Housework

Lucy is no longer a puppy...since turning one years old on November 8th, she is officially considered an "adult" and we decided that it's only fair that she starts pulling her own weight around the house. So Lucy helps with various chores around the house, but her favorite one is to help with the dishes. She likes to help clean the dishes by doing the pre-wash cycle before we start the dishwasher. It's a win-win really...all the food grit gets off the plates and silverware and we save water because we don't have to run the pre-wash cycle. Lucy doesn't earn an allowance, per se, but she gets plenty of kibble, treats, dog bones, and peanut butter.

Lucy licking the sliverware clean

Lucy licking the dishes

Lucy making sure she got everything

Spring is on its way

To my surprise and much delight, my tulip and daffodil bulbs that I planted in my front yard began to poke through! I spent many weekends last fall planting over 600 bulbs and I was really worried they wouldn't come up or that they'd get eaten by squirrels. So far, so good. The bulbs in my front flower bed have come up and the side flower beds are starting to see little buds. I can't wait for another month or so for them to bloom! Stay tuned and I will post pics in March when they are taller and in bloom! So for now, enjoy...

My bulbs starting to poke through the soil

Getting taller...

You can start to see the perfectly aligned rows of bulbs

Can't wait until March when they bloom

Inauguration Day - A New President, A New Chapter in America

Today was an historic day in American history. Last November 4, 2008, we elected our first African-American President and today, January 20, 2009, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States. It is amazing to see the Dream that Martin Luther King Jr. described forty years ago actually come true...that people would judge others by the content of their character and not by the color of their skin. This election and inauguration of Barack Obama represents that Dream.

We are feeling hopeful and inspired that President Obama will unite our nation in our time of economic uncertainty. Lucy even got in the patriotic spirit by sporting her Democratic collar and bandana.

Cheers to you Mr. President Obama!

Lucy wearing her Democratic Donkey bandana

Showing off her patriotic collar and matching bandana

A close-up view of her red, white, and blue Democratic Donkey collar

Lucy says, " Go Obama!"

1 Year Ago Today...

One year ago today (January 18, 2008) we adopted Lucy and brought her into our lives and home. It has been a year filled with joy and laughter.

How we adopted Lucy is a cute story...I grew up with dogs and knew I wanted a dog, and so once we moved into our house and got settled it was just a matter of finding the perfect dog. We both knew we wanted to adopt a dog from the Humane Society and I knew we wanted to find a lab or lab mix. I grew up with a lab and they are known for having a good temperment, good around kids and other dogs, smart, loving, active, and easy to train. So we checked the available dogs online daily hoping to find our little puppy. We also preferred a puppy, so we could name the dog what we wanted and also go through the "joy" of housetraining it, but more importantly, we wanted to establish a strong bond. Early in January 2008, I checked online and saw there was a 2 month old female black lab puppy available. Knowing that puppies get adopted quickly, I knew we had to go down to the Humane Society right away to put a deposit down. It was Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 and Clark and I went there on our lunch break. When we got there, a staffer at the front desk told us the puppy was still available and no one else had put a deposit down. So we went back to the kennel and looked at her and we knew IMMEDIATELY she was our little girl. But to our surprise and disappointment, there was a note on her kennel saying she was taken. But after asking and doing some investigating, no one had actually put a deposit on her, it was a mistake. She was meant to be ours! We put money down on her and were told her she was going to be spayed in a few days and we could bring her home that Friday. We started making our house "puppy-proof." We bought a bed, food and water bowls, a collar and leash, and an un-Godly amount of toys. We eagerly awaited the end of the week when we could bring her home.

Long story short...Lucy is the best dog ever. She is sweet, loveable, loyal, smart, and playful. Lucy didn't chew up our furniture or shoes or pee all over the house. She didn't bark or whine incessantly. Lucy was a dream puppy and is a dog-lover's dream. Though Lucy has cost us a lot of money in vet bills, we cannot imagine our life without her. Though only a year, we have been through a lot with her...now our days are filled with 5 AM wakeup calls to walk Lucy and weekend trips to the off-leash dog park.

So, here are some pictures of her from the day we adopted her at 2 months and then Lucy now, one year later.

JANUARY 18, 2008

Lucy in her new home for the first time

Lucy with mama dog checking out her new bed, toys, and food bowl.

Napping with mama dog on the couch

Daddy Dog holding Lucy. For the first few month, Lucy wouldn't go down the stairs on her own because she was so scared. So Daddy Dog had to carry her down the stairs every morning.

Our little angel...only 30 pounds at 2 months old.

JANUARY 18, 2009

To celebrate our 1-year anniversary, we gave Lucy one of her favorite treats...a bone.

Lucy enjoying her bone

Lucy at 14 months old and 90 pounds

Lucy may no longer technically called a puppy, but she will always be a puppy in our eyes

One of Lucy's favorite hangout spots...on our bed

Lucy ("money pit") Tull-Mather