Happy Graduation!

Brian's Graduation Gift:

The Volvo V50... nice

blue = new car, red = old car

I get the feeling we are going to be one of those Volvo families.

Luckily for me, Brian seems to think I will get to drive it around most of the time. Woo hoo! I'll have to drive the pup, run errands, and run kids around (someday), so I guess it makes sense. I'm not complaining!

We definitely need to say a big THANK YOU! to the Saponases. I don't know where we would be without their love, support and generosity. I am really a lucky lucky wife to have such great in-laws.

Portland says thank you too!

Bugggggs

So before I came here, I asked everyone who had ever had Southern experience to tell me about the bugs, because I wanted to be mentally prepared. Most people said something about cockroaches or about mosquitoes, but that it wasn't anything to be too wary of. Well this is neither a cockroach or a mosquito (though I have bites up both arms from taking the pup out at night).

EWWWWWW! How many legs do you need, really?

Luckily brian was there to dispose of it. A three foot metal ruler, then a handful of paper towls, put inside a paper bag, and the creature was disposed of.

Other than the bugs, Portland seems to keep us on our toes. What a handful! She definatly loves to play, to herd, and to chew! I just keep reminding myself that all puppies do.

2008_07_29 Portland

Couches and puppies

We have a couch!! Our things FINALLY came a few days ago, and I am happy to say our couch made the trip. I never thought I would miss sitting on a couch, let alone our current couch, but I did. After a few weeks of only sitting on beds, in cars, on an air mattress, on the floor and on our new dinning room chairs... I really missed my couch.

I missed our other stuff too: tv, dvds, cooking stuff, alarm clocks, towls, pillows, lots of stuff. But it was worth it! We are here, our stuff is here, and our pup is here. I can't complain.

Things are going well with Portland. She of course is a trouble maker, but we seem to be making progress with her. She has come to accumulate quite a few nicknames, depending on what she has done:

Chewy (Chewbacca)= relentlessly chewing on anything she sees

Rat or Brat = just stole a sock from the laundry

Velociraptor = just bit brian's nose, again

Monkey or Stinky = just farted, again

Missy, Little Miss, or Doodle Bug = caught doing something bad, but looks too cute to be mad at
Lovey = looks cute when sleeping or tired

Despite all those, she really is good, and really is smart. Too smart, but luckily very motivated by food. She can sit, stay (sorta), down, leave it, and come to her name with a treat in your hand, and 40% with out a treat. If she was caught chewing on something we can't move, like the carpet, or corners, she will take one of her chewy toys over to the crime scene and pretend to chew on her toy while she sneaks in carpet chews

Brian also wants me to mention that we made the most amazing fries today, thank you scott for the deep-fryer. We are probably going to buy more potatoes tonight and make more fries for tomorrow.

She always looks like a goof ball when I take her picture!

No matter which tenticle she gets the other 7 still seem to bop her on her nose

More Portland!

We have a new video of her with an ice cube in her mouth, and a few pictures of her in a ridiculous sleeping position. Enjoy!

Bedtime Strategies

Day 1 Bedtime Strategy- This did not prove tiring enough.

Day 2 Bedtime Strategy- This approach worked much better.

I don't know what the extra clicks and bangs are in both movies. We just used the video setting on our point-and-shoot, so it isn't that high quality or anything.

Savannah to Portland

Well here she is! Welcome Portland!
Yes our super secret name, that we came up with long before we even knew she was born, was Portland. We thought it was only fitting to have a geographical name in honor of our beloved Jorjah (whom I think was named for the state Georgia where Scott was born, but I could be wrong). We couldn't really come up with some crazy spelling though, so it is just Portland (but I say it "Portlinn!" because it is easier and cutie).

She is definitely a handful. Not that I didn't believe I'd be in for some work. But when Jeanne told brian "Your in for a long night," I really did think that it could possibly be that long! Turns out, you have to expel as much or more energy than the pup you are trying to tire out so she will sleep well. The second night was easier though- I caught onto the play hard before you sleep trick.

She looks innocent now, but five minutes later she stole my "thank you" notes and ran with them!

Smart girl! She knows her name and not to get on the bed! We are still working on "hurry-ups" but we are getting really close.

Proud daddy!

She rode on my lap most of the way home, we didn't have the heart to use the crate.

Savannah to Portland Photo Album

I can't wait for Saturday!

We'll get her Saturday morning!

Can anyone guess what our new pupper's name is?

Hint: it is a location.