Spring Snow

In Colorado March and April are 2 of our snowiest months and we have had a very mild Winter this year. In the past week I have woke up to a WINTER WONDERLAND twice and I LOVE IT! The ground has been pretty warm so the snow has melted in 1 day both times but it is so pretty while it lasts. 

 Ralph and Elway LOVE the snow so like a good Mommy I get all bundled up and we go play around in the snow for a bit!

 Honestly seeing the joy in their faces and running around with them is a TON of fun! Their happiness is so pure and that is hard to not have rub off on me! Look at little Elway running thru like inches! He got a work out in for sure!

When we come inside I warm him by the fire, it's so cute... I mean he is still a little baby! Then through out the rest of the day they cry at the door to go back out.

What is Abner doing while we are outside? Snuggling on the couch of course, he has never been one for snow or rain for that fact!

Elway Austin Savage

Surprise!! We are new parents!!! Let me introduce you to our bundle of joy...........

Elway is a mini dapple Daschund and his middle name is Austin because he was born in Austin, Colorado!

Elway was welcomed into our family last night at 7:45pm.

He is 3 pounds, 11 inches long

8 Weeks Old

Let's back up and start at the beginning!

Elway is Matt's Birthday present and at his Birthday dinner back in October I wrapped Elway's baby collar with his name on it! And ya, keeping the secret was hard but I wanted a "true baby reveal" because .... why not!
You know adding a new member of the family is a tough decision and he is in NO WAY a replacement for our beloved Oscar. But our other weenie Abner isn't doing too well, and our Ralphie boy has never been alone.... so we needed to add the 3rd leg back to our dog tripod. I was fine with ANY dog, are you kidding me... you know I will fall in love with anything but Matt was dead set on another weenie puppy and so here is Elway!

 Last night was the BIG arrival, we went to the Centennial airport to wait for our new babies arrival!

 And check out his ride, we had no idea he was riding in style A'la Jet service! But honestly it's kinda sad, he was so worked up being on a flight alone.... first day away from his family and then he meets his new fur family. Poor baby was BEYOND worked up and he still is!

 Look at that little face, he is SO small! It has been 8 years since we had a puppy and I knew it was going to be a ton of work but OMG! We are 100% new parents. I was up all night with him and his lungs work great.

Here is his newborn photo, he was 2 weeks old here..... little pumpkin!

And this is his 5 week old picture.........All ears

And now he is starting his life with us, just wait until he realizes he hit the jackpot of families! The coming weeks are going to be SO hard but eventually we will all meld together. Our biggest boy Ralph would you believe it or not is scared of him, the cat is NOT happy but our boy Abner is trying his hardest to welcome him into our family. It takes time.

You know a TON of pictures are coming..... and I had BIG plans to do a whole newborn baby photo shoot with Elway but you guys getting a puppy to cooperate is NOT going to happen! I gotta go... he is crying his little eyes out right now.

Abner Gundy Savage

This Friday marks the Anniversary of the day we brought our boy Abner home and is therefor his Birthday. He was in the worst shape when we got him and no one knew his exact age and to this day we only guess along with the vet. Most likely Abner will be 15 on Friday, our little old man. Since living with our family for the past 7 years he has battled seizures, intestine issues and now our boy is losing his hearing and his eye sight. We have reason to believe that our boy might not be with us too much longer and that pains us greatly ( I hope we are wrong). 

This EXACT time last year almost to the day we found out Oscar had cancer and my parents came to visit him where my Dad did a photo shoot with Matt, Oscar and myself. That was one of the greatest gifts we have, doing that before it got too late. So this last weekend my Dad once again gave us the sweetest gift of letting our Abner be the star of our Fall pictures. 

Abner has days when I think everyone must be wrong... he acts like a puppy but then there are days when I just know it in my heart. We spoon feed our oldest baby and lace his food with cheese.... because Abner gets what Abner wants from now on. I will of course keep everyone updated on his health and the thought of losing not 1 but 2 of my children in the same year breaks me, it breaks us both. I could NEVER imagine our family without Abner, he is truly the light of our family and if you have been around him.... you know that is true! It's a true honor to be bossed around by him! lol

Here are some of the photos and the rest I am putting on Facebook you can see HERE

I only have one more thing to say.... Could Abner BE ANYMORE handsome and dapper? I surely think NOT!

SaveSave

Colorado Wolf and Wildlife

Friday Mom, Dad and I took a day trip to Divide, CO population 210 BUT a nice population of foxes and wolves! I found this Sanctuary online and I am SO glad I did, The Colorado Wold and Wildlife Center was amazing, educational and in a breathtaking setting. This place is first and foremost committed to education the public on the crisis of the wolf population and their conservation efforts. Watch this video shot at the sanctuary to learn more.....

At the Sanctuary you get to take a 1 hour tour to meet all the wolves (foxes too), learn about them and watch them get treats. You guys, they are just like puppies.... for real. 

Take a moment to read how this lovely sanctuary got started, something we learned about was the "true pack" mentality of this amazing species. I mean we knew how bonded they are together but seeing it first hand and learning how important family is to these animals and how hard the grieving process is for them, it's incredible and sad considering how people are treating them.

The fox enclosure was so cute and these guys are little busy-bodies thats for sure! This one finally decided on a morning nap after a busy morning of digging holes!

When you look at them so close its almost hard to remember that this isn't a family pet but a wolf, and they were the sweetest!

These two are a mated pair who we learned like to occasionally battle back and forth for who is the Alpha. Bickering old married couple is right.

Just look how stunning they are and we got to hear them howl and talk to one another and it was beautiful!

We all had the best time and highly recommend this place to anyone traveling near Colorado Springs.

To learn more about the center, plan a visit or make a donation please click HERE

Sibbies!!

When I go back home to Oklahoma I not only get to see and spend time with my human family but my fur-siblings as well and they make my heart smile! So the perfect conclusion to the trip was the photoshoot I did with them all before I left! So in case you don't already know my extended sibling family here they are.......

This is Betsy Ross my mini Australian shepard sister and she is irresistible! 

 This is her favorite pose and what she is waiting for is for me to give her KISSY FACE!!!!

 This artistic picture I call "Betsy thru the looking glass"............

 This little girl is Gracie Mae and she loves to spend most of her time in the window watching the front of my parents house as well as long naps on all the beds!

This guy wasn't around for my photoshoot but I didn't want to leave him out so this is an older photo of my brother Fuzzie Bear! His favorite activity is eating, eating and also eating.

Now this little guy is Winnie-the-Poo and he is not even 1 year old yet!! God delivered him to my parents back porch last Summer and we all fell in love!

 This is Winnies favorite spot on top of the chair in the living room perfectly posed for kisses!

Now this gal is the Original OG Callie, Callie is 14 years old just like my Bella and in fact they both came into the family a few months apart!

 Callie loves posing for photoshoots and bossing everyone around!

This beautiful cat is Mom, Mom has the best heart and she splits her time outside and inside.

Lastly when I got home and told my Bella about the photoshoot she was jealous so here I present to you my love, my life Bella! That platter I had the wedding day cookies on and when I unpacked it you would of thought I brought it home just for her. SO like a good Mom I let her lay on it for a few days! ha!

I already miss my Oklahoma animals but luckily my Mom and Dad will give them plenty of love on my behalf!
Now, I am off to a clinic because I have a sinus infection.... I feel AWFUL! And I was suppose to do a garage sale today but now I am only doing it tomorrow because I feel so sick. ugh, why me?

My Muse

 Lump first met Picasso on April 19, 1957 at La Californie, Picasso's hillside mansion in Cannes. His owner, David Douglas Duncan, had photographed Picasso for the first time during the previous year. On this occasion he chose to bring along Lump, as the Dachshund didn't get along with his other dog.^[1] While having lunch with his future wife Jacqueline Roque and Duncan, Picasso enquired if the dog had ever had a plate of his own. When Duncan responded no, Picasso picked up a brush and paint that were on the table and painted a portrait of Lump on his own dinner plate. With the work dated and inscribed to Lump, he handed the plate to Duncan as a gift.^[3] The dog felt immediately at home and stayed with Picasso for the next six years at La Californie, living with Picasso's Boxer Yan and a goat named Esmeralda.^[1] Duncan spoke of Lump and Picasso, "This was a love affair. Picasso would take Lump in his arms. He would feed him from his hand. Hell, that little dog just took over. He ran the damn house."^[2]

Duncan would return to visit Picasso during this time, and photographed the artist with Lump on several occasions along with Picasso's children. While Picasso preferred to work alone, he would often be accompanied by Lump. In one series of photographs, he made a rabbit out of a sugar impregnated cardboard cake box for the dog, who carried it into the garden to eat.^[1][2]

Duncan spoke of Lump's stay with Picasso, "Lump had an absolutely pampered life there. Picasso once said, ‘Lump, he’s not a dog, he’s not a little man, he’s somebody else.’ Picasso had many dogs, but Lump was the only one he took in his arms."^[1]

In 1964, during a visit with Picasso, Duncan was informed that Lump was unwell. The dog was suffering from a spinal condition leaving him without the use of his back legs and was being looked after by a local vet in Cannes. Duncan visited the vet and was informed that the condition could not be cured, and the vet was no longer feeding him.^[2] Duncan sought a second opinion, taking back the dog, he drove it to Stuttgart, Germany, where he found a vet who was willing to treat Lump. The treatment took several months, but Lump would go on to live for another ten years, albeit walking as Duncan would describe "a bit like a drunken sailor".^[2] He died ten days before Picasso, on 29 March 1973.^[1][2]

 I loved this drawing not only because it was a weenie dog but there was back story about a weenie who inspired a great artist and last Fall when we got Oscars diagnosis I already had my mind made up that this is how I would honor him.

SO Saturday was the BIG day, the day that I would get a piece of Oscar to always carry with me. And ya, I know it's small but that soft spot on your arm hurts REAL bad. But it only took 30 minutes, thankfully! Matt is still deciding what he wants to do to honor Oscar. 

 This is the finished result, I am so super happy.... it's perfect, it is artistic, it has several layers of stories to it and it completely represents my boy Oscar.

 I am/ We are 100% still grieving and I break down all the time but that just reinforces the love that we shared. It was complete, real, honest, loyal and forever.