a valentine from claire.

In my 27 years of life, all but one Valentine's Day has been just an ordinary day. And you know what? I'm okay with that. Because my ordinary days are amazing - they are filled with constant reminders of how much I am loved by the ones I love. God has blessed me with my sweet Claire, an awesome family, and some pretty great friends. I'm a lucky girl!

These wonderful people sent me many heartfelt words for Valentine's Day. My mom's card made me cry and is one that I will cherish forever. My eight-year-old brother, on the other hand [who you might remember from this post], sent me a card that got the biggest "Awww!" factor.

He called me the other night and said, "Hey Andrea, did you get a card from Claire yet?" [And no, my name is not Andrea, but he likes to pretend that he still mixes up my sister and I - which he actually used to do when he was younger]. After I reminded him that I'm Lauren, I told him that I hadn't yet gotten a card. I was sort of confused by his question, but I figured he meant did you get a card for Claire. But... I checked the mail this morning and found a card addressed to me that said it was sent from Claire above the return address. Here's what I found when I opened it up:

I don't know if my favorite part is the picture of me and Claire that he so carefully taped over the puppy's face, or if it's the paw prints that he drew to sign it! But there you have it - my bro helped Claire send me a very special Valentine's Day card! Cutest thing ever? I think so.

  

  

bourne farm.

My sister Andrea, me, and Claire at Christmas.

(Please check out my sister's amazing slippers. They are awesome!!)

When Claire and I went home to Cape Cod for the holidays, I was thrilled to find out that the town recently built a dog park less than three miles away from my mom's house. Claire was less than excited, however, when the rocks that covered the ground kept getting stuck in her paw pads. [Seriously, people, why didn't you think of that when you built the park?!] Not so comfortable. My mom had a much better suggestion, which Claire and I are both ever thankful for: she told us to go right down the street to Bourne Farm. They have a huge open field, trails throughout the property, a pond... and it's absolutely beautiful.

Claire at the farm. She's very observant.

(Probably looking out for squirrels.)

We met my stepmom and brother there a couple times so that their dog, Lexie, could play with Claire. You would've thought they'd known each other forever if you saw them on the day that they met. Lexie bounded out of the car and Claire ran right on over to play.

Lexie in all her glory.

(The coonhound who thinks she's a lap dog. Loooove her!)

Of course, my little brother joined in the fun as well, alternating between climbing trees, chasing Claire and Lexie, and rolling down hills. He even followed them into the freezing cold 33*F pond when they decided to go for a swim. Needless to say, my stepmom and I were NOT pleased with him for that one...

My eight-year-old brother. I want to steal his freckles.

(Can't you see him getting away with anything?! He's just so cute!)

While we were there, I managed to get some great (and hilarious) shots of Claire running at full speed... but you're going to have to wait for the next blog post to see them. [I know, the suspense is just killing you!] No worries, they'll be up within the next few days!

To my sister Tori: I know you're more fashionista than farm girl, but I'm dragging you out with us next year. You have the next 11 months to prepare, got it?? :)

  

  

winning them over.

We made it!! We're back in Massachusetts with the family for the holidays!! It was a long drive, but it was 100% worth it! When we arrived, Claire finally got to meet my grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. She absolutely loves them! Not only that, but they absolutely love her! Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to watch out for my grandmother... she made a few comments that have me thinking that she might try to kidnap Claire when I'm not looking [Don't get any ideas! I've got my eye on you!].


Ever since I begged bribed asked my mom if Claire could come home with me for Christmas this year, she has been adamant that Claire is not allowed on any of her furniture, aside from my bed. A few weeks ago, I told her that my goal was to get her to let Claire on the furniture by the time Christmas was over. As it turns out, I didn't even have a chance to try and persuade her. We were home for less than twelve hours before my mom changed her mind; I went out to the store real quick and by the time I came back, this is what I found:

Then we have my sister Andie who is very much NOT a dog person. She is the biggest non-dog person of all of the non-dog people who make up my wonderful family (though clearly, Claire is converting them one at a time). Andie says that she likes dogs, just not when they lick, jump, shed, or bark. Hmm. When Andie first got home, she cringed when Claire came near her. Two hours later, Claire's head was in her lap and Andie had wrapped her in her scarf.

So, as some of you know, I was really concerned about how this was all going to go. I wasn't sure how my family would react to having a dog in the house, since we didn't grow up with pets. But I obviously should've trusted Claire more, because she has been nothing less than her sweet self which won everyone over immediately. It looks like we'll be going on a road trip for the holidays every year from here on out!

  

  

a day with the girls [best told in iPhone pictures].

Claire has a number of great friends, and lucky for me, her friends all belong to some of my great friends - convenient, right? Ollie and Darby frequently make appearances on the blog [like here and here and here and...here]. We love spending afternoons with Jake&Erin and their girls. Here are some snapshots from a day that we recently spent with them.

 Playing a little three-way tug.

Checking out the scene.

 Snuggles at naptime.

 Good behavior = treats!

Down for the count.

  

  

siblings.

I have been waiting for this moment for the past year and a half. And today it finally happened: Claire and I met one of her littermates! I was so excited! Belle looks a lot like Claire, but she is long-haired and has more of the border collie build. They have the exact same mannerisms though, so it was great to watch them play together! Belle's story is a bit sad, though it has a happy ending. She was adopted a few days before Claire by a couple who ended up not being able to invest in an active puppy. They brought her to another rescue where she stayed for a few months until she was adopted again - but this time, by her current owner, Maria. Maria absolutely loves and adores her, and Belle is just as sweet as Maria is! Claire and I hope that we will see them again soon!

Belle, Claire's sister!

(This picture was taken with my cell phone, so I apologize for the quality!)