Bedtime one night this week

We were trying to say prayers and tuck boys in...Scramo and Harley were ready to play!

In my opinion...there is nothing funnier (well most anything) than a cat and a dog playing.
LOVE this shot...it's my desktop background at the moment! Right before this pic, Scramo was actually licking Harley's nose. They love to play and wrestle.

It was bedtime for this boy...who was ready to read his ISpy books by his nightlight. This guy's bedtime too...he is soooo coming out of his shell and I love it!

Meet Gypsie!

I'm Gypsi a Chesapeake Bay Retriever. I'm about 5 years old. I was trained extensively for 2 years on many commands. But I have been in a pen for 5 years. When I arrived at the Smith Family Farm and Country Club, I had no idea how to relate to any dog (or really anything to that matter.) I have never been abused so my self esteem is just great.

I have a chocolate curly coat and a beautiful block head (so my mama says.) I go to the family when they say "Gypsi heel." I sit quietly by their side and want my head rubbed because I am starting to know what "affection" is. After 4 days of being on the farm I finally wagged my tail. I don't attack and growl at Maggie and Harley anymore (thankgoodness, mama says.) My family has given me SO much love, time, and affection over the past 2 weeks and it is amazing how much that will change a dog! It feels wonderful to be a part of a loving family. I even get to come inside in my own kennel in the den with everyone else for the night and sleep snuggly!
Toby is standing on my kennel with his "sword" soooo NOT wanting his pic taken!

new form of punishment!

They were fighting. Spanking doesn't work...

So now they must hold hands! (and sit close together)
They get mad at us. So they are exerting their energy as a team towards us!

We were laughing under out breath (of course)...it sorta works...most of the time! It looks like Harley is laughing at them too! Try it with your kiddos!

drawing monsters...

Gage has a love for drawing monsters. So I had to purchase him this new book I saw.

Jeremy draws a monster but his monster is VERY rude and demanding.
I always have to write in the front of a book...if it is especially to them.

These 2 kitties are being huge helpers...Butterscotch and Scramo!

Reading...

This is a new past-time that I'm trying to instill in our boys. Brad and I are not "readers." I'm trying to change that in ME...I am always carrying a book now-a-days. Right now it's Cape Refuge...easy reading and very captivating...it's a 4 book series. Carson's teacher this year is really pushing reading too. So after baths we head to the bed and pile in and all look at books. I read one to the boys and then Carson reads one to me while Gage and Toby attempt to read too.

Harley LOVES Carson and reading with us too (I guess)...but it's just probably just the attention she gets while we read and rub her belly. It keeps Carson focused while he's reading b/c he knows that Harley is right there with him and not having fun without him somewhere.
O and I have a pretty non-eventful birthday...as far as I know planned. The treat though is that Carla and Mac are bring McAllisters to my classroom and we are going to eat a quick lunch together. That will be fun...then off to cheer in H'burg for Meg and Brad has a volleyball game.

Miss Bertie & Nutmeg

I love my cats because they follow you around like dogs...they have character!

I caught Miss Bertie sneaking up on Nutmeg the other day...
It was fun to see the romp and play and actually catch it on camera!

Meet Rocky!

Brad came home from his parents after switching golfcarts. I was finishing up bathing the boys. He said "well, I was over at mom and dad's and I heard a distress sound coming from the pine trees. I went over there and saw this baby squirrel on the ground crying and curled up. I picked him up and put him as high up in the tree as I could. He crawled up a little bit and then back down a little bit more. I left him there. If you want to go see if he's ok you can. You can decide what you want to do about it." Well I immediately went over there with gloves and a flashlight. I searched everywhere on the 4 pine trees and saw the nest way up in the tree. Then I started shining the light on the ground...there he was...tiny, curled up, shivering, tail wrapped around him for security. Well if you know me just a little you know exactly what I did!

Meet Rocky!

I took him in to show my in-laws. Slick said "oh you got Rocky." So the name just stuck. Guess he was thinking about the cartoon "Rocky and Bullwinkle." Fine with me because who knows what my boys would have come up with!

He sleeps all the time right now. He is in the laundry room in the cage next to the 2 boxes/cages of 40+ baby chicks. Ummmm...I do love living on this farm. What cool things my boys are getting to experience...and you know it is all about experiences that have lots to do with who we are...so I think! The boys love Rocky and they are constantly wanting to help me with him. I am cautious though. I wear a glove with the hand I hold him with. I got a baby bottle to feed him with and pet milk that I mix up and feed him about 4 times a day. No plan to keep him forever as a pet. But it will be fun to raise him until he is able to take care of himself on our land.

I'll keep you updated...

Maggie Love...

My boys love their Maggie and their Maggie loves them and all their attention!

Toby will just lay on her belly sometimes and drink his juice. She is so sweet and gentle...she just lays there and considers it lots of loving from him.

Gage and Carson love her too. I guess Toby is trying to give Harley a big ole kiss in the mouth!
Silly boys with their sweet dog. Every kid needs a dog to love and take care of.

naptime...what a joke!

I'm suppose to be napping! But I took a 20 minute cap-nap on the way home from the Upward game and now I'm just not real tired. Got my bed buddy (Peanut) with me, sun shades on, and my book to read...I'm way too cool for naptime!

Harley & Maggie

I love these 2 dogs. They are so grateful and appreciative. My boys love these 2 dogs too!
Harley - found right in the entrance of our fence and was full of worms and starving to death
Maggie - found in the high school parking lot, kids were throwing rocks at her (loaded her up in the back of my CRV for the rest of the day)
These 2 dogs know that they have gone from rags to riches here with us.
They know that they have been rescued...they are forever grateful!

napping

Look who is totally making themselves at home...

Poor boy...fell asleep before I could get his hat off!

our new addition

Brad and I have been doing some research for the past 2 days on Austrailian Shepards. They seem like a really neat breed that would fit us. For the first time since my Sherpa went to heaven I can actually talk/think about getting another dog to love. So we even made a phone call last night to a guy that has puppies...

Skip to this afternoon at 4:00 when our friends came out to deer hunt. He came in the house and said "oh you decided to go ahead and get a dog?" He said that there was an Austrailian Shepard out in the driveway that Linda was petting. I still did not believe him. I followed him outside and there was this small dog with blue merle markings. She was precious. I had no idea what Brad would say or think of it.

I bought her in and gave her some food. Toby was of great assistance. We both had our hands in her face and bowl the entire time she was eating. She never got aggressive. We have 5 cats as you know and she never was aggressive towards any of them. You could tell that she was just so excited to be loved on and have a little food in her belly.

We brought her in and gave her a bath in the utility sink. Feed her a little more food again. She finally got settled on the dog bed by Maggie. I went and laid down beside her to love on her. She did not even have enough evergy to get up and jump all over me. She is so exhausted! I know she has been wandering around for several days after some cruel person dumped her out on the side of the road to either die or for someone to take in. Now she can sleep with a full belly tonight beside Maggie...

Funny thing is...I have been praying for the right dog for us to be shown to me and show up when it is time for me to have another one. I was not excited about having a 6 week old puppy to house break in the winter...I already have to change Toby's diapers...that is enough for me right now! So I consider her a little present from Heaven. Oh and she LOVES Toby...I mean...really loves him!

She doesn't have a name...any suggestions?

Sharing with Maggie

Last night the boys wanted popcorn in their fort while they were watching a movie. Toby had other plans with this popcorn...he like to share with his buddy!

Maggie is so gentle with all by boys...

She takes food so soft and sweet out of Toby's hand.

I love that my children are around lots of different animals (large and small)...it's good for them!