Kitty

Okay, so I did find a few cute pics after I loaded them off my card today! Angel loves to sit behind my head on the back of the chairs, and I call her my little "kitty" when she does it!

Scruffy Girl

No pics right now, but I hope to post one maybe tomorrow if all goes well! By "all goes well", I mean her bathing and grooming session we hope to get done! Angel gets mats so easily and she really doesn't like to be combed or brushed much at all. She always has a dirty face because she likes to burrow her face into piles of leaves and it makes her face all brownish. She looks like a little orphan dog right now! I just got so busy through the holidays that I neglected her grooming...sorry Angel. If it makes her feel any better, I need a cut and color too! :) We are terrified to take her to a groomer. Our last dog, Sophie, did not like going there at all and would slip her collar on the way in. That was the last time we took her. We figured if she was that miserable there, we would do it ourselves. With Angel, she just doesn't like strangers. I mean, she REALLY doesn't like them. So to have one all up in her business would probably not go so well. Since we're still trying to establish safety and security for her, we want to hold off on meeting with groomers and trainers for now. That means poor Angel will continue to have bad haircuts until I learn what I'm doing! My dad suggested getting her an anti-anxiety med, but our last dog needed that and it really didn't make a difference. Not only that, I hate giving them unnecessary medications. So, we will just deal with it, as we do all of her quirks! I keep relating Angel's issues to parents who may have a child with an issue. You certainly don't get rid of your child because they aren't exactly what you expected, right? You learn to work with them, help them to succeed, praise whenever you see progress, and encourage them!! So, it is with us, to do all of those things for dear Angel. And like the kids say, "so what if she doesn't like people? It will just keep the bad ones away!" Amen!

Tree Sleeper

Angel and I are going to be very busy decorating a birthday cake tomorrow, so I thought I'd better double-post tonight. Serena is turning 13 tomorrow! I officially have two teenagers in the house! Angel loves them to pieces and I think sometimes she relates to them on a more "mommy" level, which is awesome to see. Last night I put the new fleece sheets and fluffy blankets on their beds. Angel "tucked" them in the best way she knows how-she curled up and snuggled with them awhile. It makes our girls so happy to have her in bed with them, but she just won't stay! She sleeps with us on my side of the bed most nights unless she chooses her own bed! Anyway, my favorite present this year was from my girls! They secretly photographed Angel one evening, then took the picture to have it printed and framed! I absolutely love the picture they chose, and I was pretty touched by it. They obviously know what I most treasure...pictures of my family! So, Angel curled up under the tree late on Christmas afternoon, on the CMU windbreaker I bought for Steve. She kept leaving and then coming back, and I didn't move the shirt because I thought she looked so cute. Steve didn't care either! Anyway, this is one of my favorite pictures of her, and the framed photo is actually right behind her!

An Angel's Christmas

Angel was pure joy for us on Christmas! We went shopping for her (not with her!) at PetSmart and we bought her tons of new stuff! Add that to the stuff she got from Grammy and Grampy, and she raked in quite a haul!

Just like the girls, Ang got to open up one gift on Christmas Eve....a brand new bed! She sniffed and sniffed at that thing until finally she settled right in!

I was trying to get a Christmas Eve picture with Angel and the girls in front of the tree. Angel was too excited about her new candy cane squeaker from Grammy and Grampy to settle down! That thing just makes her crazy. I love this picture anyway.

Angel climbed right up on Natalie and gave her sweet kisses on Christmas Eve. The next morning she did the same thing to Serena! Angel girl just gives us so much love!

Angel was so fun to watch getting into her stocking! She stuck her face right in! What a joy to have a dog at Christmas time again, and what a joy to have Angel!

Happy Birthday Angelbabies!

I heard some cool news yesterday...Yesterday, December 18th was Angel's puppies' birthdays! Happy first birthday to you all!! I wish I knew all your names (I know a couple)! If you are following, please let me know the name of the "angelbaby" you have and if you'd like to share something, that would be great too! Angel still seems to be a baby herself at just over 2 years old. She's doing great and we gave her a big hug yesterday on behalf of all the puppy mamas!! I heard she was an awesome mama to them and that 2 are in heaven, but that her remaining four are very happy pups.

A Forever Love

As a child, our family had a couple of dogs. I don't remember the first one, as I was just a baby. Her name was Freckles. She was a cocker spaniel and had a litter of pups. I only know this because there is a picture of me at about 9 months old, poking my finger at the puppies and smiling. My second dog was Pepi, a male poodle mix. I can't exactly remember when we got Pepi, but I'm pretty sure my dad just brought him home one day. As was the case with our second dog, Bo, another black poodle mix, who needed a home as well. He never checked with mom, he knew she'd just make room for the dog, give it a bath, and spoil it rotten. I grew up with both dogs, but they were always my parents' dogs, never just mine. Muffin, our first cat, was found in the trunk of my dad's car. Molly (actually a boy), our maine coon, just showed up one day and my mom and I both began secretly feeding him. We also "secretly" built him a shelter together right outside the sliding glass door. It didn't take long before Molly became a house cat and lived for almost 20 years. Both Pepi and Bo were hit on the busy road we lived on. Muffin died of feline leukemia, as did Molly. Four of the worst days of my childhood. Ones I will never forget. My first dog that belonged to me was Sophie, a bearded collie mix, who we adopted from a local shelter. Apparently she was found wandering a busy road. She was black and white, fluffy, adorable, friendly, and about 13 weeks old. On the day we adopted her, the shelter had just received a request from someone else...a medical research lab! How relieved we were that we got there just in time and she became our family. It was love at first sight! We didn't have any kids back then, so she quickly became our "baby". She made friends everywhere. People would stop us to tell us what a beautiful dog she was. When we brought our babies home from the hospital, Sophie was the first to give them a gentle nudge and stolen lick! She watched Disney movies with them, ate their dropped cheerios, and followed them in the stroller. I won't share the rest of the story, because it's still pretty hard to talk about. We lost 15 year old Sophie in June of 2011, after the hardest week of our lives. Why am I sharing all of this? Well, it just occurred to me that every animal we have ever had was a rescue. Every animal we've had came with a story, usually a sad one. We've never "picked out" a perfectly new puppy or kitten. We've always chosen a pet with a past, a problem, a need. My heart has always been moved at the thought of a pet being left in a shelter. I wish I could save them all. I wish people knew the blessing that they are, whether they are unsocialized, old, or whatever their handicaps are. And because of these so-called 'imperfect' pets, my life will never be the same. And had the shelter rep known exactly who I am and what my heart is, we would have Yofi with us now. Instead, we were met with cynicism, mistrust, and were unfairly judged. That certainly had nothing to do with the animals. That was personal, and she didn't even know us! Here's the thing. Her mistake caused Yofi to become someone's "dream come true" (her new mommy's actual words). So it worked out almost the same way we received all of our animals! And how could I be sad about that? I can't! I have received comments that I won't publish for your privacy, but I want to respond in some way. My heart has been so touched by yours. The fact that you have cared so much for Angel and for all of the dogs is just amazing to me. You are a unique individual!! (there are more than one of you out there!) I want you to know that Yofi's new family is AMAZING! Our lives are very similar, our families are similar, and our dogs are definitely similar. For this person to contact me and say the kind things that have been said to me is what I would call my Christmas Blessing. Her words were healing to our broken hearts and gave us hope that we will see Yofi again, only in a playdate setting with his mom! And not only that, we will plan a future "puppies and families" reunion with Angel! So all is well, and I hope you feel better knowing that. As far as adopting any of Angel's "friends", we will pray about it, but at this time I'm not sure we could handle being let down again. I am praying for the dogs to find perfect families in the meantime. And I am hoping that you will encourage your friends and families to go out to the petfinder websites and find yourself a pet to love. You will be forever changed, forever grateful, and forever have love in your hearts!!

Christmas Card Photo

Yay! She made the family Christmas card! She's cuter when she smiles, but we'll take it!

Happy Ending

Steve and I had to spend some time away Christmas shopping today, and that meant I had to leave Angel. I don't usually leave her for more than a couple hours at a time unless someone is home, so it is always hard on both of us. She is so attached to me and I know it stresses her out, and I worry about her all day. Silly, I know, but I just don't like to break her little heart! My dad (Grampa) came by to take her outside and visit with her a bit, but it still scares her when someone comes in the door when she's not expecting them. We can't even say the word "grampa" or any other name of a friend or family member without her "oofing" at the door! When the girls got home from school, Angel cried and whimpered to them for several minutes, making the girls feel so bad for her. They took good care of her until Steve and I got home as they always do. Angel looks at Natalie (the oldest) as a psuedo-mom whenever I am gone. She curls up on Natalie's lap (usually my lap) or will go to her (usually me) when she needs to go outside. I look at that as a blessing every time my girls step up and give Angel the love and time that I also give her. And of course, don't forget daddy, who would move mountains for her! When we walked in the door, Angel was overjoyed! She came to me first as she always does, but then soon went looking for her daddy. Do you know any humans that are ever that happy to see you? I don't either. And speaking of happiness....I am very grateful to the new owner of Yofi, who contacted me after finding my blog quite by accident. (I believe there aren't really any accidents!) As I expected and hoped for, he has a wonderful new home and a loving family. I was touched that she would want to reach out to me at all. After all, some of my posts were filled with anguish and anger, not toward the new family, but toward the ones who made the mistakes (and I don't know who they were). I can now look at these mistakes as the blessing that went where it needed to go. We don't always know how God uses us, and sometimes it seems we get the short end of the stick, but sometimes our short end needs to happen in order for someone else to be blessed. From what I've been told, Yofi is a blessing to their family and they are a blessing to him. And that is a blessing to us. I hope you will all join me in congratulating them and wishing them the best. This has helped me to resolve this and to put it in its proper place. Thank you...you know who you are!

Christmas Wishes

I was a bit late in taking our annual Christmas card photo this year. For one, we were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Yofi so that he could be a part of the card this year. When that fell apart, we decided to wait for it to snow. So we finally got at least half of our wish, and we took Angel outside for a photo session. Well, that girl just loves the snow! It was impossible to get her to focus. I tried to place her on the girls' laps on the front porch, but her head was turning in all directions and she was poised to jump! So I took a few shots anyway, and let's just say she probably won't make the card after all! Another thing that was on the girls' Christmas list besides Yofi, was to take Yofi shopping at Petsmart. Mainly because Angel isn't much of a people person and they were excited to finally be able to take a dog to the pet store. Well, that fell apart, of course, so we're just going to take the girls shopping for Angel instead. She'll probably get double the gifts now! I wish whoever decided to ignore our contact information regarding Yofi would have had to look our kids in the eyes when they did it. I wish they would have thought beyond their own agenda (obviously still working through some anger about this) to know that if a home was already chosen for him, it was for a good reason and it should have been honored. Anyway, I'm sure we can still fill a few wishes despite all of the human error in this world. And I am most certain that Angel will be spoiled, loved, enjoyed, and treasured on Christmas Day and always! She will most definitely get her wish of a family who dearly loves her and would do anything for her.

Angel's Christmas List

I think I know Angel pretty well by now. We've had her for just over 7 months, and she's the queen of the house. Just like the kids are starting to present their Christmas Lists, I can only imagine what Angel's might look like. Here's a peek... 1. My own laundry basket that I don't have to share with the clothes. Pink, of course. 2. Loud, squeaky, furry chipmunks. One for each day of the week, as I will certainly desqueak them the first chance I get. 3. Busy bones in packs of three. I don't know why. I just like busy bones. And the number 3. 4. A friend to play with would be nice once in awhile. These humans just don't understand my need to jump and bite at them. Babies. 5. A new U of M ball. I'm pretty sure one of these humans lost mine. I miss it. It's my favorite ball. My humans wing it everywhere in the house and it doesn't bounce too far for me to catch. Tennis balls are okay, but pretty lame if you ask me. 6. A few pieces of roasted chicken in my dog bowl once in awhile. How hard can it be? 7. I don't mind running loose in the garden, but it's a bit humiliating to smell like rosemary when I come in. Could I get a fenced in yard just for me? 8. I would like to meet Snoopy from Peanuts. Evidently my mom loves him, so I know I would too. I sure hope Angel finds a few of these things under the tree this year. I'm planning on putting a bow on her and calling her my best present yet!

Back to Joy

Angel and I went on a nice long hike through the woods yesterday. I had to stop saying the word, "walk", because it just makes her so excited that I can't get her leashed! So now I say "hike?" and she tilts her cute little head at me, like "what"? It was a balmy day yesterday and the woods were a bit damp, but we stayed on the trails the whole time. Sometimes I let her take off on a "nose hunt", trying to seek out whatever she smells. I enjoy these times with Angel, just walking through the woods, talking to her now and then, watching her investigate, and getting some much-needed exercise for us both. These walks in the woods have served us both well. I was so upset yesterday over the loss of Yofi, but I chose to spend the day loving on Angel and just enjoying what I already have. We returned to the house relaxed and tired, and one of us took a long nap. It wasn't me! As we walked, I couldn't help but think of Sophie, our beardie who passed in June of 2011. She loved the woods and running like crazy, tongue flying, hair flying; you could almost imagine her laughing as she ran with reckless abandon. She never required a leash and we could just take her anywhere and she'd stay right with us. Before we lost her, I spent hours with this big almost 50 pound baby on my lap, stroking her fur and promising I'd never love another dog as much as I love her. Believe it or not, I find this to be true. Sophie has a spot in my heart that is uniquely hers. And now Angel has a spot that is hers and hers alone. I gave my heart to both of them. Losing Yofi made me realize that I have more room in my heart for lots of pets, and one day I will give yet another piece of my heart away. In the meantime, Angel and I have lots of stuff to do together! We are working on some new training to help her deal with strangers. We watch that show, "It's me or the Dog" with Victoria Stilwell. She had a method using a key word, such as "friend" when someone rings the doorbell or comes into the yard. I spent some time with this training, and it went well (without people) until I actually did it when she heard a doorbell on TV (drives her crazy). I said the word, "friend" while giving her a treat and she'd have nothing to do with it. Just kept looking at the door! She's still in fear of people and the unknown, but I can tell by how she treats my mom and dad that she wants so badly to love other humans. Natalie taught Angel "lay down" just last night! Angel is so smart! Right now we are trying to just handle the stranger anxiety, but it's fun to see her learn other commands too. The other night we took Angel with us on a Christmas Light tour around a neighboring town. It was one of those balmy nights where you could have the windows down in the car. Angel was in heaven, head out the window, on my lap, loving the ride. She loves rides and gets at least two a day! I so love having her around. Can you tell?

Sad

Angel is doing great and is as happy as can be. She's asleep on the couch nearby as I write this. I can't say that I am doing great today. In fact, our whole family is incredibly sad. I found out this morning that we will not be able to adopt Yofi after all. In fact, he has already been released to another family. All of my efforts to locate him and adopt him were futile. I had contacted the first shelter and simply asked if they could at least just let me know when or if he was being moved to another location. No one called, as I expected. After some information I was given prior to Thanksgiving, I was waiting for the shelter to contact me with the time and place we could finally come and get him. NO call came, and he was in fact moved, unbeknownst to anyone. So late Friday night I find this out, and I began crying, just knowing if he was moved, he was going to be adopted quicker than I could get to him. I applied for him anyway, trying to explain the story the best I could, letting them know that we were his intended family way back in October, but it was too late. So, that's it. We will not be reuniting mother and pup. We will not be able to take care of him the way we've been planning. We have puppy food to now donate to an area shelter. We have breaking hearts and I am angry. This poor dog that the legal system thought was important enough to remove, instead let him sit in a shelter for almost 2 months, while he sat there and got worms and fleas! The taxpayers of that community paid for that too. Some of those dogs were wanted and planned for by some of us out here and instead of making that a priority, these places did not care! These pets deserved so much better than this and for that I am just beside myself. Not only did the legal system let them down, but evidently, some of these shelters did too. I really can't go on, it will just get ugly. As angry as we all are, we do understand that everything happens for a reason. All I cared about was that he got out of there and into a home, and that has happened. It's just not ours. I wanted the best for him, and i hope and pray that is the case. It's just not with us. I understand that someone probably needed him more than we did. That maybe it just wasn't meant to be. Truth be told, it was going to be a financial stretch for us to get him and make sure he had all he needed. We were willing to make the sacrifice, but maybe it was going to be too much. Who knows. Life isn't fair, as we always teach our girls. It just isn't. And in this case, Yofi is making someone else incredibly happy. I can't be sad for that. I'm just sad for us. I just love Angel so incredibly much that I had already fallen in love with her pup. That's all. I just wanted to reunite them and give them both a blessed life and a fairytale ending. Maybe they will still get that despite the circumstances. And Angel really doesn't mind being an only dog. Believe me. She is the heart of our home and the daily blessing we all need. She loves us always! She gives us all she has every day, even with the sad events of her past. She's willing to take another chance, and that speaks volumes, even if it is from a dog's perspective! We will keep on loving her and meeting her every need, and that will keep us going. I am sorry if my words or the posting of this information causes undue stress to anyone, however, I don't mean any ill will. I pray that this post actually inspires my readers to act on the needs of the pets in shelters around them. I don't waste much time on yesterday and staying angry. Rather, I spend that energy trying to make things better. We can't go back, we can only go forward. Without the things we want, and sometimes without the plans we had in mind. Peace to you and yours this Christmas season.

To Grandmother's House She Goes

We took Angel to Grammy's for Thanksgiving and she did pretty well. We waited for most of the family to leave before we drove back home to get her. "Pee Wee", an aging dachsund, is king of the house over there and hasn't quite accepted Angel into his kingdom. She does okay as long as we don't put her on the floor! She jumps from lap to lap, chair to chair just to avoid a sneak attack from Pee Wee. He's actually a really good boy, but he kind of nips at her when she walks by, so we don't trust him to be a gentleman just yet. Grandpa has a special spot just for Angel, and she is getting so much better about loving on others lately!

Isn't she cute sitting up there on my Pops' lap??

Both dogs finally got tired of each other and climbed up on either side of Natalie, declaring an official truce! Natalie loved being the mediator and snuggler of both sweet dogs!

Snow Dog

Yay! We're back! I have been both busy and a bit under the weather. So has Miss Angel, poor baby girl! She threw up in the van on the way home from school on Tuesday, then again in the house later. She had a bit of the runs, but after a day of being coddled and babied, she is as good as new! Turns out she loves crushed ice, just like my girls do when they are sick. She's a good little patient! On the day after we got most of our Christmas lights up, we got a good plop of beautiful snow! We were so excited to see what Angel would do. I watched from the window as Steve walked her outside. She went bananas! She ran around in circles over and over, jumping around in the snow. She came in absolutely covered! What is it about dogs and snow...I don't know, but I love it!

Thankful

Angel, you entertain us, soften us, love us, keep us laughing, smiling, and celebrating. We love you so much!! We are all so THANKFUL for you and for Nancy, who brought you to us back in April!!

Guard Dog

Angel doesn't miss a beat. She always seems to know where I am in the house! I've even played "Hide and seek" with her, and she always finds me! We have a open divider wall between our kitchen and family room area, and everyone loves to play "tag" with Angel around it. We peek around one side, then run to the other, hoping she doesn't catch us, but she is so clever, she always wins! That girl LOVES to play, and I'm so happy because my family loves to play too. She provides hours of entertainment to our two teens, and for daddy too. She also has to make sure I'm always within her sight no matter what I'm doing. So if I'm on the computer, she is sitting in the chair nearby, keeping watch.

I've also noticed that she enjoys cooking, laundry, and washing dishes. At least it seems she does, since every time I try to do those things, she is right in my way! I have to laugh about the whole laundry thing...our laundry room is small, so there is barely room for me to be in there by myself, let alone Angel too. Sometimes she gets out of the way by climbing into the basket of dirty laundry. I just look at her and smile. Really, dirty laundry? You love me THAT much?? Oh, we would sit in dirty clothes just for her too! :) Hanging out in the kitchen with me while I cook has yielded some very good deals for her. She always gets a taste of what I'm chopping. She loves green peppers, hates celery and raw potatoes, and seems to know when I drop something! She loves to sit under the sink while I'm doing dishes, however, she doesn't like it when it "rains" on her. Oops. Anyway, I love that she's my little shadow. My best friend with four legs, and my constant loyal companion. I am never alone when she's around, and if she is out on a ride with daddy, the house just isn't the same without her.

Laundry Day

One night as we were watching a movie, I was folding laundry...as usual, and Angel kept watching the basket. As I piled clothes higher and higher, she jumped on the chair behind the basket and looked inside. Next thing we knew, she climbed in the basket, roughed up the clothes and curled up inside. It was so cute! Now she waits for me to fill up a basket with clothes from the dryer and follows me to the living room. I guess there won't be much folding for me to do anymore! Now if I can just get her to lay on the dishes and the vacuum...:)

Her Name Should Be "Cuddles"

Angel was snoozing on the couch, as usual, curled up on one of the big pillows...

I said to her, "awwww...you're so cuddly.." to which she began to softly stir....

the more I talked to her, the more she stirred...

Until she talked me right into that belly rub!

Happy "Howl-a-Birthday" to Angel

We've been a little absent lately, but not for lack of stories! My computer connection disables me so much that sometimes it takes HOURS just to get to my post page on Blogger. Anyway, on to some fun stuff... Angel is doing great! She turned two on October 29th, so we had a fun little party for her, combining it with our family Halloween party. So, I guess we had a "Howl-a-Birthday" party for her! I decorated and made foods in a dog-related theme, making a ghost paper lantern into a puppy, and serving up things like mummy dogs, bones n' blood (bone-shaped breadsticks and marinara), "found in the yard" (chocolate clusters...eww!), "bones and barf" (bone-shaped cookies and pumpkin dip),kibbles and bits (chex mix), and tootsie rolls. (figure that out!)

Even the scavenger hunt involved Angel. Well, sort of! The clues were written on dog biscuits and put in little "doo doo" bags full of rolled up brownies...you'll need to use your imagination! They were then buried in various places and had to be dug up and put together. Angel joined in on the party, wearing her glow necklaces and taking her spot right under the party table! That pup knows how to have a good time!

Stinker Girl

I guess I need to snap some new pictures of Angel, as I didn't have any to add to my post today! I'm slipping, I know! Angel is very very attached to me...very. So she's not very happy when I leave for awhile. Today she let me know it, because when I got home from my hair appointment, she had eaten my container of Icebreaker Sours. Sour candy, really?? Usually she just drags my slippers into the living room and chews on the laces, doing no real harm. But lately she has been a little naughtier! The other day when we all went to lunch, we came home to a chewed up paper towel roll in the powder room. Sometimes I will forget something and have to run back in the house, and I've caught her already looking for trouble! Before I even leave the garage! Such a stinker. I tell her all the time, "you're lucky you're so stinkin' cute!" I just can't bring myself to even scold her! In fact, no one has scolded her....for almost 6 months! I'm sure the kids wish that would work for them too! :) And speaking of "6 months", in a couple of days, that's how long we've had her! On October 29th, we will celebrate her second birthday! Every year we do a small family Halloween party, so this year, it will be a combined birthday party for Angel. The theme? Well, dogs, of course! I'll be sure to post pics of that.

"I think she loves me"

Angel absolutely loves it when daddy gets home from work. In fact, she loves it when he gets back home from anywhere! She waits for him to sit down, then climbs right up his belly just to wash his face in kisses. One day when he was resting on the bed, she climbed up there and sat right on him. She looked over with those beautiful "milk dud" eyes and slurped him right on the face. Steve looked up at me with a big smile on his face and said simply, " I think she loves me." Yeah, she does....and he's pretty in love with her too! It's hard to even remember what it was like when she first got here almost 6 months ago, when she wouldn't come near him for 5 weeks! We're making progress, for sure!

Always Waiting

Angel is so funny...whenever I go outside without her, she scrambles around to each window, trying to find me! This picture is a little confusing, but it was actually taken from the outside! She was on the back of the chair looking for me in the backyard. Crazy dog!

If you look real closely, you can see Angel's little face in the sidelight! She doesn't miss a beat.

Angel often puts herself in precarious positions just to make sure she's close by at all times. She actually had to be rescued from the bar stool because she got stuck in there!

Poor girl. Always waiting for me to come back, even if I'm just out feeding the birds or shaking the rugs. She's such a loyal little scout!

Bubble Bath

Angel survived her bath! And her crazy haircut from her amateur groomer mommy...This dog does NOT like her bath much at all. She's pretty tolerant, but did try to climb out of the sink many times. This leaves her dad and I pretty soaked and tired before it's all done. Then she does her crazy running all through the house, looking like a wet rat!

This is Angel's favorite part of her bath...cuddling with mama, wrapped up in a blanket! She is now soft, fluffy, and sweet-smelling again....yay!

The Good Life

Miss Angel "helped" me put out the Fall display. She spent quite awhile barking at the scarecrows, but soon jumped up on the straw bales to check them out a bit closer!

Angel "helped" me decorate inside too....well, I guess she makes a pretty good decoration all on her own. She makes our home pretty cozy!

There's nothing like hanging out under a big maple, letting the leaves fall as they may. Yup, Angel's got a good life....and so do I!

5 Months and Counting!

Angel has been with us for 5 months as of yesterday! Though she is quite comfortable here and with her immediate family, we're not making much progress with others. That isn't much of a problem most of the time, but we're trying to plan holidays and other events, and I'm finding I'm always worried about Angel. In fact, we have to leave Angel for a week next year while Natalie has her back surgery. This means we need to find someone in our family that Angel can trust to stay with her. It's ironic that we had initially planned to adopt a puppy so that we could be able to board it if needed. We would never board Angel or have her stay with someone she's not familiar with. I don't ever want her to think she's leaving us or we're leaving her. It's just another one of those issues we need to work out, having sweet, but complicated Angel around! Today I gave her a haircut myself, knowing that she'd never be able to handle an outside groomer. Well, I'm not a dog groomer, shall we say....she looks cute, but a little lopsided in spots! Tomorrow is bath day and I can't wait. I can't say the same for her! She's not a fan of the bath at all. I put her in the kitchen sink and use the sprayer. When all is said and done, I am soaked and so is the kitchen! It's all worth it though, when I wrap her up in a towel and snuggle her awhile. She seems to like that part...and the treats afterwards too! Then she's all soft and smells like baby shampoo and everyone wants to hold her! I will try to get a photo of her bath day and post it soon. Thank you all for caring so much about Angel. I always tell her all her "aunties" are watching and she has lots of love. I would love to hear about her puppies too if anyone would like to share some pics or stories! :)

Autumn Angel

Angel just loves being outside, as do I, so it works out great for our afternoon walks! All the trees have changed and we are surrounded by beautiful colors. It is so relaxing to sit out with Angel and enjoy her company. She seems excited by the falling leaves, even chasing them once in awhile! I just love my Autumn Angel!!

Sweet Angel Girl

How I long for high-speed at home so I can share more fun stories about sweet Angel girl! We all just love her to pieces...more and more every day she is with us! She can get so crazy sometimes, like when I'm making the bed. I actually try to sneak in there to do it because she is such a stinker! She hears me snapping the sheets and comes running. She jumps on the bed, attacks the sheets I'm trying to straighten, growls at me in her pounce position, and bites my hands! It's actually pretty cute and entertaining unless I'm in a hurry, of course. I have to coax her out of the room to get the comforter on, then she attacks that too! I love her energy and the life she brings into our home!!

Here she is, ready for the first day of school! The girls love to put their bows in her hair, but Angel really doesn't like it much!

Hello? I could really use a belly rub! As usual, Angel keeps us laughing with all her antics. Can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

Couch Potato

Is she spoiled or what?? Angel just loves to hang out on the couch, all four feet in the air, snoozing away! She sleeps in bed with us much the same way. We can learn a lot about how to relax just by watching our pets!

Dog Days

We've had Angel for four months now, which isn't really a very long time, but I had hoped this stranger anxiety would get better. On Friday night, Nat had a friend stay over, and Angel did pretty well with her, but today she is just being barkier than normal with one of our young family friends. I wish everyone knew Angel the way the four of us do....sweet, loving, quiet, gentle, cuddly, fun, playful, and loyal. I'm afraid others look at her quite differently, and it breaks my heart. I know she's just scared of them, but after doing the same thing to our guests over and over again, I wouldn't blame them if they didn't want to come over anymore. No one likes to be barked and growled at and chased around the house, even if her tail is wagging the whole time! She's never tried to nip anyone, but she sure sounds like she would to them. Sigh...I sure wish we could get her over this. It stresses all of us out to have company, and then I feel like a terrible hostess because I'm exhausted from trying to manage her. I'm sorry I don't have a cute post today, but the reality is, dear sweet Angel is going to take some work in order to make her an all-around happy dog. I know, it's only been four months....and I will hang in there, it's just tiring some days! I just hope one day everyone will love her like we do because she really is so wonderful to have around. Really, she is...:)

Runaway Angel

We're back! Luckily I still have a dog to talk about. In the last two days, Angel has "run away" twice! I happened to notice yesterday that not only was Natalie and her friend gone, but Steve had taken Serena to town, leaving me home with Angel. Only I couldn't find her anywhere in the house! I assumed she went to town with Steve, so I called his cell only to be told, 'no, she was with Natalie on the deck when we left". That didn't sound good to me, as none of her leashes were taken from the house and I couldn't see the three of them anywhere! I panicked and started calling for Natalie. A few minutes later, I heard Natalie calling Angel and saw little flashes of white fur flying through the woods. When Natalie finally made it back to the house, I could see she and her friend were barefoot and had been chasing the wayward Angel through the woods. As both girls pulled splinters from their feet, Angel got a good talking to in the house! Well, that didn't seem to do the trick! Today as we got back home from town I was excited to give Angel a big bone we got her at the pet store. She needed to go out, so I went out with her as I do every day. For some reason, she tore off again, leaving me to chase her in my flip flops! Luckily Nat had her tennis shoes on and came running out to help. Then Steve and Serena happened to see me running across the lawn so they came to help too. I was running through pine tree branches calling her, but she acted like she didn't hear me at all. That stinker was just running like a crazy coyote (another one of her nicknames, aptly so). I kept my eye on her so I'd at least know what direction to go, and soon she came running in Natalie's direction. When she reached Natalie, she rolled over on her back as if to say, "I'm sorry!!" Yeah, she's not really sorry. She loves adventure, for sure. It's hard to punish her because she doesn't really know what she did wrong. I told her she wasn't getting her bone, but I couldn't resist that sweet face and she got it anyway! I was in such a panic when I was afraid we'd lost her...twice, at that. I just could not imagine life without Angel! She is my little buddy, my lovey, and the sweetest little stinker! No more freedom for her for awhile. Maybe a big fence?

Training: Amateur Style

I've been working with Angel a bit on some tricks, and let's just say she's not into it so much! She's really good on "come", "stay", and "let's go". She can sit, but has no clue what "shake" means. She just stares at me and looks annoyed when I reach for her paw to shake it! She does lots of "tricks", just not from commands! She's actually pretty unpredictable and funny. That's just her personality, so I just go with it. I tell her "let's go outside", and she leaps into the air super high. If I tried to teach her that, she wouldn't get it! :)Like most dogs, she's incredibly motivated by food. When trying to get her to warm up to new people, I have them give her treats, as Nancy showed us when we got her. Funny dog...she growls at them as she's chewing her treat and sometimes coughs it back up at them. Sigh...we're still working on that! She hates "wiping her feet" when she comes inside, and has started sneaking around the table before i can get her to do it! I guess she's pretty smart after all. She has US all trained! I'm no dog trainer, but I like a challenge, so she's not off the hook just yet. Now if I could just teach her to do laundry....now that would be awesome!:)

I'm Free!

Angel ran around loose today like a crazy dog! She absolutely loved her freedom, and it was nice to be able to let her go a bit. I should have taken pictures, but I was actually playing Badminton with my family. It was so nice to be able to have Angel sitting in the shade watching us and being able to go wherever she wanted to go. She's been with us for 3 months, but sometimes it feels like she's been with us forever. Now that she trusts us more, we'll be working on some grooming. Judging by her reaction to her bath, I'm sure it will be interesting! :) Each day we are more and more grateful that we were able to adopt Angel. She is such a blessing to our family. It has been a great healing for me as well, having lost our dog last year. Angel has been loving us all back to a good place again!

The Many Names of Angel

Angel has lots of nicknames around here! The latest one is "Lamb Pants", coined by her daddy after I said it looked like she was wearing fuzzy pants. And of course, she gets called "fuzzy pants". So here is a partial list of Angel's many nicknames... *"Chooks", "Chookalooka", "Angie", "Jilly", "Stinky Stinkerkins", "Sneaky Ferret", "Angelica", "Ang-a-lica", "Angelina Ballerina", "Sweetie Weetie", "Love", "Baby", "Baby Girl", "Ang", "Arctic Fox", "Esky-nose", "Cutie", and her complete name: Angelina Bella Sophia! Our beloved Sophie had many names too, and like Angel, she came to every single one!

Fun Pup

No ball is safe in our house or yard with Angel around! She loves to play ball anytime, anywhere, with anyone! She loves to go down in the basement and chase golf balls and ping pong balls around. She bats them around like a cat! She found this U of M basketball in the kids' old toys and it's become her favorite. It's just squishy enough for her to pick up and carry around, but it won't pop. Yet! Ang is our constant source of entertainment. She makes us laugh every single day!

Too Cute

Natalie took this pic of Angel, doing her cute "begging" thing in the kitchen. Yes, we think her begging is cute. Her pooping is cute, her naughtiness is cute, yeah, we get it...she's spoiled! I guess I'm trying to make up for all the troubles she had in her past. Like I've said before, she doesn't seem to even think of them! We've been letting her get adjusted and comfortable, but some stricter training needs to happen pretty soon. I've let her off leash a few times and practiced calling her. Sometimes she comes, sometimes she doesn't! Those sneaky chipmunks chirp at her and get her all aflutter. She does some "naughty" things, but none of them are really all that naughty. She likes to take things out of the recycling bin and carry them into the living room for us to see when we get home. For some reason, she likes the sweettarts and cheez-it boxes! Me too, by the way. She used to chew on our shoes after we left, but never did any damage, just left them a bit soggy! She doesn't get into the trash or mess on the floor, so hey, who's complaining? My friends came back to swim again on Monday and Angel was a tiny bit better with them. She still isn't warming up to the 12 year old boy, though I think a few more visits would help with that. Either way, she's enjoying her life and we're enjoying her, so we'll work the kinks out as we go!

Top Dog

The girls and I found a brand new dog bed for Angel at a garage sale several weeks ago. Apparently the lady had purchased the bed for her daughter's ailing dog, and sadly the dog passed away the next day. I assured her that the bed was going to a very happy and deserving dog. On the same day, Steve and I bought her a chipmunk that squeaks, since Angel loves all the chipmunks around here and can never catch one. (thank goodness!) Angel climbed right in her new bed the moment we set it down. She curled right up in it as if to say, "thank you". Then she went and got her chipmunk and carried it into her new bed. She's like little orphan annie, enamored by every new thing that comes her way and appreciating every little thing we give her. I love knowing that she doesn't have to share her food, her toys, her bed, or her people with any other dogs anymore. This is not to say she'll never have a dog companion, but right now she's getting to know what it's like to be top dog! She has a Daddy Warbucks and a Grace of her own now. ")

Angel and Me

We've had Angel for almost three months, and the similarities between her and I are uncanny. First, we both have unruly hair and fluffy bottoms! We are both U of M fans, since we both look smashing in blue. We love our crunchy, salty snacks such as popcorn, doritos, and any kind of chip. We both love to watch mindless TV shows, but are known to sit up straight when Joyce Meyer is on. We both love Daddy, that's a given! She loves to sit outside and just be in nature, and of course, so do I! We both love bird-watching and we both hate snakes! Ice cream is our favorite dessert, napping is a favorite hobby, and playing is something we love to do together. Neither of us is real fond of strangers, though I'm much friendlier than she is with them. She loves belly rubs....that's where we differ. I prefer a back rub, but that's close enough. We both love to wake up the girls in the morning, though she's able to jump on the bed and I am not....at least I haven't tried yet. When Angel and I had a shaky first meeting, I was worried we'd never be friends. Today, almost three months later, we are inseparable friends. I just can't stop loving on her, and she never stops following me....unless someone is sharing ice cream with her. Traitor! :) I guess it's easy to love her when she's so sweet and loving, expecting nothing in return. If you never know the unconditional love of a pet, I really feel sorry for you. There is nothing like the greeting of a happy dog at the door at the end of the day. There is nothing like the first morning snuggle, or the snoring dog on your lap at night. When people are rough on you, your dog still loves you and makes you feel like the most important person on earth. Angel was a "shelter" dog. A fostered dog. An adopted dog, yet her tail wags as if she's the happiest dog on the planet. She's been able to let her past go, unlike us humans. She lives for today and hopes for tomorrow. I have learned a lot from that darling little fuzz bomb. I hope that others thinking about adopting a pet will take it one step further and actually make room in their lives for one. My life is much better for the room I've made for her, and I know her life will never be the same. I am so grateful to her last home for the efforts that were made to make sure she gave birth in a safe place, her puppies were cared for, and she was loved and kissed. Right on her "lips"!

Road Trip Pictures...finally!

Finally, the pics from our 4th of July Road trip! Angel saw her first parade, ate ice cream in the car (thanks to Serena), and enjoyed some time at the family cottage. She was so fun to have with us and rides like a champ in the car. Of course, she's on my lap all the time, and likes to stick her head out the window now and then. She gets a lot of smiles from the cars around us and makes us smile too!