The first part of my post is a response to a comment left a couple of days ago about our dogs. For those of you who knew me pre-marriage you probably know who Chloe is but for those of you who don't let me fill you in.
Let me first share pictures of my first baby: Chloe the Jack Russell Terrier.
Here is Chloe, Layla, and me after coming home from a walk. I think this was shortly after we got Layla.
Here are Chloe and Layla in my parent's backyard summer 2006.
Where to begin.......Chloe is a great dog a I miss her terribly. I got Chloe in 2004 after moving into my very first apt. She filled an emotional hole in my life (I had just been broken up with) and we became fast friends. I even let her sleep in the bed with me. Not long after that Colin and I started dating and then got married. She had trouble adjusting to the new person in our lives and sleeping in her own doggy bed. Then we got Layla the next year in an effort to cheer her up. Soon after Layla joined the family we found out I was pregnant with Zoe Scout. When we moved out of our apt the dogs had to start living outside which Chloe didn't like after the "new" wore off. Colin and I tried to spend as much time as we could with the dogs and spent several hours with them almost every night. Once ZS was born all that changed. I didn't have the time or energy to devote to Chloe like I had had before and so she started running away. Some parts of our fence are only 4 feet tall and she could easily jump over them and go exploring around the neighborhood. We would get calls from the neighbors at all times during the day and sometimes have to come home from work or call a family member to go retrieve her. The last straw was when a neighbor called at midnight and said she saw Chloe trotting down the street. I had to get in the car in the middle of the night and go find her. We decided that we could not give her the attention or exercise she needed and that she needed a new family. The next day we went to the SPCA and got Jeb. We knew Layla could not be alone and we figured the transition would be easier if Jeb came before Chloe left. Now our search began for a suitable family for Chloe. Our friends, the Wiguses, live out in Celeste and know a family who is from Australia and have a couple of Jack Russell Terriers. They agreed to try Chloe out with their other dogs and see if everything worked out. If I remember correctly I think they have over 50 acres and tons of animals to chase. Chloe loved it and they loved her. They have a 15 yr old son named Denny and she is now his dog. They also go on English fox hunts (yes, traditional red coats and all) and I hear through the grapevine that Chloe loves to tag along. They even say she is the most obedient of all their dogs. So now we have Layla and Jeb. They are great, although, I still don't spend a lot of time with them but Colin does. Layla will be 2 in Nov and is around 65 lbs and Jeb is about 7 months old and is about 45 lbs. They are great with the baby and pretty calm for the most part when she is in the back yard. They do like to lick her all over which makes her giggle. All this said, I do wish we had been able to keep Chloe. She was so sweet and was a huge part of my life. It was one of those hard decisions when you do what is best for the animal and she really is better off and happier in Celeste. I just hope she still remembers me with good thoughts. Maybe she thinks about our walks in the park or jumping around in the snow together when she was a puppy. I do hope one day to have another Jack Russell Terrier, not to replace Chloe (impossible) but because I miss the sweetness of her disposition.
Here are some pics of Jeb and Layla. The look a lot alike. Jeb is wearing the red collar.
These are just some cute egg eating pics. You can see the egg she rubbed in her hair.
Today Zoe Scout was so cute! Here is a list of fun things she did!
1. She learned what the word "kiss" means today and gave them freely to her mommy and daddy.
2. She walked through the kitchen and hugged and kissed each appliance.
3. She tried pickles for the first time today and scarfed them down.
4. She let me pull her hair up in a new way and put a bow in it......check it out.
5. She helped me fold laundry and didn't even complain about the chore!
Isn't she so cute! I love her so much. Today I realized how good God is to give me such a wonderful little girl. What a privilege! I am also thankful for how He has protected her over the last 11 months. Barring one minor ear infection she hasn't been sick once so I know that God has kept her healthy! I am also hoping she got that Bate immune system of steel! Even so, I am blessed every day that I get to wake up and see her smiling face!
