Our New Addition!

My cousin Jessica breeds dogs. She lives up near Thomasville, Georgia on her family's farm. It started out with just Labradoodles, but recently she just had her first litter of Goldendoodles. I know it sounds very funny mixing a Labrador or Golden Retriever with a poodle. I have never been a poodle person and neither was James, so we never imagined wanting one of these dogs. We both fell in love with her recent litter, especially after doing research on the breed and what type of personality results from these dogs. They are really a wonderful mix and are a great pet. I had a Golden Retriever for a long time and she was one of the best dogs ever, until she got a little crazy in older age. We really missed having a dog that could swim or run with us. Duncan is a wonderful companion, but not much of a swimmer or runner! (we have tried both) We had no plans of getting one of her dogs right now, especially since they were sold way in advance. I told my cousin that we wanted to get one in a couple years, when she did another litter. She called me about 3 weeks ago to let me know someone had changed their mind and she had a little girl puppy that needed a home. We drove an hour away to visit her 3 different times. After the 3rd visit, she came home with us! So here is our new baby girl, Lilly!

She is a Golden Retriever and Standard Poodle mix. We can't say for sure what she will look like when she is older, but she will be pretty tall, have shaggy golden hair and shouldn't shed very much at all. She is already a cutie! Our only concern was how she would get along with Duncan, but they are great friends already! She is doing great with the kids and has been a wonderful, easy addition to our family. The only problem she has is with water. She will not stay out of it! Any water or mud she finds, she is in it! I don't really mind her getting wet, but she often comes back to the door all muddy! I am very happy to have another girl in the house and I can't wait until she is a little bigger and can go on some of my runs with me.

Clearwater Trip - Father's Day Weekend 2010 - Part 2

The only activity we really did on our trip to Clearwater (besides visiting with both of our immediate families) was going out for a boat ride and a then a quick swim in the pool. We even got to stop for lunch at the yacht club. It was Jack's first boat ride and he enjoyed it! Logan enjoyed it also, but it is definitely a lot of work to take 2 kids their age out on a boat! They looked so cute all suited up in their life jackets! Too many cute pictures, so there are quite a few! :)

Clearwater Trip - Father's Day Weekend 2010 - Part 1

A couple of weeks ago we traveled down to Clearwater for Father's Day. It was one of the fastest trips ever, but we got to spend time with family and it was really good to see everyone! We got to visit with James' parents, his brother Bryan and nephew Tyler. We also spent time with my Dad, stepmom Lisa, brother Sam and sister Irina. Below are a bunch of family pictures we took!

Acorn Squash

I decided to add some acorn squash to the garden last month and they are just starting to produce. We just had our first one ready and I decided to make something my mom use to make when I was little. It was always one of my favorite side dishes. It is really easy to make. Cut the squash in half, clean out the seeds, bake in the oven and halfway through add butter and brown sugar. We ended up just eating it as a dessert since it is so sweet, but it was great! The kids thought it was the best treat ever and James was even suprised he liked it so much. We will probably make it again in a few days!