Living, Loving, Learning

It is with immense sorrow that I share this with you. On Tuesday night, our friend came over and we spent some time playing with the puppies. We noticed that a few of them were lethargic, had diarrhea and were throwing up. We had recently changed their food and they had spent some time playing outside so we chalked it up to them feeling a little off from eating grass and the new food. Yesterday though, there was more diarrhea and they seemed more lethargic. Bruce and Griffin loaded them up and took them to the vet "to be on the safe side." There we were given devastating news. The puppies all had perseveres, an incredibly debilitating virus that is severely contagious to dogs. We were shocked with the news but after a quick discussion on the phone, were ready to cancel all plans for the next couple of weeks and commit to nursing each one back to health. Then we had a talk with the director of the Humane Society and the Vet who made it clear to us that this virus is n...

WOW, it's been too long since I last blogged. You'll have to give me a pass this time. Between getting ready to host the Herb Club for brunch last Saturday, the puppies, some personal projects and my exploding schedule, I have been in the weeds. Feeling better today though. The herb club meeting was awesome, we had 24 woman here and the meeting was really interesting. Also, some lovely friends (THANKS, Brandi and Dan!!!!) watched the kids so Bruce and I could go on a much needed date on Saturday night. Having alone time with Bruce always brings me back to my center!!! I have quite a few blogs in my head, that I hope to publish this week, so check back soon! In the meantime, PUPPIES! The puppies got to go outside for the first time yesterday. They loved it, of course, and only their Mama, paced nervously. That is what she does whenever we take her out, she patrols the perimeter of our yard. I've never felt safer, having her in our home! Her hearing and sense of...

I found a good idea on how to mark your puppies...rickrack. They are even cuter, if that is possible, with their collars on. I am sure I will need to replace them every few days with how quickly they are growing, but it is fun to be able to see personalities emerge. A few have even earned names from Griffin! They are starting to get playful and we've had lots of volunteers to come over and cuddle with them. Cassie and Ava have a German Shepherd at home, so they LOVE these puppies a lot ! Little Lily thought the puppies were OK but she really liked Sunblossom ! All the puppies were drawn to Madeline's calm and sweet personality. Logan came right in a picked an instant favorite..white collar, re-named Mr. Lazy. We have started to remove the puppies, 2 at a time, to have a few minutes of playtime apart from the rest of the pack. They got to meet Lottie for the first time this week. Lottie was curious but gentle, engaged but sweet. It was really fun to watch. Here she is meeti...

We are having an awesome time with our Shepherd family. Besides many loads of laundry and being awoken during the night by puppies who cry because they can't find their way back to their tribe, this is a totally AMAZING experience. Sunblossom has gotten super comfortable with us and is pretty cool about us playing with her puppies around her. The puppies are starting to walk, 2 of them have become quite good at it. There eyes are starting to open up, but I am pretty sure they just see shadows. They mostly use smell, I think, to find each other and Mama. My little sister, Alexis, came to town yesterday for a week visit. YEAH!!! I am soooo excited. It is so so nice to have family together. Luckily, she is a big dog lover so these puppies are just another perk for her. She is moving to Guam at the end of the month so I am going to enjoy this time with her to the FULLEST! We have been really pleased to see these puppies growing. When we first got them they were all the same size b...

Happily, we will only have them for a few weeks. On Tuesday I read on facebook that the local Humane Society was in need of a foster family for a nursing mom and pups. I have been to their facility and know that it is not a great place for a litter and it broke my heart thinking about it. You know, when you read or see something and you know instantly, in your gut, this is something for you. Well, it was like that, and luckily, Bruce felt similarly (o.k. or maybe he just wants to keep his wife happy and if 6 weeks of cleaning up puppy poop will do it....) So, yesterday we went over to the shelter and picked them up. This is the mom, Griffin calls her Sunblossom, Bruce and I tend to call her Big Mama. She is doing pretty well, all things considered. About 10 days ago she was found in the drop box when the employees opened up the shelter. 2 days later she had 8 puppies. This is when her history starts...isn't that sooo sad. Who knows what she has been through before that....