Jack has moved inside...

We first picked Jack up hoping that he and Samson would be backyard friends. They are, but they pick on each other a bit as well. Samson is missing a small piece of his ear from their "playing", and Jack has been kicked a few times. We decided that maybe it wasn't such a great idea to keep them together.

So - we've been transitioning Jack inside. He's unsure about the whole thing - he's always been an outside dog - but is starting to settle in. The first time Josh brought him in, he laid in the corner between the couch and the chair and wouldn't come out! 

Now, almost a week later, he'll only go in or out if he's on the leash, but he does like to be inside.

He loves the attention he's getting...

And after playing and wrestling, he loves to lay next to Josh and hang out.

This morning I even let him lick my plate after breakfast... that's a big deal. 

We love Jack. Actually, we've added to his name and now he's Jackson. And he's ours.

Camdon's Birthday - A Day at the Beach!

It has been so much fun having Kaiya and Camdon here... and today, we got to celebrate Camdon's 2nd birthday!

We took the kids to Lucky Peak to play at the beach.

Camdon playing in the sand with his motorcycles

Someone before us had created this little "puddle", which was perfect for the kids. They could play in the water, but knew not to go beyond the little sand berm. Camdon found a toy boat that someone else had left behind, and played with it for almost an hour.

Kaiya was doing a water dance... we all got "splashed" more than once with her water kicks!

 

 And then she was done in the water, and sat on the beach waiting for us to be ready to get dressed again. 

It was a fabulous day! The kids loved the beach (and the water), and it was nice to be outside in the sunshine.

Happy birthday, Camdon! I had a great day playing with you!

Meet Jack - Samson's New Dog

Samson is lonely. He's been the only backyard animal since Tuesday... so today we got him a dog.

Meet Jack!

Jack is 4-years old, and a lab/hound mix. He's shy, but good tempered. He is used to cows, horses, ducks, and other dogs, so we figured he'd be okay with Samson and the chickens.

The "boys" weren't too sure of each other at first:

 

 

But, then they sniffed each other out:

 

 

Then Jack barked, and spooked Samson a bit. He went to stand by Donovan - like he can really hide. :)

 

They are still getting to know each other... we hope they'll become friends, but they're both a bit skittish right now.

PS - the goats are pretty tasty. :)

Two Weeks In...

I am two weeks into my PhD program. The first week was completely overwhelming, just trying to adjust to being back in school, setting aside time for reading, researching, writing, and responding to my classmates. The second week was better; I'm hoping that by the fourth week I've settled into a routine!

I do seem to have a great cohort group; most seem interactive, prompt to post, and thorough in their responses. I suppose that's the benefit of the degree we are seeking; we know what to expect and how to to help one another along the way.

So - 2 weeks down, 206 to go!

Donovan's New Coat

Donovan opened a gift from Earl and Katie - a jean jacket that has been passed down from his great-grandfather.

It won't fit for long - but it's a wonderful family heirloom. Once Donovan outgrows it, I think we'll put it in a shadow-box with the story of the jacket and the patch.

Audri & Samson

The kids are here! Audri quickly asked to help feed Samson:

It's going to be a great summer!

Summer Plans

It seems that summer might actually be here! We have thought so twice before, but then it's turned colder again. Now our fingers are crossed that it's here to stay.

The kids will be here next weekend (the 23rd) and we are making summer plans. Of course, with the animals we can't just leave, but we don't need to. I will be headed North for a week, Audri wants to see her friends in Twin for a week, Josh and Donovan want a few days of boys time in the woods (something about getting dirty and not caring)... we have passes to the water park, we dug out our rafts and can float the river... we want to explore Idaho a bit and head to Silver City (a ghost-town about an hour away) and few other places as day-trips.

We're not entirely sure what the summer will bring, but we're excited that it's here!