Moving...

It's official!  The dogs of Black Dog Blog are moving!!

I have to be out of my current rental situation August 15th, because the owners are returning to Canada and want their house back. Strangely enough, they don't want to have a roommate who owns 4 dogs (and no rats- long story, to be told another day. Let's just say terriers and rats do NOT mix! :( ).

Anyway, so I have long dreamt of buying a house and thanks to the kindness of my family who assisted me in my ability to make this dream come true,  I am now the proud owner of this lovely gem of a house!!

You will have to forgive the photo. Clearly, I was sitting in my van as I took this photo! I should have gotten out and given you all a better look at it.

But, there it is.... the SOLD SIGN!  My house!!

Just a few details about it:  My house is a 98 year old 1.5 story house. It's two bedroom, one bath and it's been totally renovated.  The former owners loved this house dearly and their care shows. They did ALL the big work- plumbing, electrical, furnace, water heater, roof. All that remains is a tiny bit of paint to bring the colours to my taste. But, the house is lovely. I walked in and sighed with contentment before saying, "This is HOME".

The black dogs and oddball want you to know they are super, super excited to become city dogs who go to dog parks and get to run and play with their city friends. And, they have a gorgeous backyard with a great fence, since the former owners had 3 dogs of their own. Yeah for moving to a HOME!

Photo Shoot

I have no idea where time has gone. It's been a hazy mess since Reason came home. Not because there is a puppy in the house, but because life has been busy and I've gotten into the year end paperwork at work. It's a mad dash now to the end for me.... the end of June cannot come fast enough!

Anyway, I was privileged to have a photographer come and take photos of the dogs last week.  So, I have to share a few of my favs....

My black beauties...

Sophie.  Love that face!

Murphy. She was the toughest to get to sit still for a photo.

Rease, looking so sweet!!

Happy Spike!  There's a soccer ball held behind Ellie's head to achieve this photo. That explains his attention and happiness. :)

Murphy just hanging around. Yes her feet are off the ground. :)  

The canine family.  Love this shot!

Mostly Wordless Wednesday

I present to you, the cutest, sweetest, best behaved (not even joking!) Labrapup in the world....

I naps, ma!

Leave me alone, I gots a bone ma!

I cute, ma!  

Yes, you might detect the tiniest (well, it's not that tiny, sigh) little scratch below her eye... poor little pup, Murphy has decided to be jealous and took it out on her yesterday. End result, big cut below her eye and blood everywhere, along with a screaming puppy.  

Any suggestions for helping Murphy learn she is still my little terror girl?

There goes sleep for awhile!

Rease has arrived! She is HERE and she is an adorable bundle of black fur and deep, brown eyes. She is dainty- way tinier than Sophie ever was. I realize that now that I see her. I can imagine this lovely pup growing up to be a slim, fine boned Labrador which is what I wanted. I see POTENTIAL stamped all over this pup.  She is smart, she is receptive, she is a thinker. She is playful, curious and motivated. She is truly showing her Labrador colours already, being incredibly food motivated. She's already learned the food cupboard and has been known to sit by it and bark.  HA! That reminds me so much of Sophie!!

Anyway, sorry for the repeat photos from facebook, but for those of you who aren't on there, here's my baby dog...

She was tired when she arrived. Deserved some cuddle on the lap time!

Rease is constantly looking for little "hidey spots" to avoid Murphy!

Sophie and her baby... she LOVES Rease already

My girls!

If in doubt, nap on top of the yarn/wool box!

Rease is already a concern... she can climb up stairs like crazy and the very first night, she managed to get on the couch to nap. All by herself. I turned my back and there she was...

Those eyes are TROUBLE! :)

Under the desk, hiding again. Of course, the Kleenex box will save her from the Mean Murphy, HA!  This was moments before she chewed through my phone cord, running to the modem. :/  Yes, she NEEDS supervision!

The Labrador Girls!

Baby Sophie/Baby Rease...

Thank goodness for my mother who had pictures of Sophie, the very day she came home. She was 7 weeks old and a sweet little ball of black fluff.  So, I can compare faces now...

Sophie at 49 days....

Rease at 7.5 weeks....

Sophie and my mama's dog Lucy.

Sophie, taking it all in.

Reason (AKA Rease for short...)

My hands are going to be full with this one... she is NOT barking here, but that's Miss Rease's troublemaker face, haha!!

Yes, I think Sophie is bigger boned that Rease is. Soph is only 52 lbs, so that bodes well for a light little labrador, quick and agile. I am so excited and can hardly wait for Monday night, when she should arrive!!

Bring on the baby labrador!!

Old Lab, New Lab...

I finally know who my puppy is and I am SO excited. Eromit's Here For a Reason, AKA Rease is moving home hopefully on May 8th. I am in the throes of last minute preparation; going to buy puppy food tonight after work and I'll be ready.  I've been showing pictures of my Rease on facebook, but someone commented that she looks nothing like Sophie did at that age.

So, I have been prompted to try and find some puppy pictures of Sophie when she was tiny. I don't have any on my computer for some reason, but I KNOW they are out there. I'll have to get my mom to email me some, so I can compare the two cuties.  I do know that Sophie was bigger boned and was a roly poly pup. She didn't look much like Rease.

But, here she is... I am getting Bernadette from the Big Bang Litter... Verona/Ace pups born March 11.

Rease was about 4 weeks old in these two photos, I believe. So cute! 

Miss Rease, on Friday. This was pretty much exactly the same age (7 weeks) that Sophie came home. Rease is smaller than Sopher was for sure.

Look at her go!  She has spunk to her for sure!! 

Happy Birthday Sophie!

I can't believe my Sophie-Bug is 5 today.... where does time go??

This was Sophie, at maybe 6 months of age?? 

It seems like yesterday I brought my little pup-pup home!!  I have no idea where time goes- or why I haven't blogged in FOREVER... sorry everyone!  I know that I am hoping to be back to blogging as soon as my newest family member comes home.  She's going to grow fast and it's great to have a record of that.

Anyway, it has bee a busy, BUSY few weeks.  Daydreaming about Eromit's Here For A Reason coming home (tentative registered name).  Getting report cards done. Entering into the final homestretch of work for the year, which is always a nightmare busy time for a regular teacher, much less a Special Ed. teacher (PAPERWORK, here I come!), cleaning the house and on and on...

But, in the meantime, we are celebrating Sophie's big birthday today with bones for everyone...

Yum Yum!  Beef bones!

Spikey gets one too...

Chomp, chomp! Sophie has hoarded at least 2 more bones over there, beside herself.  She's in heaven while I ma meanwhile spring cleaning my house...

Murphy is forced to hide under a chair to avoid loosing her bone to a big, black dog.

In other news, it's 2 weeks until Rease (I think that's her official name!) is coming home... Can't wait. They have hit that adorable, roly-poly 6 week puppy mark. I should find out in the next week or so which girl is mine too. Exciting!

And, I've been quilting again. This time, a baby quilt for a colleague. I think it turned out adorable...

The gal already knows she is having a boy, but she likes green and is using loads of green in the baby room.  So, my EA's and I went together on this quilt- they bought the materials and I finished sewing it last night.  I love it!

I have a new sewing machine that does many, MANY quilting stitches so each of the blocks ended up with it's own heirloom stitch... I love that little detail that makes the blanket seem even more special to me.

Other than that life around here is pretty normal. Except, I am thinking the rats may just have to find new homes. Murphy is starting to discover her true terrier nature and I am struggling to keep her out of the rat room, keep her sane and not torture the poor things. :(  Any suggestions of what to do with a brood of adorable, SWEET ratties??