Oreo

We took the plunge and got a puppy! I have been wanting one for a long time. Well mostly before we had Brett. Once we had a baby I couldn't imagine taking care of anyone else's poop! Since we bought our house though and especially since playing with some puppies in August at a community event, I have been much more puppy hungry. Another reason Sean and I have really wanted to get a dog is because of the way our kids adored Elroy when my parents lived with us. The kids just love playing with puppies and we think it will help teach them a lot of responsibility. They have already done a great job at taking him out to go potty, taking him on walks, and playing with him. It has also been really good for them to have to pay more attention to where they put their things.

We got a Border Collie. I don't think he's completely pure bred, but both his parents were borders and he is darling and healthy. We found him on a KSL ad. He was the runt of the litter and is just so cute. Border Collies and incredibly intelligent dogs and are not considered to be beginner dogs because they require a lot of exercise and mental stimulation or they become very destructive. He is very smart and definitely very active. We are having "fun" potty training and are grateful for my parents carpet cleaner in our garage. I do feel like he has made a ton of progress in the two weeks we've had him. He loves to play fetch, tug of war, chew on rawhides, go on car rides to drop off or get kids from school, and chew on hands, ankles, feet, chairs, really anything! We've been teaching him to jump through a hoop, sit, not cry in his crate at night, go potty outside, and how to walk on a leash.

He had his first vet appointment on Friday morning and is about 7.5 lbs. The tech says she thinks he'll grow to 50-60 lbs. From the research I did, it was more like 30-40lbs. We will see who is right, ha ha! He has double dew claws on his back feet which is an indication he may have some other breed in him since Border Collies don't normally have that trait.

 He has gotten less sleepy and more chewy in the last two weeks.

 Our first picture as we were getting in the car right after buying him.

 The first few days he slept so much more and was good to sleep on the couch and stuff so the kids kept bringing him toys and putting blankets on him.

 Sean helped my dad dig some holes and put in cement for a deck he is building. We took Oreo and spent lots of time hanging outside.

 He loved to snuggle that first week, now he's a bit too busy. He kept snuggling to my feet all week though even when I would be doing dishes or cooking he would snuggle up to my foot.

 Elroy and Oreo got along good, but Elroy was a bit jealous and felt the need to mark his territory. Oreo has since tried to herd Elroy.

 Brett continues to enjoy his Karate class!

 Alana fell asleep with a book open for the first time and I couldn't resist getting a picture. So so cute!

 When taking one sleeping picture, why not take 3?

 Alana did a Brown Bear Book in school and read it to us. It was so cute!

 Oreo is mostly restricted to his playpen or the kitchen area. He won't go potty on the hard floor so its been helpful with his potty training.

 He loves the yard and the fence comes this week and next so yay!

 The kids got t shirts when the school announced their new mascot and colors. The Puma which Alana calls Pumba.

 Eiley is a neighbor who comes home with us on Fridays and Alana and Lizzie enjoy playing with her.

Mom and Dad P Brought me a giant bucket of peaches. I made jam and cobbler, and then removed the skin and froze the rest for smoothies.