From home improvement projects to family time...

The boys decided to help Karl install a new light in our guest area. They were very interested in handing him the tools that they felt he needed. Dalton also said that he needed to fix the door. Lucky for me, I have 3 little handy-men to do home improvement projects!
Dalton and Braden are actually playing with the same toy at the same time & are NOT fighting over it! It's amazing! So of course, I had to take a picture to document such a momentous occasion!
Karl was reading to Dalton & Braden when Lily & Shelby decided to join them!
Karl & I actually had a moment to kick back & relax for a bit! We are looking forward to celebrating our first year wedding anniversary next week!

Lily's Puppy Preschool Graduation

Lily graduated from Puppy Preschool on April 10, 2007. She got her hair trimmed that day & wore her new pink bandana, which said "Voted Best Dressed at Obedience School" on it.

Karl, Lily & I completed 6 classes to work on the basic training with her. We really enjoyed the puppy socialization times, where all of the puppies just ran around & played with eachother. Soon, we will be starting the next level, Clicker Training.

Friends?!!

I wandered into the family room today & saw that Lily (the dog) had climbed onto the back of the couch & plopped down on the exact cushion that Shelby (the cat) usually lays on. Then, right before my eyes, Shelby came running down into the family room & climbed up right beside Lily. It was very odd, but cute to watch. Of course, I had to run & get the camera, to document this occassion. Dalton said "Look! They're friends!"

Sleeping Habits

We thought that it was strange, when we adopted Shelby that she didn't sleep with us at night. She would come up onto the bed & let us pet her for a few minutes each & then she would either sleep under the bed or sleep in the hallway, right outside our room. Here we are, in this huge king size bed, with soft sheets & a down comforter that is perfect for snuggling under & she doesn't want anything to do with it! So when Lily joined our family, we thought it was wiser to put away the dry-clean only down comforter & buy a cheap, machine-washable comforter, since little puppies often have accidents. The same day that I changed the comforter, was the same night that Shelby decided to come up & sleep with us all night long! I figured she just didn't like the down, which I would expect a cat to LOVE!

Lily likes the new comforter also! She's not picky, she will lie down just about anywhere. But her favorite place to snooze is on my lap or curled in, under my chin.




I am not sure how much Shelby likes Lily being in such close proximity to her! I mean, they are in a king sized bed after all. It's not like they have a TON of room. They are practically breathing the same air. Maybe Shelby is afraid that she will get doggie germs!

I guess they decided to take an afternoon
"catnap" together, after all! Aren't they cute, when Shelby isn't running around, terrorizing poor Lily?

Lily's Bath

One of Dalton's favorite books is called "Harry the Dirty Dog" by Gene Zion & illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham. Harry is a white dog with black spots & doesn't want to take his bath. So one day, he runs away & gets into all sorts of typical doggie trouble, such as digging in the garden. When he finally returns home, he is a black dog with white spots & his family doesn't even realize that it's him! It's great fun to read & I highly recommend it, if you have young children or are a child at heart! Anyways, I digress, as usual. :) Now, Lily wasn't as bad as dirty Harry, but she definitely wasn't a pure white dog anymore! So I gave her a bath tonight & I was highly amused at how she looked, soaking wet!


After her bath, she even let me play Amateur Dog Groomer & brush & blow dry her fur. I think she much preferred the blow dryer, to air drying & shivering the whole time, like she did the last time I bathed her! How cute is she?

It's Raining Cats & Dogs!

Okay, it's not REALLY raining cats & dogs. It's not even raining at all. It's a little on the chilly side today, but Spring is just around the corner. The weather forecast is predicting temperatures in the 50s next week! All I can say is, "Thank God!"

Anyways, I digress. Don't worry. You will get used to this happening. I tend to get sidetracked really easily. Then I always ask my husband, "What was I talking about?" And he always tells me, if he remembers himself. I guess the Blonde Moments are contagious!

So at the end of last year, we adopted Shelby from our local humane society. She is a beautiful & sweet 2 year old cat. She is very laid back & extremely good with my 2 toddler boys, who can be a little rowdy & rambunctious at times.

Then, a week and a half ago, we bought a puppy. Normally, I am against purchasing a dog, when there are so many in shelters all across America. But I wanted a smaller dog or puppy. And unfortunately, they seemed to have all larger dogs or cute puppies that were going to grow into large dogs. The local shelter did have one small dog, but it specified on the website "No small children". Well, with 2 toddlers, that little pup just wasn't going to work out for us. So one Friday evening, we went to the mall to go to the pet store. And I fell in love with a little West Highland White Terrier. We named her Lily (as in Lily of the Valley, because she is small & sweet--just like the flower). She is very sweet. Karl suggested naming her "Kitty Toy", which I actually LOVED but I didn't want to confuse the cat, by calling the dog "Kitty".

So now Shelby & Lily have become fast friends & playmates. But they both know that Shelby could take her, if she chose!

I might be the only human girl in the family, but it's kinda nice to add a little more estrogen to the household!

If you are interested in adopting an animal, please visit your local shelter or visit www.hsus.org or www.petfinder.com to find a shelter near you.