Secret Mission - Mystery Revealed!

As per my last post, Jim and I recently took a short trip up to Lancaster, PA. While we enjoyed the scenery, sight seeing was not at the top of our agenda. No, we didn't seek out any world-famous Amish wood working or quilts; no delicious canned goods, textiles or artwork. Not even one single souvenir or fabulous antique made it into our car. So, what did we go up there for? What did we drive over 3 hours to bring home? Here they are:

Introducing the two new loves of my life, the newest furbaby members of our family, Chloe and Fenway! Chloe is on the left and weighs 5.2 pounds. Fenway is on the right and weighs 5.6 pounds. They were 9 and 8 weeks old, respectively, when we brought them home.

I had been looking at rescue dogs and studying breeds since our beloved Sullivan passed away almost two years ago. During that search and research period, there were many road blocks - dogs that were already spoken for, dogs that just didn't fit our family, rescue organizations that would not adopt to homes with young children, adoption fees that were over our budget - all kinds of frustrations. Then there were our feelings that perhaps this was not the best time to get a new dog, with my back problems, the kids being so active and possibly scaring a dog, so many other responsibilities requiring our attention, but then I thought, is there ever a good or perfect time for anything? If we wait for what seems to be the right time to make any changes in our lives, will we not become stagnant and never progress? We decided to go for it and the search began!

Fenway Left, Chloe Right

I had a few favorite breeds in mind but there was one that I was particularly interested in - the Boston Terrier. I love their quirky little faces, their stubby tails and their love of life energy. They are reported to be intelligent, loving, great with children, playful and an all-around fun dog suitable for any family. Sounded perfect -now to find some in our area! This proved impossible!

I wanted a girl as so many of my former furbabies were males. What an ordeal! It took me a few months to finally come upon some females and after being beaten to them while I wasted time thinking about my decision, when I saw little Jewel, who is now Chloe, I jumped at the chance to make her ours! We planned the trip to Lancaster, called the contact and, while I had him on the phone, I inquired about sweet Bobby, now Fenway. (I always wanted to name a Boston Fenway after the Red Sox's ballpark!) By this time, "getting a dog" had turned into getting TWO dogs and who was I to argue? Turned out that each puppy was located at a different Amish farm, on opposite sides of Lancaster proper, which was really nice as it gave us an opportunity to travel along the back roads and take some pictures of the beautiful farms. I love farms! I love the open fields, the dirt, the animals, the smells, the rusty, crusty gadgets and equipment, the all-American feel of community spirit, simpler times and family values.

 Friday was the day! We checked out of our hotel and headed towards our first puppy with such excitement in our hearts. Fenway greeted us with a wiggly stubby tail and wonderful puppy breath kisses! He whimpered for just a few seconds when we placed him in the carrier, and we were on to puppy stop number two! Little Chloe was as cute as she could be! She too gave us puppy breath kisses, she even gave some to Fenway! After a short visit, both pups were snuggled together in the carrier and we were headed for home. It's a good thing I like farm smells, because both pups had a distinctive smell of cow LOL!

Upon arriving home, Jamison greeted us at the door and we handed the carrier to my daughter, so that the two of them could take the puppies out. Abigail was upstairs and when she came down, she squealed in the highest-pitched voice I'd ever heard, "Puppies! Puppies! Puppies!"

Chloe

Fenway

It's been a little over a week and everybody is adjusting well. The pups love chasing toys and the kids out in the yard and in the house, snuggling on laps at nap time and cuddling together in their carrier filled with fluffy blankets. They stay in our room and are up bright and early with their adorable tiny faces at the carrier door, just bursting to be let out and hugged. They're quite smart, coming when their names are called and using newspaper for potty time during a horrible storm we had last week. It's so nice to have dogs in the house again and I know that the more time we spend together and the more they grow, the more love and joy we'll share.

Chloe & Fenway

Thank you so much for stopping by! Hugs and puppy breath kisses, Leena,  Fenway and Chloe