Merry Christmas

From Miss Moo to you!

 Clearly she needs to keep an eye on all the treats that are hers....She's been doing the same thing up here. She collects all the bones and rawhide placing them all together on a bed then she chews on what she prefers at that moment : )

 Resting after a long day

Molly's yummy meaty bone she ate Christmas morning

MMMMMMMM

She chewed on that thing for hours!

Molly has been doing fabulously up here!!!  She traveled like a champ buckled in the back seat on her bed.  She integrated into the house beautifully! (jumping up on furniture like she's lived here for years...)  She and Penny aren't exactly friends, but they're doing better together that's for sure!

She was so funny around all the craziness of opening gifts this evening...going after the wrapping paper, trying to open a plastic container of candy, she even picked up a squeakie toy and carried it around with her butt wiggling like a happy playful girl!  She actually tried to drop the toy in the trash bag : )  She spent all day supervising in the kitchen as we helped Mom make Christmas dinner earlier in the day.

Moo's been tired at the end of each day though with all the activity during each day.  She walks around and stays involved missing out on her usual naps.  I think she really enjoys a larger space to roam and wander.  By the end of the day she's sacked out on the couch and then moves upstairs to the bedroom on her bed snoring by 10 : )  She's even been snuggling in bed and making me a very happy girl.  (Nick however, doesn't  quite see it as snuggling...he's been calling it judo kicking as Moo has a hard time getting comfortable sometimes it seems : )

Anyways, it continues to be a wonderful Christmas holiday filled with a beautiful Christmas Eve service, lots of time with family, cooking, and relaxing....

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Our Trip to MA....

We had a beautiful time resting and spending time with family up in Massachusetts over the past several days. Tink put up with, I mean, enjoyed Jazz & Stretch's company and appeared to enjoy roaming around the front yard on her own. Ahh, the beauty of fencing.

Mom and I stopped at Beaver Valley on Friday to pick up more treats. Gotta love the Zuke hip actions, peanut butter variety and I thought it would be fun to try some SOrganic chicken treats as well as Whole Life dehydrated turkey. Tink will have to wait until she eats her way through some of the opened bags of treats before we open new ones, but she seems very happy and content with a wider variety to choose from. Nevermind that the little monkey had bites of just about everything I ate from green beans, to bananas, to whipped cream on strawberries and some hot dog too : )

Tink slept very contently on my lap for most of the ride up and back minus an hour or so during each ride where we did our darndest to figure out how to make her comfortable: turn the a/c on, turn it off, turn it on and cover tink with a blanket, open windows, let her pant.... a happy medium was found for everyone, but it did include Nick putting on a sweatshirt on today's travels....

So all in all, a very nice time which included taking fun pictures with photobooth... Tink was sleepy that night and wasn't game for many photos but we did manage to include her in a few : )

Another Parker Update 7-15-09

Just before bed last night, Anne emailed us with another wonderful Parker update! Here it is:

"We are so pleased with Parker's progress. He is happy and relaxed. He is playing with us, jumping and running. Last night he wanted to go for a walk even though he had two walks already, so he went and got his leash and put it in front of the door. He lets us know what ever he wants. He doesn't always get it. He is eating well and sleeping in his crate with no problem. He sat on my husband's lap yesterday when my husband was sitting on the floor. Today he got up on my chair, but got off as soon as I saw him. I am thanking you again for the good job you did with him." ~Anne

I am so excited and pleased with how he is transitioning! Proof that all he needed was a foundation to build on!!!

Tink, Nick, and I are off to MA this afternoon for a nice break with my family ; ) Hopefully we'll get some nice pictures of Tink, Stretch, and Jazz as well as some of the horses. We shall see!!!

Catching Up...

So once again, much time has slipped by without so much as a post over here. Tinker's social calendar has been somewhat quiet, but will be picking up over the summer with swimming and other fun activities.

A few weeks ago, Tink and I wend over to Kaye Ames to help with a Delta Society animal testing day and we were able to catch up with Louann and Gabe a several other teams that we haven't seen in a while. Tink really had the tough part--sitting there and looking cute : ) It was me who made some noise with the walker/wheel chair and was asked to pet several very friendly and cute dogs (and one cat.)

Father's day weekend we traveled up to MA to visit with my family. It was beautiful weather and all the dogs were around, yet the only camera used was on Nick's new (enV2) cell phone--i'll have to see if i can get him to download the few pics that he took of Tink in the sun!

Tink's back end appears to be a little more sore lately (well, she has more "uncomfortable" days or moments than i like to see)... I did get some "Sore no more" linament from my mom and it does seem to be helping to alleviate some of the pain (along with all the other internal supplements that she's been taking. And hopefully we'll both be to Nancy's for another acupuncture treatment in July too.
She seems happier though lately with the beautiful weather than she has been in the past few months as well. She contentedly wanders the house rather than relentlessly pacing and generally settles in for the night more easily (maybe that's because lately she's been settling in OUR bed rather than HERS : )

Long walks in the evening, marrow bones on sunday afternoons, twistix chewies and hotdog treats while getting her nails clipped have been the pattern lately.

I took Tink out this morning for our usual walk. It was beautiful with the sun shining, a light breeze, no humidity, and only a touch of dew left in the grass. Tink wandered around sniffing so confidently, so content and carefree. She reminded of times when we used to wander daily without looking at the clock so desperately, hurrying to get to the next "thing" on my to-do list. Realizing this made me smile and feel slightly sad all at once. Fortunately, I was able to shed my to-do list and Tink and I were able to wander aimlessly for our walk this morning without me feeling the need to walk a certain distance or get to a certain point. It was quite lovely and aimless. Tink once again reminded me that life is too short to rush through it getting from point A to point B all the time without ever really enjoying the journey. So while it may be someone counterproductive, I am going to give a more concerted effort to take my time outside with her in the beautiful weather and enjoy the beauty that God has given to us in nature and in my darling little boston terrier whose tenacity and steadfastness never ceases to amaze me.

Trip to MA recap

We had a lovely trip up to MA and back. Tinker did excellent during the rides curled up in her little bed on my lap : ) She spent sat night at my parents while nick and i were had a night to ourselves and i guess she slept the whole night next to my father. Not surprising! Nick brought her into his room one morning and she curled up next to him and they both fell asleep : ) so sweet.

On the way back to PA we stopped in NJ to get our rings cleaned and polished and looking brand new again. So while we were waiting we went shopping over in the outlets that were right next store. And what did Nick spot, but a doggie boutique!! Of course we went in and the lady was a frenchie fan so we were quite at home! I put all kinds of coats and such on her (they were 50% off!) and we found a perfect little rain coat that as soon as it cools off a little i will take pictures of her modeling it. Its bright yellow with reflecting tape and a hood. It's even reversible!! And for little money, i couldn't say no (well, Nick couldn't say no to me either : ) We'll post pics soon : )

Overall it was a very relaxing trip and a lot of fun. I can't believe we've been married for 2 years and will have had tink for a year and a half next month. How time flies....

I'ma feelin betta!

Mum & Dad bought me some "longevity" from springtime inc. and I'm feeling better! Its got glucosamine and chondriotin and MSM and anti-inflamatory stuff lots of other good things and its helping my arthritis! Mum & Dad also say i have more energy... i'm feeling good and acting it!

A lot has been going on in our family lately which is why we haven't posted much in the past few weeks. But hopefully next week things will settle down and we'll be posting pics and sharing new events!

I got some new blankets when mum & dad when to target cause apparently we forgot our green and our christmas blanket somewhere..... nice soft new blankies : )

Mum, took a plane to MA on Daddy's birthday and dad and i drove up the following saturday. boy did i miss mum!! i glued myself to her for the rest of the trip. I slept glued to her in a chair, in the bed, in the car... i just couldn't get enough of her. I also met my auntie katie and sue and my uncle Adam... silly maine-iacs, but it sure was nice to have so much family around...

Tink meets some new friends

Tuesday, our last day in MA, Katie (my brother's fiance) invited us over to a brunch with her and her sister Brenda and her brother in law Eric. Of course Tink was invited--everyone wanted to meet her! Well Katie, has a pug named velvet and Brenda and Eric have 2 Chi's named rita and yoda. Tink did VERY well with all three dogs, even when yoda snipped at her--she didn't snip back! She kinda said, ya whatever ; ) So here is some proof : )

Tinker & Rita--yes I did hold her for everyone's safety : )

Tink & Velvet--isn't Velvet cute?!?! Tink even let Vel sniff her all over
and a little face to face sniffing. Tinker didn't even seem to mind!

Tink & Rita--Rita takes a long while to warm up to people, so she was a little umm,
yippy and snippy : ) but she's a cute little girl

Velvet thought Tink's new blanky was mighty comfy and umm,
borrowed it while Tink sat in my lap : )

We had a great time in MA and enjoyed our time with friends and family. Tink was very at home and even nagivated her way around my parents house fairly easily (and if you know what my parent's house looks like, thats a feat if you CAN see some days!). She got along well with stretch and well, miss anti-social Aby kept her distance. Very typical : )

updates!-- starting with the 4th of July

Hello hello! There will be a few posts tonight! Gram Rowe sent some pics over from our OBX trip and from labor day and Auntie Phyllis sent over some pics from the 4th of july weekend!

lets start with the fourth of july.....

Aby is not the friendliest in the world... tink's like "oh bother..."

How cute is she, now tell me : )

Fun in the sun

Who's harassing who in this picture??!?!
Stretchie can handle it : )

Reflections on our trip to Massachusetts

Well, i know that we already posted about MA but there was so many good things that happened, it deserves another look. Nick and I learned so much more about our darling little girl this weekend. I had prayed and hoped that after she realized that she had a loving family, that her aggressive behavior would subside. And after she snapped at Maddie twice i thought that was out of the picture. But this weekend, man, she was tolerating (and even enjoying) the other dogs company. She also learned to let the other dogs know they were too close without snapping, her body language was very clear a few times and they complied.

She was so relaxed this weekend. You know how I know? hehe, she gained weight eating the same amount of food she always eats!! She wasn't nervous or pacing in the crate.... she also sacked out in the grass while the other dogs zoomed around her. Jetta even used her as a jump a few times! She enjoyed roaming without a leash in a fenced in yard. She was content to socialize with every other person in the house which left us free to enjoy our time off! (i also loved that after socializing she actively sought me out for some snuggle time.)

We're almost afraid that she is going to be lonely without the other dogs! It was so cute to see her jumping (not frantically) in the crate and give 2 happy barks (not angry or anxious) when we came home. Sigh... my family loved her so much and finally got to see her little personality shine through.

We took a final walk with the 2 horses and 3 out of the 4 dogs this morning before we left... It was so neat to see each one of them enjoying nature and each others company. Tinker got excited when i put her leash and collar on her. It was so cute! So many milestones this weekend and so many snuggly moments. Sigh...and now she is sleeping in her own bed in her own home, happy as can be.