A Wicked Day!!

Tara, Ami and I had so much fun Saturday! A huge THANK YOU to all who made it possible for us to go. Our day started out unusual because as we neared the airport, I thought I had left my pain medication back at Tara's. Tara turned the car around and headed back to Queen Creek. At about Dobson St., I found my pills in another pocket of my purse. So, speedy turn around again and headed back to the airport at a speed we were hoping wouldn't get caught by radar. Needless to say, we were rushing through security to get to the gate. And, we got stopped to have our bags checked because we forgot to put our liquids in baggies (yes, all of us). After we got through security, we ran to our gate (having to abandon the idea for Einstein bagels we were so hungry for) just in time for boarding.

Once in LA, we got the rental car and were on our way to the Santa Moncia pier - which was so beautiful. (We all decided that the traffic was so not worth living in CA.) The day was perfect, but more humidity than we get in AZ, and our hair got frizzy because we were so close to the water. We walked along the pier and took pictures and Ami and Tara rode the roller coaster. Oh! And we saw a family of sharks swimming alarming close to a family playing in the water near the shore (can you say, "scaaaarrrry"?) (Ami has a picture on her blog.)

We left to go to downtown LA in search of a nice bathroom to get ready for "Wicked". I was praying the whole way that we'd find a bathroom with electrical outlets... We parked near the Kodak Theatre and went inside on our quest to find a nice, unoccupied, clean bathroom with electrical outlets. The Renissance Hotel connects with the Theatre, so we went inside and found just what we were looking for! We got ready as quickly as we could, given the fact that we had to steam clothes and re-straighten our hair. Then we were on our way to the play! WOOHOO!

Most everyone was dressed in jeans and capris - but, hey - we looked GREAT! We absolutely loved the play and didn't want it to end. The music was amazing, the sets incredible, the costumes unbelievable, the acting better than anything you can imagine. What can I say - IT WAS AWESOME!!

After the play, we went to dinner, then changed our clothes and walked along the street with the "stars" of the stars, did some shopping and people watching. We got back to the car and Tara asked me for the keys, which I had put in my purse earlier. You guessed it - no keys. I remembered taking my phone out of my purse at American Eagle, so Ami jogged back to the store (only 5 long blocks - each way...) and luckily found the keys right where I thought they would be. Good thing she can run marathons...

When we returned the car, the place was packed with a lot of other people doing the same. It took nearly 40 minutes (not planned in our schedule) and we were stressing about catching our flight home. I paid the shuttle car driver to take us directly to our SW terminal and we actually got through security pretty fast (we already had our liquids in plastic bags). Thank goodness airports are fairly quiet on Saturday nights. Ami got through security first and went to check which gate we needed to go to. When Tara and I got to Ami, she was jumping up and down saying, "They're paging us for our flight!" We still actually had 30 minutes until it was supposed to leave, but we ran to the gate as fast as we could yelling and trying to keep up with each other. Ok - I was trying to keep up with Tara and Ami... When we got to the gate, Ami asked why they were leaving so early and was told that everyone else was on the plane and "they like to leave as early as possible". How nice...

We got to our seats and were exhausted and extremely thirsty. Tara had a headache, so I gave her 2 Aleve tablets to take as soon as we could get our water. When the flight attendant took our order we asked for water and ice - and lots of it. He brought us our drinks and when he handed me my glass of ice, I didn't really have it in my hand and the ice fell all over Tara. We were all hot, but she really didn't want to cool off that way. We were brushing ice off of her and when she opened her hand, she only had 1 Aleve left. So, we started looking for that and couldn't find it, so I just gave her another one from my purse. A few minutes later, the flight attendant came back and asked us if we could possibly have lost an Aleve. We responded that we had. He said that after he had served us, he went back to get a glass of water for himself. He poured water into a cup of ice he had had on the cart and sure enough - a blue Aleve tablet floated to the top of his glass. (We felt WICKED for giving him drugs...but at least it was an OTC drug and not my Rx.) He simply stated that he was going to have to keep an eye on the three of us. We laughed so hard tears were running down our cheeks - for 30 minutes. Later, when I was telling Michael the story, we were laughing so hard again, Tara almost had to pull the car over to the side of the road because she couldn't see to drive.

After we landed, to add to our day, we couldn't find the car. We walked from the east end of the airport to the west end and back. We were all so tired, that was the last thing we really wanted to do. But in the end, Tara had been right all along and she found the car.

Bed and sleep never felt sooooo good!! I left the next morning, making every attempt to make it to my church meetings. And, you guessed it again - I got a speeding ticket. Can I help it if the cop car was disguising himself between 6 other cars on THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD????

We decided we'd like to make this an annual tradition, but that next year, I'll be in better shape physically and we will take TWO days instead of just one! (And they might want to leave me at home.)

Check out Ami's version of our day at http://thebetheas.blogspot.com/

Unbelievable!

We took the puppies in to the vet this morning and they all weigh between 15-16 pounds already! It's hard to believe that at 8 weeks they can weigh that much. Michael finished the dog run at the back of the house today (wohoo!!). I was getting exhausted cleaning up after them all day and now they can be outside all day and only have to come in at night. They absolutely love being outside, but now they get very dusty and dirty. We're still getting calls on them, so hopefully we can get them all sold in the next week or so - they're eating us out of house and home!! We're thinking of getting a horse trough just to keep enough water outside for all of the dogs. I'll post some pictures of the dog run when we get them. In the meantime, pray that we will get them all sold. They're cute, but getting expensive with the vet visits ($161 for shots) and dog food ($46 a bag - and between all the dogs, we go through a bag a week now) - but the fun of having them around and watching them play is priceless!

New Home

Well, we sold one of our sweet puppies on Friday. They named her Alexandra and call her Alex for short. They have 2 other dogs, a Rotweiller and and a Heeler, like Mollie. You'll see how much their dog looks like Mollie. Christine said that the puppy sleeps with her new sisters and doesn't even cry. It is rewarding and exciting to see the puppies go to homes when you know that they are going to be very loved and well taken care of...maybe even spoiled! (We wouldn't spoil our dogs, though.)

Snuggling with My Sista

These puppies get cuter and cuter every day. They are going to miss each other when they go to their new homes. We have already sold a male and a female and are still getting calls. WE are going to miss them when they go to new homes!!

Stephanie's Graduation

Michael went to Stephanie's graduation from Dental Hygienist College last Friday. Stephanie was chosen to speak to her graduating class and gave an amazing speech and had everyone laughing. She and Brooke will be moving to Queen Creek to join Jason in the next two weeks. She can't get a job in AZ until she passes her state boards here, but she is excited about her new career opportunity. We're excited that they will be moving home!!

Way Too Smart!

Tonight I heard a lot of commotion in the kitchen. When I went to check it out, two of the puppies had pulled up the vent in the floor (don't even ask me how...) and were attempting to put a toy down inside. Mind you these puppies aren't even 7 weeks old yet. They really do keep me hopping - it is like having 3 sets of twins! Where do they get all this energy? We are starting to get some calls now, so maybe we'll sell some this weekend. And yet, we're not sure how we can say goodbye to any of them...

I'm Still Hungry!

Mama, Mama, Can I Get Out and Explore?

The Most Adventurous

This is the first puppy to crawl out of the box! I went into the bedroom to fold a load of clothes on the bed and felt something furry at my feet. When I looked down, expecting to see Mollie, I saw this little puppy licking my feet. This one LOVES to explore around the house! I wish I could just let her roam, but she also loves to do other puppy stuff - like poop and pee. She looks sleepy because we just fed them some oatmeal baby cereal and warm milk, so she's ready to snooze for the night! I guess Michael is going to have to put another board up sooner than he thought - like tomorrow morning...

Puppies at 3-1/2 Weeks

These puppies are growing so fast! You can almost watch them grow as they sleep. They are getting so playful now! They will play with toys now, too. Their teeth are coming in, so they love to chew on just about anything - but especially love to chew on a sibling. Their legs are getting stronger and are even running now if we take them out of their box - we can hardly keep up with them. They love to snuggle and cuddle with us when we pick them up. They even recognize us when we go to their box and come to see us and want to be picked up. I try to groom them every day now - brushing them and checking their teeth and give them some individual attention. They growl and bark and play, but they still sleep a lot. They are beginning to eat some baby cereal with milk so we can give Mieke a break from nursing. I wish all of you could see them!

Puppies, Puppies EVERYWHERE!

I decided that the puppies need to get out of their box so their little legs can get stronger and to be in the part of the house that has more sunlight. They absolutely love it! The crawl around and get in some of the most unusual places! It's working because we see them trying to get up on all fours - especially the littlest ones who seem to be able to get up a little easier than the chubby pups. Now that their eyes are open, they are starting to get playful with each other. I am trying to get a short video of them playing and walking. It just seems that by the time the camera starts to record, they lay down.

They also have TWO moms now - Mollie takes care of all of the pups by cleaning them, too. She will wait for Mieke to go outside so she can have her turn at cleaning the puppies. Normally, she would be the first one out of the door. When we went to the vet the other day, I stayed in the car with the puppies and Mollie. One of the vet assistants came out to the car because she wanted to see the puppies. Mollie was extremely protective of them and I had to hold the puppy out of the car window so she could see it. The puppies even try to snuggle up to her if they don't find Mieke. Surprisingly, we haven't had any accidents so far because Mieke and Mollie still clean them up. (Thank goodness!) I will be very watchful in the coming days, though!

Wiggly Puppies Don't Make Good Photo Subjects

I have been trying all day to get photos of these puppies with their eyes open! They are so wiggly and I finally decided that I couldn't accomplish the feat by myself. So, when Michael got home, we tried to get pics again - still not much success. The plan was to get a photo of each puppy, but even though I put different colored thread on their feet (came off because they will not be still) and tried different colored markers on their toenails (somehow disappears after a few minutes). It's not easy to tell them apart. Anyway, I have posted a few pictures that did turn out fairly good. I'll keep trying!

We'll Have to Go to Plan B...

These puppies have grown so much that they don't fit into the basket anymore! (Compare the pictures at the bottom of the blog when I put them in the basket as they were being born...) I always change the sheet on the bed everyday and put the puppies into the basket while I make the change. They barely fit now and we're going to have to think of someplace else to put them! They love to be in there and rarely make even a sound while they are in the basket together. They are 12 days old today and should be opening their eyes anytime now.

Growing So Fast!

I can't believe it's been a week since I posted any pictures of the puppies. I had to go to the valley on Tuesday to buy food at Costco for the RS Dinner and I brought Dean and Treven back with me. Then we had our RS Dinner and the Ten Virgins program on Thursday and Friday morning, Jared and Arleen and the rest of the family came up. On Sunday, Jeff and Heather, BJ and Brooklyn came up and went back home today. We had so much fun and everyone loved holding and snuggling with the puppies. At one point, I went into the bedroom and both Noah and Kayla were in the box with Mieke and the puppies. Michael had the camera, so I couldn't take a picture. (I'll try to get the pictures Arleen took of her kids with the puppies.) The puppies are growing so fast and getting so fat!! Mieke eats nearly a dozen eggs every morning, so I guess she's feeding them well. Their little legs are getting stronger and stronger, too. One puppy likes to climb to the highest point in the bed and lay there - we call him "King" (for "King of the Mountain). They should be opening their eyes in 2 or 3 days, and I'll post more pictures then.

I'm OK With Dirty Diapers!

These puppies have doubled in size in just 3 days! They are so cute and you can tell that they already have their own personalities. But, I think I'm OK with dirty diapers after all these years! I'll never complain again... Mieke has to lick her babies' bottoms to stimulate them to go to the bathroom because they can't do it on their own yet. (Needless to say...) They hate to be cleaned and squeal the entire time. Kinda reminds me of when I used to wash faces and hands when my children were small. Sometimes it even sounds like they are trying to bark. I put a picture of one puppy so you can see how much they are growing and also a picture of Mieke cleaning a reluctant pup. Poor thing - she nearly had him turned upside down and backwards to clean it! She usually takes the opportunity to clean them while they are eating, and that makes them even madder.

Oh, by the way - if someone you know wants to buy a puppy, we'll sell it to them for $1200 and give you a $50 referral fee if they buy it. Not a bad deal!

Mommy Mieke

We just took these pictures of Mieke and the babies. They are all eating so well (even "little runt") and seem to be gaining weight. I have to take food and water to her while she is in bed because she won't leave her puppies and we have to make her go outside to go to the bathroom. Mollie is loving going everywhere with Michael, but can't seem to understand what is going on with Mieke and why she growls at her every time she comes into the room. We'll keep posting some fun pictures!

Ahhh - Sleep!!

Well, after the 8th puppy was born, we thought Mieke was going to have one more, so we were up until after 5:00 a.m. Finally, we were so tired that we decided to go to bed anyway. I'm glad we did because she was done at last. She is such a good mother! About 7:30 a.m. we let her outside to go to the bathroom and I don't think I have ever seen her move so fast. She did her "thing" and was back at the door in less than 5 minutes. I think we'll be moving her bed into another room, though. 7 puppies are never quiet - even if they do make the cutest sounds, it's hard to sleep in the same room.

Just Kidding!

We finally went to bed about 1:30 a.m. and about an hour later I heard Mieke having another puppy - surprise - another girl!! I guess she decided to even up the litter! We will be watching her to see if she has any more. It's nearly 3 a.m. now. I think I have used up every old sheet in the house trying to keep her bed clean.

The Puppies Have Arrived!

Mieke had her first puppy at 9:00 p.m. She is a very good momma and really knows how to take care of her puppies. She actually had twins - a boy and a girl, but the girl was stillborn. I worked and worked with her, but to no avail. So far, she has 2 girls and 2 boys. The littlest is a boy and he is quite a bit smaller than the others. We really have to work with him to make sure he gets his fair share of milk. He has a hard time staying on. In between the birth of each puppy, I put the puppies in a laundry basket that has a heating pad in it to keep them warm. We think she is still going to have one more, so we put all 4 pups in with Mieke so they can nurse...and all 4 of them pooped all over me! Guess everything is working fine! She actually had two more puppies - both males. We think she is finally done. Final count is 4 boys and 2 girls (plus the one that was stillborn).

Mollie just sat on the bed wondering what was going on, but stayed her distance. I am amazed at how good she was, too! (Scroll down to see puppy pictures - I couldn't get them to move anywhere else...)

Keep watching my blog and we'll post a video of the puppies and more pictures as the puppies grow.

She's in Labor!

Hopefully we can post puppy pictures in the morning! She is certainly taking her sweet time - but then it's her first litter and we all know how first babies go! We'll keep you posted on the latest news!

Not Yet!

Just a quick note that Mieke has not had her puppies yet. She didn't eat for two days over the weekend, which made us think she would have the puppies any time. Guess you can't second guess these things! Her actual due date is today, so keep watching and we'll post pictures when they get here!

No Excuses...It's Just a Fact, Jack!

I know, I know - it's nearly been three months since I've posted on my blog. I promise to get back to posting regularly. We spent a lot of time in the valley and since I've been home, all I've done is Relief Society stuff. (You know I love it, right???) I have been putting together The Ten Virgins musical parable which our ward is doing for the RS Birthday dinner. It will be on March 13th, so I have really had to hustle to get the cast together, the food, decoration and clean-up committees, get music and scripts copied and order oil lamps that we plan to give to the sisters. On top of that, we have had 10 hours of visiting teaching interviews and I have been working on the lesson I have to teach in RS this Sunday.

We also expect Mieke to have her puppies this weekend. She refused to eat all day today, which is a really good sign that whelping is imminent. Her temperature has also dropped, which usually means puppies within 24 hours. We'll post pictures when they come. We have already sold one! (For $1800.00...) We expect her to deliver 4-6 puppies. Keep watching this blog for puppy pictures!!