Meet Sawyer!

Four months after the passing of our dear Butters, we welcomed a new member to the family.  Meet Sawyer!  While raising 2 teething babies has been a challenge over the last month, I cannot imagine my home without this little guy.  

Sawyer certainly has been living up to his name.  He is a (not so) wonderfully creative trouble maker, constantly finding innovative ways to surprise us. I don't think my underwear, socks, or shoes will ever be safe again. Tony and I have placed a set of doggie stairs up to our couch, and Sawyer loves sharing his "prizes" with us after galloping around the living room showing them off. Our previous cavalier, Butters, was never much of a retriever. However, Sawyer is quite the natural. We have been trying to curb his chewing habits with plenty of cow hooves, stuffed animals, and Himalayan chews... the Nylabones and bully sticks (our previous go-to chews) really didn't do much hold his attention. As our vet says, "He certainly is the most enthusiastic cavalier I have ever met." I am pretty sure that is code for... he is absolutely crazy. However, after seeing our Butters so sick, I can say it is a welcomed blessing to see such an energetic little guy. We have been enjoying plenty of walks, with Leon in the stroller and Sawyer trotting by his side.

We have been working on the training basics including sitting and staying, soft mouth, and appropriate manners around Leon... particularly NO JUMPING! It has been going slowly but surely.  After being used to a well-behaved and calm dog, it has been a bit of a culture shock.  We had some concerns with Sawyer teething on Leon when he first arrived; but, Sawyer has been learning quickly. We now can trust the two together, of course with supervision. I am sure in a few months we will be having the reverse problem: teaching Leon how to be gentle around little Sawyer. For now, we are enjoying just watching the two entertain one another.  

... and, during the fleeting moments that Sawyer has fully expended his puppy energy, I can't help but admire how absolutely adorable he is

Easily Entertained

Ever since Butters was a pup, he has enjoyed creating his own entertainment.  For instance, he has been CRAZY for cardboard rolls ever since the day we brought him home.  We can't leave any paper towel rolls in the range of his little nose... or else he will tear through the entire thing to get to that cardboard.  He routinely scours the bathroom, hoping to find the abandoned remains of the toilet paper.  His favorite part about Christmas was the wrapping paper.  I remember him sneaking off into his crate with this while Tony and I were preparing presents:

He has a doggie bed full of bones, stuffed animals, and balls... but every time will choose that cheap piece of cardboard over the finest toy.

Lately, he has discovered a new interest: the plastic water bottle.  Tony and I will grab one, sit on the couch to have a nice drink... and there will be Butters...

.... just waiting to get his little paws on that water bottle.

When he finally gets a hold of one, he thoroughly enjoys pouncing on it, sending it spinning.

That annoying crinkly sound gives him endless entertainment.  

And, he will trot around the house, proudly showing off his new prize.

 Tony and I really don't mind too much.  It certainly saves a lot of extra money on doggie toys!

Easter Celebrations!

Easter was the first real holiday that Tony and I spent together.  Over Easter dinner, Tony met my grandparents for the first time in 2005.  He settled so easily into conversations with all of the family members, as if he had been coming over for years.  That Easter, I also happened to be fostering and bottle-feeding 3 young puppies.  Watching that handsome man juggle three adorable puppies melted my heart.  I remember, by the end of the day, I got the feeling that I would never be bringing another boyfriend home to meet the parents.  No one else would ever fit in so perfectly with my family. 

As a holiday dedicated to new beginnings through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, it was fitting again to see this Easter as one of “firsts.”  It was the first Easter in my life spent outside of Albion, as we celebrated at my parent’s house in Ithaca.  Margie, Paul’s girlfriend, joined us for the first time and quickly won over the whole family.  And, our furbaby Butters enjoyed his introduction to Easter as well.  On the difficult side, it was the first holiday spent together since the loss of my Grandmom Lucy earlier this year.  This really would have been an Easter she would have enjoyed.

As always, Mom cooked the food to perfection and the decorations were gorgeous.  The large ham and excellent quiches kept people coming back for seconds and thirds.  

It was such a blessing to gather with family and friends, enjoying wine, watching movies, and sharing stories.   

Paul and Margie surprised the family Easter morning with some great treats and special cards.  And, somewhere in the excitement of Easter, “Cookies and Cream Bunny” lost his head.

Butters was also very satisfied with his new “muscle shirt.”  Jessica, Margie’s daughter, picked it out (we all missed you, Jess, but look forward to seeing you at graduation!!).  It looked great on the little guy, and he happily modeled it around the house!  

I know this coming year will certainly be filled with many more “firsts” when Tony and I make our big move to Texas.  But, we will continue to look forward to special moments like these when we can come home to family and friends.  

World's. Worst. Beggar.

Last weekend, Tony and I celebrated the end of March break with a surf-and-turf night.  This was something we had planned all week, and we had so much fun preparing this delicious meal as a couple.  The table was set and the wine was opened.  The lobster and steak were cooked to perfection.  We were all ready to sit down for a romantic dinner, just the two of us.

But then, there was this…

Worst. Beggar. EVER. This little dog has a lot of great qualities, but his bottomless appetite is not one of them.  And with TWO meat options that night, he was especially on his worst begging behavior.  We make a habit of not feeding Butters at the table, but he seemed to have forgotten all of his training that night.  He gave multiple attempts to convince us he was worthy of a few table scraps.  He tried sitting patiently…

When that didn’t work, he went to his crate hoping we would award him with just one… or two… or three samplings of lobster.

And when these attempts didn’t work, he really put on the charm…

Who doesn't want CRAZY puppy eyes staring over the table?!  

Needless to say, while Tony and I didn’t have the peaceful candle-lit dinner we had imagined, we got a good laugh out of Butters’ desperate attempts at sharing surf-and-turf night with us.

And, we topped it off with Tony's favorite dessert... Strawberry Shortcake!

But, sorry Butters.  Your treats come later.

Doggie SOCKS!!

This past week Tony and I visited Elmwood Pet Supply, a cute pet boutique.  This was our first time there.  We were so impressed with the excellent selection of unique items for dogs to enjoy.  Butters especially enjoyed this trip.  He had a chance to meet the shop’s dog and investigate the numerous treat bins throughout the store.  Most of the things we bought were practical, including a moose antler (an odorless, long-lasting chew) and bully sticks (his all-time favorite treat).  However, we could not resist when we saw these…

Yes… doggie SOCKS! 

Of course, Butters thought these were definitely meant to be a chew toy.  

It was much to his displeasure that he learned these are to be worn… not as much fun.  

However, they did kind of grow on him after he had a chance to chew his new moose antler while wearing the socks

I realize somewhere along the line Tony and I turned into those annoying dog owners who love to torture dogs with the prospect of a new outfit… sweaters, hats, and now socks for Butters.  At least these are just for the occasional moment we need a good laugh and not an everyday thing.  However, I am pretty sure a Halloween costume will be in order after his reaction to these ridiculous socks.

March in a few moments Part 2

Here are some continued highlights from our month off:

(1) Tony and I returned to Letchworth State Park, the place where we were married.  It felt surreal at first, as this was our first time back since the wedding.  The park was so pretty even this early in the season, with spring flowers popping up and the waterfalls raging from the spring thaw (although there wasn’t too much to thaw from this winter).  It was unseasonably warm for March, and felt more like summer than early spring.  In our excitement to get to the park early, we of course forgot to pack a lunch.  Being in a pretty secluded area, there were not very many food options.  However, we were very lucky that in the neighboring down, Castile, there is this great little sub shop.  We ordered our huge subs and brought them back to the park, enjoying an unexpected little picnic early in the season.  Of course, Butters had a blast exploring.  He loved looking over the ledges at the gorges and waterfalls, but immediately would get nervous when we would lift him up for a better view.

(2) We visited with my parents and my sister, Kit, in Ithaca, enjoying a couple days of rest while our house was being shown.  Tony and I went back to Aladdins, a cute Mediterranean restaurant we used to go to for special occasions during our time at Cornell.  We got our regulars: I ordered the shishkebab pita and he ordered the sundried tomato pesto tortellini washed down with some of their house merlot.  Their desserts are to die for, so we ordered a caramel chocolate explosion pie and another regular for us, the baklava.  It reminded us of walking down from our collegetown dorms, first Cascadilla and later Sheldon, and enjoying an intimate evening together. As we had almost no money at the time, our times at Aladdins were very special.  We would imagine how someday we would have other opportunities for date nights more than a couple times a year.  Returning to Aladdins also reminded us that it has, in fact, been 4 years since we graduated college.  Surrounding conversations consisted of how many beers one guy held down last weekend to the best way to make a fake ID.  Oh yes, the joys that once were college!

With the early spring also reaching Ithaca, I enjoyed going on some walks with my Mom and taking some more photos around the Cornell/Ithaca area.