We miss you Brody!

Brody passed away on February 10, 2015 after a very brief illness!  He wasn't feeling well during the weekend and so on Monday, February 9 we took him to the vet.  We weren't sure what was bothering our buddy, but he wasn't eating and was quite lethargic!  The vet checked Brody out and found out he had a bladder infection!  We were thrilled to know that it was something treatable and went home with Brody, along with an antibiotic, pain meds, and some special food that he was sure to love!

Brody took the antibiotic and ate a couple of cans of food, laid down by our backdoor, and never stood up again!

He for some unknown reason became paralyzed and spent the night in our greatroom.  His daddy, Wayne and myself, mommy took turns overnight laying with Brody and telling him how much we loved him.  In the morning, on February 10, after no change, we called the vet and made the decision to say goodbye to him.

Our life journey with Brody was short, however we will NEVER forget our buddy!  He was a great dog and lived a wonderful life with us!  He loved to play ball outside, and go on walks with me down the private drive near our house!  He was my confident, best friend, and walking buddy!  Brody, mommy will miss you forever!

He leaves behind a wonderful family, Wayne, Terri, & Kaiya Hop, Travis, Allison, Rylan, Quinn, Jackson, Joey, and Bailey Hop, Troy, Mandi, Nolan, & Sloane Hop!  We all miss him horribly, but we know he was an amazing dog and we took our love with him!

Goodbye buddy!  Heaven has a special dog welcoming everyone at the door!  Love you!

Where did our puppy Brody go?

I thought I'd take a moment to share a photo of Brody! He is getting so big and turning into such a well balanced dog. We are finally enjoying the adventures of raising a new puppy. Brody at 5 months is getting so much easier to handle. He listens well... usually...maybe sometimes, and once he was potty trained, things just went so much better. Wayne and I can actually sit down for more than 20 minutes at a time! Since it is fall here, he has been outside walking through the leaves. He really doesn't play with them...he seems to think, I thought one was exciting, what ever am I going to do with so many! The days are getting cooler and Brody seems to enjoy being outside. Heat was not his friend. He enjoys walking around the yard, and is starting to go with Wayne on "Pond" walks, just walks around the pond. He thought he'd like to see what a pond was all about and slipped in. He wasn't too excited about that! Wayne said that he got too close to the edge and kind of slipped right in. All that was out was his head.

He is a sweetie though and has those wonderful sweet Golden Retriever eyes. I do love pictures of puppies, but I absolutely LOVE DOGS! He is turning into a wonderful member of our family.

Next week is his big week. He will be going to Zeeland Vet. Clinic to be neutered and microchipped! It will be a big week for him, and for us his family. Over all though, it will be a good decision to do this for him and his life will be healthier.

We wish him a long, healthy, and happy life as a member of our family. We certainly love Brody very much! I am sure if you visit, you will see him sharing our home with us, ready to play ball or tug of war...by the way, I really hate the tug of war game...it is more like how quick can you move your fingers mom?!

Well, thanks for visiting! Enjoy the cool days of autumn!

Always a new challenge!

It has been a little while so, I thought I'd let everyone see how big Brody is getting. He is turning into a fine pup with lots of personality. He has the typical Golden Retriever fear of life, but we are trying to introduce him to the world little by little. Today I took him outside to pick up our trash can out by the road. He was so scared! Pulling the big black tub back to the garage was almost enough to put the little guy into cardiac arrest, so I think we will put walking Brody along to put the trash out, on hold!




I started to play ball outside with him, but I think he is more interested in pulling what little bit of alive green grass that we have out of our lawn. On occation though, he seems to enjoy playing fetch outside with me, but a puppy's focus is a bit short!



We are trying to get him used to the cats too, but Bobbi and Kaiya are slow to think this is the most wonderful thing that has happened to them since kitty treats! While Bobbi just lays and growls at Brody, Kaiya thinks running away is the best option to avoid the little rascal.


Slow but sure he is getting used to being a spoiled house puppy. We are STILL working on potty training, but it is starting to come along. We have taught him a few things, like sit...when we have a treat, lay...when we have a treat, shake...when we have a treat, give a high five...when we have a treat...are you getting the idea here?

One of the big challenges is trying to have him sit still long enough to get a picture when he is awake. Sleeping photos are so much easier! Speaking of sleeping, between trying to watch Brody and being hooked on the Olympics, makes it difficult for the mom, that would be me, to get much sleep these days, but I'm sure when Brody is three, and the Olympics are finished, I will probably get a chance to sleep. That means, after the winter Olympics in 2010, goodness, I hope I can hold out!



Just a note...Travis, Bailey's daddy, started the Michigan State Police Academy on Sunday, August 10. Just when I thought I couldn't be prouder of him, I proved myself wrong. He has made us so proud! What an honorable profession! Perhaps someday while you are traveling, you will see Travis sitting in one of those special cars, you know the ones...the blue ones with the one red light on top! And...Troy, will be starting his final year of schooling towards his Electrician's Journeyman's licence. WOW! What an awesome profession, so perhaps one day, if you need the best electrician ever, you will know who to call. Trav should be finishing his probation with the MSP and Troy should be finishing his schooling, the same year, 2009!

Thanks for visiting my blog. I'll try to update it more regularly, just a busy life right now...don't see that stopping anytime soon!

Brody is right at home!

Brody is getting bigger by the moment and is adjusting well. He is sleeping in his crate, and even goes in his own "bedroom" if he wants a break. I thought I'd share a picture so you can see how big he is getting. We are still working on his potty training, but at least he keeps his crate dry. He has been sleeping well, which is great for his mommy and daddy!

Today he played a lot with his cousin Bailey! Although Bailey is bigger than Brody, they play well together. Brody and Bailey shared an exciting game of tug of war! Wayne helped them with it for a while and then they played on their own. It was great watching them. They seemed to have a lot of fun playing together, even at times they got a bit rough. They certainly had a great time proving to each other, just who was top dog! I think Brody thinks he is the same size as Bailey. Someday he will be, but for now, he has a long way to grow...I mean go! I do want to thank Travis & Allison though for bringing Bailey over for a visit. I think it is really good for both of our puppies to share some time together, and have a chance to become friends.

I am also working on "sit" with Brody. Personally, I don't have a problem with it, any chair will do for me, but unfortunately, sitting on command is a bit more challenging for Brody. He is getting better at it though, but you really need to have a treat ready to go, or he may decide your fingers are the treat!

Bailey & Brody finally meet!

Well, it has been a big day for Brody! He finally got a chance to meet his cousin Bailey in person! It was a little scarey at first, but after a little while and lots of encouragement, they had a few minutes to see each other face to face. It will be fun to watch them spend a little time together and get to know each other. Brody was really scared, but Bailey is a full grown puppy, so it is understandable. I am sure that very soon they will be the best of friends! I am not sure who had more fun at the introduction, Bailey, Brody, or was it Travis? I think it was an adventure for all of them!

One of Brody's favorite things to do, besides eat, is lay on the registers throughout the kitchen and great room. If you don't seem him right away, he is usually snoozing in a quiet corner. I can understand that because he has a very fuzzy warm coat, but I am sure it will come in very handy during our Michigan winters!

We had one more adventure today, Brody had his first vet appointment at Zeeland Veterinary Hospital with Jack Brummel. He had a good visit and he is doing well, at least for now! He will be going back in two weeks for another check. Brody weighed 12.25 lb. He was so tired from meeting Bailey, that he fell fast asleep on the examination table. It is tough being a little puppy you know!

By the way, Brody is doing great in his crate! He has been crying just a little when it is time for bed, and maybe gets up one time during the night before he heads back to bed. Wayne and I are both impressed how he is adjusting! The biggest challenge I have is trying to watch Brody and get ready for work in the morning, without working up too much of a sweat. It may sound easy to you, but oh boy I think I forgot just on inquisitive puppies can be! Today while I was getting ready, here he came with the 6' carpet runner that was in the foyer, dragging it into the great room. I didn't even think he could do it, it is heavy and long! Then it was time to drag the bathroom rug, and then chew on the knob of the drawer in the bathroom! But, even though it is difficult to watch him constantly, and he gets into some trouble, we are still proud to call him ours! We love you Brody!

Brody is home!

Brody is home just where he belongs! Goodness what a day! We picked Brody up at about 1:45 p.m. this afternoon, and we've been going strong ever since. He has been awesome at going potty outside, of course, there could be an accident at any time, but so far so good. He has gone outside everytime, and then he thinks he has to cuddle. We think Rex taught him how to be a good dog. We did notice one thing, he is a bit shy. Tonight, he started off growling at his reflection in the sliding glass window, and then before you know it...the first little barks were ringing out. He seems to be eating just fine, and playing a lot. I think he already knows his name. He is so very cute. Well, tonight he will be sleeping in our room in a crate. He seems to have mastered sleeping in the great room, but the crate is an entirely different adventure...we will see how it goes. For now, it is sweet dreams Brody! Soon, you will be my big puppy dog, but you will always be ours. We love you already Brody!

One more week and counting!

Today was our last visit to see Brody, before he comes home to live with us! He is one of three puppies out of seven remaining in the kennel. He may be the last puppy to leave, but you know what they say, last is best! He is getting so big! He was so excited! Troy and I played with him for a little while, before the little girls where he lives started playing with him.

Brody loves their flip-flops, so it looks like we will be putting the shoes away, probably for quite some time to come. His nose is getting a little longer, and he is so dog gone fluffy. He is certainly teething, so the toys I bought him I am sure will get lots of use!

We sure love our little guy and vacation can't go fast enough for me! I can't wait to say, Welcome Home Brody, we are your new FAMILY!"