Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!  We just returned from a relaxing two week vacation in Florida, visiting Universal Studios on the way south, then on to Key West, and then Disney on the way home.  It was great that my husband was able to get enough time off from his job at the AF Base to enjoy it with us!  Christmas with the family was nice (we had one of our grown puppies - Monty - stay with us over the holiday), and we are looking forward to a great 2012.  My son Nate turns 19 on Dec. 29th - where did the time go?!!  Pretty soon it will be back to work - we have a litter of puppies coming in a couple of weeks.

Happy Veterans Day!

So nice to have "Major Kressin" (my husband :) home for the long weekend.  Happy Veteran's Day to all those past and present who have served our country.  Thank you and God Bless!!

November

Can it possibly be November already?  I am surprised at how long the leaves have stayed on the trees this year, the changing colors sure are beautiful!  Malley Mist is doing well, and getting big.  She loves to go out and play with the "big" dogs, and isn't afraid of anything (not always good!).  We have a golden coming into heat, so will be having a goldendoodle litter probably just after the first of the year, and puppies going home the end of Feb.  Finally, no holiday puppies - it will be a nice break for our family!

Sweet Malley Mist

The summer and fall puppies are all gone, but we have one little chocolate remnant, Sweet Malley Mist.  She is a bundle of energy, loves to chase her tail, leaves, anything that moves and some things that are stationary.  She is fully potty trained already, if we take her out every hour ;), and she is filling our fall with fun!

Family Visit

This weekend was really fun as we had my husband's sister and her family visit from Chicago.  We went to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (can you believe we've lived in Ohio for 18 years and never been there?), and also had a last swim of the season in our pool that evening (we turned the heater to 91 degrees, or we would have had no takers on that one!).  We've lived away from family for so many years, and we always look forward to their visits.  We also placed all of the chocolate puppies and their mom this weekend, so no puppies available until next year.  But since no one goes home til mid October, there is still a lot of work to be done!

Chocolate Puppies

I cannot believe that the Chocolate Labradoodles are two weeks old already.  We've seen little peeks of their eyes, which will be opening any minute, and they are "Army" crawling all over, which will soon turn into running and pouncing.  So adorable as they turn into little puppies from what looked like chocolate hamsters last week!  Oh, that reminds me, we just adopted a guinea pig into the family this week (Rachael just had to have a pet - like we don't have enough animals!).  He is black and orange with a white spot on his head.  Such a cutie, and looks like Halloween on legs!

Last Puppy of the Summer

Today the last puppy of the summer, a sweet little boy, went home to his new family in Pittsburgh.  It's been such a blessing to meet all the wonderful families this summer and to see how excited everyone was to bring their new fuzzy family member home!  Hope everyone has a safe and fun Labor Day Weekend!!

Last of the Summer Puppies

Puppy go home weeks are always bittersweet, but after a busy summer of puppies, this week has been a mix of emotions to say the least.  School has started, we went to our first HS football game of the season tonight (Highland won!), and fall is just around the corner.  Only 3 little faces are looking up at me from their playpen, and by Monday it will only be one.  But, as Abbey just had her litter 2 days ago, we will still be in "puppy mode" for a little while longer.  Bring on the fall!!

New Puppies

The chocolate labradoodles are finally here, and we are so excited!  The last litter of the year, they will be ready to go home in mid-October.  Ever since we brought our first chocolate lab puppy into our family (oh my gosh was it really over 20 years ago?) I have fallen in love with those dark chocolate faces.  That, and the fact that the memories of my little boy walking in the back yard with his best friend "Mocha" are so precious to me that I will always have a special place  in my heart for those chocolate puppies!

A Week of Firsts

What a week!  We moved my son into his college dorm for his first year away, my youngest turned 12 on the same day, and my older daughter got her driver's license the next day.  It really makes you stop and think about where all the time went.  It seems like just yesterday I was taking all of them to the zoo in our little red wagon!  Wow - time sure goes fast when you are busy with life!  Our last summer litter goes home next week, and our chocolate labradoodle litter will arrive sometime next week too.  Busy, busy summer!!

Life is Good

I can't believe that it has almost been a week since my last post!  It has been extremely busy here with the 2 litters of puppies getting ready to go home within the next 2 weeks.  Nate leaves for college next week, so we have lots of activity on that front, plus Jeff just got a job with the USAF Reserves, so lots going on there too.  Rach's 12th birthday is next Wed., so party plans are being made for the following weekend.  It is such a beautiful day out, the puppies got to stay out a little longer, and they loved it!  I forgot how nice it could be outside when it is not so hot!!

Some People

It amazes me, in an extremely good way, how many awesome puppy-loving people are out there - people who will unselfishly do what is best for the puppy that they recently adopted.  It truly warms my heart to see my puppies go to such great families!!  But, every once-in-awhile, I meet someone the exact opposite.  I will just leave it at "Some people should never be allowed to adopt a puppy."  Luckily I don't meet very many of those people, and I truly wish I was better at picking them out immediately, but I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt.  Luckily a crisis was averted this time - poor little pup - I was told she had "beady little eyes, a long pointy nose, and tiny little ears", and that "the worst thing possible would be if she grew up to look like her father - Jasper".  Wow, not quite sure what to say to that one!  I've attached a picture of that "ugly" little pup and her daddy Jasper, both of whom I love dearly : 

And again I say "Some people should never be allowed to adopt a puppy!!!

The End of an Era

At 4:00 today, the transport is coming to get the last of our alpacas.  In some ways, that is kind of sad, but as Jeff and I discussed this morning, it also feels very freeing, as if a weight is being lifted.  The alpacas took quite a bit of time and energy to keep healthy, happy, to show, and also to sell.  I will not miss those breedings that HAD to happen TODAY, even though it is a Sunday, or even Easter!  I will now have more time for the other things in my life - Yeah!!  We will miss our alpaca friends, but there are also those that we are so excited to never have to deal with again!!  Good Bye little alpacas, it's been a fun ride, but we are jumping off!

Something New

My daughter Sarah has been blogging for quite awhile now, and with so many people asking for updates on their puppies, I thought it would be fun to start a blog.  I don't know how often I will post, but I think it will be good to give people a chance to catch a glimpse into the daily/monthly goings on in our "Doodle House", and I thought that would be fun.  Things here are changing - within the past 2 weeks we have sold all of our alpacas!  We have had the alpaca farm for going on 10 years, and we decided to take our lives in a different direction.  I thought I'd be sad, but what I actually feel is - FREE!  I might have time to keep up with the kids, dogs, puppies, and our other businesses - well, maybe. =)