Kevin's birthday

Kevin is still "6" but had his 25th birthday celebration on the last day of February, yesterday. His choice for the family get-together birthday meal was to go to Rib City Grill, a new restaurant for the family, but probably a restaurant that will become a family favorite. It's always a pleasant surprise to find a good restaurant in Vancouver! We're obviously not Portland, but Vancouver has changed since we first moved here 11 almost 12 years ago. They had very good fried okra and legitimate sweet tea. They passed the Southern test. Here is the family portrait taken by our waitress. This was the one picture Lyn would allow me to post. I had to post the one of me looking away for the camera so he wouldn't have a picture that looked like he had missing teeth. It doesn't matter - I felt like death warmed over in both pictures regardless of the one I posted. There was nothing we could do about the pitchfork over Tim's head.



If you look closely, there is a leash draped over Lyn's leg. That is Ardella's leash and she is sleeping under the table. She did very well, although Kevin looked a little dubious when we showed up at the restaurant with her. As the mother of the bride, I have suggested that Keri use Ardella as a ring bearer at the wedding. This has been a request that has continuously been met with "you've got to be kidding," look. I won't give up. She needs to be a ring bearer!

This next picture is not our new dog. I did help dog sit for my supervisor while she is recuperating from surgery though. When I told my mother that I was going to do this she told me to HUSH, I was upsetting her. So, dog is now gone and I can safely post a picture without upsetting my mother. Klondike is an American Eskimo and has downy, cashmere-like undercoat. Unfortunately, I didn't get enough fur to spin anything of substance, but I'm hoping my supervisor will now understand the value of her dog's fur and will start collecting it for me. Doesn't Klondike remind you of a baby seal. She was a very sweet dog. Tim wanted to keep her and Keri wanted to take her home.



Ardella will be 17 weeks tomorrow! It's going by so fast. I can't remember life before Ardella. It's been an intense 2 months and I'm thinking about her constantly. I don't think I was prepared for the intensity of this experience, but I'm loving it and am still glad we're raising her. We have work to do, but mostly she's a satisfying dog to have around. Bruna "A" puppy raisers - someone in the puppy club commented that Ardella really "swings it" when she walks (meaning her hind end). Do your puppies do the same? Is this a normal gait variation?

Also, puppy raisers, we have to do a field trip for our group in October. What kinds of field trips have you done? We need some ideas.

I'm all about a nap right now. Hope I can do it without coughing!