goodbyes are always hard...

Last night Molly went to her new guardian family. Molly was born and raised with my mom, often coming and staying at my house as well. She is 4 1/2 years old. We know that you can't keep everything, but it is always hard. I'm sure that she will be just fine, though I still worry! She will have a ton of attention in her new home though.

We have our annual eye clinic coming up on October 23rd. Emails have already gone out to guardian families. Every year we have our dogs checked for any eye problems. It is the same as one of us going and seeing an eye doctor. Just a check up. Last year was a great success, though extremely rushed! Everyone passed with flying colors, and we expect the same this year. The eye clinic will be held at my mom's house at 9am saturday morning. I will be bringing all of my doggies and staying overnight on friday so that we can be all ready. My mom makes a darkroom in her hallway by hanging sheets in the doorway. After drops are administered to the dogs, they each see the vet and have their eyes examined for any abnormalities. Eyes are ever changing, so testing once a year really helps us to see if there is anything worrisome cropping up in our lines. So far, we are all clear!

my apologies!

I totally forgot to post over this last week (thank-you Kim for reminding me in your email!)! It has been a pretty uneventful week anyways. Just lots of work at school, and then back at home as well. On friday I had my first placement day in a highschool. I am at Sir John A Macdonald in Waterloo. It was amazing! I will be teaching grade 11 and 12 biology after thanksgiving. We are at the school for 3 straight weeks. I am very excited about it.

Next week is one of my 'killer' weeks. I don't find teacher's college to be really hard work...just a lot of work, and a ton of reading. You really have to keep up on the readings or else you would just get so far behind in class!

All of this rain is just driving me nuts. This has to be the rainiest fall ever! Oh mister sun, sun, mister golden sun, please shine down on me!! And by me, I mean...dry up my muddy backyard!

All of our dogs are pretty much groomed down now. Maggie was scissor trimmed, Missy is still growing out from the summer, Mona had her body shaved, head all trimmed up, Mackenzie had a shave over a month ago now so she is looking less and less bald everyday. Lola was done 2 weeks ago now. She had her body shaved, and thanks to Macie's insane ear grabbing, I did her ears as well. It will all grow back. Right now it just means that everyone takes a much shorter time to dry off!

Macie is growing more and more everyday. She is a tyrant that is for sure! She has mastered jumping onto the couch, and she can jump onto our bed now too, which is double the height for sure. Of course, with her ADD she doesn't stay in one spot for very long. There is always something new that she can rip up or a pair of shoes that she can bring to me.

On saturday night Lola had a case of "the grass is greener on the other side". I was inside reading and had just let the dogs out for a pee and didn't feel like walking out there with them right then. They always get into trouble when you're least expecting it. I wanted to finish my chapter! Not even 5 minutes later I walk outside and the dogs are all standing at the back fence...but one dog doesn't look like she is on the proper side! Lola had dug a little hole and was running around in the neighbors garden (which is thankfully all tilled up for the year). They weren't home then and I couldn't get her back through her hole. Jake was out for a run and I couldn't hop the fence very well...and god forbid I get stuck in someone else's yard! So I called Tyler and Jess and they came right over. Tyler just hopped right over and passed Lola to me. The people weren't home and no one else noticed. Our little secret I guess!

Thursday, September 23rd

Today I went to tutor for a family in Rockwood. As I got out of the car a family and their dog were walking towards me. I knew right away that it was a labradoodle...and she looked very familiar! I met up with one of Madelyn and Koby's puppies named Holly! Holly is Minnie's full sister. Such a small world!

Tomorrow is my first day in a highschool classroom as a teacher candidate. I am so excited...maybe a little nervous! I will be teaching my first practicum block at Sir John A Macdonald in Waterloo, ON.

This weekend I have a lot of reading and projects to work on that is for sure! We have a few families coming to visit the dogs, and we are babysitting one of Lola's puppies - Maia.

Well, off to bed. I am dead tired from waking up every day and driving to London. That is such a long drive back and forth everyday. I am counting down the weeks until I graduate again!

a time for visiting...

This weekend was spent visiting family. On saturday Jake and I and all of the dogs went to my mom's house. We made a pit stop on the way to breed Missy with Solo one more time. Good thing it was quick because the other dogs were patiently waiting in the car!

We stayed over at my mom's house for the night. Today we drove back home and then went to Jake's mom's house for lunch. I went out with my sister-in-laws and mother-in-law to a broadway show (Guys and Dolls) and the boys all went golfing.

We were running around so much this weekend that I didn't get any homework done so now I have a ton of reading tomorrow.

This evening, Mowgley was picked up by his guardian family as well. It feels like we have no dogs at all now! Molly stayed with my mom...reluctantly I might add. She really wanted to come back with us and was pacing in the front hall while we were loading the others into the truck. She fits in easily wherever she goes.

I updated the upcoming litters page of the site to reflect the moms and dads who are expecting! It will be a busy christmas, that is for sure!

Mowgley is now a man...

Finally! Mowgley has decided that he can be up for the job. Missy and Molly are both in heat, and his girlfriend is absolutely Molly. So Molly and Mowgley are expecting an all chocolate litter on November 17th. The funny thing is though, Mowgley really likes his privacy. His is in the yard with his girls, and we have to peek out the window to see what is going on. We can't make a sound or be spotted by him. He sure made it difficult this time!

With Missy however, that is a different story. I am pretty sure that Jake is on his way to visit another breeder with Missy. Mowgley has no interest, and time is running out. With luck, Missy and Solo will have a repeat litter on November 18th. They will be chocolates and creams.

As my mom put it...like mother, like daughter. Tinkerbelle is now in heat. I just like to say that when it rains, it pours, because now there are 4 girls in heat all within one week. At first I really wanted Mona to come into heat, now I'm hoping that she holds off another few weeks, and my mom is thinking the same thing with Cola!

weekend musings!!

Well, the triatholon went really well. Jake finished in under an hour! He really liked it and said that he would definitely do it again. It was really fun to watch them. I'm so mad that I forgot my camera. I ended up using my friends camera but the delay is so bad! I got a few photos of everyone of our friends who was in it, and I will post them when they are sent to me. It started off as a cooler day, but it warmed up nicely. Everyone was so tired by the end of the day...I stayed up the latest, and that was only until 11pm when Jaws 3 was over.

Sunday was spent lazing around the cottage. We got back home pretty late and I caught up on some emails from the weekend. Today was a busy day at our house though for dog drop offs...luckily I'm not there so Jake is handling it all! Mowgley was being dropped off, Finny for babysitting, and my mom was bringing back our crew of dogs plus one of her own! This morning we had 0 dogs at the house and we should have 10 by now! Here is the role call...

Our own girls.
Maggie
Missy
Mona
Lola
Mackenzie
Macie
Panda

The extras.
Mowgley
Finny
Molly

Mowgley is over because we finally have some girls in heat! Molly and Missy will both be dating Mowgley this week. And at my mom's house, Ginger just came into heat, and Mighty is just overjoyed. He finally has a girl. So in 9 weeks, we will by busy again!!!!

quick post...

This is just a quick post to let everyone know that we are away for the weekend. My mom just left with my doggies. Jake is running in the mini triatholon tomorrow, so we are headed up to Jess and Tyler's cottage for the weekend.

Thank-you to everyone for the well wishes and condolences for Molly. Back on sunday night!

back to school...

Well, let me tell you...it is hard to get back into the swing of school. I am at Western everyday from 8:30-6:30 plus driving there and back everyday. It is a long day. There is barely anytime to do anything at home anymore. Tonight I am off early...my only salvation this semester is wednesdays (home at 4), and Jake is making steaks for dinner!

Surprisingly, I met someone at Guelph who also commutes everyday! We compared our schedules and started driving together this week. It is great. Funny coincidence....his wedding anniversary is June 6th, 2009 as well! I found it odd that I met the one person who commutes from Guelph, and we got married on the same day last year.

It seems like such a normal thing now for me to pack a lunch and get my water bottle ready... but so odd at the same time! The dogs are adjusting to life without me during the day. I'm sure that I miss them more than they miss me. At least they have Jake here with them. Yesterday Jake took my car in to get fixed and biked the 16 km home. That's dedication.

Nothing else is new with the doggies. No heat cycles this week. They sure do keep you guessing. Well, I should get going. My ride will be here in 5 minutes...

friday Sept. 3rd...

Today was my 2nd day of school. I got caught in a huge rain storm driving to work, but made it just in time for classes. When there are only 20 kids in some of your classes...and they take attendance...they notice who is missing! I met someone today who also commutes from Guelph, so hopefully our schedules will match up and we can car pool. That will be sooo much easier.

I have to go shopping for 'business casual' clothing for my practicum days. I hardly own any dressy clothes. One pair of pants, a skirt, and like 3 dressy tops. My mom will love this kind of shopping! I however hate it! I spend a total of 10 weeks at highschools in the Waterloo region.

The dogs are surviving their days without me. Jake is home all day so they aren't alone. I do get quite the greeting though when I come home! It's nice to know that I was missed! Tomorrow is a yard cleanup day so that I can take some pictures of our new fence and patio set. It looks so nice!

difficult week...

Today was my first day of school. I am attending Western for teacher's college. My teachables are biology and general science at the highschool level. It was a long drive and I can just see this is going to be a difficult 8 months. But I just keep saying that it's only 8 months. Hopefully they will be able to adjust my schedule on tuesday because I don't know if this one is doable with all of my students that I tutor and my life with the doggies.

On tuesday night we had a tragic accident. Molly, our puppy that we kept from Blaze and Philosopher's litter was hit by a car and killed. It happened so fast. I'm just beside myself. She was such a sweetheart of a dog. Always wiggling and super excited to see everyone.

Lola is also not pregnant. She had an ultrasound done on monday to confirm our own suspicions. It has not been a very good week at all. It is times like these were I just hug my doodles and try to move on. A dog brings so much comfort and joy and I can't imagine living without a dog anymore. I don't remember a time without one ever. Even when we are on vacation it is so difficult. I always wonder how they are doing....and I know that they miss me, because my mom always tells me that they are mopey. They cheer right up as soon as we pull in the driveway.

Life goes on right....

Jake is running in a mini-triatholon next saturday. He has been training very hard. My mom will babysit our dogs again next weekend.

Amber will be going to her guardian home on saturday. Her she is in all her glory! Macie will definitely miss her tackling buddy.

And an ode to my beautiful Molly who is up in heaven with the angels.

We miss you baby girl.