Meet Rue

Kennedy was a mess with Tank passing. We told her we would get another pup and she could pick it out and name it but we wanted to get a girl this time so we could breed her to my dads dog. We went to look at a pup just to LOOK. The litter out of Delco Idaho that Tanks' out of were due to have pups in May and we were debating getting one from there. We ended up finding an add on KSL out of Syracuse and they had what we were looking for. We decided to drive down and see. We weren't planning on buying a pup. We didn't even take cash with us...however when we walked to the backyard we all fell in love with this little pup!! She has the sweetest most mellow personality and these huge loving eyes that just suck you right in. We ended up running to the ATM. Kennedy had told the breeder what happened to our dog and that we needed another one. They ended up giving us a hundred dollars off when we went to pay them. I started crying. 

Here is Rue at the house where we first got her

We took her by my parents and Chris's parents house. This little girl is only 10 weeks but she is HUGE. She is going to be a big dog.  We brought her home and she cuddled up next to Kennedys boot and went to sleep.

 The next morning we wanted to see if she would retrieve a wing. She did awesome.

 Miss K is smitten with her. She still misses Tank and wants to make a headstone for him. I told her we could and put it next to the kennel.. but this pup has been a good way to divert her attention. We struggled a long time with a name. Kennedy kept wanting to name her Katniss (from Hunger Games) but shes a hunting dog too so her name needs to be something short and easy to yell. We decided on Rue. She was Kennedy thinks its perfect! "Mom Rue was Katniss's best friend and Im Katniss so she needs to be Rue!" ...so Rue it is!

RIP Tank

 Thursday afternoon I was at work getting a little overtime. I was almost done with my shift when my phone rang. It was Talia. She NEVER calls me at work so I knew something was wrong. When I answered all I could hear was wailing in the background. I honest to goodness thought she was going to tell me Kennedy broke her leg. Kennedy was crying that hard. Finally she was able to hear me over Kennedys crying. I truly was expecting her to be hurt. Talia started stammering to tell me what was wrong and all I was thinking is "Its ok. Shes a kid. She will get hurt. If shes crying that means shes breathing and if shes breathing we're good" She finally gets out " I think Tanks dead"  WHAT!??? Not what I was expecting. Every day Kennedy and Talia let Tank out to play after Kennedy gets home from school and then they take him for a walk, clean his kennel and feed him. Kennedy went out to get him for his walk and he was laying in his kennel. She yelled to him and he wouldn't come. She went into his kennel to get him and realized he was dead. 

We had just had him out that night running around and he was FINE. Full of energy, throwing his ball in the air with his mouth, playing. Perfectly fine Tank. When Chris left for work that morning at 0530 he barked at him (he usually barks at us when we leave the house) I headed home from work to go see if he was really gone or if we could take him to the vet and to console Kennedy. 

When I got home I told her to stay inside and I would go out and see him. She said "No mom. I found him. He was my dog Im going to show you him." I said no honey you really should stay inside. That way you dont have to see him again. She said "No Im going with you" She grabbed my hand and took me out to see Tank.  He was gone. She was crying saying "Mom I loved him so much!! I took care of him. He was just fine what happened!?" We had called the vet and they said it would be 350-400 for an autopsy. He had thrashed around some in his kennel and they said a lot of times bigger dogs have heart attacks because their heart grows too fast and will thrash or he could have had a twisted intestine. We didn't see anything wrong with him. His belly wasn't bloated, no diarrhea or foaming or vomit like if he had ate something bad or been poisoned. We decided to bury him and forgo the autopsy. My dad actually had to put his hunting dog down that afternoon too. She had gotten bone cancer and couldn't walk anymore. We buried them together. Kennedy helped me put him in Dads truck and insisted on watching him be buried next to Ruby. She did so good. She said Mom Im tough and I wont cry. We decided we had enough of a day so we went to Sonic for some Oreo milk shakes and then we went home to watch Frozen and cuddle on the couch. 

Grandma Jana stopped by to check on Kennedy and cuddled with us. Then Grandpa Todd. Then Daddy Chris came home. Then Grandma Chris came over too. Kennedy was a bawling mess. She would do good then break down into sobbing.

Tank was such a good dog. He loved to be right with us on anything we were doing. People would come over to visit and he would run to greet them and stop right at their feet and sit down. He was our family dog but he was a little more Kennedys dog. He loved to pick on her. He was so well behaved with everyone else but loved to aggravate Kennedy. She would be walking and he would come up behind her and hit the back of her legs with his paws to trip her. He'd nuzzle his head into her constantly and push her around. It was hilarious. I think they bonded since she slept in his kennel lol!

You were only 9 months but are missed!

Week 17- Miss K's adventures, tree swing and muddy mess

Monday after they left East Canyon Todd and Jana headed down to go pick up their new trailer. I spent Monday night helping pack stuff into it while Chris was mowing lawns. Both the parents new trailers are pretty sweet!

 Kennedys been loving on the chicks.

 The other day she walked downstairs like this and I about died. I started laughing so hard I couldnt help it. All I could see was Peggy Bundy. She even walked like her in those heels. She asked if she could wear it for the rest of the day inside.

 I got a little wild hair and decided to start projecting one day. I had been thinking about this idea for a while and finally decided to just do it. 

 Kennedys new tree swing! 

 She tried a sweet mango california roll the other day and loved it. She kept asking me "Mom can I have some more of that sushi stuff??" She has been stocking up for a growth spurt I think because the last two weeks she has eaten everything in sight.

 This week we had some high winds and nasty dirty rain come in. The skies were so gross

 On Wednesday this hot guy asked me out to lunch :) I love it when he does that! We went to Lucky Slice when I got off work.

 Saturday we had great plans. I had bought tickets to the X12 nitro hill climbs and had been waiting weeks to go. Well Saturday was a HUGE rainstorm. Bad. We thought about going out still but it was COLD, RAINY AND SNOWING... we still thought about it some more and found out it was horribly muddy too. Trucks were getting stuck just trying to park, half the bikes werent running the hill etc so we decided to just stay home and stay dry. I was pretty bummed! You cant even see a few blocks east of our house! There are supposed to be mountains there

So instead we took a nap.. 

hung out.. worked on the chicken coop..

Todd and Jana invited us out for dinner for Janas birthday. Ash, Derek and Rybug were there too. We went to Bellas and Chris was so sweet to tell them it was her birthday. If he goes missing you will know who to look at... 

After dinner we went back home and worked outside some more. It was still raining just a light mist though. Kennedy and Rue played in the mud puddles. Thankfully I made her put on her rain boots first! Rue was jumping in the puddles with her. It was so cute!

 Then they played king of the mountain til it was bath time-for them both!!

Easter

Kennedy got to go down to Grandma JaNeales this weekend with Ry for Easter. They left Friday after school and had all kinds of fun things planned! The girls found a bunch of eggs

Some even had money inside

 She got ice cream from an ice cream truck!!! That was a first for her. She told me they played the best music ever!

Then it was Easter morning. She got the movie she has been BEGGING for, some clothes, some summer toys

I got this picture of her modeling her clothes

They all met me in the parking lot of my work when I got off at 2 on Sunday. I missed her so much! Im not used to her being gone that long! A whole weekend is a long time. I swear she came back taller. We packed her stuff in the car and headed back up to East Canyon for dinner and to pick up Chris. She didnt last long at all in the car before she was out. Too much fun and excitement this weekend.

 When we got there she was still tired and cuddled with Daddy Chris on the couch for a while. When she woke up enough she got to open her Easter presents from Grandma Jana and Grandpa Todd. She got a sweet Rapunzel basket full of bubbles, crayons, coloring book, treats. Of course we had to go right outside and play with the bubbles!

Radar kept watch while Chris grilled up dinner. He was sure one of those hotdogs or hamburgers was for him

We had burgers and hotdogs for dinner with pasta salad, chips, and baked beans. We hadnt eaten enough calories this weekend so we had to have our Easter dessert. Dad baked a cake. It was two layer one was lemon and the other was pink velvet. You cant have cake with out ice cream.. two flavors of course. 

We left East Canyon about 6. I was exhausted. We still had to take the dogs home, do our Easter, put away all our things, water the grass and garden, do laundry. We got home about 7 and Kennedy got to see what the Easter Bunny brought us. Mom and Dad got a pile of candy. Kennedy got new clear light up rainboots. ALL her shoes are muddy and dirty from the backyard. It will only get worse once we start flood irrigating so now she has OUTSIDE shoes.  A new swimsuit and a matching towel with two pairs of flip flops.

She was SO HAPPY!! She had to go find her eggs the bunny hid. She couldnt believe they were pink camo! We were lame and didnt dye eggs this year. We had no time to start with!

She got so excited when she realized her boots lit up. She started screaming and laughing and jumping up and down.

We had such a good Easter! I love camping at East Canyon and just getting to hang out.It sucks to have to come back to real life on Sunday night but a real shower felt amazing!