A Typical Saturday Morning

He's such a good pup and definitely deserved a treat afterwards. 

Happy Birthday Ryder!

Our pup turned 2! The kids were so excited to celebrate Ryder's birthday. They made him signs and made sure we had a gift for him. He got a new bone and some wet dog food (which he has never had) for dinner. I can't believe we've had him for almost a year. The kids are crazy about him!

4th of July in Vail

We woke up early on the 4th to have breakfast at the club and scope out a spot to watch the parade in the Village.  This was the first time the kids had seen a live parade!

Makena saw someone with a flag and said she wanted one. Kathy left to look for flags and came back not only with flags but also t-shirts for all of them.

The kids loved collecting the candy!

After the parade, the kids took a break in the shade. The sun was hot!

We had lunch in the Village and then came home to relax. The weather was cool and perfect. 

The view from the backyard. 

The Fenley's 6-year old dog, Bailey was a fun playmate for Ryder. They played together all day. 

We were glad we brought Ryder. He had a great time and was no trouble at all. 

The dogs provided fun entertainment for everyone!

Silly dogs were running around the yard together like this. Neither one dared to let go of the toy.

The kids had a great time whenever we were at the house. Kathy had some things for them to play with, they watched TV, played in the game room, and played with the dogs.

That same day, we walked down the street to the playground and dog park. The dog park was an open area (no fence!) with a pond for the dogs to jump in. There were plenty of dogs for Ryder to play with. 

And then it was finally time to head back to the Village for fireworks!

At first Kyle didn't like the fireworks and declared he wanted to go home in the first two minutes. Thankfully, Kathy brought ear plugs and it made a huge difference. Kyle enjoyed the rest of the show. 

Doggy Love

The kids are enjoying our new pup. They all love having a dog, but Makena spends the most time with him. She is always asking where he is, pets him, and wants to give him treats. It's funny to think how afraid of dogs she used to be.

 

Kyle loves to play with Ryder and Ryder, well... tolerates him. Kyle doesn't quite get that the dog is not a toy and that he needs to give him some space. The poor dog has to sit and give a paw all day long for the kids.

I'm still trying to cope with the doggy footprints and hair all over the floor. I wish I could give him a bath every other day -- he certainly gets a lot more lovin' from me when he's not a stinky dog! He is fully house broken and crate trained. He also stays off the carpeted areas in our home and has stopped trying to sneak our shoes to chew. He knows how to sit, stay, and paw and we're working on rolling over. He now sits on his bed when Derek comes home instead of rushing him along with the kids.

Ryder definitely knows who the alpha dog in the house is. He's timid around Derek but so desperately wants attention from him.  He loves the daily walks he goes on with Derek. He's been a good pup and a fun addition!

Our New Pup, Ryder!

The kids have always wanted a dog (what kid doesn't?), but the last few months, they have REALLY been wanting a dog. Perhaps, it had a lot to do with a new TV show they all love called Paw Patrol (a boy named Ryder and his six dogs who help out in the community). 

Every time Kyle sees a dog he gets really excited. He points out every dog he sees when he's in the car. Makena used to be afraid of dogs but developed a new love for them. She loves to see our friends' dogs at their houses. 

I never thought I would be okay with living with a dog. I've never been a dog lover and surely I don't need one more thing making a mess in the house. But strangely over the last couple of months, I became more open to it. 

We started looking for a dog at the shelters. We did a lot of looking online, but only met a few. We met Ryder and liked him but we weren't quite ready to pull the trigger. A few days later, Ryder was adopted, so we kept looking. Ryder was returned to the shelter (the other family's dog did not like Ryder), so we went back to meet him. The kids loved him and wanted to take him home. So that's what we did! 

Ryder is just over one year old. He's a German Shepherd mix and just under 60 lbs. He's gentle and doesn't bark. He is quickly learning his name and a few basic commands. It's been fun watching him slowly get adjusted and start to relax in our home. I think he's liking it!

Makena has been his biggest fan. She loves having him around. She even wanted to skip the cake at a wedding to get back to Ryder. That's huge for her! Karis likes him too but Kyle is not yet a true fan. He doesn't like Ryder licking his face. Poor thing is the same height as the dog. Derek has taught Kyle how to put his arm across his face to block those wet kisses!