the shop where we bought her.

Above: Isabella's first night at home with us.

Above: Isabella now - all grown up.

It's Isabella's 5th Birthday Today!!

2011-06-22T00:01:00.003-06:00

Love You My Sweet Baby Girl!

Memory Lane ~ Gabby

2011-02-16T00:01:00.001-07:00

As last Sunday was Gabriella's 4th Birthday, today's memory is from the day we brought Gabby home. It was April 28, 2007, the day we were able to bring her home.

She was the cutest puppy I had ever seen, with little curls everywhere. I had never seen a black and white Cocker, other than in pictures, before and one look at this sweet face and I knew she was mine.

Gabby is one loyal pup. She stays by my side (and under my feet!) all day, everyday. She's never more than 5 feet away from me.

She is also the canine boss of the house and she takes her duties S-E-R-I-O-U-S-L-Y. She keeps us all in line and keeps us safe by being on alert 24/7...I swear she sleeps with one eye open, ready to spring in the face of any danger. Although, I doubt she'd have a clue what to do if she actually met with danger.

I have been truly blessed with the most wonderful canine companions in my life and they have brought me so much love and joy!

Puppy ER - Again.

2011-02-14T12:02:00.000-07:00

Saturday night, Isabella and I
spent a few hours in the puppy ER.

My poor baby girl doesn't feel good. Somehow, she has injured her neck and is a lot of pain. I had to take her to the ER for x-rays and medication. She had to be put out to take the x-rays, so when I brought her home she was just barely conscience. She couldn't stand, walk, or even hold her little head up.

Fortunately, she has no broken bones. We are hoping and praying that she has a pinched nerve or that she pulled/strained some muscles and NOT a ruptured or herniated disc. She is on narcotics, muscle relaxers, and prednisone for the next two weeks.

I am being very optimistic and I'm determined that she will get better. I can't even imagine how to deal with a disc issue...I mean what do they do? Would they need to fuse her spine with donor bone, titanium plates and screws like mine? Do they even have donor bone for dogs? How would I keep her immobilized to let the fusion heal? And can you even image how much all that would cost? If she needs an MRI in two weeks I'll have to take her up to the University of Utah and it would cost $1300.00.

Please pray for my baby.

Gabriella is Four Today!

2011-02-13T00:01:00.002-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday My Sweet Baby Girl!!

My Racists Pooch

2011-02-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

She may have the face of an angel, but sometimes she is the devil...and she's racists.

Daniella loves to watch TV. Actually, she loves to bark at the TV. She sits on the sofa, on guard, watching the TV, waiting for bad guys to show up. Danni's idea of bad guys are any kind of animal, especially dogs, rabbits, cows, monkeys, and horses - she really hates horses, and she also hates anyone who's black.

WTH is that about?!?!?

At first, I thought it was just President Obama that Danni hated. Every time the Prez would come on the television Danni went nuts. She'd growl and bark and jump all over the place. I thought maybe she didn't like his voice but then I noticed a pattern. She never barks at people who are Caucasian, Latino, Asian, or any other ethnic group except black people. Actually, to be specific, she only barks at black men, not black women.

The other night Mark and I watched the movie Glory, which by the way is a great movie.

Glory is about a black Union Army regiment during the Civil War. It stars Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Matthew Broderick. I would guess that at least 80% of the cast are black men. Plus, there were lots and lots of horses. I thought Danni was going to lose her little mind. I had to hide her head under my blanket to keep her from seeing the actors and horses!

So what is it about black men that she hates? I also don't get why she will bark at President Obama but not at say, George Lopez. George has black hair and is actually much darker complected than Obama. Furthermore, Obama is not even really a black man, he's half white, he's quite pale, and yet Danni identifies him as black.

I don't get it.

P.S. - Danni, have you looked in the mirror lately?

Daniella Turns Two!

2011-01-12T00:01:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday to My Baby Girl!

Sleepy Puplets

2011-01-05T20:27:00.002-07:00

These are the faces I wake up to each and every morning...

Sleepy Daniella

Sleepy Gabriella

Sleepy Isabella

Ho! Ho! Ho! ~ Christmas 2010

2010-12-29T10:14:00.001-07:00

Merry Christmas from

Gabby, Danni, and Izzy!

An Amazing Dog Story...

2010-12-21T00:01:00.001-07:00

This story was sent to Mark and he then showed it to me. It touched my heart and proved to me, yet again, that dog's are Angels in Fur Coats. I believe that God gave dogs to humans as a special gift to teach us about devotion, loyalty, hope, faith, and the true meaning of unconditional love.

Trip to Gravesite Gives Closure to Grieving Dog After Master's Death

Dear Dr. Fox — I'm writing in response to your recent column about how a "dog's devotion to master can lead to the grave." It is similar to what occurred with our golden retriever more than 20 years ago when my husband died at 46 after a four-year battle with cancer. During my husband's illness, Friday laid beside his bed, provided support when my husband walked, and never left his side. He obviously knew something was wrong and was devoted to his master.

Before my husband was ill, he was a senior sports-and-news cameraman for a major TV station. Owing to the nature of his assignments, my husband's work hours were unpredictable. Regardless of the hour, Friday always knew when my husband was headed home and ran to the front door, wagging his tail and sitting patiently until my husband's car pulled into the driveway.

After my husband's death (in the hospital), Friday sat at the front door all day, every day, whining and waiting for my husband's return. He stopped eating and wouldn't leave the front hallway. He refused to play with our children whom he loved because "guard duty" was his only purpose. He left his post only when he needed to be waked. My heart was breaking for this dog.

After one week of watching Friday's vigil, I decided to help him understand what happened. Hesitantly, Friday left his post and got into the car with me. His car behavior was unusual: He paced from window to window, looking everywhere for my husband. I drove to the cemetery, and we walked together toward my husband's gravesite. As we got closer, Friday pulled away from me and ran directly to my husband's grave. He lay down on the grave, closed his eyes, and just stayed there, quietly. I didn't try to talk to Friday or to disturb him — he needed to grieve, too. After an hour, Friday got up and walked over to me, using his mouth to hand me his leash. He was ready to go home.

On the way back home, Friday laid down quietly in the backseat. After we arrived home, he kept kissing my hands as if to say "thank you" and never again sat by the front door waiting for my husband to return home. He now understood. Although obviously sad, his behavior returned to normal around the children and he began eating again. In time, he healed as we did. — L.B.J., Lake Worth, Fla.

Dear L.B.J. — Many readers will join me in thanking you for this remarkable example of giving a dog closure with regard to your husband whom Friday thought was perhaps still alive. Your devoted dog clearly advances our understanding of how much some dogs really do know and feel. We should never underestimate their ability to comprehend and make every effort, as you did, during such difficult times of bereavement to help them when they are grieving.

Sunday, August 1, 2010 Dr. Fox, c/o "Animal Doctor," United Features Syndicate, 200 Madison Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016

Click HERE and HERE to see original article and to see Dr. Fox's website.

Gibson Meets Boo Boo

2010-12-15T21:42:00.001-07:00

I found this story and was so amused by the photo that I had to share the both the picture and the story...

World's Biggest Dog Meets World's Littlest Dog

Despite their radical difference in size, these two dogs have something in common - Gibson the Great Dane and Boo Boo the toy Chihuahua are both world record holders.

Measuring a whopping 107cm, gentle giant Gibson was named tallest dog back in 2004. Joining him in the hall of fame for 2007 is tiny Boo Boo who only measures 10.16cm tall and is smaller than Gibson's head.

The two celebrity hounds, who were both bred in America, met up to celebrate Guinness World Records Day 2007 outside the White House in Washington D.C.

Boo Boo's owner Lana Elswick has bred Chihuahuas in Kentucky for 19 years and said she always knew her one-year-old pooch was special.

The tiny mutt was only about the size of a thumb when she was born; so small, in fact, that she had to be fed with an eye dropper every two hours before she could eventually nurse a bottle. Now she is a diminuitive diva.

"She has the attitude of a big dog she would let me know if anyone was around and she would try to guard me if she could," said Ms Elswick.

Owner Sandy Hall lives with her dog Gibson in Sacramento, California. The Great Dane is also the world's tallest therapy dog and regularly visits children's hospitals.

"He just puts a smile on people's faces," Ms Hall said. "In one split second, people forget their cares and worries."

Click HERE to see original story which was printed in November 2007.

A Happy Home for Lex

2010-11-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

Sun Journal, New Bern, North Carolina
November 29, 2007

When Cpl. Dustin Jerome Lee was assigned Lex, a military working dog from Camp Lejeune, the two became fast friends.

Lee had wanted to work with dogs since he was 5, and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Lee decided to join the military as his father had. So it made sense, his father says, that he became a handler of a combat dog. Lex and Lee were deployed together.

They were stationed in Iraq in March when a mortar attack killed Lee, a 20-year-old Marine from Mississippi, and wounded Lex, leaving shrapnel in his spine.

Lee’s family has been trying for months to adopt the 8-year-old German shepherd who, despite his injuries, is still classified as a working dog. The Lees got word Wednesday that they could bring Lex home, in part because of the efforts of a North Carolina congressman.

“Lex was my son’s partner; he was his best friend,” said Jerome Lee, a National Guard veteran who is with the Mississippi Highway Patrol. “He was next to him. He was the last one to see him alive.”

U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, whose congressional district includes Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point and Marine Corps Air Station New River, began to work on behalf of the Lee family this month.

Jones heard about Lex from John Burnam, a friend of the congressman’s and founder of the National War Dogs Monument project in Washington.

“When I was presented with this story, it brought tears to my eyes,” Jones said this week.

After the injury, Lex was sent to Camp Lejeune for rehabilitation, the elder Lee said Wednesday. Now the dog is at Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany in Georgia and was intended to work for another two years.

Working dogs are part of the military police, trained to perform patrols, detect drugs and bombs. All of the dogs on the East Coast are home based at Camp Lejeune. Out west, dogs are stationed at Camp Pendleton in California.

“I talked to the daddy of this young man down in Mississippi and knew that his son loved the dog so much,” Jones said.

“Dustin gave his life for this country,” Jones said Wednesday. “Giving the dog to his family is a small, small gift to give to a family who gave a child in the fight for freedom.

Jones said he had not expected to go to bat for a family several states away.

“This is just one family in Mississippi,” he said. “But there are so many ‘one families’ … all over North Carolina who understand this. … They have sons or daughters who have made the ultimate sacrifice.”

“We already know what great fighters and defenders the Marines are,” Jones said Wednesday. “This reminds us that they are also people with great compassion.”

It may take a week to 10 days before Lex goes home. As “breathing property” of the Marines, he must be thoroughly examined and his records must be gathered before he can leave Georgia.

Jerome Lee, who spent part of his childhood in Fayetteville, said Wednesday that he and his wife are looking forward to having Lex in their care.

“We’re just waiting,” he said. “That dog meant so much to Dusty and he means a lot to us.”

Lee with Lex in Iraq

Halloween 2010

2010-10-31T23:22:00.000-06:00

Lady Bug, Lady Bug, Fly Away Home...

Go ahead...tell me that's not stinkin' cute!!

Lady Bug Gabriella

Lady Bug Isabella

Lady Bug Daniella

aka: Stinker Bug

A Sunday Stroll

2010-09-02T05:47:00.001-06:00

Battle Creek Falls
Pleasant Grove, Utah

A friend of ours told me about this place, so on Sunday we loaded up the pups and headed to Pleasant Grove.

Battle Creek Trail, which leads to Battle Creek Falls, is located on the far east side of town on the bench. The hike is just a little over a half mile to get to the falls.

It was a beautiful day and so was the trail. The pups LOVED our little adventure! The trail leads to both the top of the falls and the base. I read that it's popular to hike to the top and then repel down the face of the fall...I'll stick to the trails.

Check out a few pix...

Puppy Funny

2010-08-29T00:09:00.002-06:00

Why Some Men Have Dogs and Not Wives...

1. The later you are, the more excited your dogs are to see you.
2. Dogs don't notice if you call them by another dog's name.
3. Dogs like it when you leave a lot of things on the floor.
4. A dog's parents never come to visit.
5. Dogs agree that you have to raise your voice to get your point across.
6. You never have to wait for a dog; they're ready to go 24 hours a day.
7. Dogs find you amusing when you're drunk.
8. Dogs like to go hunting and fishing.
9. A dog will not wake you up at night to ask, "If I died, would you get another dog?"
10. If a dog has babies, you can put an ad in the paper and give them away.
11. A dog will let you put a studded collar on it without calling you a pervert.
12. If a dog smells another dog on you, they don't get mad. They just think it's interesting.
13. Dogs like to ride in the back of a pick-up truck.
14. If a dogs leaves you, it won't take half of your stuff.

And finally, to test the theory: Lock your dog and your wife in your garage for an hour. Then open it and see who's happy to see you...

Latest Gabby Pix

2010-08-26T13:27:00.003-06:00

Puppy Cuteness...

2010-08-24T09:11:00.001-06:00

Izzy and Danni Playing

Beautiful Beagle

2010-08-22T21:10:00.002-06:00

My Isabella

Another Toy Bites the Dust

2010-07-29T15:02:00.002-06:00

FETCH!

2010-07-01T10:38:00.001-06:00

How do we entertain ourselves in the evenings? We play fetch with the puppies, of course. Actually, Gabby is the only one who really plays fetch. Izzy likes to play Steal Gabby's Toy, and Danni likes to play Chase Gabby While Gabby Plays Fetch.

Gabby literally plays until she drops from heat and exhaustion.

Danni just watching Gabby fetch. I think she was
deciding if she wanted to play chase or not.

Gabby faithfully returns the ball every time. And then
she patiently waits for Mark to throw it again.

Danni's latest trick...after she has chased Gabby, she
leaps from a full run into Mark's lap.

Air Danni!

Throw it again Daddy!!

Danni takes flight again.

OK...

...enough...

Poop'd Pup

*Sorry the pics are weird, it was darker than I thought
and I didn't want to go inside and get the flash.

My Girl Knows How to Par-tay!

2010-06-22T20:50:00.003-06:00

This is how Izzy spent
almost ALL of her Birthday...

Catching some very warm
rays in the cool grass.
Life is good...especially when
you're a puppy-dog.

Isabella Turns Four!

2010-06-22T00:01:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday Baby Girl!

Nap Time

2010-06-05T11:10:00.001-06:00

Yes, those are airplane blankets. Mark "borrows" them whenever he is given one on a flight because..."they might come in handy in an emergency." Well I don't know about "an emergency" but the puppies sure like them!

Meet Raha

2010-04-25T10:00:00.001-06:00

This is my cute and adorable neighbor Raha.

Raha and her family moved in next-door a few years ago and we've become friends. Her parents -Bahar and Ray- are both originally from Iran. Raha speaks both English and Persian. She is the sweetest little girl and she loves the puppies.

Izzy and Raha are the very best of friends. They play together for hours and hours, and neither one of them ever gets tired of the other. Raha loves Danni and Gabby too, but she and Izzy are especially close. They have playing together since we first got Izzy as a puppy.

In the cold and snowy winter months Raha doesn't come over very much, but the minute the Spring sun starts coming out, we see Raha just about every day.

Raha is probably the most polite little girl I have ever met and I love having her over. Her manners are impeccable and she is so smart. She knows everything about snakes, lizards, and Dinosaurs. She's really an amazing 9 year old and I'm so glad we're friends and neighbors.

Gabby's Ready for Summer

2010-04-21T14:15:00.003-06:00

Gabriella went to the Puppy Spa yesterday and got her summer hair-do.

Here she is before...

And here she is after...

I think she looks like a goat now.

A Taste of Summer?

2010-04-19T19:57:00.000-06:00

I took this picture at about 1:00 PM today...

And then, I took this one around 5:00 PM...

The temp stayed at 92 until 7:00 PM and then at 8:00 PM it was back down to 72 degrees...a whooping 20 degree drop in just 1 hour!

I wonder if today is a sign of things to come? Last summer was the coolest in the ten years I have lived here in Utah. I remember visiting my Grandparents in Clearfield when I was a kid and back then Utah summer's were HOT!! The first couple summer's after we moved here were pretty hot too. Maybe our mild summer's of the past few years are over. I hope not. I don't like super hot. Thankfully, I have great A/C!

And then there's poor Gabby...

Aawww...she was so hot today. As you can see, she is still wearing her woolly winter coat. Luckily, she has an appointment tomorrow at the groomers.

Izzy's New BFF

2010-04-16T22:14:00.000-06:00

Nanny (my Mom) came to visit and Isabella fell in love...

Isabella pretty much spent the whole time my Mom was here sitting right next to, okay, actually on top of Nanny.

Bless her poor little puppy-Asperger's heart! Izzy has serious personal space issues but my Mom was a great sport and patiently paid non-stop attention to her.

Mom left yesterday (Thursday) and Izzy is having withdrawals...and so am I.

It was great having you here Mom. I love you and miss you already.

Danni Wants a New Sofa

2010-04-02T00:15:00.001-06:00

Two Years ago we replaced the front room sofas. Last year we replaced the family room sofas. Looks like we'll be replacing the sunroom sofas this year.

Yesterday I found bits and pieces of stuff all over the floor. Following the trail, I fully expected to find yet another disemboweled puppy toy. Instead I found Danni with her little nose (and teeth) deep inside the cushion of my sunroom sofa!

I think, that Danni thinks, that she's helping me out. She's trying to help me get a beautiful-and more comfy-new sofa set in the sunroom.

Okay, maybe she's just a GREAT BIG STINKERBELLE. It's a good thing that she's so cute and that we love her so much.

Who Wants Popcorn?

2010-03-12T21:44:00.000-07:00

Just a Friday night hanging with the pups!

Gabriella is 3 Today!

2010-02-13T00:01:00.001-07:00

A Big Happy Birthday to
My Little Love-Bug!!

All About Daniella

2010-01-18T11:58:00.001-07:00

Being that Danni just turned 1, I wanted to take a stroll down memory lane with her very first pictures. These are from her first and second day in her new home.

She was soooo tiny and, of course, soooo cute! She has been a joy and a blessing to our family. She has grown and changed so much too. Here she is today...

We adore Danni and can't imagine life without her!

Daniella Turns 1 Today!

2010-01-12T00:01:00.002-07:00

Happy Birthday

My Baby Girl!!

It's 2010!

2009-12-31T18:00:00.001-07:00

Hope it's a Great Year!!

Gabby, Izzy and Danni

Wishing You the Very Merriest Christmas!

2009-12-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Puppy Stink-Eye

2009-12-20T00:30:00.000-07:00

A picture truly is worth a thousand words, and

the look on her face says it all...

"Mom, WTH are you doing to me?"

Merry Christmas from Daniella!

Snow Dawgs

2009-12-13T00:21:00.003-07:00

Danni has a matching snow jacket but she wiggled out of it and ran away from me before I could get her back in it, she's such a stinkerpotamus!

Izzy LOVES the snow and had a great time chasing, and tormenting, her sisters.

And Gabby, well Gabby is still missing her Daddy real bad. Aaawwww...sad puppy. She will love the snow as soon as Mark gets back.

One Sad Little Puppy...

2009-12-08T06:24:00.000-07:00

Mark is in Japan for two weeks of joint military operations with the U.S. Army and the Japanese Army. We've always known that Gabriella is a Daddy's Girl, but we had no idea the depth of her attachment to her Daddy.

She's a sad, sad, sad girl.

The first three or four days after Mark left Gabby was stuck to my side like velcro. That wasn't unexpected as she is like that everyday while Mark is at work. I figured she would just think he was at work for a really long time, she'd be my constant little shadow, and then she'd be extra excited when Mark got back.

I was wrong.

Now, she keeps disappearing and when I go looking for her I find her laying in front of the living room door...staring at it...wait for her Daddy to come home. It's so sad. She is really depressed and I don't know what to do about it.

She has even been having accidents in the house. Actually all three puppies have regressed in the potty department. That's not so weird for Danni, she occasionally has an accident but so far she has had five accidents. Izzy has had two and Gabby has had three. Izzy NEVER has accidents anymore and neither does Gabby - unless she's really mad at me, then she will pee on the floor to punish me. What can I say, the girl has a little attitude problem.

I emailed Mark to tell him about girls' reactions to him being gone. The next day he called to talk to them to see if that would help. I put the phone on speaker. Gabby went nuts running around the house trying to find him. It didn't help, in fact I think it made it worse.

Could she die of a broken heart before he gets home?

Don't laugh, it happens. It happened a few times when I was working at the funeral home. The master would die and then a few days or weeks later the dog died. I'm worried. How do I let her know that he is coming back?

And now I'm totally freaked about going to Hawaii in February. We are supposed to be gone for eight days. She's going to need to be on suicide watch with both of us gone for so long and I don't think I can take her with us.

Any ideas?

Mistress of Destruction

2009-11-25T07:43:00.001-07:00

Toys and playing are two things Danni takes VERY seriously. Neither Gabby nor Izzy were anywhere near as interested in playing as Danni is.

Danni's idea of playing with her toys is to totally and completely destroy them. You can tell which toys are (were) her favorite by just how demolished she leaves them. Here's two of her most beloved.

Before...

After...

Should we have a funeral?

My Girls

2009-11-19T14:19:00.005-07:00

Puppy Fun in the Fall!

2009-11-11T07:35:00.000-07:00

For humans fall means spending Saturdays cleaning up all the leaves in the yard. And with our three giant maple trees it's a BIG job at our house.

If you're a puppy however, fall means playtime. Actually, if you're a puppy, anytime of year or day for that matter is playtime, but the piles of leaves that inevitably come with fall are especially inviting.

Almost as fast as Mark and I could gather them up, the girls would run and jump into the piles and re-spread the leaves everywhere. They had a blast and played harder than I've seen them play in a long while.

Here's a few pics of my beautiful baby girls...

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:33:00.002-06:00

This year for Halloween we went with a Disney Princess theme. Check out the girls in their costumes...

Daniella as Ariel The Little Mermaid.
She totally hated her costume.

Gabriella as Snow White.
She made an adorable Snow White and she loved it!

Isabella as Cinderella.
She wasn't very happy about her costume and she hated
the trick-or-treaters ringing the doorbell.

These are the girls' Halloween Plushie Presents.

Gabby with her Pumpkin Plushie.

Danni with her Ghostie Plushie.

Izzy with her Black Kitty Plushie.

Hope your Halloween was as spooktacular as ours was!

Fall Adventure

2009-10-19T12:19:00.006-06:00

Throwing caution to the wind, we decided to take the puppies up in the mountains to the Alpine Loop for a little fall adventure. (See last post titled No Dogs Allowed...What!)

They were so excited to go somewhere new. Gabby especially loved sniffing and exploring everything. And best of all...nobody threw-up! Here's a couple pictures of Mark and I with the girls...

NO DOGS ALLOWED...WHAT???

2009-10-15T12:24:00.000-06:00

The first winter after moving to Utah, Mark and I decided to take Spice (my beloved best dog ever) up the Big Cottonwood Canyon to play in the snowy mountains.

I mean really, what is more perfect, and natural, than a dog and her mistress running through the snow in great open mountain country? And it was perfect. We played fetch and romped through the powdery drifts and we loved it.

When walking out of the forested area back to the road and small parking lot I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, a sheriff SUV off to the side. Then I realized that the deputy was out of his vehicle and walking straight towards me. I turned to face him and he stuck his hand out in front of his face and waggled his finger at me in the universal "come here" fashion. I turned around to see who he was addressing and with nobody else there, it struck me that he was motioning to me.

I looked back at him, pointed at myself, and gave him the stupid and confused universal look of..."who, me?" He scowled even more than he already was and nodded his head adamantly.

We met each other mid-way and he asks for my driver’s license...huh? Who says I even have a driver’s license? I'm not driving a car; I'm not even riding in a car. I'm walking on the side of the road up in the mountains.

I say to him "Huh? Why do you want to see a driver’s license, I’m not in a car?

Now, I thought that was a reasonable response. He clearly didn't feel the same way because he got really pissy with me. He said something to the effect of “Look here little lady, I want to see your driver’s license and your vehicle registration.”

Oh please, what a jerk. I’m thinking…where’s the ACLU when you actually want them?!?!

At this point Mark gave me the “husband look”…you know the one, the shut-up and give him your license before her throws your ass in jail look. Ok, fine, whatever.

I walked over to the Jeep and got my bag. Mr. Sheriff noticed that my Jeep had Washington plates and then I showed him my Washington driver’s license. Genius that he was, he says “You from Washington?”

Well, no s**t Sherlock. (Just so you know, I didn’t actually say that out loud, but I thought it.) “Yes, we are from Washington.” (I did that say out loud.)

He then told me how lucky I was that I wasn’t from “around here” because he would have given me a $75.00 ticket for “that dog”. I must have had that stupid “huh?” look on my face again because he then explained that it was illegal for me to bring a dog up in the mountains.

He has got to be kidding me, right? Nope, he went on to explain that I was in a water table and that dogs were not allowed…they might poop or pee.

WTH?!?! I was stunned. That had to be the stupidest thing I had EVER heard! What about the millions of birds and animals that live in the mountains? I’m pretty sure they all poop and pee in the “water table” on a regular basis.

Mark must have known what I was thinking, and about to say, because I got the “husband look” again. Fine, I’m done, and I’m so out of here.

No dogs allowed in the mountains…isn’t that just the STUPIDEST thing you have ever heard???

Daniella the Hun?

2009-10-13T13:42:00.000-06:00

...or maybe Daniella The Terrible? How about Daniella Khan?

Bottom line...She's a BEAST. Remember my tomato plants? Danni decided she wanted to do some gardening. Take a look for yourself...

Danni's new hobby...Gardening

Danni PROUDLY showing her sisters her handiwork.

I want to know how such a sweet, adorable, loving puppy can be so diabolically NAUGHTY!!

The other day I wanted to take a shower and I wanted to do it ALONE. True, I am the resident flasher, but I decided to spare everyone my nudist tendencies so I shut the bathroom door.

How could I?!?

Danni scratched at the door and SCREAMED at the top of her wee little lungs. I talked to her through the door and tried to comfort her as best I could while all soapy and wet.

Suddenly, she stopped. I was afraid. Very afraid.

I got out of the shower and came out of my bedroom door to find her punishment for me...a pile of puppy poo-poo with her sitting next to it as pleased with herself as can be. I was not so pleased.

The next day, after we had had a serious discussion about not pottying in the house I noticed her going around the corner to the stairs to the basement. I knew she was about to do something naughty so I chased her down and then back up and outside chanting all the way "we go potty outside - we go potty outside!"

I stood on the back porch until she was out in the grass and then I came back in to finish cleaning up the kitchen. A few minutes later I caught a glimpse of her sneaking around the corner from having just come up from the basement again. She saw that I saw her and she took off to hide under the bed.

Very bad sign.

I ran downstairs to find...you guessed it...a pile of puppy poo-poo. Diabolical I say.

This morning, as I was peacefully sleeping, I was shocked into consciousness by a 3 inch tongue exploring my ear canal. I jerked up only to find myself having a sinus probe.

I feel a little bit bad. Looking back at my posts over the past couple months I noticed that I have neglected writing much about Isabella and Gabriella. The fact of the matter is that they don't cause much trouble and you know the saying about the squeaky wheel...they just aren't squeaking much these days. But just so you know, they are doing great and are as sweet and adorable as Danni is naughty.

Welcome to the Family!

2009-10-01T19:38:00.001-06:00

I Have a New Nephew-Puppy!!

Meet Goobi...

Goobi (rhymes with Scooby) is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and he is about 14 weeks old. He is red and white (which is known as Blenheim) and he is so stinking cute and even sweeter.

My sister Ellen adopted him almost 2 weeks ago. He was a rescue puppy from a horrible puppy-mill in Missouri. He was considered a reject and they were going to drown him!!!

I had the privilege of accompanying my sister when she picked him up and brought him home. We both fell in love with him at first sight.

Sadly, he was not cared for well by the puppy-mill owners and within 36 hours of going home with Ellen he was in the hospital with life-threatening pneumonia. Things looked very bad for a week and we really began to think he wasn't going to make it. But he's a little fighter and he knew that a GREAT life was waiting for him with Ellen and her family. He pulled through and is back home now and doing terrific.

Congrats Goobi and welcome to the family!!

Oops!

2009-09-25T19:22:00.000-06:00

W-T-H Happened to My Puppy?

Danni's hair was constantly in her little eyes and I thought she couldn't see very well, so when I took her to the groomers I asked them to "clean up" her face.

Check out these before and after pictures...

She doesn't even look like the same puppy to me!

Mark was astonished.
Meghan made sad little pity sounds. And Ashley laughed, even though I ordered
everyone not to laugh because it hurts Danni's wee-little feelings.

Hopefully it will grow back real fast.

Mi Diabla Perita

2009-09-15T14:05:00.001-06:00

...My Little Devil Dog

This is Daniella right after she was scolded for doing a naughty in the house. That is her rear-end and one leg sticking out from under the front room sofa. She is in this exact spot, in this exact position a LOT! She is a very naughty little girl.

I think she's a little spoiled.

I take her outside to do her business many, many, many times a day. She comes right back in and potties in the house. And then she assumes the position (see above photo.) She knows she's been bad. She knows she's not to potty in the house. She's not stupid, she's just a stinker.

She loves to bring junk in the house from outside, like sticks, clumps of grass, clumps of dirt, rotting half bird eaten cherries and apricots, worms, bugs, whatever. It's messy, not to mention disgusting! When I move toward her to take it away from her, she grabs whatever she has brought inside and takes off running through the house with it. She thinks we're playing chase.

She doesn't want to eat her puppy food, unless I cook up some hamburger to add to it. She will also eat it if I put KFC gravy on it. We're not talking yucky old dry dog food, we're talking yummy expensive canned science diet roasted chicken gourmet puppy food.

Her older sisters will happily snarf down the fancy puppy food, but not Daniella. I have to make it special for her.

She has to be with me 24/7. And I mean EVERY SINGLE SECOND OF EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF THE DAY! I feel like an axe murderer if I actually leave the house without her, and Walmart won't let me bring her there anymore...they "only allow service dogs"...sheesh. I am so going to order her a little service dog vest. Found one by googling it!

When I take a shower she presses her little face to the shower door and cries. If I dare close the bathroom door without bring her in first, she barks and scratches, and whines, and cries until I let her in.

She likes to lay on my head.

She wants me to hold her while I typing on the computer. (PS...typing one handed is hard and very time consuming.)

She attacks our feet if we move them under the covers at night, and she has killer little shark teeth.

She attacks your nose, while you are sleeping, usually around 4am.

She bites her sisters on the butt and then dives under the couch so they can't get her.

She gets in the trash, chews it up, and strews it all over the house and back yard.

Mark bought a new Garmin GPS system. On the first day she ate the cord while it was downloading info off the internet.

She chewed a hole in my sofa. (Not one of the new sofa's, the old one, thank heavens.)

She is not the least bit afraid of the CTR (choose the right) stick (rolled up and taped up newspaper). She thinks it's a toy and that I'm trying to play with her. She gets very excited.

She barks and cries when I'm in the hot tub if I don't sit where she can see me.

She's also the sweetest, most loving, most affectionate, cutest, most adorable, funniest, most playful, and all around most precious little puppy in the whole world, and I'm just head-over-heals-in-love crazy about her.

Danni posing pretty in her tiny little life jacket.

A Mighty Huntress

2009-07-28T12:54:00.000-06:00

...of worms that is.

Can you see it in the bottom right hand corner of the picture, right in front of Daniella's paw?

It's pretty disgusting but she loves to hunt big-fat-wiggly night crawlers. They come above ground in the mornings after our sprinkler system has come on. (They come on at 2 am every other night/morning.)

There always seems to be one or two really stupid worms that crawl onto the patio instead of staying on the grass. If I find them before Danni does, I put them back in the grass but if Danni finds them before me...well she just goes nuts!

First she barks at it, then she picks it up and throws it around, over and over and over. It reminds me of a cat toying with a mouse, only it's a dog, with a worm. After she has thrown it around for a while she rolls on top of it and then finally, she eats it.

I think it's funny. Mark does not. If he's home and sees what she's doing he says to her "Baby, don't eat it, it's yucky!" I assure him that it's only a little extra protein and won't hurt her a bit. He still doesn't like though.

Busted!

2009-07-23T09:42:00.000-06:00

Remember how I found Danni inside the puppy-proof chicken wire? Well, I caught her in the act. Gabby was acting as her look-out. Once Danni gets inside, she taunts and teases Gabby, barking at her through the chicken wire. Gabby can't catch Danni so it drives Gabby insane.

Who needs television for entertainment?

We Were Almost Eaten By A Wild Mountian Lion In Island Park, Idaho.

2009-07-22T15:21:00.003-06:00

Well, by now you probably have figured out I survived my trip into the wilderness...although, just barely.

Let's start at the beginning...

~Here is a picture of the puppies as we start
out on our big wilderness adventure~

Forty-five minutes after I took this, Daniella hurled all over the place. We were on the freeway and I started shrieking at Mark to pull over. He took the next exit and pulled into a gas station/24 hour mart. Fortunately, I had packed a bag full of rags. Unfortunately, they were dry and I needed them wet so I got to go into a gas station restroom.

Now for those of you who don't know this little tidbit of Kathleen trivia, I NEVER go into public restrooms. Never ever ever.

Under normal circumstances, I would just drive home, or demand to be driven home. But I knew this time, Mark would never go for it, so I sucked it up and entered the germapolooza. Fifteen minutes and a panic attack later, we were back on our way.

Sincerely trying to get into the spirit of the whole nightmare, I partook of the snacks Mark had packed; dried fruit, nuts, and beef jerky. We were just like the pioneers crossing the plains...only in a motor vehicle...and with A/C...and Pepsi...with ice. OK, so it wasn't exactly like the pioneers, but it was close enough.

After hours and hours of driving through the most bug infested prairie land ever, we finally made it to the resort.

~These are pictures of the cabin we stayed in~

According to the lady who checked us in, ours was her favorite of all the cabins because it was just remodeled. Weren't we lucky.

I will say this for the place, it was incredibly clean and it did have indoor plumbing but, the A/C consisted of opening windows.

Mark thought it would be great to smell the fresh mountain air all night. I thought an open window all night out in deliverance-land meant sure death, either by banjo pickin' mountain people or by wild beasts. (I didn't actually tell him that, I just smiled at him. See, I can be a roughing-it girl! Besides, I brought my 9 mm semi-automatic Glock, with two, fully loaded, 15 round clips. A girl's gotta look out for herself.)

My side of the bed was directly under the open window. I had two thoughts; One, I could get cooler being closest to the "fresh mountain air", or two, I would be eaten by a deranged wild mountain lion.

Hmm...be cool, or be eaten? I opted for cool.

Gabby was on high alert from the minute we left the house, barking at every car that passed us, and in the cabin she was no better. A squirrel could fart 10 miles away and she would go nuts. She barked ALL FREAKING NIGHT LONG. Somewhere around 3 am, something made a scary noise, something was outside the cabin. Gabby went nuclear. Now, to a deranged wild mountain lion, a yapping cocker spaniel on the other side of a flimsy little screen is an appetizer...which would make me the main course. I kept telling Mark to make her be quiet because I was sure it was a mountain lion and we were seconds from death. He told me I had an over active imagination. The next morning there were trash cans knocked over! Over active imagination, I don't think so.

After a night of no sleep and near death by consumption I was feeling a little cranky. But I really did want to try out my new lens. (I decided that if I had to make such a huge sacrifice and actually go into the wilderness, risking life and limb, I deserved a reward. So I bought a new Nikon telephoto lens!) My camera dudes had told me a few things to try with the new lens and I was excited to test it out. We headed to Yellowstone.

At the park entrance was a cute little ranger man. I told him how much I love grizzly bears and how badly I wanted to meet one. I also told him how I was concerned for the safety of my puppies. I asked how many miles away a grizzly could smell my puppies and if one would hunt down my new car, rip off a door and devour the dogs. He smiled and said he didn't think that was really anything to worry about.

Just a couple miles into the park we came across a huge traffic jam. It turned out to be an eagles nest with babies in it. The Mom and Dad eagle where fishing in the river and bringing the babies breakfast. It was really cool, check it out...

~I could see the babies stick their heads out of the nest a couple times but didn't catch it with the camera...they're fast little suckers!~

Next, we came upon this...

~This is a photo of...well I don't actually know what it is but I thought maybe an ant or termite hill? Mostly, I just wanted to take a picture of something with my new lens~

Followed by...

~This is a buffalo we saw that was about 200 yards away from us. Not to bad of a photo considering the distance between the camera and the beast~

And then...

~This is either a moose, or an elk, or maybe some kind of deer...without antlers I couldn't tell...but I'm pretty sure it's a girl~

~This is a family of moose (I think they were moose) crossing the river~

We took the puppies to see Old Faithful. Waiting for it to go off is where I saw the first pair of lesbians, not the ones with wiener dogs, the regular lesbians. I didn't take a picture of them because I didn't want to seem insensitive or socially retarded.

~Here Mark is with the girls waiting for Old Faithful to shoot off~

~Before~

~And then during~

Saturday evening Mark decided to give Danni and Izzy swim lessons. He kinda didn't believe me that Danni could already swim. He thought she was to young. I told him she was not to young at all and could swim from birth, as all mammals can, except for chimpanzees, of course.

The river where we were staying was a fork off another river, not the murderous Snake River. This river was s-l-o-w so I let the puppies go in without their life jackets. I did however draw the line with Gabby. She takes forever to dry and I'm not a big fan of wet-dog-smell.

~In this picture, Danni and Daddy are waving hello (or possibly good-bye,
I guess it all depends on ones perspective.) to me from the river~

~Danni swimming to shore~

~Izzy's turn swimming to shore~

Saturday night we were able to sleep pretty well, Gabby only barked twice, and it got really nice and cool. Plus, no wild animals were lurking around outside.

Sunday we slept in and then packed up and left for home. We stopped in Ashton to visit Mark's Dad's and Cousin Craig's grave sites. The puppies did much better, no barfing, and Gabby only barked at motorcycles. I drove half way and learned how to use my cruise control.

All in all, we had a good trip, but I am very happy to be back home.

At Least My Puppies Won't Drown

2009-07-15T13:17:00.000-06:00

Thank You Petco!

HELP!! I'm Going Freaking Camping This Weekend.

2009-07-14T15:16:00.000-06:00

Yes, you heard me. I, Kathleen Natalie, am going to spend the whole weekend out in the woods...with Mark
and 3 puppies.

Kill me, please, someone shoot me already.

Technically, we are staying in a cabin so I guess it would really be called cabining, but I DO NOT CAMP OR CABIN!!!!! EVER!!!!! I have it in my pre-nup...for real.

Sadly, this just may be my last post, because I'M GONNA DIE! I'm just going to die. What is Mark thinking?!?!?

Let's see... let's list all the things I hate most in the universe...dirt, bugs, snakes, cabins, tents, sleeping bags, camping, campfires, smoke from campfires, cooking for my self while on vacation (if I have to cook it's NOT a vacation), anything cooked outside especially if cooked on a stinking campfire, being outside unless it's in my back yard, eating outside, did I mention dirt and bugs?!?!?

For me, roughing it mean anything less than a four star hotel and no room service. Maybe Mark wants my life insurance money...because I'M GONNA FREAKIN DIE!

Nobody better be laughing because this is serious. Pass the Xanax please.

Ok, it just got worse. I googled where we are going and under amenities it lists shower house, a coin operated shower house. What the hell is a shower house? Actually, I don't want to know. The website also lists all the "fun" things to do; fly fishing, river rafting, hunting, hiking, horse shoes, volleyball, a trampoline, canoeing, biking...oh hell no.

I called. The shower house is for the RV'ers. They have RV places there. My cabin has a bathroom, with a shower. Thank heavens. The lady told me to calm down and take a deep breath and that I don't have to use the shower house. She then told me there is no wi-fi or TV or phones or pool or spa. What kind of everlasting hell is this place? Three days with no facebook! You've got to be kidding me.

Mark thinks we should float the river again. (See post titled Tubing Down The Snake, August 2008.) With 3 puppies. I don't think so.

Grizzly bears live in the woods. Now I love grizzly bears, and would love to meet one, but bears eat puppies for snacks.

Do you think if I call and cancel my life insurance maybe Mark won't make me go?

For the love of Pete there'd better be A/C.

Puppy Training

2009-07-13T15:21:00.000-06:00

...by Daddy...and Gabby...and Izzy

Danni won't go through the doggie door unless we pin the flap open. This drives Mark crazy because he's convinced that bugs come in the house through the open doggie door. So last night, he decided to teach Danni how to push open the flap by herself and, of course, Gabby and Izzy had to be in on the action.

Above: Mark pushing Danni through the flap with Gabby and Izzy supervising

Mark, Gabby and Izzy encouraging Danni to come back through by herself

Danni does it all by herself...after about 100 try's and lots of treats to convince her.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

2009-07-12T17:07:00.000-06:00

Now this girl really knows how to chill!

Puppy Proof?

2009-07-07T15:05:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not, the lovely chicken wire around my fruit trees is not for decorative purposes...it's to keep the puppies from chewing on the young trees.

Well, so much for my well laid plans. Look who I found inside my puppy proof barrier...

Can we say Daniella Stinkerbella!?!

Aawww...Poor Little Thing

2009-06-27T09:03:00.000-06:00

My little Cone-head

My baby's got a boo-boo

Daniella got fixed on Monday and they made me leave her overnight. I thought it would kill me to leave her, but I did, and we both made it through just fine, but I'm very happy she's home now. And so are her big sisters, especially Gabby.

The hospital discharge instructions I was given were to "Not let her run or jump for 10-14 days"...What? Yeah right. You tell me how to keep a six-month-old puppy from running and/or jumping for 10-14 days. And, to add insult to injury, they made her wear that stupid collar so she looks like a cone-head, also for 10-14 days.

I brought her in the house and the first thing she did was JUMP up on the couch before I could stop her. I had an electrician here and needed to be outside with him so I put her in her big kennel (otherwise known as the Puppy Penitentiary) and closed the top so she wouldn't JUMP out. As soon as I got outside, I heard ghastly shrieking from the house. I ran back in to find Danni throwing herself around madly in kennel, screaming at the top of her lungs.

I took her out, and checked her incision to see if she tore anything. When I brought her home (20 minutes earlier) her stitches were straight and flat, now they were lumpy and poufy-like. I just knew she had ripped something but I couldn't leave the house while the electrician was still there working. I called the animal hospital and spoke to a nurse (did you even know they have puppy nurses?) and she said to keep watching Danni and check her gums for shock. I thought she had to be kidding me, but she was totally serious.

Quickly I figured out that Danni wanted to be held...constantly, and that she was not going to be quiet any other way. So, for the next four hours, between Meghan and I, Danni's little feet never touched the ground.

Still certain she was hemorrhaging internally, as soon as the electrical work was done I took her back to the hospital (without an appointment) and demanded to see Dr. Anderson immediately. I should mention that he is a really, really, really nice guy and also very patient. I dramatically told him all about Danni's antics and assured him that I just knew that she was internally bleeding to death. He took her and carefully examined her and proclaimed her to be perfectly fine, but maybe a little tiny bit spoiled. No, really, you think?

Vacuum Hunting

2009-06-23T15:02:00.000-06:00

...can have many definitions.

For some odd reason, both Gabriella and Isabella love to attack the vacuum while I'm trying to use it. Both of them used to be terrified of the vacuum, but not anymore. It's like a game now for them. They chase it around, barking furiously at it, and Izzy grabs it and actually picks it up...while the beater-bar is spinning at 10,000 mph! I swear she's going to loose a tooth someday, but it is still highly entertaining.

Daniella is scared to death of it and hides in the sunroom under the computer desk until I put it away.

And speaking of my little Daniella, she is in the hospital. She was fixed yesterday and will be coming home today.

Happy Birthday Izzy!

2009-06-22T00:59:00.002-06:00

My Little Izzy-Bell is 3 Today!
And she's the most beautiful beagle in the whole world!!
Happy Birthday My Little Snuggle-Bug!

The 6th Commandment...

2009-06-19T14:58:00.000-06:00

Thou Shalt Not Kill.

The Murderess

My Isabella is a murderess. While Mark and I were working out in the yard, Isabella found a bird nest in the bushes and took a baby bird out of the nest. I don't really think she wanted to eat it or anything. Maybe she wanted to be friends, she wants to be friends with everyone. Unfortunately for the little birdie, it died.

To make matters even worse, our sweet little neighbor girl Raha was over playing with the puppies at the time. Raha, who is 8 years old, was the one who noticed that Izzy had the baby bird and started yelling at me for help. But it was too late.

The most stunning thing was Mark's reaction...He was, and still is, proud of Izzy! He said that she was "just living out her life's true purpose." What? Is he CRAZY?!?!? I certainly think so.

My Snugglebug

2009-06-15T09:56:00.000-06:00

New Trick

2009-06-13T16:53:00.001-06:00

Daniella, aka Devil Dog, has learned a new trick. What was once her puppy prison, which she hated with a fiery passion, has suddenly become her personal playland and she has figured out how to come and go as she pleases.

Yesterday, I was looking all over the house and yard for Danni but couldn't find her. I went into the sunroom and saw movement in the puppy prison. I peeked inside and there she was happily playing all by herself. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how she got in there and even more puzzling was why she wanted to be in there in the first place. As I said, she HATES her prison! Yet, there she was having a grand old time.

I wanted to see how she had gotten in. I took her out and set her on the floor. She looked at me, then looked at the prison, then looked back at me, then she jumped...JUMPED...up into the chair sitting next to the prison (something she has NEVER been able to do before) walked over to the prison and jumped down inside. I was astonished! So we did it again a few more times just to make sure I wasn't hallucinating.

This morning she did it again only this time she also jumped back out when she was finished playing. She is very proud of herself. I have to admit, I'm pretty proud of her as well...she's just so smart.

Sizing it up...

...almost there...

...down she goes...

...and back up she comes. What a Stinkerbelle!

1st's for Daniella

2009-06-11T12:51:00.000-06:00

Danni finally lost her first tooth, actually she lost her first 8 teeth, and she had her first visit to the puppy parlor.

I was starting to wonder if she would ever lose her baby teeth. She'll be six months old this Friday and Isabella and Gabriella both started losing their baby teeth long before six months. Even the vet was surprised she hadn't lost any teeth when he last saw her a month ago. Then, last Thursday, I looked in her tiny little mouth and ALL her front teeth, top and bottom, were gone! She looks like an old lady without her dentures...it's quite funny.

I really wanted to post a picture of her naked little gums, but, well, holding very still while I pull her lips back is not one of her strong points. It's a lot like trying to hold down an agitated snake.

(This was the best I could get.)

Last Friday was puppy spa day. Gabby needed to be shaved down for the summer. She looks so cute shaggy but the heat is just too much for her. So now she looks like a goat. Even though Izzy never needs a hair cut I always take her when I take Gabby. Izzy gets a bath and her nails trimmed and she likes to make friends with all the other puppies. Danni will need grooming all her life so I thought now was as good a time as any to introduce her to the whole concept. She hated it. She screamed through the whole ordeal...the bath, the hair trim, the nails. They pretty much gave up on the hair cut. Oh well, maybe next time.

Puppies ~ Spring 2009

2009-06-01T14:49:00.000-06:00

Doing what they do best...enjoying life!

Princess Gabriella

Princess Daniella

Princess Isabella

Our Up-graded Hi-tech Security System:

2009-05-27T12:22:00.002-06:00

OOOO...SCARY!!!

Daniella's Such a Big Girl Now!

2009-05-27T11:30:00.000-06:00

Danni is now 4.11 pounds (she was only 2.5 when we got her) and she is 4 1/2 months old. This Friday she has her first appointment at the groomers and next month she will get spayed. Last week she learned how to go down the stairs to the basement and yesterday she discovered her first nightcrawler (giant worm). It's amazing to me how fast she's growing up although she still hasn't lost any of her baby teeth. She's finished with all her puppy shots and she still takes 3-4 naps a day, but when she's awake she is WILD! I wish I could bottle some of her energy and enthusiasm. Here's a couple new pics...

Singing the Jailhouse Blues

2009-04-26T08:11:00.000-06:00

It's really hard to be a 13 week old puppy. Especially when you have two big puppy-sisters that you want to be with, chew on, and be just like.

Today Daniella has been the devil, teasing and tormenting Gabby and Izzy. She has been so naughty that she has had to have 3 time-outs. She hates time-outs and shrieks her little brains out while in the puppy-penitentiary. But she was a repeat offender so she had to do hard time...15 minutes in time-out per offense. Check it out...

Our Puppy-Penitentiary

The Inmate

Daniella's First War Wound

2009-04-22T10:29:00.000-06:00

It was destined to happen sooner or later. I was hoping for later, but that was not to be. Danni and Izzy had their first (and hopefully last) puppy battle.

It was my fault. I left out a chewy-bone that we NEVER let them have when they are together because they will kill each other over chewy-bones. Izzy found it and Danni thought it would be fun to share it with her big sister. Izzy did not like the idea at all. The good news is that I was sitting right next to them and stopped the fight/attack in less than 5 seconds but Daniella still got quite a boo-boo and Izzy got a HUGE time-out.

Happily, everyone is fine and the girls are bff's again.

Looks Can Be Deceiving

2009-04-15T21:07:00.005-06:00

I thought I was getting a Yorkshire Terrier.

I was wrong, she's a Yorkshire TERRORIST!

Looking at this picture you might think...aaawwww, what a little angel. But behind that cute, adorable little face lives a beast.

Daniella loves to terrorize her big sisters. She hides under the sofa and waits for the perfect opportunity to ambush either Gabby or Izzy, then she darts back under before they can catch her. While they are frantically trying to figure out how to get to her she barks and snarls and growls at them which drives them CRAZY! It's so funny, she sounds just like a little squeaky toy but she thinks she's a ferocious Rottweiler.

Danni is faster than lightening. I can't catch her so, for $1.25, I bought a 5 foot butterfly net to snag her with.

This past week I traveled home to Washington and Daniella went with me. She was really a good little girl on the plane and, for the most part, the whole trip. She did have a couple little terrorist moments, like when she ate my Mom's $100.00 wireless mouse charger cord. (The money's in the mail!) Then, on Monday night, we had a family dinner and Danni ate her way through her cardboard-box-hotel, escaped from the guest room, climbed two flights of stairs, and crashed the dinner party.

Even so, every time I look at her I do think...aaawwww, what a little angel.

Daniella's 1st Bath

2009-04-01T09:38:00.000-06:00

Daniella goes to the Vet!

2009-03-24T08:14:00.000-06:00

Danni had her first Vet check today and she is perfect!! (I already knew that but it's still good to hear it from the Doctor.) She weighs 2 lbs. 6 oz. and she didn't need any shots today.

Waiting for Dr. Anderson to come in...doesn't Danni look excited!

Danni with Dr. Anderson.

Daniella Discovers Snow

2009-03-23T10:01:00.000-06:00

Every day is a new and exciting adventure when your only 9 weeks old. I am having so much fun watching Danni learn and experience all the new things in her little world. She is doing very well. She has a good appetite so I am going to try going without glucose today. Being so tiny she can't maintain her body heat very well so she can't be outside for more than a couple minutes at a time, but she is very smart and is potty-training very fast. The snow is now deeper than she is tall so I have to shovel out a spot in the yard for her. As soon as I set her down and tell her to go potty, she goes!

Izzy and Gabby are doing really great with Danni too. Izzy thinks she is a cool new toy to play with and Gabby wants to watch her every move and if Danni squeaks out, Gabby is right there to see what's wrong.

And as for Mark, Meghan, and Ashley, well they are all hopelessly in love with her just like me.

Daniella playing with Daddy's slipper...

2009-03-21T20:03:00.000-06:00

Day 3!

Danni Napping Today...

2009-03-20T12:44:00.004-06:00

Day 2!

Meet Daniella

2009-03-19T12:42:00.000-06:00

My new baby Daniella (Danni for short) is a 9 week old Yorkie-Poo. She weights just barely 2 lbs. and although she looks black at first, she is really a dark chocolate brown.
She's itsy-bitsy teensy-tiny and absolutely adorable!!!

Daddy-Doggie Jogging

2009-03-17T22:34:00.000-06:00

Mark usually jogs 3-4 times a week, a distance of about 3 miles. And, usually, he takes Isabella and Gabriella with him. This past Saturday was no exception. It was a beautiful day so I decided to grab my Nikon and go stalk them. (Any excuse to take pictures of my pups works for me!) Even though he hates jogging, Mark is very disciplined about his exercising. Taking the girls helps motivate him and of course it makes it more fun. Izzy and Gabby have unlimited energy and jogging helps them mentally as well as physically. They are both natural born runners.
Check out how adorable all 3 of them are.

Gabby in the lead as always, she is unquestionably our alpha dog.

Almost home and a little pooped out.

Aren't they just sooo cute!?!

Cooling down on the front porch.

**First posted on NOT YOUR TYPICAL TROPHY WIFE March 2009

How do they know all that?

2009-03-17T12:35:00.017-06:00

My puppies are geniuses. If there was a puppy I.Q. test they would score at least 150, just like Albert Einstein.

Here are a few examples of their true brilliance:

*They speak English, or I should say they understand English.
Their vocabulary is quite large and quite amazing. They know the words bone, treat, leash, bath, brush, car, walk, run, toy, blankie, freeze, come, drop, fetch, get it, mommy, daddy, sissy, sister, Ashley, Meghan, Hollie, off, shake, tummy, wash your face, home, potty, pee, poop, pooh, bye-bye, and lay down. If I say to them "Where's daddy?" they will run through the house looking for him. But if I say "Daddy's home!" they run to the front door and wait for him. And if I say to Gabby "Time to wash your face" she will try to run away and hide. (She doesn't like her face washed.)

*They can tell time and they know what day of the week it is.
Every weeknight at 5:30 they sit on the back of front room sofa and stare out the window waiting for their daddy to get home. However, on Wednesday's when Mark teaches late, they don't look for him until 10:30 p.m. Somehow they also know when it's bed time. If we stay up past 10:00 they get antsy and sit in the middle of the room starring at us with the look on their faces like come on, hurry up, it's time for bed!

*They politely and specifically ask for things.
When Gabby wants to be pet she will gently, but persistently, paw at my arm or leg. If she wants her tummy rubbed she will flip over on her back after pawing at me. When Isabella wants to be pet she will gently bump me with her nose and if she wants to snuggle she will nudge her head under my arm or leg. When they want a treat they will paw or bump me. Once they have my attention they take off running straight to the kitchen where they sit and stare at the cupboard where the treats are kept. But if they want a bone they run to the sunroom and wait next to the bone bucket. And if they want to go for a walk they will run back and forth between the front door and the coat rack in the kitchen where their leashes are kept.

*They know when Mark or I are sick or injured and will stay with us and tend to us until we feel better.
They also know where we are injured or what area of our body feels badly. They will sniff us and then lick the afflicted area and then lay down next to that spot. Then they will just stay with us, sleeping mostly, and really only getting up when we get up.

Pretty impressive, huh? Now if I could only get them to do our taxes.

How much is that doggie in the window?

2009-03-09T10:37:00.017-06:00

Correction, I should ask...How much are those doggies in the window.

If you look closely you will see my two puppies looking out my front window. This is the scene every time I leave the house. And, usually, that's were they stay and wait until I come back home. They are very devoted or maybe possessive, I'm not sure which.

While technically they are dogs I can't help but wonder if they don't have a little goat DNA mixed in them as well. They both love to perch on the top of the back of my sofas and chairs. Then, using their noses and heads they throw the drapes aside to get a clear view of the outside world.

Gabby has an amazing built in body clock and somehow she knows exactly when her daddy's coming home. She sticks to my side like velcro all day long but minutes before he shows up she jumps up in the front window and waits for him. She is such a daddy's girl.

How much are those doggies in the window? Well, sorry...they're not for sale!

Four Peas in a Pod?

2009-03-06T17:59:00.002-07:00

We need a new bed...a BIGGER bed. Currently we have a queen size bed, which was not my idea. I prefer a king size bed because I like to stretch out as much as possible without bumping into anyone and that doesn't work with two people in one queen size bed. But Mark likes to be close to me, thus we have a queen. I have learned to manage the smaller bed but lately my number of sleep-partners has increased from 1 to 3, and that's not counting me.

Isabella and Gabriella now sleep with us, and by that I mean not just in the same room as us, but in the same bed with us.

Gabby has to sleep right up between our heads. We have to leave a gap between our two pillows for Her Majesty. And just laying between us isn't good enough for the little princess, she has to be touching both of us at all times, therefore she lays sideways.

Izzy, fortunately, likes to sleep at the end of the bed by our feet. But her Royal Highness has to be under the covers. I seriously do not know how she can breathe.

Gabby snuggling up to her Daddy...waiting for her Mommy.

Izzy getting cozy and very sleepy.

Izzy enjoying her Daddy's foot.

What I really can't figure out is why we do this. Neither Mark nor I get any descent sleep. All night long we are trying to shift without disturbing the puppies. Yes, you heard me, I actually admitted that we (the humans) won't disturb them (the, uh...dogs). I know what you're thinking, you're thinking; those people are CRAZY! And it's probably true, but I'll bet that if you looked into those huge, chocolate-brown pleading eyes you just might find yourself a little crazy too.

Pampered Pooches and Their People

2009-02-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

Today was Family Spa Day. Gabby and Izzy went to the puppy salon, and Mark and I went to Ashley's school for facials. Ashley is studying to be a master esthetician at the Skinworks School of Advanced Skincare, lucky us!

My guess is Mark and I had more fun than Gabby and Izzy.

Ashley just started classes at Skinworks on Tuesday and has had only 4 days training so far. And yet, she gave a GREAT facial! This was Mark's first experience in the world of esthetics and he loved it. I am a huge spa girl and I have had many facials. I was Ashley's first official client (she had been practicing on other students with instructor supervision) and she did an excellent job.

Ashley ready for her first client...me!

At the end Ashley claimed to have made a few mistakes but I honestly didn't notice a single one. Mark and I came out with beautifully fresh, clean, soft, smooth, and glowing skin. I'm thinking we should do this every Friday afternoon. Next week she will be learning pedicures and I get to be the client again.

Izzy and Gabby on their way to the salon.

Before Mark and I went to Skinworks we dropped the puppies off at their puppy spa. Izzy loves to go to the salon. She likes to make friends with all the other puppies and the groomers. Gabby, not so much. But Gabby's winter coat was looking shabby and both pups needed their teeth and nails done. And of course, all girls deserve a day at the spa.

Here are pictures of Gabby before and after.

She looks so different.
Now, I think she looks like a cross between a sheep and a dog...a shog perhaps?

Izzy never needs a hair cut, but I can't trim her nails or do her teeth myself and letting someone else bathe her gives my back a rest.

So tonight we are all happily relaxing after a full day of primping and pampering. It truly is a great life.

**First posted on NOT YOUR TYPICAL TROPHY WIFE February 2009

Happy Birthday Gabby!

2009-02-13T22:32:00.000-07:00

My Littlest Angel is 2 Today!

It seems like it was just yesterday that we brought you home to join our family.

We love you so much...Happy Birthday my little Love-Bug!

Poisonous Gum??? You have got to be kidding me.

2009-02-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

A true story about the worlds most expensive pack of gum.

Believe it or not, sugarless chewing gum is poisonous to dogs. Actually, the sweetening ingredient Xylitol is poisonous to dogs.

And just how do I know this little tidbit of seemingly useless knowledge?
Well, let me tell you.

Last night my sweet little beagle Isabella was noticeably absent while I was snuggling up with my little Gabriella. Gabby didn't mind being the one and only center of my attention, but I thought it strange as Izzy can NEVER get enough attention and gets jealous if Gabby is the only one getting loved on.

I called Izzy. Nothing. I called her again. Still nothing. I had a bad feeling. I went to see if Izzy was up to no good, as she so often is. She's just so naughty. I found her down the darkened hall happily devouring a new pack of Orbit gum...paper, foil, little cardboard box, everything. She peeked up at me rushing toward her and screeching at her to STOP!...and ate faster.

After examining the remains and factoring in the three pieces I knew were missing before she got a hold of it, I deduced that she had eaten at least 8 pieces. Hmm...I wondered...could gum make her sick? Mark thought I was being crazy but I called the vet anyway. They asked me what kind of gum had she eaten.

What kind of gum?...well, the chewing kind of course! I thought they were kidding. Then the lady on the phone clarified and asked if it was sugarless? I told her, why, yes it was. She said that sugarless gum contains the sweetener Xylitol which is poisonous to dogs, and that I needed to bring her in immediately for treatment. I was stunned. Mark was stunned and shocked. So, I rushed her to the vet ER.

I was thinking that we might be there an hour or so. I mean really, how hard can it be to make a dog throw-up?

Right on time, 60 minutes later, the doctor came out, but if I thought I was surprised to even be at the ER, what he told me next floored me. He said that Izzy needed to be hospitalized. He explained that Xylitol toxicity causes insulin shock, seizures, and last but not least, possible liver failure...death.

Gum. PEOPLE, we are talking about GUM! Eight lousy pieces of GUM!! What the...???

Well, to say that I almost had a stroke is the understatement of the century. I drove home alone. I couldn't image what Mark was going to think. We love this dog. She is our baby.

At midnight I called to check on her progress. I was told that her liver tests came back and the results were not normal. She needed IV fluids and medication to flush her system and to fight off the poison. They said I might be able to bring her home in the morning but that I would have to bring her back at 24hrs. and 48hrs. to retest her liver functions.

I couldn't sleep. Gabby was depressed and morose, pacing around looking for her sister. Mark tossed and turned all night. At 7am the phone rang. She was not better. She could not come home. I called back at 2pm and was told that she was still on the IV, maybe try again in the evening. Gabby wouldn't eat. I wouldn't eat. Finally at about 5:30 Mark had had enough. He announced that we were getting Izzy and we were getting her now. We grabbed Gabby and jumped in the car.

Izzy has to go back for blood tests over the next two days and I have to give her medication for the next 30 days, but she is going to be fine.

Gabriella's eating again, Isabella is very happy, and I think we will all sleep great tonight.

My baby girl recovering...at home.
Right where she belongs.

**First posted on NOT YOUR TYPICAL TROPHY WIFE January 2009

How I Love This Man...

2009-01-27T22:14:00.000-07:00

This is what I call true love.

Looking at these photo's
you would assume that Mark is hard at work clearing snow from the sidewalk or maybe the driveway. But you'd be wrong...this is out in our back yard, in the middle of the lawn,
and he is making paths for my puppies.

True, the snow is deeper than the puppies are tall, but they bound through it - all on their own - with no problem. In fact I think they kind of like it deep, but it does slow them down and it wears them out faster.

So there he is, in the freezing cold with the snow coming down, shoveling my babies their very own winter puppy speedway.

He does other sweet things too.

Last night at 10 p.m. I wanted to go sledding again. It was a blizzard outside and the snow was deep on the roads. Perfect. This time I had the idea to tie two large Rubbermaid storage bins to the back of the Jeep. Ashley's always up for fun so we jumped in the bins (with snorkeling masks on so we could try to see a little) and Mark drove us all over the neighbor. At this point I'm pretty sure the neighbors think we are totally crazy. Mark certainly does...think I'm crazy that is. (I prefer the term creative.) But he still goes along with my nutty ideas with a smile on his face.

He really just wants me to be happy. And I am. Extremely.

**First posted on NOT YOUR TYPICAL TROPHY WIFE December 2008

An Addition To The Family?

2009-01-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

It's crazy...C-R-A-Z-Y!
I must be crazy, completely and totally crazy, especially in light of my last post. Go ahead...tell me how crazy I am. But...I can't help it...I want another puppy. Actually...two more...a girl and a boy.

Don't panic, I haven't done it, I haven't even gone to look (I know how dangerous that would be!)

Seriously, Mark would kill me. There are dozens of reason not to get another puppy, let alone two.

But, I want more puppies!

I just love them so much. I already have names picked out, sort of. Definitely Daniella for a girl. I'm stuck when it comes to a boy name although I know it must be Italian. I like Niccolo or Stefano, or maybe Giorgio or Luciano. Currently, my boy names list has 19 entries. My guess is that I will know the right name when I see the puppy.

There are so many different kinds of puppies I want. So many breeds I just love; Rottweilers, Chocolate Labs, Weimaraners, Miniature English Bulldogs, Basset Hounds, West Highland Terriers (Westies), and of course Cocker Spaniels.

Izzy was arguably the cutest puppy I have ever seen, but one Beagle is enough for me. She has so much energy and curiosity, and is pretty much constantly in some kind of trouble.

Gabby is still our little urinator, peeing when she gets too excited, but that has improved dramatically and I have continued hope for a future with even less pee.

Winter is the worst time to get a puppy. Rain, mud, and snow makes housebreaking even more miserable. But luckily, I do have my very own carpet cleaner which I use regularly.

What would be more adorable than a puppy, or two, under the Christmas Tree?

Puppies are REALLY expensive. You wouldn't believe how much it cost every month just for Gabby and Izzy's food, tasty treats, Rx, and grooming. If Mark had any idea, he would have a myocardial infarction.

But they are worth every penny. They bring us so much love and laughter. They are my bliss.

Crazy...I know.

**First posted on NOT YOUR TYPICAL TROPHY WIFE December 2008