Skype

                                      Skyping with Chris In Afghanistan

                                                      Good Dogs

Spring

                                Spring has sprung here in the desert

Big Mama/ Slider

The water turtles have this awesome ability to shut down their systems during the winter months so they can stay underwater without needing to come up for air or food. Sometimes if it get unseasonably warm they might come up to catch some sun rays but they go back down. We can always tell when the warm spring weather is here to stay because they come up and they are HUNGRY.

Cooter/ Florida cooter

                                       They really are Good Turtles

Sunshine

                                          Lucy enjoying the sun

                                                       Good Girl

Nap

                                          Napping with dad

 
                                                Good Dogs

Busy

                        We've been busy for the last couple of days.

Good Dogs

We really enjoyed having the kids stay over night a couple of nights. They are at a good age for nothing but fun fun.

Desert

                             The boys got to play in the desert

                                                    Good Dogs

Favorite Spot

                                     Jake's favorite spot in the back yard.

                                               He's a Good Boy

Stressed Out

Poor Betty, when our storm hit 2 days ago, everyone around us got snow. We got a thunderstorm, that seemed to be right above our house. Betty was so freaked out, I think she was caught off guard, because it has been so long since we've had a thunderstorm.

All curled up, worn out from worry

                                                  What a Good Girl

SNOW

Yep, you read that right. We got SNOW, okay we didn't really get it at our house but.....Amy got it at her house and areas all around us got it.
                                                 Really Look

This is at Amy's house 10 minutes from our house

This is the Superstition Mountains about 20 miles from our house

This is a picture of the highway about 20 miles the other direction

Car I passed yesterday afternoon on the highway

Okay so most of you are probably not really impressed by our snow, but you gotta remember we live in the desert so this awesome for us. The boys were really glad they had their new Ruff Wear Jackets today to keep the warm.

Good Boys

Ewwww

I'm guessing Abby since she is the one that drools, she must think she is a mastiff

                                                   She is a Good Girl

                          But this is just gross, sorry I couldn't resist 

Lap Dog

                                           Jake is a true lap dog

I think Jake has figured out the best spot in the house. Someones lap. I was looking at some old photo's and these are just some of the ones I found.

                                           He's a Good Boy

Paved Path

Pete has been talking about our newly paved canal path for a while now. I finally got to see it this weekend while walking the boys ( I walked the girls a different direction) WOW it is fantastic, it is so much nicer now. It is now paved for about 8 miles now. They have put in stop lights at the major crossing which is awesome for Pete who bikes this path to work everyday.

Before

After

It is just beautiful now, I look forward to taking a bike ride down it some day soon.

                 
                                                      Good Boys

Ears

                                  Oh Yeah, Amy gives the best ear rubs

                                            What Good Girls

Valentine

                    Happy Valentine Day

                                                     Good Dogs

Helping

                          The boys helping Pete get some work done

                                              What  Good Boys

Emme

I hope you don't mind i'm gonna share Emme's story today. It's about a dog that we got into the rescue. Emme was an owner surrender. When she came she had to be sedated, as she wouldn't let anybody near her. She was very protective of her owner, so much so that the owner stated she couldn't even take her to the vet. Emme is 1 1/2 yr old English Mastiff.

Emme's first day

Emme is such a beautiful dog. Her first day with us was one of the days I go down and get the dogs out. I sat on the outside of her kennel for 2 hours. All she did was bark at me. After talking with our volunteer coordinator. We decide I would try to work with her to get her to a point where we could get her out. I spent the next 2 days trying to get her to trust me. I brought her a cheeseburger a day and just sat 2hours each day just talking to her, finally I was able to get in her kennel with her.

I'm sitting on a stool in her kennel

 Then she let me pet her twice while I was sitting in her kennel with her. Then on the fifth day I took another volunteer Debbie with me and after 4 hours with her, finally we were able to get her out in the yard.

At first she was so scared and the first time out she only came to me. but then on the 6th day

She went to Debbie and even let me leave the yard, and leave her with Debbie

 I took Amy with on Saturday and she loved running with Amy, slowly she came out of her shell.

 Lea one of the staff members at the kennel was able to get her out with out me there. This is real progress for this girl. We decided she was ready to be moved to a different facility where she could interact with more people. So we moved her on a Thursday. On Saturday she let another volunteer walk her out in the desert. She is still scared but, she is getting better. We had an adoption event this weekend and a family came up and asked about her. Of course she is not up for adoption yet, as she still needs work, however they wanted to see her, said they could wait for her.

I am happy to say they came and saw her. They have decided they want her and are going to start coming to visit her, to help her get ready. This girl has come so far from when she first got here. I am so happy for her.
                                       She is such a Good Girl

Playing

                              Look who's playing with BOTH boy's.

                This is so rare. Lucy is just not into playing much anymore.
                                            What Good Dogs

Chair

                                 How many can you fit in your chair?

  Can you fit this many? Elvis don't care who sits with him, so long as he can sit with his dad. He's Good Boy, and the kids are really Good to.

Presents

I thought I'd show off one of Christopher's Christmas presents. It was prefect for him. You know he's in Afghanistan and he did not want us to send him anything really, just because of where he's at, he thought it would just be easier. So one day after I mailed this to him (he got other things also). I asked him "Are you sure you don't want me to send you anything" And he replied " Well are you sending me a huge picture of the smelves" ( Elvis' nickname) of course I played it off.

Elvis a Good Boy

I got it right don't you think. It's a huge blanket, probably the softest blanket ever. And I it ordered from of all places Walmart, and it was a great price. I tried to order it from other companies but they would not do it because the picture was taken from a phone and not the best quality, although we think it's a great picture. It's a really great blanket.

                           Chris is the one in the front with the dark glasses

From Afghanistan