Halloween......

My daughter got to trick or treat twice this year.  The first was at her school's "Trunk or Treat"  She filled her bucket and her witches hat that night.  She put both, filled with candy, in her room for safe keeping.

When getting ready tonight, for Halloween, we couldn't find her witches hat...  We all looked at Diva.  Then we went outside...

There was the witches hat - SHREDDED into pieces, and no candy in sight.  Diva had eaten all of the candy, and the witches hat.  We had to run to the store to find a new witches hat before Trick or Treating tonight.

When we got home, Christa had a HUGE bag filled with candy.  She looked at Diva and said "You've already had your Halloween candy".

Happy Halloween!!!

And then, there was Louie!

For some reason, I decided that English Bulldogs were cute.  We had a baby, 3 dogs and a lot on our plates.  I really didn't "need" another dog.  I knew that....  But still, I continued to read about bulldogs.  So, I asked Joe if he wanted to go look at some.  Just look.....
We all packed up the car and went to "look".  There were 2 there and the white one was ADORABLE!!!!  We asked to hold him and play with him....  oops.  Our daughter was a little afraid of him, but then he licked her.  I looked at Joe with MY puppy dog face.  We left with the adorable little bulldog!!
When we brought him home, we had a heck of a time with a name.  Originally he had a pretty boring name (I don't recall what it was now).  The next day I took him to the vet for his first vet check up.  He was a holy terror in the car!!!!  I called Joe and told him I was changing his name....  to Lucifer!!!  It fit.  Now, we only call him Lucifer  when he is naughty.  At all other times, he is lovingly know as Louie.
Louie is the sweetest, gentlest, stinkiest, grossest, and so ugly he's cute dog that I have ever know.  His personality is bigger than life!  He has provided us much laughter and stories over the years.  Louie is now 4 years old and still a big goof!

Here we have a chewer.....

As we got to know Lady Godiva (lovingly known as Diva), we also learned her bad habits.  We found that she enjoyed chewing....  anything!
Diva has eaten many, many things, including a cell phone, an i-pod, several remote controls and anything she can find on the counter.  When Christa was really getting mobile, she was in between the high chair and sitting at the table...  We couldn't decide if we should get rid of the high chair or not, so Diva made the decision for us!  We caught her chewing on the wooden high chair a couple of times, and scolded her.
One day, we went on a short trip to the grocery store.  When we came home, Diva had helped us with our high chair decision.  She had eaten ENTIRELY through 2 of the bottom rungs.  The high chair was no longer stable or safe.  As Joe went to take it down to the garage, he looked at Diva.  She looked back with an expression on her face, as if to say, "Christa is too big for that Dad"!!

And then there was Diva....

I am not sure exactly what we were thinking when we got Lady Godiva....  We had a newborn baby and 2 dogs, so naturally, we should add a puppy to the mix, right?
Joe and I were shopping and I was showing our beautiful baby (3 months old), puppies.  My husband, who, in case you have forgotten, was NOT a dog guy prior to meeting me, went missing.  We looked around and I finally heard "Honey, she wants to come home with us".  I turn around to see Joe, holding a 3 month old mastiff puppy! She was waving her paw at me...  She was very cute, but I had a baby and was EXHAUSTED!!  Joe explained to me that our daughter needed a puppy to grow up with and a LARGE dog to protect her.  Odd as it was, I said no.  The puppy, and Joe gave me a puppy eyed look.  I said let's go to lunch and talk about it.
We ate.  We talked....  I caved....  We went back and brought Lady Godiva home.  Her birthday is 5 days after my daughter.  What in God's name was I thinking????

  She came home and made FAST friends with Bruno, Beau and Christa.  She has become an excellent watchdog, protector and friend to the entire family....

Mom, I feel for you....

About 2 years after Joe and I were married, I got pregnant.   I think Bruno and Beau knew before I did.  They went from climbing all over me, all the time, to carefully avoiding my belly at all costs!  They helped with the new baby laundry.

Bruno "helping" with baby laundry

They helped with the painting.  They helped with the crib.  They took naps, LOTs of naps, with me!

I had a really rough pregnancy filled with LOTS and LOTS of sickness.  The only thing I could keep down were tomatoes and TUMs!!!  We were at Costco one day and I decided the industrial size bottle of TUMs was necessary!

A few weeks later, we returned home from errands....  My industrial sized bottle of Tums was opened and EMPTY on the floor!!  Bruno is a very picky eater, so I knew it was Beau...

Yet another eating related phone call to the vet...  She asked me if they were Tums with calcium, uh, yes they were.  "Laurie bring him in".  Shit, really, again?????

Beau was acting fine, and of course, still begging.  They drew his blood and sent it out.  Calcium can apparently, really screw a dog up!  Well, most dogs.  Not Beau.  He was FINE.  No trace of anything or any problems.  Geez, this dog can eat anything!!

A couple of months later we were blessed with a beautiful little girl.  When we brought her home, Beau and Bruno welcomed her immediately.  Beau would lay outside of her room and Bruno next to her crib. They remain very protective of her to this day, 5 years later!

The Bread Bandit...

Joe was watching TV and I was getting ready for work.  I cam out of the bedroom and kissed him goodbye.  I pet Bruno and Beau and of I went.  Joe was still sitting on the couch when I closed the garage door.  Apparently, Beau thought that we had left together.
Beau walked into the kitchen and jumped on the counter.  He took an entire loaf of bread off of the counter and walked into the den (where Joe was sitting).  He saw Joe, forcefully spit out the loaf of bread and walked out of the room.
Oops, didn't know you were still home, Daddy.....

He ate what?!?!?!

Beauregard is a garbage gut.  He has been since the day I met him.  He will eat ANYTHING!!!  He has been know to eat coffee grounds, raw ground beef, bread, meatloaf and the list goes on and on...
Wedding plans were in full swing!!!  We were getting married in 2 weeks.  We were so excited and Bruno and Beau knew something was up...
We had 200 guests coming to the wedding and I had decided to make all of the center pieces and favors myself.  I had finished the center pieces - beautiful candles, and I was almost done with the favors.  I was making 200, chocolate filled, organza bags.  They took me weeks to finish and they looked beautiful!  I had special ordered the chocolate (and it was delicious!).  I had FINALLY finished all of the favors.  Off I went to a dress fitting!
I arrived home full of happiness and excitement.  I walked up the stairs and saw wrappers all over the floor.  I looked down the hallway, they were everywhere.  HOLY SH**..... the chocolates!!!  I ran into the room where the favors had been.  They were all, yes all 200, destroyed!  I looked at the dogs, Bruno was wagging and Beau bent his head and ran away.  I didn't know whether to be mad or worried, as Beau had just eaten several pounds of chocolate!
I called my vet (who is an angel!!) and she said make him vomit and watch him.  The stinker didn't even have a stomach ache and was begging for his dinner shortly there after!
I was left rushing to Hobby Lobby to buy more bags and rush order more expensive chocolate!  Happy Wedding!!  Really Beau???