Hi All,

To say that I am a better person because of my dogs, well, that is a no-brainer.  They love me unconditionally each and every day, they are never in a bad mood, they think that all of my opinions are right, they don’t judge me, they don’t mind if I spend all day crafting or reading or just sitting–which I never do, but they wouldn’t mind if I did.  They are as sweet as sweet can be…honestly, there is not a mean bone in any of their little (well big) bodies. ❤

So here we go…

This is Gracie, she is a Golden Retriever and she is 9 years old.   She is a special girlie who can do every trick in the book and then some.  She is as smart as a whip, no kidding, this girl can learn a new trick in minutes. She can “close” doors–doesn’t matter what kind of door, cabinets are her favorite thing to close, she can sit pretty, give a high-5, and a high-10, speak, spin, roll over, fetch, stay (for hours), come when called (thank goodness); I’m sure I’m forgetting some of her tricks, but, the girl is amazing!  The Newfs adore her and they all play and live together beautifully.  Gracie loves her toys and still tries to play tug-o-war with Samson. She has started to have a few health problems, but we watch her closely and care for her lovingly when she isn’t feeling her best.  She is an wonderful little lady…Miss Gracie Mae….yes, indeed, just wonderful! ❤

This is Sophie, she is a Newfoundland, and will soon be 9 years old.  Her big personality matches her physical bigness, she weighs 161 lbs. and is 32″ at the withers (yes, she is bigger than the “Standard” Newf…more to love in my humble opinion). 🙂  This girl was quite an ornery puppy, in fact, there was the one time that while trying to retrieve a ball from under a couch, she literally pulled said couch away from the wall and into another room in order to capture the ball again <~~~ That is a true story! lol She has calmed down in her older age, although, she is still as agile as can be, she runs like the wind, and is as animated as the day is long. When we were building this house, we’d let her ride along with us over here every day so she got accustomed to her ride (you know we went *just* for her…<~~ in her mind anyway), so now-a-days at 2pm every single day, without fail, I take her for a little ride around our neighborhood—no, I do *not* spoil my dogs… <~~~ I just told a big fib! lol 😉 But, Sophie gets so much joy out of that little ride each day, I just can’t deny her. 🙂  This girl doesn’t have any health issues!  Her white muzzle and eye lashes and brows are the only way that one can tell she is getting up in age.  She is as strong as an ox and I feel as if she will be with us for many years to come. ❤

This is Samson, he is also a Newfoundland, he will be 6 years old soon, and he is a very special fella.  Yes, he is huge, he weighs 148 lbs. and is 30-1/2″ at the withers (exactly what the “Standard” calls for).  Samson has a sweetness about him that is undeniable, this boy has never met a stranger and has put many smiles on many peoples faces.  His favorite pastime is laying his head in peoples laps when they tell him to “Come say hi”. ❤  My Mom, who passed away a few years ago, was in a nursing home for the last several years of her life (Alzheimer’s–hate it).  Whenever I would go and visit her, I’d take Samson along with me, trust me when I say that this boy was much loved in that nursing home; his very nature was meant to help people feel better. Here are a few pictures of him at the nursing home, he was amazing:

Now-a-days, Sam spends his time lounging, playing, and enjoying folks around town when I take him out and about. I do not take him to nursing homes any longer…too tough for me honestly.  BUT, he still puts plenty of smiles on plenty of peoples faces. 🙂  He is very healthy, yes, he does have a few joint issues, but we are supplementing him for that, a few skin issues now and again, we are managing those as well.  All in all, he is a very special pup that I feel was meant to be in our family. ❤

I would be totally lost without these pups in my life, yes, I’m a crafter, but, I’m a Mom first and foremost…to my human girls yes, but also, to my pups. They enrich my life in so many ways; they calm me when I’m not having the best of days, they put a smile on my face every day, they make me giggle when they are romping around and playing, or running in the snow…they make me happy when I see how they make others happy when they greet them exuberantly. Well, they make my life whole. Yes, I am one of *those* dog Moms…haha. 😉

~Arlynn