Two CP Kids Travel to Their Furever Home

Hello All, I wanted to drop you a line and let you know that all is well. We had very difficult trip from O'Hare, not because of the pups. They were complete angels! The flight was to leave at 3:30 pm. We boarded and sat on the plane for around 1.5 hours due to "mechanical problems" with one of the wings. At that point they told us to deplane and they would keep us posted as to how the repair was progressing.

Meanwhile it's about 5:30 and these angels haven't peed since 1 pm when we left the hotel. We have to take them all the way back out through security to "refresh" them, in the near 0 degree whether.

We proceed back through security, and lines, to find that our flight is delayed "indefinitely". Now the last connecting flight from Seattle to Spokane is at 11 pm. Seattle is about a 6 hour drive to Spokane over a mountain pass that is very dangerous in the winter. It's now 6:30 pm and we have to get out of Chicago in the next hour to make it to Spokane that day. We stand in line, with the rest of the plane, to get rebooked or standby, on the only plane that could connect to Spokane for that night. We are the last 2 called for standby minutes before the plane takes off.

Meanwhile back in the cramped Sherpas, the kids are both very brave, quiet, and patient. They have and are refusing food. Willy will take treats but Sophie will only take water. When we get to Seattle, we have to run all the way to the opposite side of the airport. When we get to the gate we find that the plane is almost finished boarding and the agent in Chicago failed to book us on it as promised. It is a sold out flight but we apply for standby.

As par for the whole trip Sophie and Willy are brave, quiet and very patient. Again we were the last two called just before take off which was then delayed on the runway due to weather. Alas, we land at 1:00 am and by 2:15 am I have delivered my friend to her home and the kids are sniffing their new yard. They both had a nice meal, did their business and were gracious enough to let me sleep until 9 am the next day. Whew!

Then....the next day, 12-16, it started to snow. On 12-17-08 we had a record breaking, for Spokane, blizzard with over 24 inches of snow and have been snowed in every since. They just finished scrapping my street so as soon as I dig through the behrm we are free at last.

The kids think we took a wrong turn and ended up at the North Pole. Willy likes digging snow caves. Sophie would rather be inside. "Let's pee and get it over with!" Ahhhh... there is no place like home and the kids are settling into their forever home nicely. I have Willy (A.K.A. "Won't He") signed up for "Diamonds in the Ruff" (you can check it out on line), kindergarten starting 1-10-08 and Sophie will start "head start" in late February.

It is clear that I was blessed during this trip and am so blessed to be starting my new family with these angels. Blessings to all of you, may your holidays be full of joy and connection!

Barbara

Happy Birthday and Gotcha Day, Sophie!

My sweet, sweet Sophie turns 12 years old tomorrow and will celebrate her 3rd Gotcha Day on 11/19.

She has come so far in the last 3 years - from a scared little girl who wanted to hide to a social butterfly who is always looking for someone to go visit with.

She is still very quiet (she has barked 7 times in the 3 years she has been here) and does not understand about toys but she is happy, happy, happy and absolutely loves being patted and rubbed.

Her ACL has healed fine and we are back to a normal routine. Took her camping a couple weeks ago and hope to go again soon. She loves meeting people and other dogs in the campground.

Thank you all again for having allowed me to take her into my home and my life. Special thanks to foster moms Karen P and Monika for all that you taught her so that I have the perfect little girl (Diva?).

God Bless Col. Potter

Susan R and Sophie in St. Augustine Florida

The Adoption of Bonnie Blue

We picked up Bonnie Blue, now known as SOPHIE, yesterday and she is do adorable. What a loving, affectionate little girl. She seems to have always lived here. She just fits right away.

We took the Victoria Clipper over (it is a three hour passenger only ship ferry). Iona and Jim met us at a little park right by the boat landing with their Danny boy. We talked about the information she had brought and then signed everything to make her our forever dog.

During the trip home on the ferry she went in the Sherpa bag and never whimpered or anything. When we got to the ferry terminal in Seattle we let her out and she went potty. We got almost to the parking garage and there was a train that was making screeching noises with the brakes and scared her so we held her the rest of the way to the car. We put her in the crate when we got to the car and she went in with a gentle nudge. Not one peep on the way home either.

It was eleven PM when we arrived at the house and we walked her around the front yard then brought her in and fed her . She gobbled it right down. We tried to potty her before we put her to bed in the kennel but she didn't have to go. She slept very well and Mike took her out about 7:00 and she did her business. She curled up in his lap until I got up about 8:45, then she came in my lap for awhile. We made breakfast and she played and amused us with her antics. I think she wore herself out as she is curled up on her little pad I put in the office for her as I am writing this.

We think that our little Fergie is looking down from the heavens and smiling that we have found another little princess as sweet as she was. Sophie has adapted better then we ever dreamed. It is like she has always been here. We are sending a few pictures so you can all see her. Thank you all so much for letting us have this little treasure in our home. You have all been so supportive, it has been a great experience for us. Mike will send the pictures from his computer as that is where they are stored. Thank you, Carolyne and Mike M