Huck, Pure Gold

I've learned some really important things these last 11 weeks.. like how to trust my instincts and how to distinguish Jack's needs based on his type of cry, how to function on a ridiculously small amount of sleep and how to change a diaper before having my first cup of coffee. All very important things, of course. But another thing I've learned is that, hands down, I have the best dog a girl could have.

Since the day we brought Jack home, Huck has been the most well behaved, oversized pup imaginable. No jealousy nor aggression (although I didn't expect that to begin with) that some people warn you about. He hasn't been acting out or having accidents in the home or displaying any behavior that shows he is less than happy with our family's newest addition. And man, I just freaking love my dog!

I love when he shows an interest in Jack, licking his feet or simply just laying close to him every opportunity he gets. I love when Jack sees Hucks tail wagging a mile a minute and then cries out when Huck moves away wondering where the pretty, golden fluff went off to. I can't wait for the day when Jack is toddling behind Huck all over the place. I have a feeling these two will truly be the best of friends.

The only negative concerning Jack's arrival for Huck has been some weight gain. We had the rainiest March ever here! (Like seriously, records were broken and all that jazz.) Poor Huck didn't get his usual daily walks, and well... he may have added a few extra pounds to his midsection. Baby weight, I tell ya, it effects the entire household apparently. 

But overall, Huck is doing great and I couldn't love that spoiled pup more. He really is the best big brother Jack could have asked for and I feel so lucky to have the sweetest Golden imaginable. 

"Can I lick him, ma? Can I? Can I?"

Christmas, Babies, & Projects

Lately, life has been a whirlwind. I feel as though for every item I cross off my to-do list, two more are added. This time of year is always crazy, but it's the best, isn't it? Here's a little bit of what's been going on around here these last few weeks.

Christmas | Christmas came easily to me this year and I was able to get all of my shopping done early. I'm now in the phase of the season where I can sit down with a cup of cocoa and simply admire the twinkling lights and the aroma of our Christmas tree. I'm already dreading packing it all up again after the New Year. I just love this time of year and wish it lasted a little longer. 

Oh, and the Christmas music constantly playing everywhere you go.. I simply cannot get enough. 

Fur Babies | Huck has just as many gifts under the tree as I do this year! He's easy to spoil and we do it all year round. I often wonder how Huck will adapt to having a little baby in the home, but I just can't imagine him taking it badly. He is so sweet and gentle that I think him and our little man will soon be the best of friends.

Now Herschel on the other hand...I worry about that ninja kitty! One second he's a cuddle bug and the next he's trying to amputate your leg. He loves to lay on my belly, which is cute, but he also loves to stare at me evilly while doing it. Is this a possessive "my baby" stare or an "I'm going to eat this thing when it comes out" stare? I'm not quite sure.

Baby | Speaking of baby, I can't believe his arrival is only 9 weeks away (give or take). Some days I feel prepared, as if this mother thing has nothing on me, and other days I feel overwhelmed with anxiety and worry. I just don't know what kind of mother I'll be and what kind of baby I'll have. I worry about bonding with him, about going back to work, and I'm still struggling with feelings of not wanting to share him when he does arrive. I think, as a first time mother not really knowing what to expect, all I can do is pray about it. Pray for motherly intuition and wisdom, pray for a happy, healthy babe, and pray for a patient, understanding husband. So pray I do. A lot.

Projects | And with our little guy's impending arrival comes an overwhelming need to get some projects done that we've put on the back burner for quite some time! This weekend Steven tackled the garage. We had some old, ugly, and not very functional cabinets in there that needed to be demolished and taken to the dump. Now we have lots of open space to put our own spin on the garage and create some functional storage solutions! (Is it weird how happy that makes me?) I know it's just a garage, but we have a MASSIVE garage that has turned into quite the project for Steven.

There are many more projects we hope to accomplish before baby arrives, but if nothing else I just hope we are able to complete his nursery in time! We are definitely making progress though and everyday I feel a little bit better about where we stand. I guess we can never be fully prepared! There will always be projects, needs, wants, and wishes on the many to-do lists I have juggling. I'm just trying to take things one line item at a time for now.

Hope you had a great weekend! Any procrastinators out there who have yet to finish their Christmas shopping?? Christmas Eve is tomorrow. Tick. Tock.  :)

Happy Birthday, Huckleberry!!

Huck turns 2 today! 

Which means in doggie years he's 14...

My little man is a teenager!! 

I never imaged when we picked him out of that litter of nine pups just 2 years ago that he would become such an integral part of my life. He is my constant companion, protector, and one of my very best friends. This golden pup has filled a part of my soul I feel other human's don't have the capacity to touch. He is sensitive, wise, and goofy

 --bringing me comfort, peace, and laughter. 

In this home, he's never been simply a dog.

So happy birthday, Huck and thank you for all the joy you have brought into mine and Steven's life!

We couldn't image our little family without you in it. 

iMoments: Huck & Hersch Edition

Life's little moments as captured on my iPhone.

 One of Huck's favorite things, plastic! It's the simple things in life :)

Fluff butt, Herschel, makes a good pillow.

Although I don't think he was a fan of this cuddlefest.

 Peek-a-boo!

Huck creeping on me while I do a little work from home.

One sleepy pup and a clean kitty!

I bathed Herschel for the first time since the day we brought him home.

Not only did he not bite or scratch me once (such a gentlemen),

but I'm happy to say he had no fleas! 

Huck has not been so lucky...

This fluffy critters keep our hearts full and bring so much fun and joy into our home!

Our Best Friend

My favorite part of every evening is when I pull up to our gate and see this little guy's smiling face and wagging tail. It's hard to come home in a bad mood when he's there to greet you with such excitement he can hardly stand still. But while he's dancing from foot to foot out of pure joy that his best friend's home, I feel a pang of guilt.

The truth is, Huck has it waaaaaay better than most dogs, yet I still feel horrible leaving him alone for 8 hours 5 days a week (well, 4 days a week. He still attends daycare on wednesdays). He has a safe and secure one acre lot to run around in with full access to a 3 car garage that has nothing in it but his bed, his toys, and a carpet for him to chew on. He even has a heat lamp to keep him extra toasty in the colder, rainy months here in Seattle. He's a pretty spoiled pup. And I think he knows it.

Because I feel a lot of guilt for leaving him during the work day, I pretty much take him everywhere with Steven and I whenever I can. He attends all our friends BBQs, is our constant walking buddy and fishing companion, and even goes on Home Depot runs with us from time to time. I make up for my absents during the work day by having him glued to my side on evening and weekends.

And if we have a day that isn't full of exciting adventures for Huck, I make sure to bribe him into still loving me by giving him lots of yummy treats. Like I said...he's spoiled.

I got thinking about all of this while I was taking Huck to daycare today. It's kind of ridiculous that Steven and I pay for him to attend daycare every Wednesday at MaryEllen's. Lord knows it isn't exactly cheap and Huck is already so spoiled anyway... I thought maybe this is something we can cut from our budget to help us save a little dough, you know? It's not like he's crated all day while we're at work, he has plenty of opportunity to stretch his legs all week long....and, and, and...

And I can't do it, because I realized I take Huck to daycare more for my sake than his own. When Huck is happy, well socialized, tired, and content it directly affects me. I take him to daycare because it brings me joy to see him run and play (MaryEllen sends me photo updates all throughout the day while he's there), I spoil him by taking him on all our adventures because I just love when he's by my side. He's a part of our family.

Steven and I obtain endless pleasure from Huck. Sure, I'll admit it more readily than him, but this spoiled pup has kinda changed our lives. And we just love him dearly.

And all this makes me think, "Oh man, am I screwed when we have kids..." Ha! 

Weekend Recap / Fur Babies, Farmers Markets & Lots of Laughs

First, if you haven't entered to win the $25 gift card to Petco (curtesy of Huck) over at Sarah's blog, make sure you do so today!

Second, good morning! We have bad and good news today. The bad news is it's Monday, and there is nothing I can do about it. The good news is I have a weekend review post full of photos of my pets that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face! You are so very welcome.

Friday night was a picture-less night because Steven and I decided to have a Law & Order: SVU marathon on Netflix. I know, our life is fabulous. Be jealous.

Saturday I woke up to a loud thumping of one's tail on every hard object he could find followed by the whooshing sound of little kitty paws flying in the air. Apparently, someone snuck into our home while we were asleep and fed our pets copious amounts of sugar. It was not cool.

Needless to say, we got an early start that morning. (Does anyone else have animals that wake up at the crack of dawn on the weekends?)

We decided to take Huck to the river and tire him out a bit while Steven fished. That dog loves the water! After that, we checked out the farmers market where we got tons of fresh veggies, homemade jam, and this beautiful bouquet! I couldn't resist it...they always have the prettiest flower arrangements there!

Later that night we met up with some friends to play Cards Against Humanity. Seriously, I can't remember the last time I laughed so hard. If you love card games (and have a crude sense of humor), I highly recommend getting this game! If games heavily laden with sexual, religious, and downright offensive overtones isn't your cup of tea, run. Run from this game if you ever encounter it.

The rest of our weekend was filled with coffee dates, yummy Sunday breakfast, a two mile jog, (in which Huckleberry almost dislocated my shoulder) and a Sunday evening fish fry!

Oh yeah, and a photo sesh with the evilest, most angry kitty in all the land.

Apparently, Old Man Herschel is pissed we got a pool for Huck and nothing for him. Sorry Herschbutt.

Mornings with Huck

Last Sunday Steven and I slept in. We lazily made our way to the coffee pot, poured a hot cup of jo and turned on the TV. 101 Dalmatians was on ABC Family. Not the animated version but the real one with all those adorable pups. You can't say no to 101 Dalmatians on a Sunday morning! Who could pass up that cuteness??

As I settled onto the couch, sweet Huck nuzzled his body as close to mine as he could and insisted on cuddles, but it wasn't long until he forgot about me and the amazing belly rubs I give and became enthralled in the movie instead. So many barking puppies and dogs! His ears were perked as he intently watched the TV screen and sometimes he would take a quick peek back at me --as if to make sure I was still watching along with him. 

I just had to snap a quick picture...

The darn pup. His cuteness is almost too much to handle. 

Hope you have an amazing weekend! Mine will be filled with baseball games, food with friends, and, of course, time spent with my 3 amazing boys!!

Happy Birthday, Herschbutt!

June is Herschel's birthday month! We're not exactly sure the exact day he was born, but if our calculations are right it had to be around the beginning of June. So today's post is a little shrine to our vicious yet cuddly guy who is turning 1!!

Herschel, you were the tiniest, cutest kitten with the biggest blue eyes I'd ever seen in a fur baby! And now your a massive fluffbutt with piercing green eyes! You've grown so much! Thank you for washing Huck's face with your sandpaper tongue and keeping the mice at bay. You've turned into the most perfect addition to our little family!

Happy Birthday, Herschbutt!!!

P.S. I just learned that your name is Yiddish for "deer" ....random.

Love, Huck (part 7)

hi grandma. it's your grandpup, Huck.

have you forgotten about me? 

i haven't seen you in a few months...

and i've noticed there's been no hotdogs in the mail.

i thought maybe it's because i haven't written in a while

and you forgot how cute i am.

Ha! SIKE! it's impossible to forget how cute I am, huh?!

i bet those sad puppy dog eyes made you feel real guilty though

that trick always works on mom

i use it every saturday morning to make her get out of bed and play with me

...sucker.

anyways, momma says you don't have instadog

which basically means you don't get to see as many photos of me as everyone else does

that's a real shame...so i made you a college of myself and all my cuteness!

you're welcome.

also in case you forgot

(you seem to be forgetful these days) 

my birthday is in 4 months.

i'd like hotdogs, carrots, and some sticks.

thanks grandma! you're the best!

p.s. we still have that small furry creature mom and dad refer to as "herschel"

if you know someone who knows someone who knows someone that can get rid of it...

just let me know.

it licks my face.

and it needs to stop.

Love, Huck!

To read more of Huck's letters to his Grandma, go here!

Puppies, Pizza, and Pie (okay, just one puppy)

I know I mentioned in my Friday Letters that this weekend was calling for never ending rain, and that's exactly what we got. It poured nonstop and apparently Huckleberry and Herschel take after their momma and don't like to get their hair wet. Those two pretty much stayed indoors all weekend and demanded cuddles and extra long naps.  

I ever worked up the nerve to put my rain boots and coat on and slosh around in the rain with Huck... but he wasn't having it!

Luckily after work on Friday I made a stop at a natural food store and scored these amazing dairy, nut, and soy free chocolate chips! There is something really pleasant about baking on a rainy day...

I used the chocolate chips to make a gluten-free, dairy-free chocolate cream pie and ya'll, it was awesome!! People are always so concerned that eating healthy and all natural means they can't enjoy sweets, but you can! Just take all that crap that you usually put in a pie (refined sugar, all purpose flour, processed milk) and replace it with all natural ingredients (agave, almond flour, coconut milk)! 

You don't have to sacrifice flavor to be healthy!! But I digress...

Baking is always a relaxing way to spend a rainy day, but nothing is more relaxing then curling up in an oversized, plush blanket with a good book and coffee. 

Right now I'm reading one chapter of Crazy Love a week in preparation for the Wednesday night Bible study Steven and I attend. With every chapter I am flabbergasted more and more by how much my heavenly Father loves me. And I'm really excited that I was able to use the word flabbergasted on my blog. 

And in true rainy weather fashion, we opted to order pizza rather than cook. Just down the street from us there's an awesome pizza/deli that we don't go to nearly enough. The food is always fresh and delicious! If you're ever in the Black Diamond area I highly recommend stopping there for a bite. 

What did you do this weekend? If you had sunshine I don't want to hear about. JK...no really, don't tell me.  ;)

Oh yeah, thanks to everyone who gave me suggestions of where to find season 3 of Downton!! I found it (for freeeeesss!) and wasted many rainy hours greedily feasting on their english accents and Matthew Crawley's blue eyes. 

My Boys, Froyo, & a Little About Habits

But not in that order.

This weekend consisted of healthy eating with a little froyo on the side! Steven and I finished our 30 day cleanse and decided to celebrate with a froyo trip. It probably would have made more sense to celebrate with a new pair of skinny jeans, but since I discovered that I now fit into all my size 4 jeans that were too tight to button a month ago, clothes shopping seemed unnecessary! 

And although I thoroughly enjoyed my froyo, I think I would have been just as content with some apple slices and peanut butter for a sweet treat. It's funny how simply cleansing your body for 30 days will do that do ya! We didn't consume any processed sugars. So now sweet is just sweet. No matter what form it comes in. 

They say it takes 30 days to form a habit, and I feel like I'm living proof of that now. The last 30 days I've eaten clean and now it's just easy. It's easy to choose a handful of cashews over a bag of chips to snack on. It's easy to enjoy my tuna salad in a crispy lettuce leaf instead of between two slices of bread. It's genuinely easy and I don't plan on even going back to how I ate before. 

I'll post more on the cleanse (example menu plans and recipes and other physical benefits I haven't shared with you yet) later this week, but for now let's continue to relive the weekend!

Saturday night I pulled a huge blogger fail by not bringing my camera along with me! ;) But in my defense it was a pretty low-key night. Stevie and I went to a good friend's who have the freaking cutest baby in the world. I'm not even kidding. Every time I get to hold that kid I get intense baby fever! We spent the evening catching up and laughing over some intense games of bananagrams. If you don't know what that game is you're missing out! Go buy it now.

And on Sunday I cuddled with my boys. The funny thing is I've never been much of a cuddler, yet I married the most cuddly man, adopted the most cuddly cat (who likes to wake me up by purring on my stomach), and, as you all know, own the cuddliest golden in all the land!  

My boys love me, so I suppose it's okay to take some time out of each day to simply cuddle them.

(Have you ever read the word "cuddle" more times in one post?)

Hope you had a great weekend as well!

I'm already counting down the days till the next one...

For the Love of Huck!

Huckleberry is a pretty lucky pup. While most dogs have to be in a crate all day while their humans are at work, he has the luxury of being in a spacious, three car garage equipped with his very own bed, heat lamp, and a surplus of bones. We even leave the side door open so he can explore the yard and chase the 3 cocker spaniels next door up and down the fence line until his little heart's content. 

One lucky pup, I tell ya! 

But I suppose even wide open spaces can get boring, so to pass the time, Huck decided to take a cushion off the love seat in the garage outside for his chewing pleasure...in the rain.

Didn't even bother to hide the evidence. 

Funny how dogs know when they've done something wrong, and it's even more funny that they know just the face to offer as an apology.

Apology accepted, Huck. You're a goood boy! Want some peanut butter?!?

Yep, that's usually how it goes.

And yes, Huck is still suffering from a case of snow nose. That's why his nose is pink and not black in these photos. I promise he is not sick! His nose will turn back to normal in the Spring once the weather warms up a bit :)

So tell me, what material things has your pup destroyed?