Jazz's Love

In my previous post I mentioned how the timing of having Penny come to Georgia felt like fate. Yes I am finishing my masters - a process that has been a long 3 year road, she will be here for the holidays and almost all of our family is headed to Georgia this year and cant wait to meet her, and I was so lucky to find an amazing breeder who has continually impressed me. The thing I didn't mention is that it feels most like fate because this time last year was a really hard time for our family. Those of you who have ever owned pets that were truely a part of your family will understand.

The day before Thanksgiving last year was the day that I made the worst decision I have ever had to make. Jazz, our family Jack Russell, aka "my dog" as dad liked to say when she managed to cause yet another hilarious moment, was 16 years old and started failing very suddenly. Making the decision to let her be at peace was absolutely the hardest decision I have made and while it was the right one, it wasn't without alot of pain and tears. We truly lost a member of our family that day.

Everyone who reads this probably has a hilarious Jazz story to tell - she was notorious for finding trouble! To completely understand you have to know that while Jazz was our dog, she only allowed us to live in "her" house. She was also so protective of her family and always knew when you needed some love - you couldn't have asked for a better nurse when you were sick.
She was a terrier through and through! I have chased her through countless neighborhoods, family events and towns...she was a master of escape. She was independent and must have known that her parents came from Queen Elizabeth's Kennel in England because she had the royalty act down!

This year has been the first year since I was born or that my parents got married, that there wasn't a dog in our family. It is such a strange feeling and there are days that I still expect to hear a jingling color as I come in the house. I can't wait to have Ms. Money Penny here and I know that Jazz would have loved to have met her. Below are some pics....


Jazz with her Tennis Ball - good luck trying to catcher her when she had it!



Jazz at Parent's weekend - What a fine Auburn dog!

Leaf Green Girl

Here it goes, my first attempt at blogging. It has been 7 weeks of waiting, watching and planning on one of 10 awesome puppies to be mine. Check out the pups a week after they were born:

It has seemed like fate from the beginning and my plan to find a puppy after graduation from grad school happened so perfectly. Anyone looking for a golden should definitely check out Kelly Kosinski's website for her kennel - High Roller Goldens: http://www.highrollergoldens.net/ . She is incredibly knowledgeable and I continue to impressed with her knowledge of goldens. Effie has been such a good mom to the pups and it has been interesting to watch her care for the pups as they grow. Each day Kelly and Effie expose the puppies to different environments, experiences and situations. Check them out on a walk through the river - these dogs are going to be fierce in the field:

After all of the waiting......

It's official! Leaf Green girl is coming to Georgia. Leaf Green Girl won't do forever, so a great name will be important. Ms. Money Penny is leading the pack but I want to see her before I decide for sure. I couldn't be happier. While all of the puppies are adorable, after talking with Kelly and learning about their temperament tests it sounds like her recommendation of "leaf green girl" is a perfect choice and I can't wait to see her. There are 11 days until she arrives and it can't come fast enough. This whole process has been such a learning experience and I know each day once she is here will teach me even more! Kelly has been so patient and continues to teach me so much about the puppies and the breed.

All of the puppies are so adorable and I can't wait to see how each of them grows. It seems like it has been years since the puppies were born on September 8th but the long wait is almost over and shortly she will be making the flight to Georgia.

Getting ready for a puppy to arrive has been such a fun process and there is definitely a ton of information out there. Books, websites, veterinarian research.....where to begin. It can be a bit overwhelming. Hopefully all of the research will pay off and Ms. Money Penny will thrive in her new home.

Goal for this weekend - Puppy proof the house! Time to think like a puppy!