Do you have a go-to pic?

This is mine. I look at it throughout the day while I'm at work and it instantly, magically, makes me happy. Love our little Bean!

Happy birthday, Ari!

Kenzie's golden retriever boyfriend Ari had a birthday last weekend and his family was kind enough to invite us all to the dog beach. It could not have been a more beautiful day!
When we first arrived, Kenzie made sure to provoke other dogs to chase her! She was never far away from her beach-towel base, and hid behind mom and dad a few times when the big dogs came running. :)

Our friends went straight to the water ... birthday boy's orders!

What's going on out there? As it turns out, however much Kenzie doesn't mind taking baths, she's pretty scared of the ocean. Even treats couldn't coax her in on her own! But some help from Daddy did the trick...

And what a relief ... she CAN swim.

Ready to get out!

You'd better believe Ari didn't lose track of that ball, his most-prized possession.

Three puggles and a pug! We were surprised to see how many puggles (there were others) were enjoying a beautiful day at the dog beach, too.

Ari thrilled that his mom is throwing the ball out to sea over and over and over again...

Showing off his seashell find. :)

I guess things can sag even when you're a toddler!

Happy birthday, Ari, and thanks for letting us share the day with you!

Benefits of a Stay-at-Home Mommy

During the last two weeks, Kenzie's life has changed dramatically. Thanks to my career status change, she has become increasingly spoiled and accustomed to the following:

- Sitting or sleeping in mommy's lap when she's at the computer, instead of locked up in the crate
- Getting the occasional extra bone or treat to occupy her so that mommy can get some job-searching done
- Going for walks or jogs in the park on a daily basis ... hooray!
- Taking naps on the couch, on her favorite ottoman, in mommy's lap ... anywhere but the crate
- Getting to watch mommy try new recipes, or sew, or become other sorts of domesticated
- Taking more naps

This last one, to me, seems like such an optical illusion! Is Kenzie really that long??

Why can't I sleep with them?

Weekend visitors! Kenzie was so excited that Aunt Ashley and Uncle Scott came to visit. In fact, she was so thrilled to have their attention that it took her over an hour to settle down and go to sleep in our room last night. She was whining at the end of the bed, or sat staring at the door, desperate to go find them in the other room! Silly dog... here's their parting pic. She was impressively alert. Thanks for coming, Scott and Ashley!

Kenzie's New Friend

Kenzie loves company, and knows other dogs are lots of fun. But babies - that's a whole other story! Our friends came over tonight with their PRECIOUS nearly 1-year-old daughter and Kenzie thought they all came just for her. She loves being chased. So having a laughing baby crawling after her made her night. Kenzie's new friend did pull on her tail some, play with her paws, and occasionally body-slam her (unintentionally, of course -- learning to stand and walk is not easy!), but Kenzie didn't seem to mind (and gave her fair share of sniffs and playful pursuits). But mostly, she enjoyed the extra attention... Thanks, Lana, for coming to play!

Saturday Morning Snooze

Kenzie loves to sleep on Mommy's side of the bed ... sometimes pillow and all!

This was a couple of weeks ago. Kenzie on her favorite ottoman, all bundled up and sleeping peacefully.