My son has been wanting a dog forever,  while I think that my husband and I have never gotten over the loss of our Borzoi, “Cyrano” fifteen whole years ago.   Now that my son is old enough to start learning some responsibility we decided to take the plunge.  We’ve been looking at several different breeds for months and fell in love with a chocolate Labradoodle.  We found our amazing breeder “Riverbend Labradoodles” in Ohio.  They have been breeding champion English Style Labrador Retrievers for over 20 years,  winning awards and even have attended the Westminster Kennel Club Show 2 years in a row.  They started breeding Labradoodles in 2003 as the combination of these two great breeds produce a dog with high intelligence, a sweet disposition, willingness to please and make perfect family companions.  I had a Standard Poodle as a child and can attest to their incredible intelligence.  So we bought a second generation (75% Poodle-25% Labrador) chocolate Labradoodle and named him “Ellis”.  It was love at first sight when we picked him up at the airport.  We just had our vet check up yesterday and he’s doubled in size since he came home.  I’m working on the potty training and frankly can’t wait to get through that stage.  It seems that puppies have no real control over their bladders until 12-14 weeks old.  Needless to say, every rug has been pulled up and I am either running outside or mopping constantly.  As challenging as a new puppy is,  I feel like we have a new baby in the house and we are all smitten!  Welcome home “Ellis”!

We’ve been swimming in the River several times and it’s true that even small puppies know how to do the dog paddle!

I’ve got a lot to share about soon but I can’t show you just yet.  How’s that for being vague!  We are still renovating and it is going to be completely awesome.  I can’t wait to share those images but we still have quite a bit to do,  including transforming some antique 1900s sconce mirror backs into real working sconces again.  You’ve got to love eBay!  Since my husband works full time and I’m in the middle of wedding season, the finishing details are taking longer than expected and I have to admit that I’m tired of living in a mess.  I actually cleaned off my porch and had a few friends over to celebrate the abundance of peonies that I have this year.  They are my favorite flower and they don’t last long.  In fact I missed them completely during last years wedding season, so this year I’ve been cutting them like crazy before the rain beats them to the ground.  Amidst the chaos of work and renovation projects this picture simply makes me happy.  It feels quiet and somehow makes the mess livable.  I know that it is finite and since I’m a “get it done” kind of gal, I have to remind myself of that to find some tranquility.  I’m shooting a wedding at the venue where we got married tomorrow and I’m excited beyond belief.  I’m hugely nostalgic that way.  I guess that’s how I find myself living in this old house that I grew up in.  So for now I’ll just linger on this simple lone flower and appreciate it’s beauty.

Wow, I’m still catching my breath from vacation and haven’t fully unpacked when BAM…it’s the first day of school.  And, not just your average going back to school day.  I mean we’re in the big league now,  Middle School.  I had a form to drop off,  so I waited until after the morning rush.  The drive to Middle School passes right by our old elementary school.  Before I knew what hit me I’m getting all teary eyed, sad and sentimental.  Oh brother, how am I going to handle college some day.  This parenting stuff is exhausting and thank the good lord for my hairdresser and hair coloring.  I’ve got lots of wedding stuff to blog, vacation pictures and two weddings this coming weekend.  I’ll get up to speed soon.  Today I’m just trying to catch my breath.  Did I mention that my son is on the travel soccer team now and that we practice three times a week.  Who knows how we’ll ever get homework done.  I think that it’s time to really join the ranks of “Soccer Mom” and get a carpool going so that I can still have a life.

This is the second year that my Karate Dojo has held a Karate camp.  Deer Lake Scout Reservation in Killingworth, Connecticut is 253 acres of gorgeous woodlands, fields, trails for hiking and two lakes.  It is a beautiful environment to immerse ourselves into Martial Arts training.  It is an intensive program where students gain further insight into the mind/body/spirit connection.  It is challenging physically, emotionally and we earn a greater understanding of patience, respect and appreciation.  The camaraderie grows deeper as we all push ourselves together.  It’s quite an experience and It makes me grateful that I discovered Karate the way that I understand it now.   Although I go primarily to train, I try to take some pictures when I can.  This year I also shot a bit of video,  so perhaps I will have a fusion project to work on in the future.   We were up at 5:30 AM stretching for a 6:00 run everyday.