Here we are at Camp Bloomfield . . .

Hey guys. . . so, it's been a while! I have been trying to post but, alas, the internet is too slow, so you are lucky I have the patience to post this now because it took an hour to upload pictures. :D Well, I am going to try over the next few days (we are on break now after our third session of the summer) to update about our last six weeks. So, on Sunday June 7th me and Fullerton flew to California. Fullerton started getting nervous when I was packing up everything in the room and so he carried his dental dino all over the house and would not let it out of his sight.

We did some last minute packing and then my dad took us to the airport. (Fuller was upset about not getting breakfast too, and boy did he let me know it) Anyway, we said goodbye to my parents and then went into the airport. I went to the desk because I printed my ticket online but didn't see Fuller on it (I called a month in advance to add him so I wanted to check and make sure.) The lady at the counter assured me that Fuller had been added to the reservation so we went on our way through security, bum bum bum (ominous music plays) Security was a JOKE, an absolute pain in the fanny!! We waited in line and I got myself all ready, took off my shoes and belt and packed everything from my pockets into my backpack to make it easier. Then when it was my turn I told Fuller to sit and stay and started to go through the metal detector and the TSA guy stopped me and told me I had to take Fuller through with me. I asked if I could go through and then call him because I would not beep but he definitely would so then they just had to pat him down. The guy refused and then told me I had to take all the equipment off of Fullerton and I refused to do that. After a 20 minute argument about why I would not take off Fullertons equipment I asked for a manager. The manager came over and told me I had to go through the metal detector with Fuller. . . grumble grumble, so I did and we beeped. Then they stuck me and Fuller in this glass prison thing until they could get a Female attendant to come help me. . . tick, tock, tick, tock. . . I was so happy I got to the airport super early like my leader suggested. Anyway, the lady finally came over and took me and my stuff to another glass box and they patted down Fullerton first, checked in the leash luggage attached to the leash, his tag bag on his collar and under his jacket and patted all over his body. He did really well during all that and didn't hardly move at all. So, then it was my turn, they checked all my pockets and riffled through my bait bag and asked what was in it. . . umm. . . kibble? Then I got a thorough pat down, felt violated and then they finally let me go. Jeepers, I hope I don't have to go through that again in August going home. It was just annoying! Anyway, then we headed to our gate, but not before we stopped at Starbucks, after security I needed Starbucks. :D Chugged it down while getting lost on the way to my terminal, finally found it and took a seat until it was time to board.

Here is Fuller waiting for our plane. I gave him a sterile bone to chew on, and I read a book. When it was time to board we went through a maze of corridors and then had to board outside and go up really steep steps. (Fuller did great through all of this BTW, he was wonderful and I was very proud of his behavior.) Anywho, we got on the plane and it was TINY! I was expecting a big plane, we got a speck. And almost everyone else had boarded already so I thumped a bunch of people going down the isle and tried to keep Fuller in his own business. Then I found my seat, had to make a lady move to get to our window seat tucked Fuller in (At this point I am really happy he is so small and travel size, he fit great under the seat.) The flight went really well, it was about two hours long and Fuller jumped up when we took off and landed but other than that was perfect. I gave him a couple kibbles to, to help pop his ears. Our only issue was the screaming lady next to us. She obviously doesn't fly a lot because she would scream and grab my arm every time there was a touch of turbulence. It got obnoxious, but I started chatting with her a bit and that seemed to calm her down.

Fullerton in the plane.

When we landed I was so happy to get off that tiny plane, we then had to go down the steep steps again and Fuller was perfect and then navigate the airport. I didn't go straight to the baggage claim I ran outside and found the first place I could potty the boy and he was very happy to go after about six hours. We went back inside grabbed my bags and waiting outside for my Uncle to pick me up.

We spent a few days at my Uncles house, played Wii for the first time and it was FUN!! I suck and my 9 year old cousin kicked my butt, it was fun to play anyway. :D We also went and saw the movie UP and it was way cute. After that my friend from camp last summer came and picked me up with her boys Godfrey and Al. Al is her current PIT and Godfrey is one of her CC'd pups, he came to camp last summer and he and Spanky were best friends! It was fun to see them, Godfrey was actually excited to see me, I didn't think he would remember me at all.

Here is Godfrey, Fuller, and Al (Al is two weeks older than Fuller. . . look at that size difference)

During my few day stay with my friend we went to Olive Garden with our boys (Al and Fuller) were under the table together and did great cuddling together. They also had fun running around the backyard together. Fuller may be small but he can certainly hold his own, he is feisty when he plays.
On Thursday June 11th my other friend from camp picked me up and we drove down to Malibu together. We had a lot of stuff but Fuller didn't mind scrunching on top of the bags.
After a seven hour drive we arrived at camp. Woot woot. I am very happy to be back and Fuller has been doing great. He is sometimes a bit energetic and loopy but the campers have really enjoyed him. I think Fuller likes being here too, he enjoys walks around camp and there are six horses here that he loves saying "Hi" to almost every day since my area (the Rock Wall) is right next to the horses.

Here is my bunk while I was unpacking, so don't mind the mess. :D
Well, that is the first week and I don't have the energy to do any more tonight so look for the next post tomorrow sometime. :D It's nice to be on the blog again, I am working on catching up with everyone else's blogs as well. So have a good night!

Off to Camp we go. . .

Well, this will probably be my last post for a while. I will try to update when I can but with the way Internet works at camp it most likely will not happen often. (I think last year I briefly updated about three times.) I will put forth my best effort and also, try to keep up with everyone else's blogs as well.

Well, me and Fuller had our last puppy class on Thursday . . . it was a fun class, and made me realize how much I am going to miss my puppy club. They are all AWESOME people and so much fun to be around. All the baby puppies are also going to be humongous when I get back!! (Also, Mitch. . . I totally forgot to tell your mom thanks for the brownies. It was really nice of her and they were scrumptious and were devoured in about three seconds, so tell her thanks for me. :D

Also, on Thursday me and Fullerton had our very first really, horrendously "off" day. He didn't listen to a word I said and was just driving me crazy!! I am really happy that everything has gone so smooth for this long, but I was kinda waiting for a day like that. Luckily things have smoothed out again and he is doing alright now. Thanks goodness! It was making me a little nervous to take him on a plane and to camp. But, he is back to normal. :D

The most recent news on the kittens is that Midnight is now gone and happy, and so far Pickles has had four families not work out. We were getting worried that a trip to the pound was looming ever closer until we realized that she has just kinda settled into our house and our routines. She is a great little cat and has really warmed up to the family. She loves Fuller and doesn't hiss at him at all anymore (She still does to my brothers dog though, she REALLY doesn't like him) She is fun to have around and I think she will be a great addition to the family. So welcome our newest member. . . PICKLES!! :D
Sometimes she likes to pretend she is a Tiger which really cracks me up, her meows sound like roars. . . I will have to try and record it before I go.
Fullerton and his new "sister" Pickles. She has gotten used to Fuller really quickly in the almost three weeks she has been here. She has also gained quite a bit of weight and grown a lot.
Anyway, today me and Fuller just did a lot of packing. After several hours in my room Fuller was getting restless so I took him out for a nice romp, he had a pretty good time.
I have also been noticing recently how tall Fullerton is getting, his legs are really long now.
Well, that is about it. We are headed to the airport tomorrow and will be gone until August. I am starting to get REALLY nervous about the airport and just praying we are allowed to get on the plane and everything goes smoothly. Wish us luck. I hope everyone has an excellent summer, give those puppies lots of hugs from me. Sayonara, Auf Wiedersehen, Arrivederci, Ciao, Au Revoir, Aloha, Shalom, Adios, and Hasta La Vista. . . baby. . . okay stupid joke! :D

We're Back. . . Whew

Well, we are back home now and had a very fun, and tiring trip. The night before we left my brother and grandma decided they wanted to come too so we took the big family van or (BFV) which was okay because it was roomier, but took more gas to get there and therefore more money. *Sigh* It's all good though. :D But, I think we all had a great time. There are about a mazillion pictures in this post so bear with me. . .

On the way, I drove for 9 hours straight and then gave up the wheel so my brother could drive, I got a whole bench to myself so I let Fuller up and we cuddles for a few hours. (I know. . . bad puppy raiser)
We got to my aunts house ahead of schedule and they had a birthday party going on, so we jumped right in and helped, my brother filled water balloons while the women folk cooked hamburgers. It was fun. Unfortunately Fuller had to spend time in the kennel after 13 hours in the car and he wasn't pleased. I left the top down for him, but he kept jumping up, I figured, oh well. He didn't try to get out just wanted to see what we were all doing.
The next day was GRADUATION!!! It was amazing!! We got there about 15 minutes early and Sherman and his mom were running a little late, so we took a seat for a bit. The trainer that trained Sherman came over and chatted with me for a bit. She ADORED Sherman and just kept telling me how wonderful he was. I was so happy to hear how much everyone loved him. Sherman's trainer had this puppy with her and asked if we could hold him for a bit while she did some running around. Of course I said yes, so this guy is a Golden named Gary and he was so sweet. The most unique thing about him is that he had no tail, just a little nubbin. It was adorable and gave him so much character. (I wish I had gotten a picture.
When Sherman and his mom arrived his trainer came over and told us where to meet them and took Gary back. I walked down the isle and I saw him, and then he saw me, and then he went berserk. It was so fun to see him again. He looks so mature, and grown up.
Me, Sherman and his mom. After we chatted for a bit they had us go outside to take a bunch of pictures.

Me and Sherman.

Look Familiar?

Sherman's mom absolutely loves him and he loves her too. It was so nice to have that kind of closure. Sherman is doing what he loves. We chatted for a long time before the graduation started. During that time Sherman alerted a bunch of times. It was amazing to actually witness what he does. She told me that he usually alerts about an hour before her blood levels go high or low and he is persistent and won't let her do anything until she tests her blood. The first time he alerted (he alerts by grabbing this pouch hanging on his collar called a bringsel and he holds it in his mouth and puts his head on her lap and then she has to check her blood and then he gets a little piece of cheese for a successful alert) anyway, the first time he alerted her blood was in the hundreds so she was fine, then about fifteen minutes later he alerted again and she was still in the hundreds, then fifteen minutes later he alerted and she tested and was in the high three hundreds so she had to adjust her insulin. It was amazing. She told me that he has come out of a deep sleep several times to alert her. All the stories were just amazing. I am so proud of Sherman!! I also gave her Sherman's baby book and she loves it. Turns out she is a huge scrapbooker. I also brought a gough-nut and nyla-knot for Sherman and he loved them. His mom said she is going to have to get him another to take to work. :D She also told me that she knew Sherman was Mr. September for the 2009 GDB calendar so she bought like six of them and gave them out to friends and family. :D I am also excited to see Sherman as Mr. September.

When the graduation started they had the raisers take the dog and sit on one side of the stage while the graduates were on the other. This is Mark and his dog Armstrong. He is the founder of D4D and he spoke to us for a bit.
Here I am bringing Sherman on stage to be presented.
Sherman's mom and me.
Sherman's mom gives her speech.
After graduation we said our goodbyes, and exchanged contact info. Good job Sherman and keep it up, you are doing amazing things!! He looks so serious and professional.
Before the graduation, while I was talking to Sherman's mom this lady came over who had fostered Sherman during his training period. She told me that she adored Sherman and was telling us how much she loved having him. She had another dog in training with her and when she told me his name was Melrose I got so excited and asked if I could get a few pictures. So, we went outside so I could snap a few. I know Melrose's raiser has commented on my blog before so I hope she reads this post so she can see these pictures. He is also the brother of blogger buddy Myra. His foster mom says he has more energy than Sherman but he is doing really well and she loves him. She says his training is going great and the trainers have enjoyed having him. She also told me that Melrose's sisters Margene and Martha are also in the D4D program and doing well.
He got a little tired of pictures and started rolling around in the grass. It was nice to meet him, he is a sweet pup.
I also saw blogger dog Franklin there. I tried to get some pictures but it was after the graduation and everything was kinda chaotic, but everyone at D4D loves him and hopes that he does great.

While we were running out we stopped and got a picture by the graduation balloons. They had an arch made out of these balloons, it was so cute.
They also gave each of the puppy raisers a plaque. It was really nice and it is now proudly displayed on the GDB wall in my room.
The next day I took Fullerton to church, we only went for the first hour, but this little kid in front of us played with Fullerton the whole time. I didn't take my camera to church so these are from my phone. This little kid was crawling all over Fuller and petting him. It was cute.
He also got all his little cars and stacked them all over Fullerton's head. Fuller didn't budge a muscle the whole time we were there. Good boy Fuller!
After church we headed back to my aunts house and me, my brother and two sisters got ready for the beach!!! Fuller wasn't so sure of the water at first (and it was FREEZING!!) so he stayed in the shallows and only got wet up to almost his belly.
Fuller spend his 9 month day on the beach. He had a good time romping and is now 50.5 pounds. Woot. . . he passed the 50 pound mark. :D
It was too cold to get wet so we just layed on the beach. I really liked this picture of Fuller and my little sister.
Fuller in the sand
We dug for sand fleas and found a TON of them. They creep me out so I kept my distance.
I kept Fullerton's jacket off for most the time but we were on a No Dogs Allowed beach so when the beach police started coming over to us I grabbed his jacket and thought it would be better to keep it on. After they saw the coat they just turned the other direction. :D I love this picture, maybe a calendar 2011 submission?? Maybe if he wasn't sitting so goofy. ha ha
The next day (Monday) we went to San Francisco. Last time I drove in San Fran with my sisters we had a horrible experience (lets just say, one way streets are not my friend) so I did not want to drive down there again. So we opted for BART. Here is Fuller waiting for our train. He was great at the station, he didn't bat an eye when they trains would come whizzing by us at full speed, he was so calm and collected.
Here is Fuller on the BART train.
We got off BART at Union Square so then we took the Trolley down to the Wharf. This is Fullerton in the trolley
We ran over to the seals first (well, actually we went to peir 39 and got some Trish's Mini Donuts, which are AMAZING!!!)
Fuller watching the seals.
In some random gift shop.
Getting our picture drawn. This guy was really nice and did Fuller too, it looks really nice.
Here is the picture, I like it a lot.
Then we went to Ghirardelli Square and got the Earthquake Sundae and it was amazing.
Me and Fuller by the Ghirardelli sign.
And by the fountain.
Then in the trolly on the way home. San Francisco was so fun. We met a bunch of . . . interesting people, and ate way too much food. There was a bunch of people who kept taking picures of Fuller while we were walking around the city, I swear about 12 different people snapped a pic. There was also one lady who took about a dozen pictures while I was relieveing, so someone has some nasty pictures of my dog going #1 and #2, I thought that was so strange. I kept telling Fuller to hurry so she would stop, it was just awkward. He was great in the city!! :D
Then it was time to go home. Fuller on the drive home.
Yesterday while we were driving our little niece was born. I didn't get to see her until today and she is adorable. Her name is Hazel Gayle and she was 8 lb 2 oz and 19 inches long. Here is the happy little family.
Cannon adores her and kept running over to give her kisses. That was a nice thing to come home to. :D
Well, it was an exhausting trip and I have not slept since yesterday and Fuller needs a bath and I have spent the last three hours doing this post, so toodle-oo. Happy Summer everyone!