Cuteness

I should start off by saying...no, I'm not getting one of these puppies!!!  I merely went to visit them because a) socialization is good for puppies, and b) they're tiny, fuzzy, adorable baby PUPPIES!  But as much fun as it was to visit, I don't think our household is ready for another fuzzball yet.

(Even though I think that Dewey really wants to change his name to Thaddeus and come be Thane and Thea's friend...)  ;)

My sister Rachel and I visited my friend's Collie puppies last week, and they were just SO CUTE that I thought I'd share a few pictures with you guys.  Lol, I figure this will help make up for yesterday's rather gloomy post.  

If anyone's looking for a Collie puppy, some of these pups may be available!  They'll be medium-sized (45-50 pounds) and will have moderate, easy-care coats.  Their parents are old-fashioned farm and family Collies.  They'll be ready to go home from Vermont in late September; if you're interested, contact me, and I'll get you in touch with the owner.  :)  

Anyway, on to the puppy pictures...  <3  

Mist, Rachel's favorite.  :)

My favorite...Dewey.  Isn't he such a little teddy bear?  <3  

I think this is Dewey again, but don't hold me to it!

Lightning...her name fits her personality.  :D

Sky, a handsome little boy with lots of white!

Lightning again...this little girl needs an active home!

Sunny Joe.  This is going to be one good-looking dog!

I think this is Sky again.

Breeze, a little girl.

Storm.  In contrast to his name, he's pretty chill.

Mist again...the puppies were all falling asleep by the end of our visit.  It was a big day for them - they turned 4 weeks old, and went out on the grass for the first time!

Look at the little white toes!!  <3  

Awww...Dewey.  <3  

A Bit of a Bummer

So I had Thane's hips x-rayed....and they came back as mildly dysplastic...which is not a good result.  It means that I really probably should not breed him, in case he passes bad hips along to the next generation.

This is definitely a bummer, and I'm still working to readjust my thinking, since this lays ruin to the plans I've had in mind over the past couple of years.  This pretty much changes everything...I bought Thea to complement Thane, so now I'm not sure if I should seek out another dog that complements HER...or perhaps bring in a different dog at some point that better fits my ultimate goal.

I do have time to decide...I can't have another dog yet anyway, and Thea is still too young to breed.  I'm working on trusting that God's plan in all of this is perfect, but I'll definitely admit to a little pang of grief in saying goodbye to this dream of Thane x Thea puppies.

End of Summer Updates!!

Wow, I can't believe that it's almost the end of summer already!  Work is crazy busy for another couple weeks, then all the kids everywhere go back to school, and life will slow down just a bit again.

I don't think I'll get my little house built this year, lol - not enough "year" left!  

Oh well...I've hit a couple major milestones in my 30th year of life - buying land, for one, and also starting up a small business.

After another experimental batch of lotion...and then ordering a ridiculously large amount of bulk supplies...I finally printed up a wholesale sheet and showed it to my boss at work....and he promptly ordered a dozen bottles of each scent!!  

So now I've got to get to work!  Not only do I need to make 120 bottles of lotion, but I also need to come up with a label that's both cute and practical.  Lol, well, I do seem to work best under pressure, so here goes!  :P  

I've also completed two pet portraits, which was both thrilling and terrifying.  Here's sweet little Nomie: 

And Kirk and Kaynine: 

And here's one that I did as a practice round - our own cat, Shamgar: 

If you know of anyone looking for a small pet portrait, feel free to refer them to my Etsy shop!  :) 

I guess that's most of the big news....I mostly just feel like I'm in limbo these days, especially with house stuff.  I know there are people praying for me, and I greatly appreciate that - I can use all the wisdom from God that I can get!  I'm  debating whether I should just sit tight for the winter, saving as much money as possible, and start building next year, or if I want to try to get a loan and toss up a simple little cabin before winter, and kind of rough it for a while.  There are some pretty major pros and cons both ways.  My common sense is saying I should probably wait a year, while my impatient side is envisioning being tucked into my cozy little cabin while the snow falls - LOL!

Thanks to those who read this, and those who listen to me ramble on...I greatly appreciate the support.

In close, here are a few photos of my land from the other day.  I hadn't been out there in way too long; it was quite refreshing to get out in God's creation...and it was extra special knowing that it was on MY land.  <3 

Happy Sunday, everyone!!