Another Fun Day

Yesterday I spent my morning like I bet most people are these last few days leading up to Christmas. I was shopping. For my mom. My mom has accumulated a lot of knick knacks over the 30-40 years and I'm sure a lot of them are gifts I picked for her. This year I wanted to give her something she would actually use and enjoy and was having a hard time. I ended up getting her software for her one sewing machine (she loves to sew). But after witnessing some truly spectacular grid-lock and the best *cough* sarcasm *cough* driving I've ever seen, I was ready to unwind. That morning I'd promised to take Olivia to the park and I planned to make good on that promise.

I went home to get her and headed back out to town. I'm not sure our walk was relaxing... Olivia was trotting along cheerfully which forced me to power walk, but we had fun together. She found a stick (she loves sticks) and really enjoyed sniffing out all the smells. I had a good time watching her enjoy the park so much. This all caused me to come up with an early New Year's Resolution:

To take Olivia out for walks at the park, etc. more often.

It's not something I really think of because Olivia and Fern get so much exercise running around our farm. Unlike a lot of dog owners, I can just open the back door and let them run free instead of having to walk them every time they have to go potty. But it's not about exercise. It's about spending time with my little Olivia, putting the phone away (except to take photos), and enjoying being outside playing together.

After the park we headed to Petsmart to make up the first two classes of the Advanced class that we missed. Olivia's trainer was so excited to see her, and Olivia was excited to see Debra as well! We worked on sitting when meeting a friendly stranger, loose leash walking going into heel, waving, and touch. We go back on Friday for week three and Olivia FINALLY will get to meet her classmates.

happy to be back in class

Last night after we got home and took care of the horses my parents, Olivia, and I (Brian's in NJ for work) went to the local five star hotel for the Christmas caroling party (they allow well behaved dogs in the hotel bar/lobby/lounge). Olivia wore her Christmas dress and got to have her photo taken (again) with Santa. Everyone fawned over her and everyone wanted to tell me how their sister's boyfriend's great aunt's nephew's uncle has/had/is getting a Boston. It's so funny to me that it seems every where I go with Olivia some stranger(s) comes up to me to tell me about their experience with Bostons (or sometimes with Frenchies). We had a great time, although my arms did hurt a bit from holding Olivia all night. There were a lot of people and I didn't want to risk her getting stepped on but she was also tired. Olivia weighs a whopping 15.8 lbs now!

Olivia Goes to the Car Parade

So my dad and some of his friends are participating in this car race this weekend... it called 24 Hours of LeMons. Basically there are teams of people and they have $500 to buy a car and then they have to put all this racing safety gear in it and they decorate the cars to look funny and crazy. Then they all go to the race and race these $500 or less cars. You can find more info here: 24 Hours of LeMons

So the race starts today but last night they had a parade with all the cars (117 of them!) through the downtown of where it's located. Naturally I brought Olivia (and my fiancee/her daddy is here visiting so he came too).

here come the cars!

Olivia in her fancy hat waiting
for the parade to start

Olivia watches the parade

pig car

wedding car and it had a dog
as part of its entourage!

bride and groom on the
wedding car

Homer Simpson with Marge on
the back

super woman

Lego men

my dad (waving) and his friends
with their car, they call
themselves the nuclear waste
boys.

my dad and friends

dad's friends on the trunk of the
nuclear waste car

...and again

and again

this guy drove the whole parade
in reverse

Olivia watched intently

really old car 

green alien people and their car

dinosaur dogs to go with the
Jurassic Park car

dino dogs

Jurassic Park car

upside down car

good puppy hanging out on the
trunk of "his" car

German Shepard and "his" car

Olivia,  her daddy (Brian), and
the nuclear waste car

Olivia with the town's founders

Wordless Wednesday

olivia is feeling pretty on this wordless wednesday!