Happy Birthday Teddy!

Yesterday was Teddy’s 5th birthday. As I look back over the past five years and how fast they have flown by I realize how very much joy Teddy has brought to me and my family.

When I first decided to get a Westie we had been without a dog for about 2 years and I knew that I wanted my kids to grow up with a dog. My husband wasn’t so sure and made sure I knew he wasn’t in favor of my plan. Who will clean up after him? Who will feed him? “I will”, I said. I also told him that it would be a great way for me to get some exercise … walking the dog. Well, one of those statements partially came true as it is me who cleans up after him and feeds him. Walking for exercise – not so much. Teddy isn’t the best walker. He pulls at the leash and wants to make it down to the end of the cul de sac as quickly as possible. Sometimes he’ll stop and pee on a mailbox or two but mostly he just wants to reach the end. Then, halfway back he decides he has had enough and sits down and refuses to move. This is the point where I pick him up and carry him the rest of the way home. I’ve often wondered what my neighbors think as they see me walking and my dog getting carried. Who, exactly, is walking who?

Teddy is such a smart dog and never fails to make me smile at his crazy antics. When he does the Westie tilt with his head you just know he is trying to ask “What ARE you doing?” He also likes to howl when we sing and you can see the joy on his face as he joins in. I just love it when he goes out on cold frosty mornings and then comes in and chases his Westie brother, Calvin, around the house trying to warm up.

He can get a little grouchy at times, he especially doesn’t like his back feet touched, but it just makes it all the more special when he occasionally jumps up onto the couch and plants himself next to me and snuggles in.

And … that husband that wasn’t behind my plan of getting a dog so many years ago? I’ll see him sometimes laying on the couch with Teddy tucked under his arm and they’re like two peas in a pod. I can’t tell who loves who more.

So Happy Birthday Teddy – you are LOVED so very, very much.

Life is Crazy

Boy, where did the summer go? Today is the first day of Fall. The leaves have started to turn and the grass has, finally, stopped growing so fast. Westies, Teddy and Calvin, spent most of their summer relaxing at the pool with their human brothers, Jake and Dan. I'm not sure who was more sad on the first day of school, when the school bus came and picked up the boys, the Westies or me. It meant our summer of fun had come to an end. Our September has been crazy with so much going on ... end of summer get togethers with friends, painting a bathroom, a quick trip to Hershey Park in PA, making plans to refinish our hardwood floors, an unexpected surgery for Papa Bear, school open houses, meetings, etc. In the midst of all the craziness I found myself wishing for September to be over and for October to get here at last. However, if there is anything I have learned in life, it's to not wish for days to pass, but to enjoy each day as it comes. Now that the boys are back at school and it's just Calvin, Teddy, Patches, Stitches and I at home we hope to jump back into blogging about our adventures again. We hope that you'll jump back in with us :0)

Opening the pool

Dad took the cover off the pool yesterday and the water was a very dark emerald green. Not to worry though as in a few days it will be a nice turquoise blue. Dad wouldn't let us within the pool gate while he was working on it because, over the winter when the heavy cover was on, Calvin would bound across it, and Dad was worried that he would think it was still on and go splash! into the emerald green murkiness. Nobody wants to go in that yucky water after him and nobody wants a green Westie! I think that bounding across the cover was Calvin's way of saying that he could walk on water! Once the pool is it's normal color Dad will let us dogs back in and we can resume our Westie races where we chase each other around the outside of the pool. For some reason the family thinks this is hilearous. It's great exercise for us Westies though. See ya, Teddy. p.s. here is a picture of me on the patio last summer.

Our Mom

Here is a picture of us with our Mom. We like to help her when she is working on the computer, but we let her do the typing because it's a little hard with paws. She is a very fast typist, listens very well and gives the best hugs around. She does spend time with those crazy cats that live with us, but we won't hold that against her (because, as we mentioned earlier, she gives the best hugs around).