zoe - 4 months old!!

where has the time gone?? our little zoe is growing up way too fast!



i have lots to share from the past month so i'll try to do a detailed update soon... i never want to forget this cute puppy stage!

oh and if you didn't get an announcement, here it is:



let me know if you want one for your fridge. :)

meet zoe!

we'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our family -- our puppy zoe! here she is on the day we brought her home (10.8.10) at just 10.5 weeks old:

zoe is a maltese puppy. she was born on july 27th, which makes her 12 weeks old today! (it's going by way too fast) zoe is playful, fun, super smart and soooo soft. she only barks occasionally (which we're grateful for) and is doing really well potty training.

we are crate training her and she is doing awesome! anytime we're not with her, she stays in her crate (it's like her bed). that's also where she sleeps at night. she only whines for a few minutes when we first put her in there at 10pm and then she sleeps through the night until she has to go potty in the morning around 6:30-7am. she has an occasional accident, but doesn't go potty in her crate the majority of the time.

we're also teaching her to ring a bell that hangs around the front door to let us know she needs to go out and go potty. she has picked it up really quick and only has a couple accidents each day. we are very pleased, and pleasantly surprised!

she's also learned a few tricks! she can sit, lay down and she almost has roll over down (she still needs some help). she's a smart girl and a really quick learner! she also loves to play fetch and tug of war. it's so much fun. and after she's all done getting her energy out, she plops down for a nice nap. what a life!


some of my favorite things about having zoe is that she follows me around the house everywhere i go. she is my little shadow. even if she's sleeping, she'll wake up and follow me if i get up and leave the room. one time, while i was doing the dishes, she layed her head down on top of my foot and took a nap there!


it was so adorable. i also love how excited she gets when i come home... even if it's only been an hour, she acts like she hasn't seen me for days! i love it and i love her! :)

despite all the hard work and exhaustion that goes into potty training, we are loving her! she is so much fun and brings a lot of joy to our family. i'm also extremely happy that jeremy has come around... he wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of getting a puppy, but she is pretty irresistible and i think it's safe to say she has won him over. correct me if i'm wrong, honey. :)

here are some videos i took on my phone of her today... sorry in advance for the poor quality... it's hard to do both the recording and the playing!

this is zoe pouncing... my new favorite thing that she has been doing. :)

here she is doing her tricks:

and here she is playing her favorite games:

here zoe shows you how she rings her bells to tell us she needs to go potty:

what a smart girl! we love you zoe!

seriously?

i swear. everywhere i turn there is a big fat reminder that i'm not pregnant.

case in point: the new iphone 4 facetime commercial:



sorry... i just had to vent. anyone want to join me for a pity party? :)

tears

just tears.

i probably shouldn't have watched this video.

i want to be a mom so bad it hurts.

"press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope."

family pictures

while we were in utah last week, we asked natalie (jeremy's sister) if she'd take some family pictures of us. and we LOVE how they turned out! she did such a fantastic job, we can't stop looking at them! and for the first time in the five years we've been married, jeremy asked me to get some of the pictures developed. so that tells you just how much he likes them too. :)

you can check out natalie's work on her photography blog: http://capturinglyricsandlife.blogspot.com/

here are just a few of my favorites...




























aren't those mountains gorgeous? i'm so glad we got those in there!





obviously we're big fans of kissing. :) and yes, we are well aware that our family pictures look like an engagement session... but that's just how it is until we have kids.

now... on to my handsome hubby! (who was forced to pose for the camera. :)







and i may or may not wish i was on america's next top model...









thanks again natalie! we i had a blast! you're the best!