Blessings!

As you know, the past few days have been pretty hectic and I've spent more time running in and out of the backyard, Alfie in tow, than reading. That's where kids come in -- they're great for keeping you updated with all the latest urgent information, like that a baby robin consumes 14 feet of earthworms a day, or that owls are some of the very few bird species to see the color blue (why, I wonder? And, how did people figure that out?) ...And that, Mom, our blog got an award!

Awww...how cool is that?! I have to say a big THANK YOU to L^2 (http://l-squared.blogspot.com/ , you really must see her photography!) and Natalie (http://puppyraisingescapades.blogspot.com/ who will be a fellow GDTx puppy raiser soon, yay!) You two are a blessing to us!

The rule of this award seems to be that when you receive it, you have to pass it on to 5 others who are a blessing to you. Our nominees:

• Dakota and Ben, of course! (blog: http://dakotastails-thenextchapter.blogspot.com/) Being Dakota's puppy raisers, we are perhaps just a tiny bit biased, but we think they're an awesome team. Since middle school homework probably hasn't let up at all for Ben (and he's brand new to blogging and service dogs) I think we'll all understand if he doesn't pass it on. But I think they deserve some recognition all the same!
• Clive, fellow doodle and service dog in Ireland! (blog: http://assistdogautism.blogspot.com/) Okay, so he's a goldendoodle, not a labradoodle, but who's going to split hairs? (Especially curly ones!) We love his work for the "Not so little man" and think he's great.
• We also enjoy Maddie's blog: http://raisingoneatatime.blogspot.com/ Here is a puppy raiser who has accomplished an awful lot for a sophomore in high school! We're pretty sure she is a blessing not only to us, but to others.
• Rebecca, whose blog http://segdipuppyraiser.blogspot.com/ chronicles the raising of...count 'em...3 working guide dogs and a therapy dog! She's working on puppy #5 now. Wow!
• And, how could we leave out Erin? I haven't personally checked her blog this week, so she's probably already gotten this award a few times, but if so it's only because she deserves it! We love her fun blog on training for Wilderwood Service Dogs (http://gdfpuppyraiser.blogspot.com/), as well as her cool photography blog (http://eltphotography.blogspot.com/). Maybe some day our camera will learn to be like yours, Erin. In the meantime, you're definitely a blessing & inspiration!

Of course we've got many, many other friends and family who are huge blessings to us. Since most of them don't blog, I won't list them all here. But they're special all the same and life just wouldn't be the same without you wonderful people!

...And last but not least, as long as I'm on the subject of blessings...

Alfie slept through the night last night! As in, from 10:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., without whimpering, without any messes in his crate, and went out and busied like a perfect little boy this morning. Those of you who know me and my need for sleep will understand when I say I feel truly blessed. Any puppy who can sleep through the night within the first week home...is a good puppy!

Of course I'm a good puppy!