Life With A Puppy

Life with a puppy is very different. I am actually really glad that we have experienced this before we thought about having kids. This is hard work! Not that I thought it would be easy, but I am sleep deprived. I have to get up with Eli at 4 a.m. and at 6 a.m. he is up for good and ready to play. I guess it is helping me not to sleep in. I find myself trying to get alone time at night while he is asleep. I wasn't expecting that.

Eli is a lot of fun. He is so cute. I brought him to our vet and she said that he is checking out in great health. He is already 16 pounds at 9 weeks! He got some shots, but he behaved well. All of the vet techs loved him. We have signed him up for Puppy Kindergarten Boot Camp. It starts next Saturday. We knew that if we were going to get a 80 pound puppy, he would have to be trained. The vet (actually it's Cara one of Joe's good friends from college) gave me some lessons on tough love. I am not allowed to look at him when he whines. After he stops I can pet him or look at him. This is going to be tough. I am a softy.

Grace met Eli the other day. Eli found Shar (their lab) more interesting, but he was really good with Grace. We want to be sure to get him used to small children so that he will be more gentle as he grows up. Grace is growing fast. Her mom reports that she is on the verge of crawling! She is so interested in everything that crawling should be a tough stage for mom and dad.

I hope this finds everyone well. Love ya.

Kat

P.S. I think we can all assume that my luggage is now officially missing forever. I can never fly NWA without something going wrong.

Introducing Eli

We have adopted a puppy named Eli. He was born on April 28th, and arrived to his new home yesterday. He is already attached to his dad, following him around the house and laying on his feet. Dad is very happy and isn't having any allergic reaction to him. Yeah!

P.S. I still don't have my luggage.

The little boy!

Here is a picture of the puppy that Amy found for us. We are talking it over (but I can tell you that we both fell in love). We are seeing how Joe's allergies are after playing and petting this little boy. Update to come.

One Year Down!

We just celebrated our first anniversary. Joe and I went down to Brown County Indiana and slept in this great bed and breakfast. We had a great time. He sent me a giant bunch of flowers and a wonderful message. I am so very lucky.

Our gift to each other is a puppy that we might get on Tuesday. Joe is very excited. More to come on that.

This year was great. We keep learning more about each other and we keep growing closer. We had to deal with some health problems that only made us a stronger couple. We became an Aunt and Uncle to an adorable little girl. We grew our little family and will continue to in the upcoming years.

Here is to seventy more years of wedded bliss!

Kat

P.S. My luggage is still missing.

I'm Back!

40 holes of golf, 17 glasses of wine, 9 games of pinnacle, 15 pieces of sushi, 1 birthday, 1 father's day lunch, and 1 lost piece of luggage later and I am home from Idaho. My trip was fantastic. I was able to meet Angie and M.J., who are now both important parts in my brother's and sister's lives. We all had a great time at a sushi restaurant, where many of us tried (real, not the chicken stuff I get from Marsh) sushi for the first time. We had a great time with my Grandfather and dad on father's day. All in all, it was just good times.

Joe and I also met Angie's dog, Jackson. Jackson is a rhodesian ridgeback. If you haven't heard of this type of dog you should check them out. Anyway, Joe didn't seem to be allergic to this particular breed. We fell in love with him and we are now going to talk about getting a puppy ourselves. We are currently looking at breeders in the area. Joe's sister, Amy, is going to help us find one that will work with us. How exciting. Joe has always wanted a dog, and he is really excited about the possibility of owning one.

P.S. Congratulations to Both Stefanie and Joss Ross, and Ryan and Sharon Watts on the birth of their babies this past week. We can't waite to meet Cadence and Aidan.

Idaho Pictures

Angie's Dog Jackson. (Joe and I loved this dog!)
The gang at Taste, a sushi bar in Boise.
The Happy Couple!
Tia looking out the window for Dad.

A Princess and a Frog

You have to check out this swimsuit. Grace left today for her first big vacation. Andy and Emily are going to drive to visit her Aunt and his cousin in Florida and Alabama. Joe and I are getting ready to go home to Idaho on Tuesday. I am really excited to spend some time with my family. I am also very excited to meet the new man in my sister's life. She sounds so happy. I have to meet the source of this! My brother is supposedly coming up from Oregon as well with his girlfriend. It is going to be a blast. Only 4 more days until we leave.