just some pictures

Joaquin at work

Monet sleeping awkwardly on the beagle couch (that the beagle doesn't use...)
view from above
Monet and her bone...
Joaquin and his bone...

growing up...

I'll post pictures tomorrow...but for now here's a little on what I love about my puppies today!!!

Monet:
* She is SO sweet and loves to cuddle and be in your lap! (this is a huge accomplishment cause when she first came she really wanted nothing to do with any type of body handling...)

* She has an AMAZING recall!!! --seriously the best recall ever

* Her obedience is superb.

* I love that when Monet is being a puppy and maybe not on her best behavior--and knows she's going to get in trouble she runs to the "go to bed" bed and lays down like she wasn't doing anything at all.

* I love that she does crazy things sometimes that make me smile and often laugh out loud.

* I love that she has SO much personality!


Joaquin:
*I love the look in his eyes that is always guilty--it's adorable!

*I love how excited he gets to eat because for the first few days we had him he wasn't interested in his food.

* I love how BIG he is getting, but how gentle he remains!

* I love how when he is walking around the house I always know where he is because I can hear the quiet "thump, thump, thump" of his feet prodding along!


I think that puppy raising is one of the best "jobs" in the world! I have met such incredible people through GDB and because of my involvement in raising puppies! It has truly changed my life...raising puppies rerouted my plan for my life and I have grown up a lot since I became a puppy raiser! Most of all...I LOVE my puppies!!!

Grandpa's

This is not dog related, and has no pictures...so if you don't want to read it that is just fine! (oh and it may be a little sappy and emotional...but I need to get it out)

So last year I lost both of my Grandpas. I realize that I was VERY fortunate to have them in my life for 24 years--considering I am the youngest grandchild on both sides... I really miss them. They were two of the best men in the world!

Grandpa Ray was my dad's dad. He died 1 day before his 97th birthday on March 3, 2009. My Grandpa Ray was amazing. He was mentally all there up until about a month before he died. He always made me feel special...always. Like I was his favorite grandchild--or sometimes even his favorite person in the whole world. I would sit on grandpa's lap and cuddle with him when I was a little girl...and maybe even when I wasn't so little anymore. I earned the nickname shorty from my Grandpa Ray. He even named my dolls--Baldine and Squinty(it made me mad when I was 7, but those are the only names I remember for them now). My grandpa owned a mens clothing store and was always dressed very nice. My grandpa would call me "babe". He was the best partner to have when playing card games. Most of all...Grandpa Ray was my biggest fan and made sure I knew it! I knew that he loved me and wanted me to be happy. He lived a great life and I miss him lots. At his funeral we sang a song called God Be With You 'Til We Meet Again...I still can't sing that song without crying. I love my Grandpa Ray!!!

Now if that wasn't sappy enough...my Grandpa Gene died on Halloween. He is my mom's mom and always lived in Oregon. My Grandpa Gene also made me feel special...like I was the most important thing to him in the world. He really valued family and the time that we got to spend together. Grandpa Gene taught me to ride horses--maybe he threw me on the back of a horse and told me to hang on...but still :) He tried to teach me how to tie knots...but I still can't tell you how the bunny goes in the hole and all that stuff(he tried to teach me by using a story about a bunny...) He was always very supportive of me while i was in college and offered several times to pay for my college for me. He came to both my high school and college graduations. A few years ago, he asked me if I wanted to go anywhere in the world where would it be...and I told him I wanted to go to Russia. The next morning I woke up and he was trying to plan this trip to Russia(he was like 88 at that time...Russia probably wasn't the best place for him to go and I talked him out of it) He was always trying to "line me up" with some boy in the small town where they live. One time he even took me to the LDS church and told me to go inside and find a man. He also taught me how to shoot a gun, and later gave me a gun for Christmas! I love my Grandpa Gene and cherish the memories that I have with him. At his funeral we sang Amazing Grace.

I still find myself picking up the phone to call my grandpa's just to talk to them and see how they are doing and tell them that I love them. I can't bring myself to take their numbers out of my phonebook yet...They were 2 great men! I love my Grandpas :)