SUPRISE!!!

IT'S CARLOS!!!

I have a new puppy in my house. Of course he is a guide dog puppy and of course he is adorable! He was born on March 10th which makes him 8 weeks and 2 days old. So far he just wants to sleep. He managed to wake up and eat his meals...but it's hard being a 8 week old puppy and he's TIRED!!! So here are pictures...enjoy!

Joaquin is cute!

So a few weeks ago, I was really into watching the new BBC documentaries "Life". Anyway, while watching the "hunters" episode, Joaquin was also very curious and enjoyed watching. The entire hour he kept going right up to the tv to watch the chases! He loved it and I thought it was funny so I took a picture. Of course, he looked away from the TV as I took the pic.



Have I ever expressed my love for tulips on my blog??? LOL Anyway, of course I had to go to the tulip festival at Thanksgiving Point Gardens with my mom. And of course Joaquin needed his picture taken with the tulips...He is becoming such a handsome looking young dog!

Good-bye Monet, Hello Spring!

Sweet little girl Monet was career changed. She made it very clear to us that she just didn't want to be a guide dog. She was a very happy, fun dog to raise...I loved every minute of having her, even if she taught me MUCH more than I could have ever taught her even if I'd have had her for her whole life! Monet loves life! She loves to have fun and kick back and relax and just do whatever you want! I sometimes think of her as the "Cindy Lauper" dog...you know the "girls just want to have fun!" dog :) I miss Monet like crazy. I am hoping that she will go on to be a dog with a job still, but we will see!!!

So anyway, for my spring break I went on a trip to Oregon to visit friends and family, and also to drop Monet off at the GDB campus. The above picture is the morning that I dropped Monet off on campus. She was not being real cooperative for pictures and this was the best shot I got...and she has her lip funny! Oh well...fits her personality! :) Man I love that girl! Good luck Monet!!!

So...I was in Oregon for 6 days! It snowed the day before I left for Oregon, so I was pleasantly surprised and delighted when there were actually blooming flowers in Oregon!!! I convinced my aunt and uncle to go to the tulip festival with me and it was SO pretty! So that's where the tulip pictures come from.

And this last picture is another one of Monet. When we got Joaquin and Monet saw him cross his front paws, she just figured that she wanted in on that cuteness as well. She never crossed them as frequently as Joaquin, but did do it quite often. One of my favorite things about Monet was how she was a cuddler...often at night I sit on the floor in my bedroom in front of my little space heater (no need for the heater as it's warming up) and read a book...Monet would come lay down half in my lap everytime she saw me there. She loved to lay in front of the heater. Anyway, this picture was taken one time when I was on the floor and she decided to lay on the bed. I asked her to come lay by me and she crossed her paws...it was cute!

Missing Monet

My Monet is gone at a puppysitters house for a few days. So I'll leave you with a picture of a Monet that is perhaps a little more refined. This Monet is beautiful--just like my Monet. This Monet has depth--as does my Monet! I love this Monet--and I love my little black girl Monet as well! I miss her!

happy birthday

no pictures today, but happy birthday yesterday Monet!!!

She's come a long way since I was first graced with her presence. I got to pick Monet up from So. Cal CFR, Rick. GDB was so nice to first, let me work with Monet in the first place, and second get her to me while I was in So. Cal. We met at a gas station in Santa Monica and first place we went was Petco --to get a few toys for her, and then Pinkberry!!!

I love this little girl a lot, she's weaseled her way into my heart.

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 :)

Workin' Hard or Hardly Workin'...

I take a dog with me every day to work...They rotate everyday who gets to go, and who stays home... Both dogs are exceptional at work. In my classrooms I tie the puppy down to one of my tables, generally while I am working with students I have the door open, so I just want to make sure the puppy isn't going to escape or wander off while I'm teaching.

This is Monet...I think she's working HARD!

Joaquin...Workin' hard!

More of Joaquin, Workin' Hard (in another teachers classroom)

And well...you can decide...Workin' hard or Hardly workin'

The rule with my students is that after they have worked hard for our class period...THEN they can pet the puppy. It works pretty good for the puppy and the student to have a little time at the end of class where they can be kids and dogs :) The kids know the rules and are very good to follow them...in fact, one of my stu

dents wrote me a few little notes thanking me for raising puppies...here's a note...

In translation it says (I'm keeping the original spelling cause it's cute):

Thank You miss lindzey for training money(Monet) friso(Frisco) wacene (Joaquin) and eatey (Edie) your gettel(gentle) and teach them life values and they learn to resst(resist) food and be loyal to the person they will be with there more then just puppys there guide dogs in training you teach them good values but you do remind them they are just dogs but you also take care of them you keep them heaty(healthy) with their clams and rice (I have NO Idea where she got the idea that they eat clams and rice) and their milk bones and other stuff I bet its hard for you when they have to go to guide dog scool(school) but you do alot of good for Blind people like me.

Obviously my student tried her hardest to write me a nice note. I contains no periods except for at the very end and well...it's a good think I figured out what all her words were cause some of her spelling is not so great...but it's cute nevertheless...

decorating my room...

So after living here for 15 months, I finally decided I was sick of the pictures being hung on the nails that were already in the wall...and the CRAPY paint job that was in my bedroom... So I went and bought 2 colors of paint and after a hard days work (and Mickelle's help) I got my room painted. Then after a few more weeks, I finally got my pictures hung up on my walls...So here are some pictures for anybody who cares.

Before...

After...

This is the same wall as my door. I did not want the first thing you see when you come into my room to be the dog stuff...so this is what you see when you turn to go out of the room. I have an amazing clock on the wall that has dogs on every hour and different barks for the hour...of course the sound part doesn't work, because it was annoying so I took the batteries out. Around the clock is most of my graduation pictures of my pups. I would like to put one good picture of each of my cc pups up too...but haven't got that far yet... Also, I have a collection of leashes hanging on this wall as well...Perhaps I have a leash fetish?

Before...

After...

This is what you see as you walk into my room. I realize that the blue and white checkered blanket does not match, however, Brogan (the black lab laying on the bed) is visiting and I didn't want him to get his hair all over my bedding...which is why the blanket is there... to the far left are the books I'm reading, then there are pictures of Christ, the temple, The Family a Proclaimation to the World and a picture of the old first presidency of my church. Then on the other wall to the far right are pictures of my family. I LOVE my new room!!!

Quick Trip and Frog Dogs...

Yesterday afternoon, I flew to Oakland, CA so that I could rent a car and drive to GDB to see Edie and her new partner before they left GDB. It was a very quick trip and I was home at 4:30 today...less than 24 hours--(yes, I am that crazy...)

There is an LDS Temple in Oakland and I stopped by the Temple this morning on my way back to the airport. It is BEAUTIFUL! It looks way more amazing in person than it does in pictures...I can't wait to go back to Oakland and actually get to go inside!

It was so good to see Edie again! She went crazy when she realized it was me (about 10 seconds after walking into the room...it was when I said "hi Edie") anyway the party lasted for a good 5 minutes or so that I was being mauled by Edie in all her "girls just want to have fun" glory. When I decided that maybe she should settle down...she was a good girl and decided to take a nap. There was nobody besides me and Edie and her new partner in the room and there was not a professional photographer there to take our picture...so Edie's partner took this picture of us together! Isn't she adorable? She is so grown up now!

Edie grew up, she used to look away from the camera every single time I tried to take a picture of her, but now that she is a working girl, she was much more compliant in the picture taking department. She is the second guide for her partner who lives in MI. He is a very nice, retired man and he said Edie was exactly what he needed in a new guide! I could tell that they were bonded already. He kept assuring me that Edie is a wonderful and careful worker. I am so happy for them...I think they will have many happy years together as a wonderful team!

And of course...we can't leave out the puppies at home! :) Both Joaquin and Monet do what I call "frog legs" where they will lay in such a way that their legs stick out and look like the back legs of a frog. Joaquin does it more often than Monet, but I think it is SO cute!

No Graduation for Me...

Don't worry, Edie is still going to be a guide dog. Her partner is not able to stay at GDB until Graduation on Dec. 12th. So instead I will be going to CA next weekend to visit with Edie and her partner. I'm actually not sad that I'm missing out on Graduation, except that there are many dogs whose raisers I know who are graduating that day...so it would have been fun to see them! Oh well...can't have it all :)

This little girl is...

IN CLASS!!!

Yes, you read right. My little Edie girl is in class in San Rafael. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it is the perfect match!

Play Time!!!

Our yard has TONS of leaves...Joaquin LOVES running through the piles of leaves

Can you see the puppy tail?

Where is Joaquin???

There he is...

And of course, here is Monet playing in the yard...

bath time

Here are some pictures of Joaquin's bath time :)

He doesn't hate the baths as much as he looks like it in the pictures!

All smushed and getting dried off :)

His name is what????

Today we added another puppy to our household...basically since the beginning of the summer we had planned on getting a transfer pup at the end of summer and a baby puppy on the last puppy truck of the year...today was the day the truck came!

Mickelle and I waiting for our puppy...

His name is JOAQUIN!!! (not a name that was on any of our lists)

--it's pronounced wah-keen--

His birthday is August 28th, which makes him 9 weeks and 1 day!

His parents are Lamara and GDF Mazel. He has 10 other siblings...

Mickelle is holding Joaquin and I'm holding his sister and brother.

Is he not just adorable???

We are looking forward to a great year with this guy!

Fall

I might not love fall so much...

...but I LOVE Monet!!!

Philly

A few weeks ago, I went and babysat my nieces and nephew in Philadelphia. I also took my 10 year old niece from UT with me to see her cousins.

We went miniture golfing...

And we went to a corn maze...

and the kids played in some hay...

And there were tractors to play on...

Also, when my nieces were in school, I took my other niece to Philadelphia...this is at Independence Hall

in front of the Liberty Bell

It was a fun trip!!!

Only in Utah...

I wen to Philadelphia last week (more on that later)...anyway the weather here had been great up until the day I left-Wednesday...which was the first day of snow this year (although the snow was in the mountains and benches...not the Valley) Anyway, I came back to pouring rain last night and had to sleep with 3 blankets on top of me.

Looking out the window of my classroom the sun is shining in some places, yet immediately outside of my classroom it was trying to snow a few minutes ago and now it is pouring rain...but I can still see sunshine...What the...