Favorite Shots

I love this photo Charlotte took right before they left for Texas with Purple girl. The five remaining pups seem to sense that something is different.

And Jack makes three!

Ranger, Cap'n Jack, and Piper are getting plenty of exercise since the polar cap has melted in South Dakota. Even the white doggie is mixing it up in the mud! I love this picture of Ranger and Jack chillin after the 5 mile hike. Father and son, look like their done!

Time moves on....

As each day passes, Kit and Boo are becoming more inseparable. They eat, play and sleep together. Two dogs really are much easier than seven!!!

Checkin in on Kit and Kaboodle

It was lonely at first, but Boo quickly started following Kit around to find out what "big dogs" really do with their time. She hasn't followed Momma all the way in yet, but I'm sure it won't be long.


Boo was also interested in what grandma does with her time, and quickly claimed space on the yoga mat.

Coming home to South Dakota

Kim and Bailey (Jack too!) together at last!

Piper, not living up to her reputation.

Gosh, who's that tough guy??

On the road again, like a band of gypsies we go down the highway.......

Jack and Bailey arrived safely in South Dakota after having a perfect potty record on the trip! They then met their Daddy, whose size was a bit intimidating at first...., but they quickly warmed up to one another. Even Piper was accepting of Jack without one complaint (whoda thunk?!) Kim then arrived and received a big greeting from Bailey, her new baby girl. I am thrilled to see how well all the pups have done forging out into the world. This has truely been a match made in heaven.

Half the pack makes their way home

Charlotte sent some photos of the departure of Jack, Lucy, and Bailey. The Shaw's went from here to Flip's home, where the boxers once again met the goldens. This time there was rough-housing and running. Looks like either Craigor or Cody ended up at the bottom of the dog-pile! Lucy was heading for Atchison, Jack & Bailey to South Dakota. More of their adventures to come.

Daisy Doe leaves the ranch

Today the Fitzpatricks came to claim their Hurricane Daisy Doe (yellow girl). She quickly warmed up to her new family and posed for individual pictures with Teagan and Kylie. Kit demonstrates her approval of the adoptive family.... after all, they brought her a new tennis ball!

Kit can count only one.....two.....hmm?

The Shaw's collected their half of the litter, blue boy (Captain Jack), green girl (Lucy), and red/pink girl (Bailey), late this afternoon after an all night drive from Texas. I was doing pretty well saying goodbye until Jack licked my face and put his paw on my forearm, as if to comfort me. Both girls also gave me a kiss, and a loving look. Needless to say, that did it!

The equalizer came later, as it always does. Kit was actually able to stretch out between her two remaining pups for the first time since she has weined them. Prior to tonight, someone would always jump on her and attempt to nurse. Peace in the kitchen!

It's a really good thing they're cute...

As the pups grow in size and appetite, so increases the havoc they cause in the kitchen. Ray needed to make a conference call without barking and puppy romping in the backgroud, so he headed to a coffee shop in town for some solitude. Then we met for dinner and a little one on one time, only to return home to face the results of 5, 8wk, 15 lb puppies left to their own devices for a few hours! Needless to say, we paid for that dinner in more than one way!

I have reached the same conclusion that dog experts have preached for centuries - there comes a time to split up the pack and domesticate each pup to human expectations. The time is now!

After I finally finished de-pooping the kitchen floor, still feeling a bit unsettled by the whole scene, I peeked into the laundry room to discover one of the pups sleeping with an old cottage cheese container on his/her? head! Ok, they can stay a couple more days.

Purple Girl's Road Trip to her Texas Home

Charlotte and Julie pose one last time with the whole litter before purple girl/now named Kerri (another special name to this pack) loads up with the Shaw's for the long ride to Texas.

Cary, Charlotte and Kerri met up with the Benedictine contingent of the Shaw family in Atchison, where Dave said his farwells to "purps" - who obviously thinks Cary needs some direction from the back seat!

Kasi, Kayleigh, Kerri taking a car nap. Are we there yet?!

Chris, Cody, Craigor, Grandma (Charlotte's Mom), and Kerri. Thanks for finding our sweet girl a home, grandma!

Dot, Ed, and Kerri - they look like a perfect match!

Water dogs

It was so nice this evening that Ray and I decided to take Kit and the pups for a long walk around the property. Inevitably we ended up at the pond. Kit jumped in, of course, and the curious pups tested the water. Unfortunately I had left the camera behind and missed some very precious moments. Here are the results. Jack with a very black belly!

All tucked in.

Natalie covers a couple of the sleeping, or nearly sleeping pups with a blanket. They had a busy day, and appreciated the TLC.

Another pleasent puppy Saturday!

Grandma Violet and yellow girl.
Natalie and yellow girl.

Liz and Lucy (aka Green Girl), or is that yellow girl again? I can't tell for sure. I do know that that is Kit in the background.
Jack gets his hands (and other parts) washed before going back inside. He doesn't seem to mind!

The sun shone brightly on the ranch today and there was maximum puppy activity. Liz, Joel, Nat, Andrew and Grandma Vi joined us for outdoor action with Kit and her quickly growing pups.

Learning to share?

One of the pups favorite toys are old socks, tied in a knot. They have this one stretched to the max!

And then there were five...

I knew this day would come, but I'm not sure I was ready. It felt like sending a child off to college-you know it's the right thing, but your heart doesn't want to let go. Today the first born, purple girl, was the first to leave the nest, heading to Texas with the Shaws to surprise a very lucky new owner. Kit and the other pups didn't seem to take notice for very long. So it goes in the animal kingdom.

The eyes are the window of the soul

I couldn't have planned such a photo - but look at the the headline on the newspaper on the left side of this picture, then look at this puppy's face. They say the same thing!!

Ouch!

The pups have become a bit agressive with their sharp little teeth. In this picture Orange girl (Lady Kit's Kaboodle) takes a bite out of me!

Zzzzzz......

Jack & Bailey having a nap.

I'm fascinated by all the different positions these puppies sleep in. No "sleep number" bed required!

A breath of fresh air

Finally a day with sunshine and without tree bending winds!! This is me posing with the pups. In my imagination, they were all going to line up perfectly along the stone wall and pose for a Hallmark-like photo. As you can see, I was the only one looking at the camera! Oh well, so much for being in charge! This is the view I will miss the most!

Happy Birthday Ray and Grandma Violet

Ray, Kit and the pups take a walk. Yes, Kit does have the tennis ball in her mouth!

We honored Ray and his mother's birthday with a brownie cake decorated by Natalie. It says "Happy Birthday Uncle Ray and Grandma Vi". Thanks for your hard work Nat!

Maximum Puppy Satisfacton!

Craigor and Jack

Sean and a pup.
Andi, Jessie and Boo.

Teal, Liz, Green and Red girls (I think).

The puppies attracted lots of people to the ranch again today. It's Ray's birthday, also his Mom's on Mon, and Kit's on Tues. Several Benedictine students visited for MPS (Maximum Puppy Satisfaction), a term coined by Dustin, a friend of Bert's, back in their St. Louis U days. Dustin is in Navy Seals training, and probably could use a couple hours of relaxation with a litter of pups!

Weighing in at ...

I weighed everyone this evening and the results are in. Purple and green girls weigh in at 10.8 lbs!! Jack (blue boy) and yellow girl tie for second at 10.4 lbs. Orange girl is 9.6 lbs, and red girl weighs 9.4 lbs! So all are healthy and thriving. Here you see the pups snacking between meals on some rawhide chew sticks. We love to chew! I'm not sure who is missing in this picture, but I count 5.

Canine antics

Big puppy brawl on the dog bed.

Orange girl guards an old soccer sock. They make great puppy toys!

Yellow girl poses as a canine paper shredder.