Another Visit with Cooper

I know I've said it multiple times, but Cooper & I got so very lucky when we met Jim, Joanie & Walter.

Jim & Joanie have been so wonderful to us, have adopted us as well as Cooper, and are always so welcoming to us.

Bay & I were missing Cooper again, so Jim & Joanie invited us to come and visit.

After a fun lunch at Red Robin, Bay, Skye & I went to visit our ginormous guy.

It was so wonderful to see them all and see how my crazy Coop is learning how to behave. :)

He has the absolute best new family & it is so good to see how he is thriving there.

We brought bones for both of the boys, which Joanie let them have right away. Walter grabbed his and brought it under the table next to us, but Cooper took his and went off on his own. Joanie kept taking his bone and bringing him over so we could love on him, but every time he got the bone back, he just took off again. :) It made me laugh. We had to wait until he was done before we got any of his attention. :)

I love seeing how happy he is there and how much Jim & Joanie love him.

He's such a lucky boy.

It was especially fun when we all went out to walk both the dogs. I was amazed at how Cooper is not pulling anymore. He used to pull so hard that he's pulled both Joanie & I to the ground.

Joanie took this great picture of us with Jim & the dogs.

Such a wonderful day - thank you Jim, Joanie & Walter!

You will always have a very special place in my heart.

Visiting Cooper!

I know I've said this before, but Cooper & I both got so lucky when we found Jim, Joanie & Walter!!

Not only have they given him the most beautiful, loving, fun home with lots of time, attention & understanding, but they have adopted me and the girls as well, and welcomed us into their home to visit our sweet ginormous boy.

Bayli & I were especially missing him, so we got in touch with Joanie and made arrangements to stop by with Skylar for a visit.

We were excited to see him, but I had no idea how much I really missed him until we were back together again.

Cooper gave me the single best welcome I have ever received in my whole entire life.

I felt like I had been attacked by a giant orange blur - it was the most beautiful thing. :)

Jim was out of town but Joanie was so sweet & welcoming, and even made the girls and me tea & hot chocolate. It was so much fun to just sit and visit while Cooper excitedly climbed all over us and the table too. :) That's my boy...

I miss him, but I am so, so happy for him and for the knowledge that he is in a much better place.

Thanks Jim & Joanie for the most beautiful gift of adopting our much-loved big-hearted dog - into your home & your hearts. I'm so very glad we found you!

Goodbye Sweet Boy

Look at my sweet, beautiful boy.

My decision to find him a new home was a total heartbreak.

I cried & cried just writing this post tonight.

But he is such an energetic & social dog that it became obvious that a single mom of 4 busy girls really couldn't give him what he needs.

He wasn't happy & deserved so much more, so I started looking.

What I wanted most for him was a home with another dog since playing with another dog is pretty much his favorite thing in the whole world.

We both got so incredibly lucky to meet Jim, Joanie & their 2-year-old Golden, Walter - who ended up adopting Cooper and giving him everything he's ever wanted - not only another dog but also a mom & dad who love him and have time for him.

Not only have they been wonderful to Cooper, but they've been wonderful to me as well, which has made this so, so much easier.

I am even invited to stop by and see Cooper & Walter sometimes... :)

I miss him but I know he is so much better off and that helps a lot.

Other than watching him with Bayli,

my favorite times with him were all out on the trail by our house.

Watching him running out there was the most fun thing ever.

As soon as I let him off the leash, he would take off like a rocket

- sheer joy, happiness, freedom & exploration.

He was such a good boy on the trail - he would always run ahead but never go too far & was always checking back to make sure I was coming.

He was a great running partner.

I tried twice to beat him.
I wasn't even close. :)

If we were lucky,

we would run into another dog for him to play with,

like his favorite black lab Angus.

Knowing that he would soon be moving on, I took these pictures on one of our last runs together... They still make me laugh because he's moving in almost all of them. :)

He really loved the water and always made me laugh the way he tore into it with reckless abandon. :) He was pretty stinky afterwards too and as hard as I tried to get out of the way, he would always shake it off all over me & Bay...

I love the way his fur got all ropey when he was wet.

The last picture of us together - he was so excited that he tried to bite my entire thigh...

Jim & Joanie - Cooper's new family.
He's such a lucky boy.

These pictures broke my heart most of all...

(click to enlarge)
Cooper was always so, so sweet with Bayli, no matter how she loved on him.
But she knows how much he loves to play and is so happy for him that he gets to live with Walter now.



Some favorites of my sweet, ginormous, loving, crazy, happy, energetic, social, long-legged boy:

I had to leave him alone in the backyard almost all day the day before he left. :( That just helped clarify that I was making the right decision.

He left me a big hole in the yard. :)

And also one in my heart...

I Love You Forever My Sweet Ginormous Boy...

Thanks for sharing your Happiness with me for a little while...

I'll never ever forget you.

And I'll come see you in your new place soon...

Three Months??

In just three months, my soft, furry 26 lb. puppy has turned into this...


a 56 lb. ginormous, crazyenergetic dog

with super long stick-legs and lion's paws :)

We love you Coop!
You definitely keep things exciting around here...

Cooper's Favorite Spot

This is where Cooper likes to hang out.

He naps here in the sun, he waits here patiently until we come to the door.

It's possible that this may be a problem come barbeque time next summer...

A New Puppy, A Sick Baby?

Cooper - October 3rd

My puppy is just way cute.

It's a good thing too because I didn't realize how dangerously close to my limit I was before getting a puppy.

Apparently, I was less than one puppy away from going over...

A sick baby less than 24 hours later, along with a hubby out-of-town for the weekend was just wrong.

I mean, really.

Why was THAT neccessary?

Happy Puppy Day!! Introducing Cooper...

Thursday night we adopted a new baby!

We are all thrilled

& loving his super-soft fur

and delicious puppy smell!

Skye said "This is the best day of my life!"

Welcome Baby! We love you already!