Us

We usually do a family photo shoot every second Autumn.

Here are some of this year's results.





Here's the "Did we just get caught making out?" shot:



Here the guys are climbing on stuff...again:



This one was taken whilst Tobias was making a smart remark. (Check out the acerbic curve of his ever-lippy mouth.):



And here we are reacting to his snidery:



Although I doubt we'll ever be able to outdo our zombie shot of two years ago (scroll down to the bottom of the linked post to see it), we did pose "Romanian" style. You see, Romanians don't smile for photographs. Yes, I'm serious.



Very serious.   

I must say that the severity of Jeff's face is a bit over the top. The rest of us look simply modern-day-Romanian whereas Jeff looks positively communistic.

We also took a number of other shots which I shan't be sharing online. If you really want to see those photographic evidences of our boorishness, feel free to ask next time you come over to our house, but I wouldn't dare post them since they're perfect fodder for websites such as awkwardfamilyphotos.com . (If you've never been there, check it out. It's kind of like PeopleOfWalmart.com, but with more of a homey, warm, how-in-the-world-did-I-end-up-in-this-family sort of a feel.)

One includes me grossly amused by something. Apparently, when I'm  moved to hilarity, my throat has to swell to twice its normal size in order to allow passage to my hearty guffaws. It's not pretty. In fact, it makes me want to never laugh in public again.

Another one was the result of our fabulous photog, Veronica, continuously telling Jeff that he needed to actually smile instead of look constipated. Thus, we decided to actually take a shot wherein we all exhibited our best my-gut-is-presently-granite look. Again, not pretty.

In a couple of pics, the width of my hips is especially appalling, so those are no-shows, obviously.

Halfway through the shoot, Jeff caught sight of a couple of trashcans and had an epiphany. Thus was born the final photo which I will not launch into cyberspace. It involves Delaney and I standing beside the guys who are both thigh-high in their very own metal trash can.

After us ladies moved out of the way there commenced, of course, a game of bumper trashcans, the evidence of which I will post:

Yay!!!!!!

Guess who has a home!!!

THIS guy ----->


(I love his floppy lips. :) Oh, and look at how dinky my hand looks on his neck. He is truly an awesome creature.)









Last week, we learned that Moses had just had his troublesome bits removed in preparation for his departure from the shelter. We could tell he didn't feel quite right. He just sort of stood next to us in his kennel, leaning his boulder-sized head against us. That's what having parts removed will do to you for a day or two. So, he won't be siring any little Leviathans or teensy Goliaths in the future, but...


...Moses has a family! Woo hoo!

(I hope they have a big shovel.)


*deep sigh of contentment*

My Little Pony

Okay, so it's not my little pony...

...but it could be yours!

That's right, this huge hunk of equine beauty is available for adoption.

What's that, you say? It's a dog? Oh, I see that you are right...sort of.

Meet Moses:

Isn't he gorgeous?

He has a very sweet disposition and the entire time we were with him, he didn't try to eat us once!

Is it his name that keeps you from wanting him? You can always change it.

If you'd like, you can rename him "Seabiscuit":



 Or you can call him "Fezzik":

Even "AT-AT" will suffice:

I won't guilt you too much though, because I'm certainly not volunteering my backyard for his minefield. I heart Moses, but alas...he is too much dog for a 5'4" girl like me.

Don't think you can handle him either?

How about this sweet girl with whom Delaney is cuddling?

She has the softest fur and such pretty eyes.

Or how about this little dumpling?

I was near her for quite a while and she didn't yip once. Honestly.

For the last couple of months, Delaney and I have been volunteering at the local animal shelter. While there, we go into the kennels and pet the dogs, just trying to show them some affection. Then, the better behaved ones, we take for short walks around the grounds. We leave reeking of dog and checking our shoes for poo, but somehow happy, too.
 
Like much of life, it's a very bittersweet experience. There are so many homeless dogs.

It's difficult. Some days we leave without having walked all the pups we wanted to walk, but I have to keep reminding myself that it's better to do some good than no good.

Better some than none...better some than none...

A bit of news cheered us last Thursday. Several of the dogs we've come to know have been adopted in the last two weeks.

In fact, we walked this very gentle girl...


...and shortly after we returned her to her kennel, she was taken out and put in the back of a van to go to her new home! This was especially sweet news because when we had taken her to the play yard, all she wanted was to be petted. Some dogs run around investigating, but she planted herself right next to us and nudged our hands with her nose if we stopped. Now she has someone to rub behind her ears daily. :)


















Another dog, Buddy, was adopted a couple of weeks ago. (I wondered if he'd ever make it out of the shelter since he was less attractive than many of the dogs there.) Well, the director informed us that he now has a home for life because shortly after arriving at his new home, he encountered an intruder who was trying to enter the house through the bathroom window. The valiant Buddy bit the guy.

Go, Buddy!

So there are happy stories, but I'm especially concerned for Moses. I mean, look at him!



Most people who mosey down to the shelter to pick out a dog are going to think like me and realize that he's just a bit more dog than they're willing to sign up for.

Hey Christy--How does Macy feel about fellows who are tall, dark and handsome? (Just kidding! Please still be my friend.)

Delaney and I took pity on the poor dear and did dare to take him out on a walk. The leash we attached was merely a token of what activity we were attempting since it did us no good. A slight lurch forward almost resulted in a trip to the ER to fix my face. A guy who works there saw me, resisted the urge to laugh out loud and  proceeded to show us how to complete the job without injury. In order to do so we had to flank him and grab his collar. Sadly, we have no photographic record of this feat since all of our hands were a bit preoccupied.

The next day, we took Jeff to see Moses.

Jeff was actually capable of walking him without help and without grasping his collar.

Go, Jeff!

Since Bruiser's passing we have enjoyed the benefits of having only one dog to tend to, but some of us are thinking along the lines of getting Duncan a companion. Probably at some point in the near future, some especially precious pup will worm its way into our hearts, keeping us awake at night with memories of its pleading eyes.

Stay tuned...