A family weekend

This weekend was wonderful for many reasons, but the factor that tops that list has to be the weather! This is the first weekend in a long time that the weather has actually put me in a better mood! And it definitely worked to our advantage. Saturday started with a trip to Two Paws Up, which is one of my favorite little shops in downtown Frederick. Talk about people loving what they do- the owner is passionate, knowledgeable and fun- as is everyone that works there! We bought the boys a new, luxurious Big Shrimpy bed. It's so comfortable- I even got down on the floor and sat in it to test it out. It's also extremely durable and machine washable, made of 74% recycled materials (which you know I love) and has a great warranty.
It's advertised as "the last dog bed you'll ever buy," which is good- because our boys have already managed to chew up the two beds I bought them already. We brought the bed home (along with some new toys) and it was love at first sight. Lance and Jackson crawled right in and made themselves comfortable. They're so little now that they look tiny on the big bed, but before we know it, we'll probably have to get another bed so each dog can have his own.

Greg and I had planned to take the boys over to Mom & Joe's house on Saturday afternoon to for a playdate and dinner. Since my parents have about almost an acre, and it's all fenced in, we figured it would be a great chance for the boys to run around freely. Their backyard was still pretty snow covered, but it wasn't a big deal.

It was also a good opportunity for Lance and Jackson to spend some time with "Uncle Brady," and for him to get acclimated to them. Brady's only encounter with the boys thus far was over at our house the very first day that we brought them home. He's a 10-year old Golden Retriever that we love to death, but is very mellow and doesn't have much interest in hyper 3-month old puppies. So on that first enounter, Brady really wanted nothing to do with them. But you can't really blame him- the little guys jumped all over him- they loved him.

We figured this encounter would be different. We were in his territory for starters, and there was a lot more room to run around. We slowly introduced the boys to Brady (in the backyard) and let them all run around together. Again, they jumped all over him, but Brady quickly let them know he was boss. Lance immediately took a submissive role and calmed down.

But, Jackson being Jackson- he just did his own thing, since he thinks he is the boss all the time. As the afternoon went on, everything was fine. The three of them ran around and played and had a great time. Brady actually did pretty well keeping up with the little guys, even though he had to take a few breaks to rest.

When it got dark out and it was time for us to eat dinner, the boys did very well playing inside (they were confined to the kitchen and porch) and loved chewing on all of Brady's toys. And, much to my surpise- we managed to go the whole visit without any accidents! They even asked to go outside when they needed to potty! I'm so proud. :) Needless to say, the boys slept great that night.

Sunday brought more sunshine and warmer weather- I actually broke out my flip-flops for the first time! Greg and I were meeting up with my dad, stepmom and siblings for lunch and then having them all over to the house to (finally) meet Lance and Jackson. And the boys loved having the attention- they ran around and played and made us laugh, just like they always do. My dad has a warm place in his heart for Goldens, so I think he was especially happy to play with the boys. It was great to see him and Sherry enjoy them so much! We also managed to also get a nice walk in before the day was over, which aided again in a nice night's sleep. The forecast is still sunny and warm for the next few days, I'm so glad spring is finally on it's way!