Expanding our zoo

The mister and I have talked about adding a dog to our little family for as long as I can remember.  A few times since moving into our rental house we've seriously considered it and then shied away, always coming up with reasons why it was a bad idea.  Eventually though, we came to the conclusion that there is never really a good time to add something to your life that chews on everything, isn't aware of the proper place to use the bathroom, needs constant supervision, and requires an unending supply of patience (a quality that is neither of our strong suits).  Realizing that once May comes around I'll be a full-time resident and have way less time at home than I currently have, I began my puppy search.  

A golden retriever fit all of my criteria for a dog including big, smart, furry, long life expectancy, and minimal health problems (when compared with other large breeds).  I called lots of area breeders and finally succeeded in persuading Mike to go see this little girl.  From the second they opened the door to three tiny golden puppies, we were hooked.  We played with her sweet momma, gorgeous dad, and adorable brothers before calling her Ellie Mae and taking her home.  

Ellie has since knocked our world on it's side in the greatest of ways.  She is a ton of work and incredibly frustrating at times but super cute and sweet and so worth it.  Overall, she's been a great puppy.  We've been "accident" free for over a week and she sleeps all night long in her crate.  If we could just get her to stop chasing the cats life would quiet down quite a bit!  We laugh at her all day and cuddle her every chance we get.  Every night I ask her not to grow any that night but sadly, she's not listening.  I apologize in advance for the millions of pictures I'll probably be posting :)

saying goodbye to mommy

one good thing about snow