Walk Around the Block

Three wonderful things are happening in this photo...

1. It is finally warm enough to be outside without 126 layers on.

2. Marshall is staying in control of himself- mostly.

3. This particular walk marked Calvin's first official stroller-less walk around the block!

(A major milestone for a family who goes out 5+ times a day with their dog and is beyond sick of the whole wrangling-a-small-child-and-getting-them-into-a-stroller-for-a-2-minute-Marshall-potty-break thing.) Cal did so well walking and was beaming with pride the whole time. Next up- teaching him to stop, stay, and avoid running into the street like a crazy puppy boy. 

Saturday

A Saturday morning at the dog park can be fun for the whole family.

Jakob and Cal made a new friend. Meet "Elliot".

Cal worked on standing.

Elliot interfered.

Jakob gave me a heart attack while tossing the little one high into the air.

 And Marshall, as always, enjoyed some quality time running around with his BFF Helo. 

Saturday morning win.

Dog Beach

It is currently 93 degrees out- summer has officially arrived. Therefore, our weekend mornings at the dog beach have arrived as well. What a perfect way to start a Saturday. Toes in the sand, iced coffee in one hand, a sweaty lotiony baby (for me) or drooly tennis ball (for him) in the other. Happy mama, happy dad, happy baby, happy pup. Everybody wins!

Nap on the beach? Don't mind if I do. 

Ahh the life of a baby.

See that blurry dot of a pup out in the deep end? That would be our Marsh. And to think that he just learned to swim a few months ago.

Happy summer! Hope yours is off to a great start!

My Boys

There are no words.

I love my life.

Best Friends

From the moment they met..

we knew it was love. Okay, okay, maybe not love but more of a cautious friendship.

That eventually gave way to love. I must say that introducing Marshall to his first non-furry sibling was a bit nerve wracking. Were they going to get along? Was Marshall going to become overly protective? Or worse- not protective of his little bro at all? My worries have quickly diminished over the past few weeks while I have watched these two interact. So far everything has gone very well. Marshall remains interested in the baby yet very gentle with him. And as for Calvin, he remains tolerant of Marshall's sloppy kisses and pacifier chewing obsession, which is really all we could ask for of a three week old. 

Here's to hoping this is the start of a beautiful friendship. A friendship that will begin with Cal pulling on Marshall's tail in exchange for Marshall knocking him over as he takes his first wobbly steps, and end with a little boy and his best friend. 

Marshall's Family Reunion

A few weeks ago, Marshall was invited to attend his first family reunion. I know, I know, a puppy reunion sounds a little crazy but let me tell you.. HE LOVED IT! He spent the afternoon getting reacquainted with two of his brothers and his adorable little mama. We weren't sure he would remember his siblings or mom since he left them at the ripe old age of 8 weeks but it didn't seem to matter in the end, he simply enjoyed playing around with other pups that had his crazy youthful energy. With endless running space, catching up with family, party favors and doggie meatballs, I'd say the reunion was a hit! 

A Camping Getaway

When we first decided to take a camping trip with our fellow church friends in October I envisioned a chilly weekend spent bundled up shivering by a bonfire. Wrong-o! We had the most gorgeous weather with toasty sunny days in the 80's and chilly comfortable sleeping weather in the 50's at night. You couldn't have asked for more perfect camping weather.

We had a great time getting to know more of our ResCov friends and had ample time to relax. Relaxing for me meant lounging in a hammock..

and for Jakob meant "studying" at his makeshift desk.

With fall in full swing the foliage was absolutely beautiful. Bright colors everywhere! Was I able to take any pics of this fall beauty? Of course not. My nice camera is in Rome with my parents taking pictures of a whole different kind of beauty. 

While we may have enjoyed ourselves, I don't think it can even compare to how much fun this guy had.

Marshall was in absolute puppy heaven!! He was off his leash for 3 straight days and had the freedom to run and play like a pooch in the wild. This urban dog LOVED it. Running around like a maniac with his BFF Helo, swimming in the lake, snacking on an endless buffet of sticks, and playing fetch with multiple dog lovers .. let's just say he's still sleeping the wild weekend off.

All in all, I would say it was the perfect fall weekend. With good company, great fire roasted camping food, and a sleepy puppy, we couldn't have asked for more. Next year we will add a baby to the camping mix... a whole different kind of adventure awaits!

5 Hours 39 Minutes

We have officially learned Marshall's kennel time limit. It is approximately 5 hours and 38 minutes.. approximately. Apparently at 5 hours and 39 minutes boredom sets in and there seems to be nothing better to do than shred your doggie bed.

Guilty.

The hilarious part of the whole situation is that we came home to witness this fluffy disaster while carrying in Marshall's BRAND NEW DOG BED. During our 5+ hours away we were out running errands and thinking of the sweet crazy guy back at home and thought, "Geez, wouldn't it be nice to get Marsh a new larger dog bed for his kennel?"

Isn't it ironic? Don't ya think?

Just Call Me Marshall Phelps

Hey Ya'll,

Marshall here. I have a confession to make. I have been struggling with aquaphobia. The rents have been trying to get me into the water for months now with absolutely no success. After several counseling sessions with my best friend Helo, I decided to face my fears and give the water world a whirl. I couldn't handle being the world's only lab who couldn't swim. A few weekends ago, under the guidance and supervision of my coach Helo, I finally made it into the lake past my paws. Now that I've taken the plunge there's no stoppin' me....

Check out my confidence.

A huge thanks to my BFF Helo for showing me how it's done.

He even gave me a quick swimming lesson out in the deep end. I am working on mastering the doggie paddle and will soon learn how to carry a ball back to shore without drowning. A guy has gotta start somewhere right?

Here I am with all of my favorite beach bums.

And the best part of a day at the beach? Endless rolling around in the sand with my crew.

Here's a quick shot I took of my favorite humans. These two are always up for an early morning at the beach. Thanks guys.

Once home, I take a quick shower,

give everyone my sexiest beach babe pose,

and curl up for a day of worn out relaxation.

Nothin' better my friends. Nothin' better.

I am currently laying low on the couch after a much necessary operation yesterday. I just couldn't keep up with the child support bills anymore and went with the "responsible decision". I am hoping to be back on my four paws and up to my usual tricks in no time.

Speaking of usual tricks, check out this video. Sorry cuz, It's just too funny not to post. You know I still love you!

Until next time,

Woof!

Marshall O. Phelps

Summa Cum Laude

Guess who graduated at the top of his class?

This guy!!

Doesn't he look so proud? He was all smiles on his big day. Following 6 grueling weeks of rigorous and repetitive testing he graduated with highest honors from the prestigious Urban Pooch University. After a rough start he overcame his previous interest in "Humping" and ultimately graduated with a double major in "Sit" and "Stay" and a minor in "Focus". After a summer off, he hopes to apply for new canine friends at only the classiest of Chicago pooch parks this fall. Get ready world!

Our little dude is growing up. Congratulations sweet Marsh man- we are so proud of you!!

A Walk Around The Block

Before moving to Chicago, I assumed that city living meant you had to live under gray skies ..

with littered streets...

and a lack of all things green.

Several city dwelling years later I am learning that I could not have

been

more

wrong.

Thanks to a daily morning walk with Marshall, I am beginning to appreciate all of the beauty right here on our all too familiar little block.

Heck, I even appreciate the beauty of a little neighborhood construction.

Who says city living can't be lush and beautiful?! Not this girl.