One year ago this week on Thursday we went out for the last time, I think to Braums. We haven’t been in a restaurant since.
Puppies beginning: my cousin’s husband’s yellow lab, Daisy, got pregnant in January 2020. She is a hunting dog, and he hoped to breed her; their neighbor’s boxer/lab mix is a “champion fence jumper”… April 30th we got texts all day —EIGHT PUPPIES. We got them right around Father’s Day, and I haven’t blogged since. It’s not all their fault, but they started the exhaustion for us that maybe everyone in the world is now participating in. Aren’t we all so tired?
This is going to be mostly photos. And I’m starting with today, and then I’ll go back to the beginning. The biggest change in our house during the pandemic is arguably Jack. He was shorter than me when we started this thing. He passed me, and then Chris (before he turned 13 in October, but Chris wouldn’t let us measure him till after so it wouldn’t be documented). Now he’s like this. My feet are not small, but up next to his… just look at our toes!
My 13 year old. I am not a short person. 
Also it rained today.
He is over 6′ tall. And I think he’s starting to get a mustache… *AAHHHHH* But really, he’s awesome, and I love him. (He tie dyed that shirt this week.)
We got Darby the summer of 2018 after dad passed away. She was 3 years old, and immediately perfect for our family. Over this past year, we learned she has cancer, in her adrenal gland. It’s rare, and it causes all kinds of bizarre symptoms. Today she had another seizure. We’re expecting more of this kind of thing.
This is the second one in the last few weeks, the second one since we got the puppies I think. And it’s the second time Andy, one of the puppies, has clearly reacted. First time careful with concern. This time he jumped from the other couch to get to her, touched her face, the seizure stopped. Then he stayed close. Now we are looking into training him to alert us.
Where are the puppy pictures, you ask? (Amazingly there are even more photos on IG: @lornabethgoldsmith @aprilandandyplusdarby you’re welcome.)
Introducing April & Andy, our “babradors.”
From before we got him. Andy, he was the coolest looking pup. 
April was the runt, and my cousin’s favorite. She got to be inside a lot, and play. 
The day they came home. 
The day they came home. 
He’s gorgeous. 
April obsessed with Darby from the very first moment.
They are so sweet, and pretty cute. They are soft. They also are a force of destruction, naturally. I can’t find the picture, but they’ve eaten the side of our house, among so many other things. (Yes, they are named after the Park’s & Rec characters.)
We got them a boat to outgrow immediately. 
Andy spent all summer in our bathroom, poor baby he’s always feeling too hot. 
Andy was probably the reason. 
Even now he eats this way, and she sometimes still will. 
She always wants to be on your legs or your feet. 
Bear & Andy. 
The boys chose their pup right away, and their pup chose them, so it all worked out.
Jack & tiny April. 
Ridiculously cute. 
Trouble makers. 
Just spooning. 
Andy loves the cold sand.
There’s more that happened, obviously, but I feel like I’m just going to keep putting puppies here, and I’ll tell you more about our year later.
April’s ears like to flip back. 
Oh Andy. 
April loves to cuddle! 
He swings. 
Cold weather means more cuddles. 
April’s best day ever with Rey.
Our cat, Rey, hated them, until it got cold, and then she still wasn’t a fan mostly, but we have had good moments. April adores her, and wants nothing more than to bury her nose in Rey’s fur and get a really good sniff… I think she’d also like to lick Rey’s ears. Rarely Darby will let April clean her ears. It’s gross, but sweet.
We took Bear & Andy camping for his Birthday in February. Andy hates car rides, but the rest was golden. His smile!
She’s not as photogenic, but in person she’s charming.
I don’t have as many photos of April — Jack’s phone broke, and he lost all his early ones.
These dogs sleep with the boys every night, and we love them. But I will say, I most definitely wish we were past the chewing phase, and the eating inedible objects phase. Below is baby Andy sleeping under my glorious succulent wagon. They proceeded to demolish it within weeks.
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