Good Job Mama!

No. I don't mean me.

I'm talking about this Mama. Our chocolate lab, Roxy.


Tuesday afternoon she gave birth to her first litter of puppies, and what a fine litter it is.
Nine puppies rolled up together in a literal tiny dog pile.

So far, they're all healthy and active. They'll get their first vet check on Friday.
We've got all three colors. Chocolate (3 female, 1 male), black (2 female) and yellow (1 female, 2 male).


At least one has already been claimed, but there are nine, so plenty to go around.

Puppy Anyone?
Give us a call or send an email.

More Birthday Stuff

It was a week ago, so technically old news, but I kept forgetting to post pictures from Lana's birthday party. So here's a few.
Swinging with Cousin Grant.

 

Presents with Cousins Allison and Sadie.

 

Starting in on the cake.

 

After working on the cake for fifteen minutes.

 

Epic Cake Smashing

For Lana's first birthday, all I wanted was a great cake smashing. I more than got my wish. The entire cake portion of the party lasted about 15 minutes, but these three short videos sum it up pretty well.



That evening, we were treated to a sugar-high hyper child. But then she crashed hard and slept soundly all night long. A hyper baby was well worth the hilarious cake smashing.
Between all the photographers at the party, there are some fabulous still shots too. I'll share those later.

Happy Father's Day!

Yes, yesterday we had a fabulous birthday party. Epic cake smashing was beheld. I'll get to that later. Today is Father's Day and this one's for Dan/my great husband/Lana's wonderful Daddy.

Last year for Father's Day, Dan got a Daily Grind punch card and a new baby. Well, technically she was a few days old, but she was still pretty dang new to us.

Dan and Lana bonded quickly. When we were still in the hospital, he would pick her up out of the little plastic basinette and sit and rock with her, just staring at her tiny little face and taking it all in.

 

Later, he developed superior skills in diaper checking and baby snuggling.

 

Dan was the first to make Lana laugh and still does on a daily basis.

He also plays the best games with her.

 

Dan has taught Lana so much, including how to grab the hat off his head, how to bonk heads, and how to drive a tractor.

 

Lana loves her Daddy so much!

What a Year!

One year ago, we took this picture.

 

She didn't even officially have a name yet. Maybe that's why she was screaming so much. Or maybe it's because she just left her comfy, cozy home and entered a world she knew nothing about. It's okay little one, your Daddy and I were entering a world we knew nothing about too.

But then she got a name, got cleaned up, spent lots of time in Mama and Daddy's arms and settled down. She was the most beautiful thing we had ever seen

 

Now Lana's a whole year old.
She can say five words (Dad, Dog, Up, Mom, Bye) but doesn't necessarily use them at the correct times.
She gives out sweet hugs and wet, slobbery kisses.
She can crawl really really fast and gets into everything.

 

Lana can pull herself up to stand and I'm sure walking isn't too far off.
Her laugh is an addictive substance. Seriously, there's no saying what I'd do for my next hit of baby laughs. Fortunately, most of the time a funny face or some tickles or a game of this-little-piggy will get me the laughs I need.

 

We're having a party on Saturday and I'm so excited for the cake smashing. I'll post pictures next week. I'm sure if a baby gnawing on a t-bone is good, birthday cake will be even better.

Lana Says....

I'm gonna be THIS MANY!!!

 

Yup, on Friday our girl turns one. Can you believe that?

I can.
And I can't.

See, it feels like the year just flew by. I blinked once and she was sitting up. I blinked again and she was crawling. I blinked twice really fast and now she pulls herself up to standing and holds on to the furniture as she cruises around. I'm afraid to blink again.

At the same time, I remember nights of holding her and rocking her and pleading with her to please, please, please sleep. I remember how the clock ticked backward as she screamed and screamed and screamed after getting her first shots. It also feels like she's just always been here, even though it really has only been a year.

I'm sure if I think back really hard I can remember what it was like before she got here. I can hazily recollect pre-Lana Dan and Shelle. I think they were a really cool couple. They went to movies often and tried out different restaurants. They slept in on the weekends. They went on walks together in the evenings. They weren't ever late for church.

Those people have been replaced. They're probably a little less fun, a lot more tired, yet filled with tremendously more joy. They happily traded spontaneous dates and lazy mornings for planning-the-day-around-the baby's-nap and making sure they were home by bedtime. Indeed, what a changed couple they have become.

We love you Lana Jean. Thanks for the most life-changing, challenging, frustrating, tiring, fulfilling, inspiring, motivating, laughter-filled year of our lives.

The Evolution of a Garden

When we moved out to the country just over a year ago, I had grand aspirations of spending hours toiling in the soil, planting a garden full of vegetables. But then we had other things that needed our attention and the baby came and, well, I was tired and sore and planting and caring for a garden no longer crossed my mind. Last summer I felt quite accomplished for growing a few tomato and pepper pots. But this year is different.
First, we decided on a space and Dan sprayed it out.

 

Yes, I thought it was a bit ambitious too.

Then Dan tilled up the soil and added scoops of compost (notice his adorable little assistant.)

 

Then the fence was re-routed and posts set and vegetables planted. This is what it looks like now.

 

We've got garlic, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, corn, carrots, beans, zucchini, pumpkins and squash. So far we're off to a decent start, but we still have a summer's worth of work ahead of us. I'll have to post garden updates as things grow.
If you and your family grow a garden, please share what you like to grow and share any tips and tricks.

The Family that Fishes Together....

...Catches Together.
Right?

That seemed to be the case for us over the long Memorial Day weekend.
On Thursday afternoon, we packed up and headed east. Destination, Grandpa Cy's Cabin on Henry's Lake, Idaho. Ol' Henry can be fickle at times and fishermen have left fishless before, so we knew we'd have to buckle down to get the job done.

First thing Saturday morning, Dan joined my dad, grandpa, brother Kasey and cousin Joel on the boat for opening day. They returned successful. Dan caught the first fish of the season and set the pace for everyone else. Neither Joel nor Kasey had ever caught a fish on Henry's Lake before, but this was their year to break that curse. Both came back with a fish that morning. I didn't get out on the boat until that afternoon, but the wait was indeed worth it. We caught us some fish.

 

Yup, that big one is mine. How 'bout a close up.

 

That's the biggest fish I ever caught. It was probably the most fun (funnest?) fish I ever caught too.

Then there was this little pea-pod. It was her first trip to the cabin and I'm sure she enjoyed herself tremendously.

 

Unfortunately, while I was out on the boat, catching that big fish, Lana got sick, but my Mom and Grandma Janet were quick to figure out what needed to be done and we got her to a clinic and treated right away. She needed some medicine and some extra snuggles, but she stayed happy and smiling through it all. And why wouldn't she be happy and smiling? After all, she was surrounded by people who love her very much. She got all the loves and hugs and tickles and kisses she could ever want.

 

It made me so happy to bring Lana to the cabin. She's the first great-grandkid to make the trip. I hope one day she has as many fond memories of spending time at Grandpa's Cabin as I do. She's too young for fishing right now, but in a few years I'm sure we'll take her out on the boat and cheer her on as she catches her first fish.

Our weekend on Henry's Lake was wonderful. Hanging out with family, swapping stories, getting riled up playing cards, sharing meals, and fishing together are really some of the best ways to spend a holiday.