These two pups are the loves of my current life. They complete my seconds, minutes, hours, days.
They heal the emptiness in my life since Ducky joined her brothers and sisters at the Rainbow Bridge.
They soothe the loneliness in my life created when their human Dad was freed of his dementia demons and his physical aches and pains. While it will never be completely gone, at least it doesn’t hurt as much when my Z Kids are around.
This is indeed the best Father’s Day I’ve had in a long time! 💙🩵💙
My Zoey has healed beautifully – the incision looks great and the surgical glue has dried/been absorbed/whatever it does to become invisible – so I took the surgical recovery suit off of her this morning. Now it can be washed and put away until it’s needed by another family member.
My big boy Zen is home, too! And it feels wonderful to have him here! I have my little family back together again, the way we should be.
When we got home from visiting with their Grandpa, we all got some water and went back outside for a little bit of fetch. But 10 minutes of that hot, humid air was about all this dog mom could stand. So, we’re back inside chilling out in the air-conditioned house.
Tomorrow and Tuesday are Zen’s 27-Month and Zoey’s 21-Month birthdays respectively. Friday (the 14th) was their mutual monthly Gotcha Day. Where have the months gone??!
Have a Great Week Everyone!!!
It’s nothing to worry about. My little girl is being spayed today, three months, two weeks, and one day before her second birthday.
I have absolute, complete faith in her doctor and I know she will come through the surgery with flying colors.
And to make sure she heals completely and properly, big brother Zen will be spending these next two weeks at his Grandpa Chuck’s house. Not because he would ever do anything to harm his little sister, but because Zoey is a little instigator. And she will need to rest and stay calm for these two weeks.
I will miss my big boy so much! This is the first time he’ll be away from home for more than a day since hubby was admitted to the hospital (for the last time) in July of 2022. Zen has been “there” for me through the roughest months of 2022 and beyond. He has truly been my soul dog in training – with Ducky as his spirit guide – helping me to heal, letting me cry into his furry, wavy, Golden locks, and giving me the best human-like hugs.
But while I’ll be missing him – and Zoey will, too – this will be an excellent opportunity for Zoey and I to work on our bond. She’s going to have to be calm and not take running leaps onto furniture, not run around the yard like a lunatic, not do her”acrobatic” leaps to catch her ball; and I’m sure there will be other restrictions. So, I’m going to start her with some of Ducky’s food puzzles, and some games of easy tug of war, and some easy scent work games. And hopefully start working on her confidence so we can ease her separation anxiety with some games.
How is it even possible that you’ve been here with Zen and me for a full year already?! Here you are that first night home …
I still remember trying to will you and your littermates to be born the day before you actually were … I wanted you and Zen to be exactly six months apart. Oh well, at least I could make your Gotcha Days six months apart.
You’ve been growing physically and emotionally; but you’re still very much a puppy with all that energy. You keep Zen and me on our toes, for sure! Now that you can hold your own against Zen, you have wrestling matches that admittedly make me nervous at times.
Zoey had been pestering Zen earlier in the day, so when he started in on her, I started recording. Zen is so tolerant, so patient with her most of the time. I love when he gives it back to her.
The more I look at Zoey, the more I see Bogie in her eyes and heart. She just looks and acts SO MUCH like her older angel brother! It’s really uncanny. Maybe God sent Bogie back to me in Zoey to give him a second chance at life? I don’t know; but it sure feels that way at times. She’s a lovebug, a sweet, sassy lovebug, and I’m glad Ducky and Bogie sent her to Zen and me!! 💜💜💜💜
HAPPY 1st GOTCHA DAY ZOEY! We love you, little one!!
It’s hard to believe that this sweet, loving, precious angel-with-paws was born a year ago today! And it’s hard to believe that she was once this small….
I remember trying to “will” her to be born the day before, on Zen’s half-year birthday, so I’d have another pair of puppies born exactly six months apart. Well, one day’s not a big deal. 😊
Long-time readers may (or may not) remember that my first two Golden babies were born exactly six months apart…Callie on April 16, 2004 and Shadow on October 16, 2004. (And their Gotcha Days were also exactly 6 months apart, June 7th and Dec. 7th.) But I’m drifting here, so back to Zoey.
This sweet little girl has brought Zen and me so much joy! She’s just what we needed…Zen needed a playmate and I needed another little girl, but one who would snuggle with me like her angel-brother Bogie used to. My two Z Kids bonded right from the start into a mutual adoration society.
And as she grew, big brother Zen let her climb all over him…
Zoey still climbs all over her brother and loves to curl up and snuggle with him….
Happy First Birthday my sweet and sassy little girl! Zen and I love you to the end of the universe and back! You complete our little family. Today is your day. Thankfully the sun is shining again after yesterday’s rain made Zen’s half-year birthday kinda gloomy – weather-wise only – so we can spend time playing in the sunshine like we all love to do. ☀️☀️☀️
How appropriate that the 14th day of this month should fall on a Thankful Thursday! Why? Because it’s a very special day in my life…it’s the Z Kids’ Monthly Gotcha Day! Zen has been with me for 16 months; and Zoey has been with us for 10 months. And in less than a week, Zen will be 18 months old and Zoey will be a full year old. But more about birthdays next week.
I can hardly believe my Zen has been here 16 months already! Most of last year was so dark; but this sweet boy was my one ray of sunshine after Ducky got her wings. Knowing Zen was on the way is what kept me going. And when he was born on St. Patrick’s Day, he became my little leprechaun, my Golden Boy.
He grew up to be my best friend; my Ducky’s facilitator – she visits me often through the baby brother she picked out for me; my guardian angel with paws; my watch dog; my confidant; my helper; my mostly independent, self-confident hooligan. And a wonderful big brother to Zoey.
And, while Zen stayed here at home with his human uncle, I drove up to his Golden Family’s house to get Zoey. I had hoped that Zoey would be born on Zen’s first half birthday, but she had her own plan. That’s okay. I could still make her Gotcha Day the same day of the month as Zen’s. ❤️🐾 And here she is as that 8-week-old puppy.
She’s nearly a year old! I can’t believe how fast these 10 months have flown by! She’s growing up, but she’s still small for her age. I love how her tail feathering is so “floofy”! It’s hard to see in my photos of her, but here she is now…
This little girl is my kindred spirit…as much a “tomboy” as I was when I was a little girl. I climbed trees with the boys next door; Zoey’s happiest playing catch in the dirt and dust of the back yard with her brother.
Happy (Monthly) Gotcha Day my sweet hooligans!! I love you both with my whole heart! 💚🐾💜🐾
Zoey came into her first season some time yesterday; so technically speaking she’s not a “baby” any more. But she will always be MY baby. She was feeling a bit tired this morning, so she snuggled up to me while I drank my first cup of coffee.
Of course Zen’s butt had to photobomb the sweetness, but that’s okay. 💚🐾
My sweet little girl. Zen’s sweet – and sassy – little sister. This munchkin is approaching her teenage months, bless her heart. I think she’s close to coming into her first season…she has a hard time getting comfortable, panting hard at times and then relaxing for a few minutes.
And for now she’s quietly resting – still here on the couch with me – while Zen sleeps at my feet. The perfect way to start a weekend…with my (fur) babies at my side or at least close by. 💚🐾💜🐾
I’m not sure who’s happier, Zen or me!!
Zoey adores her Grandpa, and her older sister Skye. At first I wasn’t sure she wanted to leave! But once we got home, she could hardly wait to get out of the car and in the house where Zen was waiting for her. I wish I’d had my phone handy to video the greetings!
After the greetings, the three of us went outside to play for a while. Now it’s time for a nap.
And, now that they’ve had dinner and done their business, it’s time to get “down and dirty”.
I wasn’t going to write a blog post today, but then I caught a glimpse of how Zoey was positioned on the floor by my chair. And I decided I had to share the silliness….
Zen had a toy. And because he had it, Zoey wanted it. Now that I think of it, it goes both ways; but Zen is usually easier to appease with the offer of the duplicate toy laying six inches -or feet – away from him. Or even with a different toy altogether. Sometimes he just gives in, lets Zoey have the toy, and gets up to walk away.
Now they’ve both abandoned the toy in favor of trying to curry favor with their Uncle Doug. 😉
in my heart 4ever 