Ralph

Growing up, my sister and I lived on enough land to have lots of creatures romp through our yard on a regular basis. The poor little animals; anytime one caught our eye, we immediately grabbed a box and "saved" it. We caught everything from birds and lizards to rabbits and mice. Unfortunately, it usually didn't end well for the animals.

Douglas and I lived in a small apartment for the first 6 years of being married. I desperately missed being outside and seeing little animals run through the yard. So you can only imagine my excitement when "Ralph" showed up on the front door step of our new house this morning. When I saw him, I let out a squeal and I immediately wanted to "save" him. But I held back, brought him some lettuce, and as soon as the coast was clear, he booked it into the woods. Good call, Ralph, you narrowly escaped from being "saved."

Scarlett: Pet Session

So I was watching the Westminster Dog show last week and loved every second of it. I always pay extra attention to breeds that I have photographed and when I saw the Westminster Pekingese, I couldn't help but think that little Scarlett is so much cuter. I mean, come on...look at this little face! I don't think the Westminster Pekingese even came close to the adorable Scarlett! I know I posted a lot of pictures, but I just couldn't stand it and had to share so many because she is so stinkin' cute!

I'll Help Myself, Thank You!

Lily was playing with her toys in the kitchen while my mom was getting out ingredients for her Saturday breakfast. She pushed a carton of a dozen eggs to the back of the counter, up against the wall. Since Lily is not only in her naughty teenage years, but is also too curious and smart for her own good, pushing items out of her reach is a typical precaution in my parents' house. Before she started cooking, my mom went upstairs to wash her face. As she was drying her face with a towel, she noticed that Lily was being exceptionally quiet, which is never good. My mom raced downstairs and into the kitchen. An empty carton of eggs was upside down on the floor and not one bit of evidence remained from all twelve eggs. Lily had decided to help herself to breakfast that morning.

It's pretty obvious based on my blog posts, but I love all dogs; especially Boxers. They just have a soft spot in my heart. The jowls, the funny ears, the notorious Boxer wiggle...I love it all! Although my parents' Lily is very naughty, she is the most affectionate dog I know and I love her to death! Looking at this face, how can you not love her!!!

I think this was probably the face Lily gave my mom when she was caught eating the eggs. "What?! I'm a little angel...I could never do anything bad!"

This one's for my mom. She loves Boxer profile pictures.

Since it's so cold in Buffalo, Lily loves to wear her coat and sit on top of the heat register when it's chilly.

And last, but not least, is Lily's "Billy Teeth". She is one of those dogs that will literally let you do anything to her. So my sister loves to show off her under-bite by sticking her upper lip behind her teeth. It looks a little scary, but it cracks me up!

Real Life Stuffed Animal

I can totally see why Shih Tzus (in this case a Shih Tzu mix) are categorized as toy dogs. Not only is Lucy Louise a petite little girl, but she looks just like a toy stuffed animal. She bounces around, playing with her toys on the floor, completely unaware of how totally adorable she is. Even more adorable is her bond with her owner, Ryan. It's so obvious how much they love each other and it melts my heart! I love when rescue dogs find such a great forever home!

Cavie-Sitting

Both Douglas and I are OBSESSED with dogs. Every breed, every personality, we love them all! Unfortunately, we can’t get a dog right now due to our living situation. So, as you can imagine, we pretty much smother any dog that comes within a 20 foot radius! Luckily, when our dog-owning friends go out of town, we get to puppy-sit! We recently had Lily and Jackson over for the weekend. They are two of the cutest Cavalier King Charles Spaniels you will ever see! Lily is the tan and white little girl. She is very girly, petite, and timid, and she loves to cuddle around your neck while you are on the couch…just like a cat! Her owners call it the “airplane pillow”. Jackson is the tri-color boy who has an adventurous streak. He is definitely a boy and likes to get dirty and muddy, but he is also the biggest cuddle-bug. We had a great time with them, and I think they had fun too!

Foxes with Big Butts

The title of the blog post is what this dog breed should officially be named. Welsh Corgis look exactly like little short foxes with big butts! These two Corgis are so sweet and full of energy, and I love that they have authentic Welsh names! Gruffyd, the little black and tan boy, is a doll and loves attention. He’s pretty happy-go-lucky and goes with the flow. Gwynned is the tan and white little girl. She's very loyal, but gets so jealous if anyone loves on Gruffyd! She wants all of the attention for herself and even gets upset when people leave the house. She barks like crazy as soon as anyone starts heading for the door. True to the breed, these babies love to herd! If there is a group of people in their home, the Corgis will herd them into whatever room they want them in! Too cute!

The Dynamic Duo

Every Labor Day, Douglas and I drive to our hometown, Nashville, TN to visit our family and friends. Going home is always a treat and some of my happiest times are spent there. Although there are many reasons that I love going back home, there are two very special individuals that make my time there even better. These are my little (well, actually big...try 50-60 pounds) babies and I get my fill of cuddle time when I'm with them.

The first picture is of the big bear, Humphrey. Humphrey was a rescue and he has found his forever home with my in-laws. He's such a lover and definitely uses his brute strength to his advantage. He will follow you around the house and just give you this look shown in the below picture. If he could talk, he would repeatedly say, "I looove youuu." in a deep, slow, Southern voice.

And this little girl is Clementine. She is definitely the princess of the house and she can never have enough spoiling! Clementine is extremely curious and adventurous and loves to get in high places. Her favorite place to lay is on the backrest of the couch, just like a cat! If she could talk, she would scream in a high pitch, girlie, but demanding voice, "Love on me!!!".

I love these pups, and I'm counting down the days until we see them this weekend! I will definitely be posting more pictures of them after Labor Day!