Bella is 11

that's 77 in dog years.

Sometimes I can't believe she's in the double digits.

then i think of all the love she's brought to our lives,
the endless amount of boxer jowel kisses,
snuggles with her velvety soft ears,
and giggles with our girls.
Eleven boxer loving years.

Happy Birthday Bella.

quiet afternoon

Today was Lauren's first day of Little Gym Camp.
For 3 hours this morning,
she played,
crafted,
jumped,
& ran.
She was so excited to go 'all by herself with no babies'.
Caroline and I ran a number of errands,
which meant she slept in the car
and the entire time I was returning & browsing in Nordstrom Rack.
Which meant that after lunch
(the lunch where my little camper ate 3 PB&J sandwiches and lots of watermelon & strawberries)
when big sister was ready for rest time,
little sister wasn't feeling it.

So we did this instead.

She joined us.

Sometimes the best kind of rest is quiet snuggles with a little girl,
velvety eared dogs,
& Doc McStuffins.

nine

A birthday came and went in this house without the proper recognition.

Bella turned 9.



We celebrated with a doughnut for breakfast, some toys Lauren picked out herself, and Frosty Paws to share with Charlotte.

Sometimes I feel a little guilty about some of the changes in Bella's lifestyle the last couple of years. She doesn't receive near as much one on one attention, not as many trips to the dog park, and now there is another little dog to share the attention with who consistently bites at her legs {and keeps her young}.

But with all those changes that aren't so fun, came one little girl who loves her Bella and shows her everyday.



I used to think about Bella as a 'family' dog and hoped my children would get to love her just as Matt and I do.
And it's better than I imagined it.
The daily hugs, kisses, and treats, from playing in the backyard to reading together in the tent. They have a special little bond that makes my heart happy.

And then there is this one...


There's a bond there too.
It's one made up of learning to share toys and teaching Lauren new vocabulary like "back up", "No, No, NO!" and "Go outside", but it's a bond too.

A real special one.

lately

hi.

long time. no blog.

I came up with a new excuse though.

She is furry, has four legs, & goes by the name of Charlotte. 

Thank goodness she is cute.

Mostly because she is naughty. 

Matt and I have been out of the puppy game for too long and it's been a reality check. Each week gets a little bit better and we keep reminding ourselves that someday "she will be a really good dog."

She starts puppy class this week.

I've got BIG expectations for the end of the next six weeks.

But incase you were curious, here's a few moments from the last couple weeks, when we weren't in the midst of puppy chaos.

fifteen + a fifth McQuinn

At fifteen months, this little girl....

we moved.

hi.
after a one month hiatus, I imagine the only people still checking in on this little blog are Lauren's grandparents,
but it still exists.

we have had a very busy month full of moving, settling in, making our home, and living the day to day adventures of life with Lauren.

There's a whole lot to catch up on,

{the move, the house, a visit from Auntie Misty, Halloween, & a visit from Grandma Ann that resulted in Lauren's fifth nursery being finished}

but for now we will focus on Lauren and her new backyard.









The backyard buddies...



... they can't get enough.

five things

{1}

We had a great weekend celebrating Matt's birthday that included a trip to a food truck festival {where we ran into a couple from Cartagena that has been relocated to Houston}, a few gifts including getting fitted and ordering new golf clubs, ice cream pie, and a nice dinner out to one of our old favorite sea food spots.
We missed the Gulf Coast.
Especially the oysters.

{2}
During our dinner out, Lauren sat in a restaurant high chair for the first time.
And felt pretty special doing it.
Matt and I loved it. She entertained herself with rice crackers and people watching while we enjoyed our meals...
and a celebratory glass of wine.
Both for Matt's birthday and Lauren's new milestone.


{3}
Every year I print our blog into a book. It works pretty well since I don't scrapbook anymore nor do I print pictures for albums. When I printed 2013, I noticed a few of my last posts didn't have pictures. A few months ago, I was made aware that the photos were showing up differently on the blog from Flickr. I thought it was a change they made. Apparently it was a change in my settings. So now on my to do list, is the task of replacing all those pictures with the correct setting, so I can print our 2014 book with pictures.
guh.

Oh and by the way, while I was strolling down memory lane....
remember when 'this' welcomed us to Cartagena

It looked the exact same when we left.

{4}
This girl had some dental work done yesterday, which is quite invasive when you are a canine.
Anesthesia, teeth cleaning and little extra gum work.
She's on the mend and getting some extra attention around here.


{5}
While Matt was getting fitted for clubs last weekend, Lauren and I did a little shopping.
I stumbled upon both of these on the clearance rack at Marshall's.

Seriously.
In the middle of Webster, Texas.

I guess we are meant to be here...

our girls

"whoever said diamonds are a girls best friend,
never had a dog"

Lauren & Bella

There was a time when I wondered if Bella would ever 'officially' be a McQuinn again.
With the Colombia job dragging on and no idea what exactly was next for us, we weren't sure when the time would come.
Thankfully it happened sooner than we thought.

I'm relieved, especially since Bella was referred to as a senior dog a few weeks ago by the vet.



One of the most exciting parts about bring Bella back into our family is her relationship with Lauren.
We've always imagined our children growing up with Bella and are thankful Lauren will have the opportunity to call Bella, her dog.



We are so excited to see their relationship grow everyday.



It's going to be hard to take Bella from the environment she has known for the last 3 years.
She is so loved in this household, has enjoyed playing with Bailey and Ruby daily, and has a very special bond with my mom.

While I'm a little worried about Bella's immediate transition,
we've always loved her from near and far,
and with another McQuinn to show her love,
we know she will find a special place in her new home.



Welcome back,
Bella Rose Schoenfelder-McQuinn!

Lauren's First Halloween

Our little Minnie Mouse.

Her 'costume' was one of the first things to hang in her closet.

We had the matching Mickey version hanging as well to make sure there was an equal opportunity for Baby McQuinn to represent one of Disney's greatest characters.

Originally we had planned to attend a Boo at the Zoo event, but with the evening weather cooler than expected we spent our Halloween at home, snuggling our Minnie, and her pumpkin counterparts. 

A pretty perfect first Halloween. 

Bella & Lauren

Obviously, Bella was our baby before Lauren came along.
She's a little spoiled and has us convinced she is not just a dog.
So, we were slightly concerned how she would handle playing second to Little Lady Lauren.

I did some research into preparing your dog for a baby.
I introduced baby gear so she could investigate, played videos of babies crying, and attempted to not let her sit on my lap all the time as that would be baby McQuinn's spot.
The last one didn't go so well.
Bella is nothing if not persistent.
And of course, we had my parents bring home a blanket from the hospital so Bella and the other girls could be introduced to Lauren's scent.



When we came home from the hospital, Bella was uncharacteristically calm. Her greeting was not her typical boxer shake. She really didn't show a lot of interest in Lauren at the beginning. I think she was probably busy attempting to soak up her daily attention quota elsewhere as Matt and I were both a little busy.



Interestingly enough, after Matt left, Bella became interested in Lauren. She greets her each morning, which involves smelling her head, and checks on her periodically throughout the day.  She has displayed no signs of jealousy or acting out.  She is extremely gentle with her and seems to know they are destined to be best friends.
{as if she has a choice…}



I was slightly concerned about Bella feeling forgotten once Lauren arrived.
I can confidently say she is not.
She is still very spoiled.



Perfect example:
When I wake in the middle of the night for Lauren's feedings, Bella takes my spot in the bed.
When I finally return to the bed, she doesn't always like to move and give me my spot back.

And I don't make her.



Our two girls,
loved in different ways,
but each one has a special place in our hearts
and our family.

catch up session: Lauren's first two weeks

Matt left Sunday evening on the red-eye.
It was a hard day.
For both of us.
It was a lot easier to speak about the next few months hypothetically when planning for Lauren's birth and our return to Colombia.
It was an entirely different feeling to actually do it.
But we did.
Matt checks Lauren out every morning on the baby monitor, I send lots of pictures through the day, and we FaceTime every night, and count each day as another day closer to being reunited as a family of three.
Thank goodness for technology.

On a lighter note,
here are some pictures of Lauren's adventurous first two weeks as a McQuinn...



Grandpa & Grandma McQuinn visited from Iowa. They met Lauren at the hospital and spent a week with us in Tennessee getting to know our little lady. We are looking forward to seeing them again at Christmas in Iowa.


Matt, my brother Tyler and both of Lauren's grandfathers attended the Tennessee vs. Georgia game. 
Lauren had appropriate game day attire thanks to Aunt Alysa.




My Uncle Dan from Texas was also in town for the game, so I had the pleasure of introducing him to Lauren.

On Sunday, Matt, my brother and father all had tickets to the Chiefs vs. Titans game in Nashville.
Lauren also had the appropriate apparel for this event.


We've also been enjoying walks and shopping trips with Lauren, bonding time with Bella, and a newborn photo session, as well as a few of our own.





Our most favorite thing the past two weeks...
...hands down...
...staring, loving, and getting to know our baby girl.
We are constantly in awe of her every move, facial expression, and feature.


Lauren has brought a new level of love and happiness to our little family.



She's a perfect fit.