First of all, my apologies to this family for the delay in posting their blog….it’s been a bit crazy the past few weeks and it’s been killing me to not get this one posted. SO…finally, I’m getting it done. Meet the Taylor family, who live in Palm Bay, Florida…Mark, Erin, Evan and Jack…oh, and we can’t forget Rocket! Earlier this month I had the pleasure of staying with them for a few days with my granddaughter for a mini surprise (not for me, for my granddaughter!) vacation. We had a blast and hopefully, soon, I will get a post with some of the photos from the trip! Evan is a friend of my granddaughter, Jayden, and it was fun to get to spend time with them in this beautiful (and VERY hot) location! Yes, it was plenty warm here in Florida….especially when you consider that in the Pacific Northwest, the summer weather was averaging about 70-75 and practically no humidity! Florida was the upper 90’s with the humidity pretty close to that as well! We ended up shooting on two different days because of the heat and BRIGHT sunshine!! Our first day we were at Satellite Beach along the Atlantic Ocean. It was beautiful and the beach just gorgeous, but also quite hot by the time we arrived and the heat, hungry kids and eventually wet and sandy kids, we didn’t get quite what we wanted that day…hence, the second day. I will say that after we refreshed Evan and Jayden, I took them back to the beach to play in the water and what fun they had (more pics later from that!)…oh, how I love the ocean!!! Our second day was in Mark and Erin’s back yard which actually allowed us to include Rocket in a few photos as well…and although better, it was still HOT and bright….and humid….we managed and the kids were troopers, but you can see, we were losing them eventually, especially Jack…and I can’t say that I blame him! So…meet the Taylor’s, a lovely young family!
As you can see, water and sand were quickly added to the wardrobes, but isn’t that what it’s all about when you are at the beach!?!!
Evan was not quite sure what I was up to…and little did he know that I was hoping he’d turn around! Erin has a beautiful smile and great eyes…and was obviously much more cooperative than the boys (little and big!!).
After beach time and cleaning up, I managed to get Evan onto the patio of the condo we were so graciously allowed to crash that day….the light was fabulous…as was Evan….doesn’t he have a GREAT smile!!
And, I even managed to get Jack out there, and he was having so much fun with the binonculars….he has the BEST eyes and I absolutely LOVE his hair (and Evan’s!)….it’s wonderful!
Okay, we’re now back in Palm Bay….and I couldn’t resist a few photos of mom and dad with the boys….
We managed to get them all looking at the camera for at least one shot…most of the time it was playtime, at least for the boys…I must say, Erin sure has her hands full with the boys (all of them!!).
Trying to get boys and dogs all happy and paying attention, most certainly a challenge – and one that I’m not so sure I was very successful at this day, but here are a couple and I must say, I almost like the one with Jack crying the best…he was not happy about staying put, he just wanted something to drink as he was hot….poor little guy!
Probably one of my favorite photos of Jack and Evan…these little guys are adorable and I can tell by their blond hair and blue eyes that mom and dad will have to keep tabs on the girls who come by as they get older….it could be a bit busy when they get older!
It is with great joy and great sadness that I’m typing this post, about our beloved dog, Aussie, who we lost 3 weeks ago. If you have had a pet for any length of time, you know how they become a family member and part of your lives and are a companion and friend, no matter what! Our sweet Aussie was with us for almost 16 years and yes, I know that is a very long time, but selfishly, it wasn’t long enough and we wanted more time, more memories and more wags and licks from her. It had been about 2 1/2 years since Aussie first had some sort of problem, whether it was a seizure or stroke and we feared our time with her was coming to an end. I well remember the day after that episode when I took her to the vet and cried the whole way there and back and not knowing just how long we’d have, it was scary! But, she amazed us and bounced back and seemed to be back to normal most of the time. Sure, there were some times she had a problem or two, but mostly she was her old self, full of life and enthusiasm for whatever she encountered each day.
It was 16 years ago this coming October when our family took a trip to visit my parents at their cabin on Hayden Lake…we had moved from Tennessee the summer before and had lost our other dog of 13 years before the move and the kids were continually asking when could we get another dog! The day we “found” Aussie, my husband and dad were golfing and my mom and I took the kids into town and stopped by the humane society “just to look” and guess what a litter of pups had come in an hour before! We drove to the golf course so the kids could ask their dad if it was okay to get a puppy, saying we’d found the perfect one! Well, my dad instantly said, “YEP and I’ll pay for it!” My dad LOVED dogs and with his answer we had no choice, but to get the puppy…and it was truly love at first sight! She was the runt of the litter and just under 3 pounds…oh, I can see that sweet face and smell that puppy breath as I think of it! The rest is history…and in the years with her, we created so many memories and have some wonderful photos of her.
Aussie was a GREAT dog…and I know, I’m biased, but if you ask a lot of our friends, neighbors and even some strangers, they’d agree with me! Aussie was very well behaved (other than the begging at meals, which I full take the blame for since I would feed her my last bite from a meal) and loved people, though she would bark and some occasional solicitors who she didn’t like (which I tend to think there was a reason why…I think she knew they didn’t need to be around!) and made so many friends from people just walking by our home. When we first got Aussie, we put in the electric fence in the yard and trained her to stay in the yard. It wasn’t a couple of years before that was cut with landscaping and yet, to the day she passed away, she still stayed in the yard (well, maybe with the occasional wandering to say hello to a neighbor on either side!). People would walk by with dogs and she’d go to the end of the driveway and stand right there and just watch or a cat would wander through the yard, she’d run after it until the property line and then stop…and when people would walk by and we were outside, they’d comment how friendly and well behaved she was. There was a couple who the past couple of years walked by nearly ever day ( with their dog) and would always stop and give her a treat after making her sit or shake, or rollover (which was harder for her the past year)….they were so good to her! Aussie would literally go to the end of driveway and check the curbing EVERY time she’d go out to see if she missed them…which she would find a treat, if she wasn’t out when they would leave a treat for her. She never forgot and if she saw them a couple of blocks down the street, she’d stand and wait for them, almost at attention! Oh, and I can’t forget to share the story of the UPS driver. When we first got Aussie, the UPS driver would come and bring her a treat with a package and then she began to recognize the connection and whenever she saw the truck, she stood on the end of the driveway, waiting for the treat! The driver was awesome…he stopped every day and gave her a treat and said he would even stop at the store to by more, if he knew he would be in our neighborhood! After a few years, the driver was given a new route, but came by to say “goodbye” to Aussie and told us that if we ever needed to find a new home for her, to call him, that he’d take her in a heartbeat! Obviously, that never happened, but the funny part, we had to “train” all the new UPS drivers to be sure to bring treats, otherwise, she’d be sniffing their pockets all the way to and from the door if they didn’t bring something! Fed Ex drivers never fell into the same category and some wouldn’t even deliver because she was “scary!” Yeah, right! Oh well, their loss in getting to meet a great and friendly dog!
Playing with the kids, chasing balls or frisbees, swimming, playing tug of war or lounging in the sunshine were Aussie’s favorite activities and I’m so thankful that most of her life she was able to do that and she truly loved each day. I think the routine is one of the things I miss the most…seeing her sweet face each morning and getting the wags and licks when I’d say good morning…or the hug and kiss I gave her each night just before I’d crawl into bed. Of course, there were days when she wanted to go in and out ALL the time you know I’d give anything for that to return to our lives!! Oh, I miss her so much and I know it’s been just a few weeks and that the sadness of missing her will get easier to bear all the time, but I sure miss her!
The kisses were often, wet and slimy….and Jayden never tired of them (nor did I!).
