Heelers R 4 Me!

Me again!

2010-11-26T15:32:00.000-05:00

Well, here I am again for the day! I just updated the website again, I think I have it set now.....finally!! So if ya want to check it out, go ahead. :)
Amy

I'm still here! :)

2010-11-26T13:40:00.000-05:00

Ok, where has the time gone?? It's crazy that I've not updated in so long now! Let's just say, that since August rolled around and school started...........it's been C.R.A.Z.Y around here!!! Total non-stop craziness! It's been so long, I'm not sure what I've even mentioned, but, finally got into the school routine, everyone adjusted, Cole is loving it and doing quite well. Just as we were all settling in, my Explorer decided to basically kick the bucket.........transmission totally went out, not even able to be rebuilt.........NICE. That through me into chaos, having to borrow vehicles to drive, looking for a replacement, etc. Finally after a whole month of brain drain on vehicles, we were set once again. We've had birthdays on top of birthdays, dad back in hospital, wedding, visiting relatives, sickness, holidays and just everyday life.........it all adds up to............no time. Thankfully now, I *think* I see some light at the end of the tunnel here. Some sort of routine has come back to us and we're all a little more on schedule, for now anyways! Can't believe Thanksgiving just rolled around once again, Christmas is around the corner. This year has totally flown by! Just seems things were unusually busy and hectic for 2010.......hoping 2011 is a bit more mellow!

Dogs are doing great! We have added another addition to our family..........Ember. Her and Piper are great buddies. Diesel has definitely grown a lot. Mattie and Cookie both have been bred, so hoping for some January babies! They'll probably be 7 to 10 days apart! Have I got my work cut out for me!!! LOL Two litters of babies in the garage at once.........been there, done that............it's double the fun and quadruple the work! LOL But I love it!!! :) Oh, and I finally got the website re-done and updated......go check it out!

Ember

Piper

Piper playing tennis!

Diesel

Well, hopefully I can stay a little more up to date here now, that things have finally calmed down. Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Amy

Updates in Dogworld!

2010-08-31T10:33:00.000-04:00

Long time, no updates here. Things have really been busy with school starting. All is well around here. I have played musical pens with a few of the dogs, much to their dismay! LOL Bella was the main one to let me know SHE DID NOT LIKE THE NEW ARRANGMENTS! She would not stay put. So did a little more doodling and everyone is happy for now. I had put Jasmine into the smaller pen that Diesel was in, so I could put Diesel and Piper together in the bigger pen to share. That little squirt Piper CLIMBED OVER the fence!! At least she went into Bella's pen and wasn't out roaming somewhere. So now Piper is by herself in the smaller but much taller pen..........so far, so good! She climbs these fences like a dang spider! LOL

I have taken away Ace's automatic feeder, or "free feeding right". He guarded that feeder with his life and really was putting on too much weight. He has gotten used to the fact that I come with his food now, in little cups. So far he's starting to look like he's trimming down.......some. He just about knocks me over if he jumps up on me! I've thought about putting him on the weight control food, but, I believe he's just eating TOO MUCH of the regular, so we're trying this first.

I think one reason Bella was so against the pen moving and getting out, is that she's appearing to be coming into heat. This is going to be a loooong 3 weeks! LOL She seems to like to get into messes and create uproar during her cycle. We're still awaiting for Cookie to come in. Hopefully her knowing about Bella will kick her into gear........that always seems to happen around here. She's really late. I'm sure missing some sweet little babies around here! Come on Cookie!! :) Mattie will be bred early winter with Ace again, for some more awesome pups.

Diesel has gotten SO big just recently. It's like he grew overnight! He's such a goofball, absolutely just cannot stay out of water and loves to play play play. His blue is starting to look really nice, getting lots of mottling and little speckles in there. And he's so wonderfully soft too! And we are happy to say that he has tested for prcd as PRA "A"!!!! We're thrilled!

Piper is doing good. What a little varmit some days though! LOL She's into everything, all the time. We are trying to get her used to staying outside some of the time, instead of indoors all the time. She's not quite liking it. She loves sitting in her water tub......it's too cute!! LOL She is a climber and jumper. I swear she wears springs on her feet sometimes. :) When she's in the house, we have to keep all doors to everyone's rooms closed. Otherwise, she goes in, and will drag out anything she can get her mouth on. Oh and she LOVES the bathroom..............she attacks the toiled paper rolls! That is NOT a fun mess to clean up either.........so bathroom doors shut too! Oh and shoes, boy does she love to chew shoes. She's our little mess for the moment! LOL She loves going exploring in the woods when the kids go. They usually pick a dog to go with them and have been taking her lots to get her used to more stuff. They all have fun!

I guess everyone else is just the same 'ol same 'ol. Jasmine is just slowing down, getting old and gaining weight. Since she's retired, I've been tossing around giving her up to a new home, just to make a bit more room here, that I really need. It's so hard to decide. I definitely would not even consider it if she weren't going to a top notch, VERY caring and loving home, with lots of attention. And too, this will be Cookies last litter more than likely. After that, I am considering a new home for her too. I guess it gets to a point, when your older gals get to the retiring point, and you need to bring in younger, you will eventually be taken over by too many mouths too feed and not enough time for everyone if you don't move the older out.........I don't want that. I would feel good about it if they go to caring homes.

I have gotten in a few new pics from Bella's litter that I will have to post later. For now, my laundry is calling and so is some photo processing. Ya'll have a great day! :)
Amy

And more ACTION!

2010-08-24T09:17:00.000-04:00

I came across these pics, taken a few weeks ago, that I forgot about. Diesel and the kids were having a blast jumping off the patio and me taking their "action" shots! It's really not QUITE as high as it looks here, so no harm done. I was practically laying on the ground! I don't know why, but every puppy we've ever had, loves to jump off this patio! This went on, over and over, for quite some time. They had a blast though!

Diesel the Cook??

2010-08-24T09:12:00.000-04:00

LOL..............he was very much interested in the grill!! I'm sure he was really just smelling all the dried leftover chicken, hamburger, hotdogs debri stuck in there somewhere! LOL But nonetheless, he was very smitten with it. He eventually got ON TOP of the thing too! LOL He's all about his food! You know how these Heelers are.

Now for some pretty poses.............

2010-08-24T09:06:00.000-04:00

Finally, after all the horseplay and chasing and rough housing, these young 'uns decided to chill out for a bit, letting me get some nice pics of them for a change. These dogs are so hard to photograph! LOL Diesel is now 19 weeks old, Piper is 10 weeks.

Ready.........set...................ACTION!!

2010-08-24T08:59:00.000-04:00

Piper and Diesel playing yesterday evening. These two are NON-STOP! Enjoy!

Piper is her name.......

2010-08-19T16:04:00.000-04:00

Yep, that's what we decided on for our new little girl's name.........Piper. It just kinda of come up and it was actually a name that EVERYONE agreed upon, believe it or not! LOL It's amazing how much she's grown and filled out in just 10 days too! Quite the spunky little gal she is. I believe we have "one of those Heelers" on our hands, you know, the ones that are totally FULL of mischief and into EVERYTHING?!? LOL If we don't watch her closely, she will be in the bathroom, unrolling the toilet paper out the door and across the room......I don't know how many feet of toilet paper I have already wound back up. She has a thing for paper, of any kind, she just wants to attack it, shred it and then chew on a wad and clamp down for dear life...........you literally have to pry hard to get her mouth open and get it out!! Anytime we put her up, she instantly starts looking for a way out. She escaped from her pen in the garage overnight. We've been keeping her there at night time and then she's in with us during the day. I'm guessing she climbed over? As we have caught her climbing part way up........we're talking a 3 ft fencing panel, for a little pup, that's a long way down! Definitely going to be a climber! LOL She loves going with Clayton of a morning to help feed the chickens. And she is very much a velcro type dog, at my feet everywhere I go, or anytime I'm just standing or cooking, she comes and curls up on the tops of my feet to sleep.......awwwww. :) We're still working on potty training. I'll admit, I'm not the best potty trainer in the world, so we're still having some accidents in the house. I think her little bladder is still growing and it's hard for her to hold her pee for any length of time. We go out and 15 minutes later she's peed in the floor. But so far, so good. I'm sure she's going to be keeping us on our toes big time! I'll have new pics soon. There's so much going on at the moment that I can no longer think of what I'm typing! LOL So, we'll call it a day here and I'll finish up with my chores. Stay tuned for updated pics of everyone! Have a great day ya'll! :)
Amy

School day!

2010-08-10T18:23:00.000-04:00

It's that time of year again. Unbelievable! Where has summer gone?? And did we REALLY go on a vacation?? Time has just flown by to say the least. The first full day of school was today. Cole did great by the way. He's such a big boy and was so excited to start Kindergarten. We're proud of him!! :) They all have great teachers and I think it's going to be a great year!!

Big things come in small packages...................

2010-08-10T18:17:00.001-04:00

Introducing our newest little gal.......................

Little no name still. We just can't seem to come up with anything, or anything "good" that is! LOL She is such a dainty little gal, but do NOT let that fool ya!! Her firey little attitude takes up for her size, for the moment anyways, right? :) She's upbeat, sweet as can be, follows me everywhere, is Cole's biggest buddy, loves the piled up laundry in the laundry room, has the cutest bebop bounce to her step, very curious, outgoing and can definitely stand her ground. She put Diesel in his place this morning. On their first meeting, she let him know that she means business! LOL And she was not sure about the chickens, she also let them know not to mess with her.........she growled and barked like she was gonna eat them up! LOL But anyway, we look forward to growing this little gal up and her becoming a part of our family. The kids argue over who's going to hold her............is she going to be spoiled or WHAT!?! Many thanks to LaVonda with Happy Trails ACD's!! Stay tuned for a new name! LOL Ya'll take care.

Amy

That'll get your morning going!

2010-07-31T21:35:00.000-04:00

A cup of coffe?.......nah..........mountain dew.....nah..........reading the newspaper.....nah........how about ALMOST stepping on a snake IN YOUR GARAGE?!?! Talk about freaking out!!! This was a jolt to my day, having just gotten up. I saw that Bella, had at some point, dumped her water tub, and decided she just had to have a drink and dug her way out of her pen to do so. So, a little on the aggravated side with her getting out, I put on my rubber boots, grabbed the shovel and went to put her up and secure her in. I got her situated and decided while I was out and in my "dog attire", I'd just feed the others and be done. Well, little did I know there was a guest in the garage beside the bag of dog food!! I just about stepped on the darn snake, because just coming in from outside, you know you can't see the best, so things were a bit dark. Something caught my eye, as if it were moving. I first thought it was a leaf, or maybe a mouse, but I looked a little close and saw that this "thing" looked to be about 3 feet long! So here I am screaming and jumping up and down, freaking out. It backed on up and coiled up behind the big can I keep all the other dog food in. I hollered at Cole to bring me my cell phone..........I was calling my brother to come get this thing OUT! I stood in the garage, determined that this thing would NOT get out alive and I would not loose sight of it. Guess what.............I lost sight of it for a split second and didn't know which direction it had moved. My brother arrived along with his buddy Robert. They had flashlights, shovels and a rake..........we couldn't find that snake anywhere!!! We moved stuff out and everywhere, it was just like it had disappeared. My brother was about to decide I was going insane and seeing things. So after a while they left and I was determined to find that snake if it meant dragging literally EVERYTHING out of the garage, piece by piece! I did NOT want it getting into the house..........the kids sometimes leave the door open that goes into the house from the garage............I couldn't stand the thoughts of that! So here I start, moving even more stuff out and I saw it, all curled up under a rug that I had rolled up that I use when we have puppies. My brother had moved that a little but we didn't see it the first time. Ended up calling my brother back and here they came. It ended up being a rat snake, a young one, but still decent size, almost 3 ft. Don't know if anyone has ever dealt with these rat snakes before, but they are rather mean and wild. This was the smallest we've seen around here, most are 5 to 6 ft that we've seen!! And vicious! One actually tried to attack the tractor tires when my brother was in the hay field not long ago. It would lunge it's whole body at the tractor, flying and raising up like a cobra ready to strike. I think it even took after one of my brother's buddies coming to see what was going on, it put him back in his truck! So I'm glad at least this was a smaller one. But I still don't like snakes of any kind..........YUCK!!!!!!!!!

I ended up cleaning out the entire garage (it needed it bad anyways!) and worked non-stop until about 7:00 this evening. Now things are a little more organized and neater out there. Guess there could always be a snake hiding somewhere out there, but at least it don't have as many places to do so now!!! LOL Hope everyone is having a good weekend so far. :) I'm off to sit down and relax for a minute. Goodnight!
Amy

New Diesel pics.

2010-07-23T11:20:00.000-04:00

A few from the other day. He is sitting nicely and pretty much has gotten the hang of "lay". He had trouble figuring that one out! LOL He's just too concentrated on that T.R.E.A.T!!! Enjoy!

He loves chewing on the water hose!

You know it's hot when............

2010-07-23T11:14:00.000-04:00

you can walk outdoors, up the driveway and not ONE dog hears you because they are all konked out and dead to the world around them!! This heat is CRAZY!!! Heat indexes for the next few days are to be 100 to 105 degrees!! No wonder we're all dragging here. Yeh, but I had decided I'd go out, get Diesel and bring him in for a bit. I walked up to his pen and he was SO konked out that I decided not to bother him, none of the others heard me either. So, I just figured I'd go back to the house when some clanker of a truck went up the road, with a couple young guys in there, who felt the need to yell me a big "woohooooooo girrrllllll"..................and wouldn't you know it, woke ALL the dogs up and they were going crazy, barking.........so much for being quite! LOL Ruined their naptime, didn't it?? LOL

I've been letting them play in the water hose, which they LOVE!! Thank goodness they are sheltered by all the trees here and have full shade all day long. The humidity makes you feel like you can't breathe! We've had some rain, just barely enough to make some of the yard appear like it's greening up, but not much. For the most part, everything is still fried around here.

Guess I'm off again with Cole to the Dr. This poor child is complaining with ear pain again! I just want him to get over this stuff. TGIF.........ya'll have a great weekend!!
Amy

A new gal coming! :)

2010-07-21T14:16:00.000-04:00

Announcing that our new girl will be here soon! We are still working out some names, but guess we'll get there soon. Everyone likes something different. Us girls are leaning towards Tess, Chris likes Daisy and the boys like Storm or Rain. But anyway, we're so looking forward to our newest addition in about 3 weeks!!

Meet little no name:

Updates!

2010-07-21T14:02:00.001-04:00

Hello all! Hope everyone is off to a good day so far. Me, I just can't seem to get to moving today for some reason........have too much swirling through my mind I think! Anyway, thought I'd swing in and leave you with some updates from past puppies and what they're up to at the moment. We LOVE the updates..........thanks ya'll!!

First off, little "Bingo" from Bella's litter, who is now Ruby. What they have to say: Did I mention that we love her?!! She is doing great, she loves the beach, digging the sand. We've been camping a couple of times and she did very well. She has met a lot of people, took her to a party Saturday, she did awesome! As you can tell by the pictures she is SPOILED!!

From "Tucker", who is now Tag, from Bella's litter. No pics yet, but seems like he's the boss around their place. He's caught a few varmits from the fields, rides the tractor and keeps everyone hopping!

From "Kylie", who is now Ella May, from Bella's litter. No pics yet, but here's what her new family says: Just wanted to let you know that "Ella May" (Aka Kylie) has turned out to be a great puppy. Her personality has been perfect for me; brave, friendly, etc. She has adapted well into the summer camp routine and she tolerates the kids swarming to pet her. I take her everywhere with me so she is becoming adapted to many situations, including riding school buses through the windy gravel mountain roads with kids singing loud camp songs. I already have her registered as a service dog since she has already passed all the basic skills necessary (sit, stay, come, lay down, act calm, etc.).

Seems Miss Ella May is doing a superb job and will soon be accompanying her owner on a flight to Grenada! Good luck with your veterinary schooling!

From "Annie", who is now Rainer, from Bella's litter. No pics yet but seems she is very much a fish and LOVES her water. Enjoys going to ballgames and roping. Her new family says she is lots of fun!

Here's a few extra pics that have come in over the past few months from past litters:

Jake from Mattie & Ace's 2009 litter:

Sydney from Mattie & Ace's 2009 litter:

Bandit from Mattie & Ace's 2009 litter:

Gracie also from Mattie & Ace's 2009 litter:

This is Roo from Cookie and Ace's '09 litter:

Babe from Cookie & Ace's previous litters:

Also one from Cookie & Ace, this is Fausto:

Bindi, a Cookie & Ace littermate with Babe:

Cena from Mattie & Ace's 2010 litter:

Copper, a Cookie & Ace litter:

Maggie, (on left), from Mattie & Ace 2010 litter:

And I think that is all I have at the moment. Hope ya'll have enjoyed! I am still working on re-vamping the website, hoping once school is in I can whip that out much quicker than what I'm doing at the moment! LOL I can't wait to get it all done and out there for everyone to see. :) Have a great day!

Amy

Gone fishin'..............................

2010-07-11T23:29:00.000-04:00

and seems all we caught was a big ol' mud puppy!! :)

As you can see, Diesel had a blast, splashing and swimming, dunking under water......he LOVED it! The kids however, weren't too thrilled. It was too hot (95 degrees), fish weren't biting and you know kids......they don't like to listen to their parents.......we told them it wasn't good fishing weather! LOL

And here, Clayton was thoroughly PO'd with me for letting Diesel go wide open in the pond.........."he was scaring the fish away!"

Headin' back home, Diesel's in the lead! You can barely make him out! LOL

Goodnight for now. :)

A few Diesel pics......................

2010-07-10T14:10:00.000-04:00

Just have to share some of our little guy........

Taken the other day:

I swear, does it not look like he's smiling?!? LOL

He LOVES the air vents!

Mr. Personality

SO tired!

Past due updates.................

2010-07-10T13:47:00.000-04:00

Where is the summer going?? It seems to be flying right past. Kids start school back in one month.....oh I dread it!

Hope everyone had a good 4th! We, once again, had another awesome BBQ cookout and fireworks. I seriously think my brother outdid himself this year on the fireworks...........the best yet! Everything went off without a hitch, food was superb, 60 or so people came to eat and way more to watch the fireworks, weather was perfect........so we just had a great time with friends, neighbors and family!

Weather has been insanely HOT here! All last week in the upper 90's, mainly 99. It's also so very dry here. We finally got some rain last night, first in about 3 1/2 weeks! You can imagine what the fields and yards look like........fried! My brother has lost 18 acres of corn he chops up for silage. And the poor garden is kept going barely from us watering every other day.

Bella is keeping us hopping with her escapes. Geez, what am I going to do with her?!? LOL You talk about "escape artist"! She has been put up 3 times today already. This is what she's doing now since we've got "her" pen pretty well secured.........she's digging INTO Mattie's side since they neighbor, then digging out from there. Is it not insane what these dogs think of just to get out? I don't think she'll get out now.......I took care of those holes pretty darn good this time!

Jasmine wasn't acting quite right for about 3 days there, right after our BBQ. We found like a TON of walnuts thrown into her water tub and I'm thinking where she drank some of the water it's made her sick. By the time I discovered them the next evening, I'm sure she's drank from it. She was very weird acting, couldn't hardly move around, just wanted to lay, definitely not herself. I mean, she does act very old somedays, but this was NOT her by no means. Thankfully she's better and back to normal now. We'll have to watch carefully next year and make sure no one throws those into the dogs' water!!

Diesel is doing great. Man, what a ball of fire and personality!!! He's learned how to sit. I'm slowly working on some others, but he is SO "food crazy" that I can't get him to concentrate on ME, all he can think about is "getting that treat"!!! LOL These heelers like their food don't they? LOL His most favorite place to go is in our closet and get out Chris' shearling wool house shoes! He has a thing about shoes too. He chewed off about 6 inches of shoelace off of Chris' work boots! Chris wasn't too happy about that. He is quite a chewing machine! Oh man he LOVES water big time! He wants in the shower or tub all the time. Yesterday while I was changing out everyone's water tubs, I had Bella's just filled up, when he comes over, gets IN the tub and lays down!!! All you could see was his head bobbing up and down! LOL Too bad I didn't have the camera.

Kids have been sick but hopefully on the mend now. Cole had another ear infection, plus everyone is just bogged down with yucky upper respiratory junk.....I think from this horribly dry weather. We're just trying to take it easy here this month, enjoy it before school starts. Hopefully hit my aunt's pool a few times too! Well, everyone enjoy their weekend. I should be back soon with more updates and pics. I'm slowly working on an all new, updated website.......can't wait but it's a slow go! :) Take care!
Amy

A letter from Dixie Boo....................

2010-07-10T13:19:00.000-04:00

I wanted to share a letter I received from little "Boo", from Bella's litter, and pics she sent me. This is too cute! Enjoy!

Hi Amy and Family,
I just wanted to send you a letter from my new home. I am really enjoying my new parents and have learned to clip the heels of my older, but now quite a bit smaller yorkie sister. She got mad at me yesterday. She turned around and ran back at me barking. I am learning that she doesnt like me biting at her at all.

I have learned how to potty outside, sit and stay. They keep telling me "down" ...I kinda get it, but I like to be big and see what is happening. Since I have been here, I have also learned how to jump on the couch. It just happened today....and I didnt even realize what I had done. I still have some gates and barricades in areas of the house....but, here is a little secret... I found out where the toys go when they go to the "hospital". I happened to sneak around a barricade and they were in a basket to be fixed. I just gave the toys a few more internal injuries to be repaired. My favorite toys for the house are the tennis ball and the ones that squeak REALLY loud. I still like taking a toy to the vent to play and cool at the same time.

They have given me 2 basketballs to scoot around in the yard. I am beginning to really like those now that I am getting bigger. I try to steal the ball away when my mommy plays with her feet like a soccer game. I am not a fan of the little pool. I much prefer to splash around in the big water bowl they have for me by the pool. I do like to look thru the fence at the 3 puppies on the other side. We have found a board that is not quite as close so we can stick our noses together and say "hi". They are nice. The other neighbor has a friend that has (2) 4 month old puppies and they come and visit some times, too. We play soooooo good together. Mom says I am really a "social butterfly". I love everyone. I have also noticed these things called fireflies. They fly around and light up....I am mesmerized by those. I also chase flies in the house...I am gonna be a good fly hunter!

They sometimes call me McGyver Pup and I am unsure why.....I decided I wanted to go visit our neighbors so I chewed threw a lead and then snuck between the cars in the driveway and went to their house and sat at their front door. Now I have big girl leads vs. those easy to get out of nylon leads, so now we just walk with a leash and visit the neighbors. They like all the spots that are growing on my back and my white tail is really getting some pretty spots as well.

Well, it is time for a nap. I still like to nap several times a day cuz I am ALWAYS BUSY! I will write soon and send more growing up pictures.

Love Always,
Dixie Boo (McGyver)

Meet Diesel.....................

2010-06-24T11:12:00.000-04:00

Ok, I have a few pics of Diesel here that I thought I'd share. He loves laying over the air vents in the house! LOL I've got more pics of pups and stuff to share, just when I get them all loaded. It's another hot one here today..........it was 82 degrees at 8:30 this morning! WHEW! Ok, enjoy the pics and I'm off to "attempt" to clean house. LOL
Amy

Can you say......................H.O.T?!?!

2010-06-23T16:41:00.000-04:00

Wow, where is time going???? I'm so behind on the blog, and the website. Things have been just crazy busy for the last couple months, more so in the last couple weeks or so.

The weather here has been INSANE! It's so hot, just miserable to even be out. You step out the door and the heat just smacks you in the face, takes your breath away. Actually, it just feels like there IS no air to breathe. We need rain badly too. The ground is getting extremely dry, yards and field are turning brown in a lot of places, the dogs' pens are just dust bowls. I need to throw down some more wood chips, that'll help some. Middle to upper 90's and humidity.........ahhhh!

Cole has done great with his Pre-K class. Next Tues is the last day of that. Kinda glad because I'm ready to get to sleep in for just a wee bit. Not to mention the extra gas it's taking.......they have it at a school that's about 15 or so minutes from us. I'm glad he's liking it, but he still tells me he misses me during the day........my baby!

I just cannot believe the puppies are now all gone, well, except our blue we're keeping. Can't even remember if I've mentioned, but he's had a name change to "Diesel". Chris was not won over with the name "Nike" at all! LOL So, Diesel it is........and that's fine too. I flew the last two girls out yesterday. Miss Dixie Boo went to Indiana and Little Bingo headed all the way to Alaska! All the puppies are doing great and that's always so wonderful to hear. This was such a much anticipated litter, that I just can't believe they're here and done gone. :( We miss them! But I'm sure they're bring everyone loads of fun............and mischief I'm sure!! LOL Bella sure has been testing my patience lately. She just wants to dig constantly! It can get so frustrating sometimes, trying to keep her up. One day last week, I had checked on them, early that morning before taking Cole to school. All was fine. I'm in the house like 5 minutes later and see her whizzing by the window, go out and could not find her nor the 5 pups!!! Talk about having a heart attack! I hollered and hollered, did everything, looking everywhere, no dogs to be seen or heard. Finally after about 15 minutes, I see them down the road running around in the neighbors front yard! I rounded the kids up to come help me and by that time, they were making a bee line across the road, into the field, headed home. The road in front of the house is busy at times and people go way to fast, I'm just so thankful that no one got hurt!! They scared me! Thankfully that didn't happen again either.........I blocked them all up very good. Diesel is doing very good. His ears have finally decided to stand. He looks like a darn radar bat or something!! LOL I don't know how his ears could be any bigger! I've got pics to share, as soon as I can download them. He's done well on the leash and likes to come inside. We came across an agility collapsible tunnel at Ross' the other day for $7.99!!! What a deal!! Anyway, he is LOVING that thing. He'll go flying through it. Maybe we'll have a little agility guy on our hands.........wouldn't that be fun??

Well, I guess I better get supper in the oven here. We've got some green beans from the garden I'm cooking. Cucumbers too! Fried chicken and hashbrown casserole will round it out............YUMMY!! Ya'll have a wonderful rest of the day! And thanks again to everyone who bought from Bella's litter! :)
Amy

I'm here!

2010-06-10T16:36:00.000-04:00

Howdy ya'll! Guess you think I've fallen off the earth somewhere? Nah, we actually headed out for vacation last week, a wonderful trip to the beach. Perfect weather and so relaxing. But, now I'm back, and in the craziness once again! LOL

Just a few days before heading out we found out a tenant in our small apartment unit had just up and left, no warning, no notification, nothing. So, we had to come back to getting that cleaned up, painted and all that good stuff. Still working on it. Just kinda one of those daggers thrown at ya when you're not expecting it. I hope to have it finished up and rented SOON!

Monday Cole started a Pre-K summer program. It's only for 3 weeks, but I think it'll be good for the both of us. My baby is growing up! Too fast! It's been really weird, and hard, not having him here. I so dread when he does start kindergarten this year. :( But at least he is enjoying it.

Puppies are doing super. They didn't even look like the same pups when we got back. They had grown and changed so much! I think them and Bella really gave my brother a run for it while we were gone. He kept everyone fed and in line for us. But Bella had other ideas most days. She got out quite a few times and I think once the pups followed along! I think I was worrying about them the entire week! Boy I sure did miss my babies though!!! If I could've just brought my dogs with me to the beach, I'd have been set......coulda stayed a few months, no problem! :) Some puppies are heading out this weekend. Annie has moved to her new home already. I've got to get pics, yesterday it rained all day. I did attempt getting some, but after loading them up, nothing turned out. It's no wonder........I was holding my camera, a huge umbrella, and every time I'd squat down, at least a few puppies would chew and tug on my raincoat, about knocking me over. I decided to just give it up! It's finally starting to look nice right now, so maybe after supper, we'll let them run and get some good play shots.

My time is out here. Kids, home and puppies call me. I hope you've had a wonderful week! Pics to come!
Amy

Puppy pictures!

2010-05-27T23:37:00.000-04:00

Here I am with a very quick post. Have some pics from the other day. I swear they CHANGE OVERNIGHT!!! Several more of their ears are more up than when I took these pics on Tues. Have fun looking at them......I'll hopefully be back with a few more soon. It's just been one of those weeks...........and I'm pooped! Goodnight ya'll!
Amy

Tucker

Nike

Wrangler

Kora

Kylie

Annie

Bingo

Boo

Where is time going??

2010-05-24T08:14:00.000-04:00

Wow, I just can't believe how fast time is flying!! This is the last week of May, kids will be out of school by Friday. Puppies will be 6 weeks old tomorrow......isn't that crazy? We have been SOOOOOO busy, plus Chris' dad has shingles and has been in the hospital. I plan on making them some supper and taking to them one night this week. May is always such a busy month.

On to a puppy update............they are just so cute! We have lots of ears popping up. Bingo has her's all the way up, Annie is close behind and Kora too, Tucker's is halfway up, Wrangle has one half way.........it's so cute to see them when they cock their heads one way or another, listening to you. They don't seem to be too big of eaters. I think Mattie's litter of 6 ate WAY more than these 8!! But again, Bella has TONS and TONS of milk, so I think they're keeping full on milk! LOL She has produced more milk than any of our other girls. It was funny yesterday, and one of those "oh I wish I had my camera on me" moments............but after they had eaten and the dish was cleaned, Annie climbed right into it and laid down, resting her head on the side........so funny! I don't know what it is that Heelers love dirt so good! We built a new pen yesterday, so we had these little dirt piles where we'd dug out for the corner posts, oh gracious.........they were in heaven playing on these dirt piles!!! They rolled around, dug, ran up and down........it was just the greatest "toy" for them! LOL I don't know how many times last week that I put Bella and several pups up! They all dig, dig, dig out! I will be back with pics, probably Wednesday, since I have today and tomorrow filled up with things to be done. I can't wait for you to see them! Have a great day! :)
Amy

A jumpstart to my day............

2010-05-18T07:50:00.000-04:00

As I slowly and sleepily made my way to the kitchen this morning at 6:30, I get out here and hear all these little whines and cries, puppy barking and what sounded like a madhouse. I ran over to the window so that I could check things out, and what do I see??.....................Bella and ALL pups are OUT!! Some of them had gotten behind the pen and between that and the barbed wire fence that runs back there, thankfully no one got hurt or a scratch on them. I had to climb back in there to get Tucker and Bingo out.......they were scared and couldn't get out.....there was a big log in their way to climb over! But when I picked them up, you could just tell they were elated, it was like they let out a little sigh of relief......"we've been rescued"! Looks like Bella is teaching them early on how to dig their way out! She was pretty worried about all of them out and running around though. Maybe she'll learn not to dig holes in the pen with puppies on her!! LOL You know what we're getting today don't you?? That's right..........several bags of CONCRETE!!! LOL
Amy

Howdy and new pics!

2010-05-17T21:04:00.000-04:00

Hello! What a busy month May is proving to be! :) Clayton had a field trip to Dollywood last Friday. It was a VERY hot and crowded day to say the least. I think there must've been 10 million kids there!! And temps were in the upper 80's and HUMID. At least all the kids had fun..........and I get to do it again this week with Laura's class!

Have had a busy time with photo sessions. Had a fun 1 year old "cake smash" session over the weekend. I love doing those!! Messy........but FUN! Now, I've got a ton of pictures to process and load for the clients.

Hard to believe the kids are just about to wrap school up! This year has gone super fast. Oh man, I SO dread little man starting kindergarten this year. :( Cole is very excited and can't wait, so, guess that's good.......if he keeps that attitude.

Puppies are doing so good. I have finally taken them outside full time now. Bella really enjoys that! She's very much an "outside" dog. She's one of these, that you can look out, and she'll be chasing a butterfly across the yard, so fun and carefree. Puppies are liking digging in the dirt and hanging out underneath the doghouse, that's been dug out! LOL Have grown lots and definitely have a full mouth of SHARP little teeth! I know I say it all the time, but I swear, this litter must be THE absolute most sweetest litter we've had! They are just big cuddle babies and LOVE belly rubs. Little Bingo will come running over and practically just throw herself over on her back waiting for me to give her a belly rub. While I took pictures earlier, a group of them decided to have a herding marathon, around and around the doghouse.........after Laura's heels!! LOL They were going just as fast as their short little legs could go! Well, onto some fun pictures here........look at how they've grown! Have a good night ya'll!
Amy

Wrangler

Nike

Tucker

Kylie

Bingo

Kora

Annie

Boo

Now, a few random play pics!

Nike trying his hand at herding!

Which way did she go?!?

You make a nice seat, sis!

Puppy wrestling

Lean on me brother.

I'm gonna get you!

Tail pulling

Tucker and Wrangler taking a break.

Follow the leader

Hope you enjoyed our playtime......we're 5 weeks old!

Puppy pictures, come see your puppy pictures!

2010-05-11T14:38:00.000-04:00

Ah, aren't you just anxious to see these little babies?!? They have grown lots and are changing right before my eyes! So full of play and I just love this age. 4 weeks old today. They just have to be the sweetest litter we've had. Little Annie cracks me up......anytime she sees an available lap, that's where she heads! LOL They just play and nap, play, nap and are beginning to follow me everywhere. It was so hard getting pics today.......they all were under my feet, and if I sat down in the grass to get some better shots, you guessed it..........right smack in my lap they all would come sit! They really enjoyed their time outside, rolling in the grass and exploring. Didn't get to stay out as long as I'd plan, the darn wind was blowing so hard that they just weren't too sure about it. I swear you'd think it's March or something. Ok, on to the pics...........ENJOY!!! :)
Amy

Kylie

Boo

Kora

Annie

Bingo

Wrangler

Nike

Tucker

Lots of fun puppy pics!

Happy Monday!

2010-05-10T09:19:00.000-04:00

Good morning! I hope all the mom's out there had a wonderful Mother's Day yesterday! :) A nice time here, weather could've been just a wee bit warmer though. I'm guessing Blackberry winter is upon us. I can smell the blackberry bushes blooming in the air when I walk outside........I LOVE to smell them. The air is so sweet! Hoping to get caught up in this house today. Cole has a couple ballgames this week, Laura has her drama program, and Clayton has his big field trip this week as well. I'm helping chaperone, so it should be fun........and he's looking forward to just a day for me and him. :)

All the puppies are doing wonderfully. Growing like weeds! I'm hoping Chris can get the new kennel built this weekend so they can go outside more.......they are really getting into things in the garage! LOL Or beginning to anyway. I have a, what I think is a kitty bed, that Laura got for her rabbit to sit in at one time, it's in the garage and the pups, the girls, LOVE that thing!! Kylie especially! It has a removable center that is out of it, so I walked out this morning to find Kylie, Annie, Bingo and Boo all curled up in this thing........it was SO SWEET, I grabbed my camera and got some shots...........I'll share later once I get them loaded up. Gosh these are just the sweetest natured pups, but what more would I expect from Bella? Sweet, sweet, sweet! I could sit for hours out there with them! They are really enjoying eating from the dish now. I've added in some canned puppy food to their cereal and thickened a bit.............they now come running the minute they here me clank the metal! LOL I'm planning on getting all new pics here very soon. Hard to believe it'll be 4 weeks tomorrow! Ya'll have a great day!
Amy

As promised.........pics & updates!

2010-05-06T22:07:00.000-04:00

Thanks to all those that have checked in on me! Life has just gotten a little extra crazy this week. I just haven't found the time to sit down really. We are all doing great. Definitely enjoying this beautifully warm weather. Cole is having a blast with his T-ball games! May is always busy, all those last minute things with the kids getting ready to have summer break, fields trips and the like. Anyway, on the the puppy updates and new pictures from yesterday.......ENJOY!

Puppies are beginning to cut their teeth! They are wanting to chew, chew, chew!! And I don't know what it is, but they want to lick my hands and arms all the time! LOL I can't hardly pet them for them all trying to lick me. They are acting like little kittens, playing and pouncing, so cute. We always have one in a litter that seems to be the "watch dog" of the group, well, little Miss Boo is the chosen one with this litter. Anytime I come in or go out the door, she's the one to jump up and bark, just like she's gonna eat someone up! And just for a warning, I think they have inherited their grandmother's (Jasmine) climbing abilities!!! That's right, they have ALL climbed OUT of their box as of today. I think that's the earliest we've ever had any litter to climb their way out........look out! Jasmine is one of those Heelers that can get out of anything! It's still hard for me to say for sure on these girls' coloring. Bingo and probably Boo look a little more smooth on the red, but have somewhat speckled legs. Kora and Annie aren't as smooth looking but definitely not really speckled looking like the boys. The boys will be heavily speckled. I'm thinking the girls are going to have more of a "mottle" appearance, not the distinct dots. The color looks like ticking or something. They all have speckled tails though! And most speckled legs. They are all just very sweet, playful and friendly. I did feed them their first meal tonight. They totally LOVED that!! Lapped every drop up! I always start my puppies out on some baby rice cereal, mixed real thin, just to get them a little extra and help them learn to eat. I'll keep them on this until they get their teeth in pretty good, then move to a mixture of cereal and soft canned puppy food, not too thick. I've got to worm them tomorrow as well.......that has totally slipped my mind! Ok, on to the pics now! Ya'll have a good night.
Amy

Nike

Kora

Annie

Boo

Kylie

Bingo

Tucker

Wrangler

Supper Time!

We are proud new parents to.................

2010-05-04T09:37:00.000-04:00

15 baby chicks!!! Yep, got them Sunday and so far all is good. Chris' brother hatched some out for us and the kids are so excited about having chickens now! LOL Chris and the boys got the coop finished Sunday and nothing do them but go pick the babies up. Of course, they're in our basement overnight since it's too cool outside, but here shortly me and Cole will be taking them outside to roam around in their new coop. They should enjoy that!! We've got Leghorns, Rhode Island Reds and Barred Rock. I'll have to get some pics soon won't I?

It's a beautiful day here! I'm planning on getting new puppy pics afterwhile. They're 3 weeks old today....can't believe it! Took them outside just for a bit yesterday, they weren't sure at first, but kinda were ok after they checked things out. They are so cute! Ok, off to enjoy the sunshine, check the garden, take out the chicks and whatever else we can find to do. Actually I have SO much to do that I don't know where to start!! LOL Have a good one ya'll!
Amy

Battle of the Pigs

2010-05-04T09:29:00.000-04:00

Good morning! Wanted to share a link to a car show - BBQ cookoff coming up soon close by us -
http://www.battleofthepigs.com/index.html

Anyone close enough by can come support or check out my brothers BBQ. I think Saturday is people's choice and you should get to sample all the BBQ and vote......if I'm understanding things right! LOL This is for May 28th and 29th. Be sure to look for Rocky Top BBQ!!

Color!!

2010-05-01T19:32:00.000-04:00

These babies have made a huge accomplishment on their color coming in! I can really tell today that they are looking much richer and I think that the boys are definitely heavily speckled, no doubt. I think maybe Kora, Annie & possibly Kylie could be somewhat mottled pretty good. But of course, they do still have a lot of color to come in, and you know how that can change! Little Wrangler, even the inside of his mouth is spotted up......pink and black everywhere! LOL Tucker is like that too, but not quite as much as Wrangler.

They are just so sweet!! They are beginning some tail wagging, and that to me, is just the cutest thing. When they hear me or see me, and then wag that little tail.......melts my heart! Tucker and Wrangler seem to be really sweet and playful. Annie is just a total sweetheart and loves to be cuddled. Kylie, that's little Miss Friendly Personality. The others I've not quite seen enough personality blooming just yet to get a feel for them. I think I'll probably start them on some cereal next week, see how they do with eating that. They all are getting around and walking great. Bella continues to be an excellent mom! However, you do NOT touch her babies as long as she's around. That's a no no! I'm happy to say, I'm very pleased with Bella and this litter. :)

Now, time to enjoy some new pics!! These were taken earlier today at 2.5 weeks old. Enjoy and have a great evening!
Amy

Kylie

Wrangler

Wrangler & Kora

Kora

Tucker

Nike

Nike & Kylie

Boo

Boo & Kylie

Kylie, Boo & Bingo

Annie

I think this is Kora??

Kylie

Nike & Kylie

Boo

Wrangler

The Whole Gang!

2 weeks old!

2010-04-27T16:38:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it.........2 weeks old today!? They are becoming quite the roly poly puppies, little butterballs. I think they all have their eyes fully open now. I know you can't see it in the pics, but the color is coming in pretty good.....it's just hard to see with the camera. I was thinking Wrangler was blue, but I swear it appears there is red coming in! He has definitely kept me guessing the whole time. :) Ok, enjoy these new pics!
Amy

BOYS:

Tucker

Nike

Wrangler

Girls:

Boo

Kylie

Kora

Annie

Bingo

Here's just a few random from earlier today as well!

Nike chilling out on my lap this morning!

How Nike got his name.......notice his "check mark".

Nap time!

The puppies......

2010-04-25T19:09:00.000-04:00

My babies are getting big! We have some with eyes open, others with just one eye.....they are just cuties! Looking at you with that one big eye! LOL This changes their appearance so much. They are beginning to try their hand at walking some, a little more than the crawl around they do. I've noticed a couple of them attempting to growl are make a bark sound. Can't figure out exactly who, but think it's Nike and one of the girls, maybe Annie or Kylie? Still anxious for that color to come in good! Bella is enjoying her "breaks" from the puppies..........she wants in Mattie's pen and they play and get along great. I think Mattie enjoys it too.........believe she's missing her babies. Just thought I'd share a very quick puppy update here. I hope to get pics, probably Tuesday, as tomorrow looks quite overwhelmingly hectic!! Ya'll have a great evening!
Amy

Glad it's Friday!

2010-04-23T20:33:00.000-04:00

We've had a pretty busy week here. Kids have been on spring break and we've just ran our legs off, running here and there, doing this and that. We went to visit my sister-in-law today to see their new chicks. Looks like they'll all be coming home with us soon! :) As soon as we can get Chris to get to building on their pen. He wanted to know how many actually followed us home today when I he called.........he knows we're liable to just bring in any little animal that steals our hearts! LOL You know, I forgot to count exactly how many there were.......thinking around a dozen?? Oh but they were cuties. And Cole is not a bit afraid of anything. He went right up, caught a chick first try and sat there and held it. LOL He's the bird man for sure!

Looking forward to a photo session tomorrow....twin babies and their two older brothers.......should be some fun! :) Got to find time to hit the grocery store sometime. And I'm hoping to get started on some new fencing and pens for the dogs.........especially if we keep Nike. We just need a bit more room. I'd like to have a big kennel building built and everything kept in one spot, that's my dreams..........maybe one day!

Puppies are beginning to get their coloring in. They have changed overnight! Especially the girls, those boys seem to be a bit slow at it, but they get cuter every day I think. Can't wait til those little eyes open! It appears that all of them are red except Nike. I was thinking one of the plain faced males would be blue, but nope, he's got all kinds of little red hair budding in. Surprised me! I'm so anxious to see which ones, if any, are speckled like Bella. Right now I'm guessing all the boys *might* be, but who really knows at this point. I'll try to get a few new pics tomorrow sometime for ya. Think I'll about call it a night here! Ya'll have a great weekend!
Amy

A pile of puppies!

2010-04-21T20:01:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share a few pics I just took. They crack me up sleeping on their back......there's several in this bunch that LOVE sleeping this way!! Bella is doing very well with them, doesn't mind anyone looking at them or petting her, but she does NOT want anyone picking them up, she gets VERY concerned and wants her baby with her. So, I have to sneak out there and cuddle them while she's out taking a potty break, and when I see her coming, put it back down quickly. :) They are getting quite chubby. Color on some, mainly the girls, looks like it's really starting to peek through. I believe those red girls are going to be gorgeous! At the moment, they look to be a nice, deep red color. Very rich. They are so, so sweet, and boy.........am I loving the puppy breath!!! LOL Bella is up to her old tricks already. I let her out yesterday morning, she was running around, checking everything out and waking all the rest of the gang up. I stepped in to mix her food up, come out and she's no where to be seen. I holler and holler, all the other dogs appear pretty wound up and excited, so I'm figuring she's somewhere that I'm not seeing. This goes on for about 10 to 15 minutes of me hollering and looking for her...............I turn around to head back around the house, and there she is............IN MATTIE'S PEN!! She had gotten in there by scooting under the fencing, and was hiding out under the doghouse............ignoring me!!! LOL She really about had me scared! I saw her go back under the doghouse after she realized that I really didn't want anything. Her and Jasmine both can sure ignore you when they want!

Ok here are some pics from earlier.
Amy

1 week old!

2010-04-20T16:20:00.000-04:00

Wow, puppies are one week old today! They have totally GROWN!!! So plump and stocky looking. Sweet little babies. It's appearing that the boys are probably going to be speckled, not so sure about those girls though, maybe one? We'll just have to wait and see. But, all is going good, Bella is doing great and puppies are fat and healthy. Here's the one week pics! Enjoy!
Amy

OUR BOYS:

"Nike".......blue

"Wrangler".......blue

"Tucker"......red

OUR GIRLS:

"Bingo"......red

"Kylie"......red

"Kora".....red

"Boo".....red

"Annie".....red

Meet the babies!

2010-04-15T20:06:00.000-04:00

Hope ya'll are ready to meet this awesomely beautiful litter! Here they are:

OUR BOYS:

"Nike"

"Wrangler"

"Tucker"

OUR GIRLS:

"Annie"

"Kylie"

"Kora"

"Bingo"

"Boo"

At the moment, I do think ALL girls are red. Definitely the masked boy is blue. Other 2 boys I am totally unsure of right now.

Bella continues to do very well with them. She is extremely gentle with the babies and so loving and caring. The puppies are really filling out, have grown since just yesterday! Had a hard time grabbing these pictures! LOL She is very uneasy about any of us holding them, so it was a VERY quick photo session. :) We just sent her out for a long potty break.......and the kids entertained her for a bit too. Enjoy the pics and have a good night!

Amy

Baby pictures!

2010-04-14T19:08:00.000-04:00

Alrighty, here are a few pictures for ya! I attempted to get individuals, but I think I'll have to wait for Chris to come in and help me with that. Bella is a bit nervous when the kids come out and start trying to pick them up, so, individuals will be later. For now, enjoy these! All is still going very well.
Amy

This is the one little masked boy, in the middle, positive he'll be blue.......think his nickname is going to be "Nike".......notice the big check mark of a mask he's got on that one side!

This little guy's nose has all kinds of little colored dots on his skin, like barely noticeable, but that is exactly the way Bella looked as a newborn. Wonder if he'll be a speckle??

Is eight enough??

2010-04-14T10:49:00.000-04:00

The count stands at 8 for the moment, 5 girls, 3 boys. I think she may be done, resting pretty good now. I'll let her rest and then get her out for a walk and give her a good meal. She's just worn out! Everything has gone smoothly and I'm so thankful! These little ones have already filled out and got their tummies nice and full. Can't wait to get pics of all their little faces, just beautiful and different masks. One little girl I've fallen in love with.............she has 2 perfect circles around her eyes...........one is a very large circle, the other is a bit smaller........she's SO CUTE! Beautiful pups.......can't wait to show them all off! Hopefully pics later this evening, for now, here's a couple from last night and then this morning. Have a great day!
Amy

At the moment........

2010-04-14T07:01:00.000-04:00

the count is 7.......4 girls, 3 boys. Lots of neat masks except two plain boys. She is still laboring so I don't think she's finished just yet, she doesn't quite look it either. She's went a little slow, but steady, so hopefully she'll get it finished up here sometime this morning. Bella is being a good mom, but you can see it in her eyes sometimes, it's like "what the heck are these squeaking things crawling around?!" Let's get the kids off to school and then do another headcount. More later.
Amy

Going good!

2010-04-13T22:30:00.000-04:00

So far, so good. Bella is doing GREAT! She's had a very easy time and is acting like a pro at it.........that's what I like to see. Puppies are full of life, very lively and ready to nurse the minute they're born, which is wonderful. I like them to eat soon after being born. Right now the count is at 4.......3 boys, 1 girl. Looks like a definite red and blue, the other 2 I'm not quite so sure about. They are smaller than what Mattie had, but they are all of very nice equal size and I'm sure Bella has way more than Mattie had, so they would be a little bit smaller. I'm thinking she'll have 4 to 6 more to go........she's still rather big. Ok, duty calls here. Will check in as I can!
Amy

We have a pup!

2010-04-13T19:20:00.000-04:00

We actually just now have 2 puppies!! One plain faced boy, one almost full masked girl. Think that girl might be a red, boy I don't know. He reminds me of Bella when she was little, SO pink! Anyway, she is doing great........popping them right out no problems.....let's hope things continue that way. I'm guessing from the size of these 2 that we'll probably have around 10! Ok, gotta get back here. More soon!
Amy

Anxiously awaiting..........

2010-04-13T15:21:00.000-04:00

Bella is slowly getting into the swing of full labor here. I keep thinking not much longer now.....but do believe we'll be having some puppies by later evening. She's probably going to be keeping me up! LOL She's very restless, making nest and has thrown up. Howling, barking and whining every once in a while. She can hardly sit she's so big! So, we wait.........I will keep things updated or if any changes occur. Come on puppies!!!
Amy

The wait is almost over.........

2010-04-12T23:45:00.000-04:00

I do believe Miss Bella is in some very early labor here. I'll guess that we'll have puppies in 24hrs or less. I've got the baby monitor.....yes, Chris thinks I'm crazy.....it's all hooked up and all ears are ON for tonight. Hopefully I can rest up but if she decides to go full swing in a few hours I'm sure to hear her. :) And I'll be ready to go.......I never miss a delivery. She's really a bit whiney and doesn't want me leaving her side. She's got her bedding strung everywhere, really digging at it and nesting. Her belly is just rolling and doing the wave in every direction, those puppies are anxious to get out. I sit there and wonder just how many puppies she's really got in there, geez she's huge! I do believe I better hit the hay here, try to sleep some and get back up and check on her in a little while. Stay tuned! Goodnight ya'll!
Amy

The wait is on for Bella!

2010-04-12T10:18:00.000-04:00

I am officially on "puppy watch" this week! Bella is SO big!! Her due date is Wednesday, so really any day now. I'm anxious, excited and nervous. I just hope she hasn't inherited her mom's delivery problems.......I'm worse than with my own deliveries! LOL She's really unsure of just what all is going on with her. Didn't like being brought in last night to stay in the garage. I'm debating on letting her back out for the day or not.......I'll never get her back in tonight probably! She is showing signs of getting very close. I can tell her bones are spreading apart and I'm able to express some milk from her. She already has a TON of milk in. Her belly is just really hanging and very huge. It looks like someone has stuffed a ball in her belly! Since it's her first litter and I don't know the size of pups she would have, it's hard to guess at how many. I'll guess at 7.........Jasmine always seemed to have 8, so maybe she's carrying several. All I know is she's very large! And she's a big gal too. She is having some sickness now and was really panting heavily last night. So I know it won't be long now!! I will keep things posted here on any changes. For now, I'll leave ya with some pics from this morning. Have a great day!
Amy

Looking forward to a better week

2010-04-12T08:51:00.001-04:00

Things are looking up here and definitely off to a good start..........Daddy got to come home from the hospital yesterday!! :) SOOOOOO glad to have him back home. He's doing really great, coughing quite a bit, but getting around good and he couldn't wait to sleep in his own bed. He's still got quite a bit of fluid on him from all the IV's he had, but all in all, he's on the mend.

It's a beautiful morning and we, for once this year, have no rain in the forecast! LOL Definitely looking forward to the warm days and just getting back into somewhat of a regular schedule here. And REALLY need to get my house back in order here. After last week, it looks as if a large tornado has come right through the middle of it! T-ball has started and Cole is totally enjoying that. It's his first year playing. Have a ton of photos to process from a few sessions about 10 days ago. Can't wait to get them finished here. Kids are looking forward to their spring break next week. Nothing big planned, just hanging around, but I'm sure we'll get into something. We may just have a garage sale.......they love helping me out with those. :) And I've got a ton of stuff I could move on. Niko the bird is doing great! He's learned the wolf whistle and lots of times puts his own "spin" on it! LOL We keep thinking we hear him say a couple words ever now and again, but not sure yet. But I swear I heard him say "whatcha doin" earlier!! He's the sweetest little thing and we all are totally enjoying him. Guess I'll go jump start my day here with a plate of pancakes and some ice cold chocolate milk.............all that sugar will surely get me going!! LOL I need something to wake me up! Back shortly with a Bella update and pics. For now, here's a picture looking out the front of the house. Happy Monday everyone! :)
Amy

This week........

2010-04-07T23:32:00.000-04:00

Sorry for not many updates and pics and things. My dad was rushed to ER yesterday with chest pains. He's in ICU with pneumonia, both lungs, which was putting a hard strain on his heart, causing it to stop twice.....thankfully the medics & God pulled him through. It's just been rough and stressful to say the least this week. Right now he's stabled and in good spirits, just a bit weak and wanting to come home. He's on a ventilator and hopefully will be getting that out tomorrow.........that's just really hard, but we're getting good at reading his lips when he talks to us. My dad is such a tough man! And he's 81! So, as of right now, things are looking up.........keep us in your prayers. I will update when I can on everything.
Amy
ps - Bella is getting close..........6 days + or -!!! :)

Egg fight anyone?

2010-04-03T18:37:00.000-04:00

Just thought I'd share an article you may find interesting.

http://www.johnsoncitypress.com/News/article.php?ID=74987

Egg fighting on Easter is something the kids look forward to doing here at home. We've never actually been to this competition to watch, not but about 30 minutes away from us, but we have fun here home at home nonetheless!
Amy

Three pups left

2010-04-03T08:51:00.000-04:00

My babies are leaving me.......and come Monday, only one will be left. Little Lovey flew out yesterday morning. That was a bright and early trip. She didn't enjoy the morning ride and gave me a mess in her crate by the time we got to the airport. But got her cleaned up and all was ok. She would howl out ever now and again, which echoed all through the airport. I got word last night that she made through her flight just great and is now happily home with her new family in CA. It's just weird to look out and not see all those little white tails in the air, running around. I'm already missing them!

We got to meet Rebel's new family yesterday. We had a wonderful time and I think all our kids had a blast playing together. And it was our hottest day of the year so far! I think we set a record high for the day at 87 degrees! Anyway, "Cena" and his new family are safely home and he did great on the ride back to AL.

Things are winding down here for today, think I'll just take it easy and enjoy the day. I hope everyone has a very Happy Easter! We are looking forward to lots of fun and some great food. :) Enjoy the weekend ya'll!
Amy

Bella update

2010-04-01T08:27:00.000-04:00

And while I'm thinking of it, I'll update on Bella. She is doing really great. Getting bigger every day!! She has a lot of milk already in and she is seeming to really be feeling pregnant. She tires much more easier and wants to sleep a lot. You can just see it in her eyes, she has no clue what's going on and is so tired and wants to cuddle up with you. She'll whine and look at you.....I just hug her up and tell her she'll be ok. What a sweetheart! She's really carrying these pups low and more in her rib area. She's really getting big. Just two weeks to go...........can you believe it?!? I can't tell you HOW EXCITED I AM!!!!!!!!
Amy

The race is on.................

2010-04-01T08:22:00.000-04:00

and I'm feeling it this week! Whew what a super busy week so far. Sunday and Monday we had such nasty weather, just downright yucky! Stormy and rain most of the days, making feeding the dogs pretty ugly. I think I had more mud on me than any pig ever would have! LOL From head to toe I was covered! No matter how much we try to keep their pens with mulch or shavings, it all just disappears overnight it seems, and the mud is back.

I have been getting everyone ready for their upcoming flights here. Getting last minute supplies gathered and vet checks scheduled. Speaking of the vet, I have three pups to take here shortly. I will definitely have to round up some help there. Don't think me and Cole can handle three wild little stinkers in the vet! LOL This ought to be fun.

Little Miss Happy, who is now Zip, got picked up yesterday for her new home. We have Rebel, who will soon be called Ace, being picked up tomorrow. Miss Lovey flies out super bright and early tomorrow morning. Let's just say I'll probably need a nap before the day is over.............I'll be seeing the airport by 6am! Then Rocky and Cuddles will be flying out Monday morning. Cutie will be scheduled for later next week. All my babies are leaving so soon........feels like they were just born. But knowing they will be bringing their new families so much fun and joy, helps me to pass them on. This last week, I think, is the hardest and most busiest week of having pups, with any litter. I'll be mailing out everyone's puppy packet and papers either today or tomorrow.

We've just had a busy week too on the homefront. Mowing season has started for Chris and he's gained a few more yards since last year's season. I've had a couple of photo sessions this week as well. In between 2 orthodontist appointments for Clayton and Laura, and all the errands I have to run, plus getting ready for Easter as we are hosting it this year. Cole's birthday also falls on Easter, so we're just having one big party. I've got to find time somewhere to hit the grocery store to get what I need to cook for Sunday! And Cole is so looking forward to Monday........he gets to have his first meeting/practice for T-ball!! He'll be an Oriole and couldn't be happier...........mainly because it's a "bird"! LOL He's getting a bat and glove for his birthday, so he'll be totally set. This is going to be so much fun!

I'll try to squeeze in a few new pics later this evening. I hope everyone has a great day! I'm off to enjoy a SUNNY and 80 degree day!!!!! Love it!
Amy

Full speed ahead!

2010-03-26T08:22:00.000-04:00

The puppies, that is! They are at this stage where they run wide open all the time. SO full of energy and play. Some ears are starting to come up. Cutie is the howler of the bunch........she's gonna be a "talker" just like Mattie I think. Lovey absolutely LOVES to play tug of war! They all had a blast the other day, roaming the yard and discovered the sandbox!! They thought they had hit the jackpot with all that sand!! LOL They got in there, running around, rolling and digging just as fast as those little legs could dig. It was just too funny! They also discovered jumping off of the patio! I don't know what it is, but all the pups we've ever had, just love to dive off of the edge of the patio. They'll head back around to get on the patio, just to jump off again. LOL They are just balls of fire!! I will leave you with a TON of pics of all the action. Enjoy!
Amy

Hey, anybody wanna let us out??

Look, we've escaped!

Hey, mom, come here.

Ah, now we caught her!

Man, mom got away from us.....catch her!

Run, Happy, Run

Cowabunga!!

Rocky's on a roll!

A quick pose for the camera

TAG.......you're it!

I don't know about this ya'll.

Peek-a-Boo!

We have him surrounded!

Sandbox break

Where ya headin' off to Rebel?

Those Heeler tongues! LOL

Tug of war with the swing straps!

and as usual, Lovey is the last one standing!

Lookin' pretty

Boy, we're loving this sandbox!

Oops, digging a little too hard & .......WIPEOUT!

dig.....dig.....dig!

Look at my dirty face! Bye ya'll!

Bella's belly!

2010-03-23T19:42:00.000-04:00

What a cute, poochie belly Bella is getting! :) She is growing overnight it seems. Everyday a bit bigger. I've started her on puppy food for the extra protein and stuff she needs to grow her babies good. She's doing really well, seems a bit more tired and sleepy, eating and drinking a LOT. All seems to be going well, hopefully it will continue that way. So I guess the countdown is on.........only 3 weeks to go! It seems like a ways away, but really, when you think about it, they'll be here in NO time. Boy am I going to have a super busy next 3 weeks!! Between getting these puppies ready for their new homes and flights, vet checks and all that good stuff, have a wonderful friend visiting from out of town this weekend and will be doing some family portraits for her, and then having supper, then we're hosting Easter PLUS a birthday party.......Cole turns 5 on Easter this year........and then, wa la.........it'll be time for our new babies! I'm SO excited though and ready for all the busy days!! And did I mention I'm wanting to rip off some old wallpaper in a bathroom, paint and also paint the laundry and kitchen?? Oh and rip off wallpaper from the kitchen too?? As soon as Easter is over that's what I'll be hitting! LOL

Well, enough rambling here. I'll leave you with a few pics from this evening.......when the sun *finally* came out. I'll try and get more puppy pics tomorrow. For now, it's just Bella. :) Ya'll have a good night!
Amy

And some random outside:

Making it official.......................

2010-03-21T17:07:00.000-04:00

Yes, I'm pretty positive and am just going to go ahead and say it.............Bella is pregnant!!! :) :) :) Her belly continues to grow as does her seemingly milk production. She's just showing a lot of strong positive symptoms along with her growth. I AM SO EXCITED!!!!! These little babies will be expected around April 15th. This is her first litter so I'm anxious to see what she gives us. They just have to be beautiful!! And with her and Ace's temperaments, they'll just be big teddy bears! I don't think I've EVER seen or had a more sweet Heeler than Bella. I'm expecting these pups to really be quite stocky and solidly built. I just hope for a safe, easy delivery with healthy pups. Stay tuned! :)
Amy

Just an update

2010-03-21T17:00:00.000-04:00

Nothing big here, just have a very small amount of quiet time, thought I'd post a couple pics from yesterday. We had a beautiful day yesterday, can't say the same for today though. The puppies went wild playing out in the yard yesterday. They are just too cute. I love hearing them breathing hard when they come running to me.......all you hear is huh, huh, huh. They are SO rough!! Mostly the little girls, they out do the boys here, poor guys don't have a chance! LOL Happy is going to be JUST like Mattie I think. She is already bouncing around like she's got springs on her legs! Trying her best to jump up as high as she can, straight up into the air. Cutie LOVES to be held like a little baby......as you'll see in the pics I post. She's probably the calmest female in the bunch. My husband laughed at me when I showed him my arms from playing with them all yesterday! They are munching on dry food now. I'm still soaking them a meal but they all have access to dry food 24/7. I think they are liking that crunching some. I have gone through and checked their teeth alignment and everything looks fine. I'll be giving their shots sometime this week and another round of worming as well. Ok, I'll leave ya with just these couple pics. Have a great rest of the day!
Amy

Here's a few pics......

2010-03-19T20:46:00.000-04:00

It's just kinda been one of those days, where seems not much goes right or at least the way you had planned. Ended up taking Laura to the Dr........she has strep! So she has really not felt well at all today. Just hoping the boys don't catch it.

So anyway, I was able to get just a few pictures. I let the pups out and they just went everywhere, then when I sat down in the grass to get some pics, they all came running to my lap, wanting to "eat" my camera, playing, jumping and trying to chew my clothes.......so I got what I could in between trying to dodge those little razor blade teeth!! LOL I emerged looking like something that had been drug in by the cat!! LOL They tired out pretty quickly once I put them back up. I think they played SO hard and it was pretty warm today, that they all konked right out for naptime. Enjoy these for now!
Amy

Here's one of Bella........what do you think? Look pregnant??

Today:

3 Months ago:

Puppies!!

Some nice weather!

2010-03-19T08:45:00.000-04:00

I'm so happy to see the sun again this morning!! Looking forward to getting outside today, enjoy the warmth and sunshine and do a little spring cleaning. Let the puppies out to roam and explore a little. They should have a blast.........so I'll be sure to get lots of pics for ya! :) They're having a time right now, out there playing and romping. They totally crack me up with this toy I got them. It's in the shape of a big bone/dumbbell, kinda like a tennis ball coating but a good solid rubber core........they pick this thing up, which is about half their size and then go trying to run with it! They look like they're drunk, staggering everywhere, because it's a bit heavy for them, but they just LOVE that thing! LOL Mattie was lounging in the doghouse, but she's now decided to join the fun and is out there picking on them and playing around.

I attempted a video yesterday, but, Laura informed me that I didn't know how to use her camera.........so no video turned out. I don't know what I did wrong! LOL So she went and videoed, but I promise you...........you do NOT want to watch it or we'd all be motion sick and reaching for a barf bag!! LOL So I'll attempt it again later.

Speaking of Laura, she's home sick today. Heading to Dr later..........it's either strep or she's just got some kind of stomach bug. She's really feeling bad. She's upset she's missing school, plus, we had plans of going with a couple of her friends and moms to Dairy Queen for ice cream right after school..........now that's out. Keeping fingers crossed that no one else here gets it.

I'm getting some good vibes about Bella! Actually getting a little excited, but still being cautious. She's continuing to show some positive signs, so that's good. I think within a week I can say for sure.....but right now.........I'm kinda thinking YES! She's eating a lot, got a pot belly overnight, a good strong milk ridge forming, teats are turning bright pink and just very, very lovey. I'm just anxious! So stay tuned! :)

I need to tend the kids here. Should have pics later today sometime and hopefully a new video. Ya'll have a fantastic Friday!!
Amy

The rest of the pictures!

2010-03-16T08:26:00.000-04:00

As promised, here are the rest of yesterday's pictures. Enjoy!
Amy

A little ray of hope.......

2010-03-15T23:57:00.000-04:00

With Bella that is! I'm still not reading much into this, but I felt this was a nice positive. She really has some breast tissue forming, totally different than last time. She actually "feels" like she's possibly having milk production growth, whereas compared to the false pregnancy she just seemed more "swollen" and mushy. I'm definitely feeling the mammary gland ridge and more so today than yesterday, which is an even better sign. BUT, even though this is something new, I'm still not getting worked up about it, but at least it gives me a little more hope. I know it will be what it's meant to be.......only time will tell.

I have a bunch of pics of the puppies playing earlier today. We've moved them outside now and boy are they LOVING it!!! They're just running and digging, playing with their new toys, hiding under the doghouse, herding Mattie up, enjoying Bella being their "neighbor", just full of life! They'll wear themselves out playing, then disappear for 2 or 3 hours napping, then they'll be back at it again......and repeat that process all day long. Their teeth are like razors and I'm beginning to show proof of that in my hands. When I fed earlier today, Lovey had a hold of my pants leg for dear life.........she had SUCH a grip that I didn't think I'd ever get out of the pen! It's very hard to walk now, they ALL want attention and are just right under your feet, some chewing your pants, some on your shoes, others just jumping up........but it's so much fun!! And it's amazing how overnight their tan seems to have really come in good and is darkening up!

I do want to say THANK YOU to everyone that has chosen a new family member from Mattie's litter. I know you all are very anxious for your new babies! I'll have the rest of the pictures loaded up tomorrow for ya, for now here's a sneak peak. It's so late and this time change has gotten me off track! Goodnight ya'll!
Amy

Our little girls........

2010-03-11T23:51:00.000-05:00

Finally I have individual pictures of our little sweeties!! All their tails are color coded to help us tell who's who. I've added several pictures of each of the girls on the website, the boys too, if you want to check all the extras out there. For the time being, I'll just post one picture each and who they are. Hope ya'll have a good night......it's been a crazy day here and I'm not seeing bedtime coming soon enough!
Amy

Here is Happy, (or "Zip" as she is soon to be called):
Tail color coded yellow:

Next is Cutie, tail color coded orange:

Then Lovey, tail color coded blue:

Last but not least is Cuddles, tail color coded green:

And we can't leave our boys out, so here's Rocky:

And Rebel or "Little Ace":

Puppy pics!

2010-03-10T17:34:00.000-05:00

And here's a few from the weekend of the puppies outside. They were so everywhere that it made getting pictures kinda hard! LOL I've finally been able to get the paint coloring to STAY on the girls by coloring the tips of their tails, so I will be adding individual pics of them later or tomorrow. So, enjoy these for now! :)
Amy

The week's half over!

2010-03-10T17:25:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's Wednesday already!! This week has flown. The weekend was just gorgeous! We spent all our time outside, walking through the fields and whatnot. Puppies definitely enjoyed being outside, exploring and just seeing what all they could find to get into. They love hiding underneath the shrubs here in the landscaping, or digging in the mulch. They are all doing great. They've got a full set of teeth in. They're just one big ball of energy! I've started them on soaked dry puppy food. They're chowing that right down, no problems. Can't believe they are 5 weeks old today!! Time is just flying. I know you all are so excited to bring your new babies home. We will miss them here.

I still am up in the air with Bella. I just have no idea what to think of her. She seems to be having *some* development of milk, different than what she did last time, but I feel nothing when feeling on her belly. I'll give it a couple more weeks and I should know something definite by then..........for some reason, I just feel like it's a no go. Then I guess we'll go from there if she's not. She's driving me up the wall though with her digging into the other pens, mainly with Jasmine. There are some holes that I honestly just don't know how in the world she ever got through!! She must be part mouse in sliding through these little tiny spaces! LOL

I will leave you with a few pics from our walks and do a separate one for the puppies. Have a good evening!
Amy

Video for ya'll

2010-03-04T11:08:00.000-05:00

Have a just a quick minute here to load up a video I took this morning of the puppies. I'm going to try my best at getting updated pictures of them today........kinda had a dagger thrown in the day with more snow and kids being out of school. But anyway, hope ya'll enjoy these sweet little babies! Have a great day!
Amy

We had an escapee!

2010-03-01T07:55:00.000-05:00

As the kids and Chris were leaving for school and work this morning, we opened the door out to the garage and what do you know?? There was miss Happy out and about, playing, running around, and from the looks of things, her and Mattie had had a pretty fun time! Who knows how long she had been out. I figured it wouldn't be long, but usually they'll stay in the box a bit longer than this. Mattie's pups last year figured out how to escape much earlier than others I've had..........watch out! Now, I guess I'll be re-working the garage later to see what I need to do to contain them. Little stinkers! Ya'll have a great Monday!
Amy

Meet Niko!!

2010-02-28T15:27:00.000-05:00

Finally, our little cockatiel got to come home with us on Friday. Cole was beyond excited!! It's being a great little bird......we don't know yet if it's a he or she.....but Niko is it's name. So sweet too and only about 3 months old. Cole loves giving it rides on his shoulder and I've found him several times, sitting in his little recliner, Niko on his shoulder, just watching tv. I think they'll be best of buddies! Looks like we might have to get another one or two for the older kids. LOL They are forever whining about who's gonna hold him! Ok, of course here are a few pics to enjoy! Take care!
Amy

Their first meal!

2010-02-28T15:20:00.000-05:00

These babies had their first meal yesterday.......and it was gone in 30 seconds flat!!! We have some eaters on our hands! LOL They acted like they had eaten before and did great. Boy they smelled it a coming today.....they were poised and ready for me to sit the dish down. I mix them up a mixture of baby rice cereal, milk, little bit of karo syrup and some of the gravy out of the canned dog food, warm it all up and they love it. They'll eat this until they get their teeth cut in pretty good, I'll just gradually thicken the mixture, then we'll move on up to soft canned puppy food along with soaked dry food.

Finally have these little girls color coded! Happy is purple, Lovey is green, Cutie is orange and Cuddles is red.......now to just get individual pictures of them!! One is still appearing quite mottled looking, another as well and brother Rebel is looking to be getting speckles in his coat as well. They will be so interesting to see how their coats do turn out! They keep me guessing. Oh but it does look like they have all inherited their moms tail..........Mattie gets LOTS of reaction from her tail! LOL

Puppies have been wormed, which they all enjoyed. I'll have to admit that wormer does smell pretty good. LOL They got their nails trimmed earlier today too. Man them little things were sharp!! I'm sure Mattie will appreciate that!

They all are getting such personalities to them, playing, growling and now on to trying out their barks. There is one in the bunch that sounds as if it'll eat me up everytime it hears me come into the garage......gonna be a nice watchdog. They just crack me up watching them!! I'll leave you with some pictures and be back soon. Enjoy the day!
Amy

Chow time!

Here sis, let me get that food off your face for ya!

Good to the last drop

C.L.E.A.N

Let's play!!

My little girls

2010-02-26T14:18:00.000-05:00

Some pics of the little girls I took just a bit ago! Got to get some of just the boys again. Enjoy!
Amy

3 weeks old today!

2010-02-24T14:26:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it's been 3 weeks since these little ones were born?? They have some major teeth getting ready to pop through! Those gums are just pooched right up there. And they are just cracking me up with the tail wagging!! One in particular, she'll just wag that little tail as fast as she can when I'm petting or talking to her. She's already learned she can peep out over the box........what do you say she'll be the first one to figure out how to get over and out?!? Cole had fun playing with them earlier while I was cleaning things out. I actually meant to worm them while I was tending to everyone, but, I totally forgot. So guess I will do that after I pick up the kids from school.

I'm really not liking the weather we're having today, especially after the beautiful weekend we had!! This cold, dampness just absolutely kills my sinus.....can't get rid of this horrible headache I've got. I'm SO ready for warm weather!! We're still waiting for our little cockatiel to wean so we can bring it home. Everyday the kids ask "can we pick it up yet??" I've still got to get a few things for it, like......a cage! Just can't find what I want that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.

Ace has been enjoying this damp and soft ground. I think I've put him up a few times this week already. My parents are probably wondering where in the world the wood is disappearing to........I keep getting some of the logs that were cut and stacked up for any of us that needed it and using it to block up the holes they dig! LOL I think we need to invest some stock in concrete!! Come soon they are going to be concreted in. ;) Bella is doing good. Still unsure whether she's pregnant or not. I'm just totally not getting excited or really even thinking about it. I don't want to be let down again. I'm just hoping.

I'll leave you with a few pics from this morning. Ya'll have a good day!
Amy

Few more pics!

2010-02-22T17:03:00.000-05:00

Here's a few individual pictures of the boys:

And some of all the girls:

You can see some of them are getting their coloring in pretty good. I'm still very curious with one of these little girls..........she just looks like she might be speckled, however I'm not sure and it's really hard to tell on those speckled's until they get a bit older. She just looks a bit odd of how the blue is coming through. I do remember one female, when she was born and still very wet, I could see dots and spots faintly........so who knows!! We may just have a speckle in the bunch! That's all for now. Taken care of the dogs, now, my kiddos are wanting supper. Have a great evening!

Amy

Almost 3 weeks old!

2010-02-22T16:52:00.000-05:00

Hard to believe these puppies are almost 3 weeks old already. Time flies once they're born! They have so many changes and accomplishments from day to day. They have mastered walking pretty good, sitting up and they are now "playing" with each other. It's too cute! Trying to chew on each other's tails, ears or whatever they can get. I can feel little teeth buds just starting to bulge under the gum.......won't be long. I think by the weekend I'll probably start them on some baby cereal, see how they do with that. One even tried to shake this morning, like he was shaking the water off him. They all are so friendly and seem very outgoing. Rocky seems to be the "watchdog" of the bunch. Seems you'll always have a little barker and growler in the litter.......it's him! LOL I think both boys are going to take after Ace. They just seem so content and calm. LOVE to be held in your lap! So far all the girls seem about the same, except one stands out as little Miss Fiesty.........bet she has Mattie's energy level!! LOL She's the one to come flying over the others to get to me or Mattie. I will leave you with plenty of pictures from just a little while ago. Enjoy!
Amy

And one of Mattie sulking and pouting because I'm playing with the babies instead of her.......JEALOUS!!

Lot's of tail wagging............

2010-02-19T08:47:00.000-05:00

These puppies are just too cute!! They have learned, overnight, just how to wag their little tails!!! I was greeted with that this morning and it's just the sweetest thing. They are all so friendly and respond very well to my voice. When they hear me talking to them, they all perk right up and come wobbling over to me with those little tails just a going. And I just cannot get over the size of this litter. My husband has decided Mattie has miracle grow milk she's feeding them! LOL They all are just the sweetest things, I could eat them up! I'm going to get a little video of them later and get loaded up. Until then, here's a few pics from the other night of just the little girls. Have a great day!
Amy

I have pictures!

2010-02-16T20:37:00.000-05:00

Finally here, I have some new pictures for you. Boy have these babies grown! All are doing so good. Eyes are cracking open and they are doing a wonderful job of trying to walk. Just a quick post here, but enjoy the pics!

All together:

The Boys:

"Rebel" - full mask

"Rocky" - eye patch

The Girls:

We haven't named these little girls yet.......I'm gonna have to pull out the nail polish so that I can tell them apart! :) Then maybe we can give them a name. At least we know one's gonna be named Zip! Ok ya'll, have a good night!

Amy

Howdy!

2010-02-13T09:33:00.000-05:00

Just checking in for a quick minute here. Finally got my replacement driver in for my computer, so I will be back later this evening with all new pics of these little (BIG) babies! They are just butterballs! I can see all the blue coloring starting to come in and their little paw pads have darkened up.

Ace and Bella have been put together and looks like we *hopefully* will be looking at a new litter come April 15 or so!! I'm hoping.........but not going to even get excited about the possibility until I can totally see a HUGE belly on her. I don't want a repeat of last time.

Looks like we're getting a new pet here!! Cole has been asking for "his own pet" for some time now. So, since his birthday is coming up we have decided to let him pick what he wants. He loves birds so that's what he's getting. We went yesterday to let him pick out a parakeet (I found a lady that hand feed/hand raises them close by) and guess what he actually fell in love with?? A sweet little white and gray cockatiel!! It's not quite ready to wean yet, so we'll get to pick him/her up in a couple of weeks. He's SO excited!!! Now I've got to go gather up supplies for this new baby.......I'm excited too!! :)

Let's get these kids to a birthday party! I'll check in later with some new pictures for ya! Enjoy your Saturday!
Amy

Is winter ever gonna end?

2010-02-10T15:04:00.001-05:00

I love winter, and the snow, but honestly.........I'm getting really tired of all of this! LOL It's pouring the snow, has all day long. Wind is insane! Temp about 20, who knows what the windchill might be. The house sounded like it could've taken flight last night. It's just downright COLD! I'm sure the kids will be out of school the rest of the week now. We're all bogged down with sinus junk and sore throats. I just think the beach sounds REALLY good right about now!!! :)

Puppies are doing great!! I swear, I believe these are the biggest pups we've had, especially at this age! I need to weigh one........will try and do that later. They completely fill up both hands and then some when I hold them. They have got THE CUTEST faces on them too!! Definitely some broad headed, stocky pups! They sure are loving their heated corner.......and I think Mattie is too. ;) They're all nice and toasty!

Think I'll start getting some things out for supper here. I'm thinking buttermilk fried chicken strips, green beans canned from the garden, fresh cooked apples, hashbrown casserole and homemade biscuits! YUMMY! My brother's coming over to eat with us and he's found the boys some John Deere shirts......won't they be EXCITED?!? Ok ya'll, have a good one!
Amy

Some pics

2010-02-09T18:03:00.001-05:00

I've got a few pictures from over the weekend that I got burnt onto a cd before my memory card driver went out. Here's these for now, hopefully my new part will be in tomorrow and I'll be back up and running in no time! Here they are at 3 days old.

Let's keep our fingers crossed...................

2010-02-08T08:39:00.000-05:00

that we have a litter from Bella soon! She is now in heat, albeit a month early, but that should be fine. I wasn't expecting to come upon that over the weekend, but yep, and actually, Jasmine is too! It's crazy, because Bella and Jazz seem to cycle together, and then Mattie and Cookie cycle together......weird! So, hopefully Bella will be with pup this time around. That is if I can keep her in with Ace. She is very attached to Jasmine and will find any and every way to escape the pen with Ace! LOL But of course, she's one of these heelers that have a mind of their own. Stubborn and hard headed too. But you won't find a more sweeter gal, full of love! Come on Bella...........we're all rootin' for ya!

Puppies are GROWING!

2010-02-08T08:32:00.000-05:00

You will not believe how much these puppies have grown!! They're such little butterballs and SO sweet.....I could just eat them up! Love it when they're sleeping and then decide to stretch, reaching their soft little paws up into the air. And that puppy breath..........mmmmm! Chris thinks I'm crazy, but I love to smell it! LOL The kids have picked out names for the boys.....Rocky and Rebel. We'll have to wait a bit on those girls........I can't tell them apart at the moment! I seriously may have to paint their toenails to do so! LOL I have some new pics to share, but unfortunately the driver on the computer that holds my camera stick has kicked the bucket......guess I've worn it out. So, I'll have to take a few more pics then burn a disc and load some up. Will have to get that thing fixed! And it's only lasted like 6 months.....not good. But all is well with the dogs. Oh and I did get them moved to the garage, reluctantly. I enjoyed having them and Mattie in here, but it's just a little bit more of a mess than I needed. Mattie is still having an afterbirth discharge, so needless to say all the kids were totally freaked out when they saw that on the floor! But the pups totally love it out there under the heat lamp and ceramic heater........they're nice and comfy warm. Chris said it looked so nice, peaceful and warm in there that he believed he'd just crawl in there. They are very content, so that's good. Hopefully I'll be back later with new pictures. Ya'll have a great Monday!
Amy