Moments | Our Little Family

It's been 4 weeks since our little family got a little bigger and I'm happy to report that things are going very well. Rollo and Logan are playing to their hearts content and bonding over digging holes together and then getting in trouble after. They really are a very cute pair, even when they're naughty.

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Now that we've all settled in a bit, here's the story of how this all unfolded... 

To be clear, we weren't planning on adding to our family and this was all quite a 24-hour whirlwind for us. We had seen Rollo (previously Olaf) on the Dodge County Humane Society Facebook page back in July and had a soft spot for him. We almost went to meet him, but then he was adopted and I was happy for him. Then a few weeks later, he was on the Facebook page again and I just couldn't get him out of my head (or heart). I mentioned to Mike that he was back and even forwarded his photo to my cousin in Colorado, yet I insisted that we weren't going to get him. I'm awfully foolish sometimes. 

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Without knowing that we were already interested, a friend emailed his photo to me. She's a volunteer at the Humane Society thought of us for the husky named Olaf. I tried to resist, but as the day progressed she filled me in and my heart melted hearing that he was depressed, not eating, and in need of a family that understands huskies. She also said that a family had been coming out to take him for walks with their huskies, brought him some food, and they had sponsored his adoption fee - obviously this little guy was very special and we had to meet him.

With all of this, it just seemed "meant to be" and met Olaf (soon to be Rollo) that night. We fell in love, the boys played, and we turned in our adoption application. I was, of course, on pins and needles waiting for the "approval" phone call the next morning. I picked up our new boy that afternoon and he has indeed, found his Forever Home.

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As you can see, he's settling in very nicely.

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Even though Rollo's adoption fee was sponsored, both Mike & I felt it was important to still donate to the shelter to help them care for the other animals and help them find their Forever Homes. Everyone we worked with at the Dodge County Humane Society was so kind and it's clear that they love the animals and are passionate about making their lives better - many thanks to them and to the dear family that cared for our boy before we met him.

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All of our pups have come from a shelter and they've all been so special, including our dearly missed Joey. It's been one year today since we said goodbye to our handsome boy and we've thought of him frequently with our new addition. We will always miss him, but I can't help smiling because Joey would love Rollo and I laugh thinking of the trouble that they would get themselves into, with Logan not far behind.

Cheers!

Snow Day

It started snowing last night and it's still snowing at 6pm tonight. This morning, as the sun was coming up, it was so peaceful and magical. This is my moment with the snow: image

Growing up in the mountains of Colorado, snow is in my DNA and each year I anxiously anticipate winter. I'm giddy with delight when the snow falls and I stare out the window with the wonder of a child sighing deeply at the beauty. This morning I stood on our front porch doing just this while admiring the white blanket covering our neighborhood.

It's rather lovely outside, but this storm has immobilized Wisconsin. This snow is heavy and wet. We have friends waiting for the power company to come and remove fallen tree limbs from their power lines, power is out in some areas and snow removal has been an ongoing chore throughout the day since it keeps coming down. Snowblowers have been a constant sound in our neighborhood since 6 am today and I hear one or two now. My dear hubby tends to the snow removal and I am grateful that because of him I'm able to continue my love affair with snow. Thank you, my love.

Someone else love this snow (yes, I've passed this onto my "children"). This guy:

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Mr. Logan loves the snow (we believe he learned this from Mr. Joey) and decided to take a siesta on the patio today. I had to force him to come inside. Handsome, isn't he?

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So, what did I do today with my "snow day"? Well, contrary to popular belief, I did not immediately pick up my knitting needles until later in the day... This morning I went to the kitchen to start our supper of dry white beans, veg stock, garlic, onions, rosemary and lemon:

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Then I made a double-batch of our famous Drunken Joe (recipe to come in the very near future):

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We are staying warm, the boys are happy and I'm finally knitting. All in all, it's been a good day. I hope everyone else had a good day, "snow" day or otherwise.

Cheers!

Puppy Cookies

I talk about my pups a lot, and this is why:

Mr. Joey
 Mr. Logan
These boys of mine are freakin' adorable!   
 
From time to time their cute gets the best of me and I make them cookies.  Funny thing, I don't like to bake.  I am not good at it, but what I bake for them gets gobbled up so I will continue to bake for my kids.    
Awhile back I went to Dogfest in Madison, WI (a long while back, like 10 years or so) and couldn't resist picking up a copy of the Three Dog Bakery Cookbook.  This book has over 50 recipes for fun and natural dog treats that will tempt the bipeds just the same.  There are cookies, pizza, cake, and more!
The recipe I made for them this week were the Howlin' Hula Bars. 
These are a little bland for my taste, but my boys LOVE them!  Yes, I admit, I tried them. 
If you want to bake for your pooch, you can get your own copy of the book here on the Three Dog Bakery website. 
Cheers,
Alisa