Spring Sprung!

In some ways it feels like we just moved in even though we've been here over 6 months and the old house feels like a lifetime ago.  We're enjoying our neighbors and have all made friends, the dogs are getting plenty of exercise.  Seasonal allergies are hitting Samantha and Daddy hard, but other than that everyone's good.  Daddy and I even took some time for a long weekend away though I don't think we'll leave the girls with Nana and Papa again for some time.  There was a perfect storm of circumstances that lead to a challenging weekend for them, resulting consequences for the girls and disappointment for Daddy and I.



Summer is approaching and we're planning to have the opposite of last year's schedule.  Last year was camps every week with dance lessons and there wasn't time to relax.  This year the girls will have NO lessons and a nanny 4 days a week, which means I'll get into my office more (to help me focus).  The girls will be together, but free.  I'm hopeful!

Summer Festivals, Holidays and Camps

Summer is passing way too fast for me!

International Children's Festival with our friends and a traditional stop at the candy store afterwards.

It was a good Father's Day!  Daddy loves his new pellet smoker and we are all benefiting from it!

On July 4th we headed to a parade to watch Naamah unicycle and get candy.  I took Samantha to the carnival for rides and a snack.  Then we got to hang with our neighbors which made it a GREAT day!  Hannah especially loved playing with Gigi!

 Fireworks!

The girls have done a few camps this year.  Samantha was so excited for horse camp!  They have gone to Camp Streefland for a few weeks and both went to STEAM camp too.  Sofia loved her week at zoo camp!

S Girls Summer Camping Adventures

I love that the girls enjoy camping.  Antie She has been awesome about getting away with us and up for any adventure we encounter.  I don't know if we would do this as much if I didn't have her along!

Our first trip was back to Whitewater where we hiked, swam in the river, played on the beach and made some new friends. You have to love Antie She's sandman.  The other kids on the beach were enthralled with it!

We then headed south again.  We made a big breakfast my new camp stove (yum!), went swimming in the pool and explored.  Tubing was an experience trying to find flip-flops and watching a bald eagle watch us. On Sunday I convinced everyone that we could bike 4.2 miles one way to Lanesboro.  OK, I bribed the kids with ice cream.  It was a level trail, but I was proud of Sofia for making it (not that she had another choice)!  Thankfully the trip back felt much quicker as I had rewards waiting!

Another addition to our family

Hannah is here!  We adopted a puppy at the end of May.  Unfortunately we discovered Ely had hot spots the night before we picked Hannah up so he wore "the cone of shame" for a few weeks as he healed.  It was chaotic, but time flies and Hannah has already graduated from her beginning training class.

The morning after Hannah's arrival!

The dogs are getting along wonderfully, with Ely modeling mostly good behavior for Hannah.

This is her story from the RAGOM site.

Hannah #14-133

(Fostered in Maple Grove, MN)

In addition to LOVE this dog has the following requirements:
Entered Foster Care	Fence	Kid Friendly	Another Dog	Cat Friendly
5/15/2014	Not required	Age 5+	Optional	Not tested
This is the most recent information available; however, it may change as we learn more about the dog.

RAGOM fans, welcome to Miss Hannah Banana! Hannah came to us from a loving home who just didn’t have the time it takes to care for a young pup. She is 4 ½ months old, born on December 25th, so a Christmas baby!

Hannah gets along with our 12-year-old dachshund great. Sometimes Hannah doesn’t always catch Heidi’s signals of when she is done with playtime, so we have to help her out; she can be VERY energetic at times. Hannah is for the most part potty trained. She gives signals by walking to the door and looking out the window. I still have to keep my eye on her, because if I don’t catch her signs she will go in the house. Luckily for us, she has chosen the kitchen tile as her accident zone and not the carpet! She is a very smart girl and is learning quickly about all the potty training rules. When we come in from outside, Hannah knows to go to the treat jar for her big reward! She evens knows that to take a treat she has to sit and stay. Like I said, she is a smart cookie. :)

 

Hannah absolutely LOVES her people! She is definitely a lap dog; no matter what she is doing, she has to be touching you. As I type right now, she is laying her little head on my toes. As much as she is a cuddly love bug, she also is a very energetic puppy. She has the puppy teeth that like to chew on any body part or thing, and sometimes it can be a little tricky to get her to stop and calm down. That being said, she gets along with children, but I recommend children a little older who are able to handle that and who have adult eyes on them during playtime or Hannah’s random energy bursts.

 

Hannah is a sweet girl who will be a great companion to her forever family. Hannah has a lot of love to give! Hannah will need a family who is up to having an energetic young puppy around and who will be consistent in puppy training. Hannah is a smart girl that with a lot of time, patience, training, and love, will thrive!

Here are a few things to remember before you race to email your placement advisor. 

• Puppies are a LOT of work in their first year!
• Puppies have small, immature bladders and cannot go a full work day without being let out. You will need to make arrangements for a midday break until Hannah is about 6 months old.
• Puppies NEED obedience, manners training, and socialization! RAGOM gets many unmannered and under socialized dogs in due to a simple lack of training and socialization when they are young. This is a crucial time for puppies to learn so many things!

    

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UPDATES:

05/30/2014:Hannah is one lucky girl and has been adopted by the R family!! She is going to live the Golden Life with her new mom, dad, sisters, and fur brother Ely, a RAGOM alum! I don't think I could have found a more perfect family for Hannah. She left with a new wag in her walk with so much excitement for her new life ahead. I am so happy for you, Hannah!
Thank you!

Springtime/Early Summer 2014

Time keeps flying by, but here's some highlights!

Landscaping and cleaning up the yard... they did get some work done in addition to wheelbarrow rides!

Take your kids to work day... they had so much fun they want to come to work with me all the time!

Sofia's Kindergarten class performance

Samantha's Art Walk

A spring time visit to the zoo.

MondoFest with friends... another great show!

Mother's Day... motherhood is really having your heart live outside of yourself.  I'm blessed!

A joyous and busy visit!  Thanks for coming to the show Antie and Uncie!  We miss you!

Sofia's Tea Party

My Hannukah gifts to the family last year was a tea party for Sofia, a slumber party for Samantha and for Daddy to be gone for both of them.  Samantha went with Dad up north (past Duluth along the North Shore) biking and hiking while Sofia and I stayed home.  We went to the school carnival Friday night and somehow managed to watch movies both nights!  It was a nice snuggling time for Sofia and I!

Sofia was all about the goody bags for the party.  I tried to talk her out of it, but it was the part that she was focused on!  We spent most of Saturday shopping and then Antie She for lunch.  Antie She also helped me with the "tea party without tea".  Many thanks to her again!

Spring Break 2014

Daddy and I celebrated our anniversary and spring break with a trip to St. Louis.  Time with Antie, Uncie and JoAnn was long overdue.  We went to our usual haunts like Faust Park, Magic House and City Museum.  There was dinner at Uncle Bob's house which is a fun tradition for us.

When we got back, there were sleepovers (with Grammy and at friend's houses), play dates and some downtime.  We even managed a dinner with Nana and Papa and squeezed in a quick visit with Jordan and Dylan.

Samantha got her new bike and I discovered that riding Daddy's bike is not fun for me.  Mine is waiting for new tires so I had to borrow Daddy's.

We are so fortunate.