Bailey and Fran

This past Saturday, while there was a break in the wintery weather, I headed over to my fellow co-worker, Mary's house for a doggy session. She has a heart as big as gold for animals, especially her own. Her two precious gal's, Bailey and Fran, are getting a bit older and we thought a session would be the most perfect idea. The gal's were glammed out in their Christmas scarf's but not wanting to brave the cold weather outside. They had plenty of kisses and licks to go around! Enjoy :)














Fran even showed off her pearly white smile, just for me! :) (apparently she carries this chew toy around quite often)

Klesney Family

This past weekend I had the pleasure of meeting the Klesney family. We had originally scheduled this session earlier; however, the dreaded flu season kept it from happening. I was so happy when Maria contacted me about this weekend. Just in time for the holiday's! :) You guys were wonderful and such a nice family to work with. Thank you for letting me into your home. Enjoy! :)

Tis the Season

may your hearts be happy....
and your lives filled with cheer...

{wishing you love this holiday season}
the Folkema's

Saving a Life

Meet Ruby ~ foxhound ~ 10 years old
Well Ruby to us. I stumbled across her at our local animal control office. She had been picked up as a stray and had no name. Unclaimed and sitting at the shelter for three weeks she was scheduled to be put down yesterday. We didn't need another dog; our three are fine, but I couldn't help but see her. On Tuesday I drove over to take a look at her. It didn't seem fair to put an innocent dog down because their shelter was full and nobody had an interest in adoping an older dog. I immediately fell in love with her face. She was very timid and never left her bed. They didn't know where she came from or her story. She was thin and desperately needed a bath and good meal. I left the shelter in tears, it broke my heart. I knew nobody else would adopt her; she was on her last life.

Later that night I talked with Brian about it. Brian, bless his heart, looked at me and smiled. He agreed with were not looking for another dog, but felt the guilt of knowing she would be put to sleep the next day. On Wednesday afternoon we drove over to pick her up. Ruby, would be her name; we both agreed. I prepared him that she didn't look the best; her back bone and hip bones stuck out and she was very dirty. He fell instantly in love! :) (whew, I thought to myself)

We brought her home, bathed her, fed and watered her and let her settle in on her new dog bed. She is still very shy and rarely has gotten up off of her bed. The other dogs have taken a liking to her, especially Dillon. I know it will be slow going for the next few weeks, but I am sure she will come around. She has already made huge steps; small steps for other dogs, but huge steps for her. Last night while petting her she reached out and touched my hand with her tongue. This morning she lay wagging her tail ever so slightly at me while I was getting ready.

I stumbled across this quote and it touched my heart; it makes adopting Ruby all worth it.
"...Saving just one pet won't change the world...but, surely, the world will change for that one pet..."

The Holidays

Getting it done early this year
Christmas shopping done - check
outdoor Christmas lights up - check
indoor Christmas decorations out - check
Christmas tree cut - check
Christmas tree trimmed - check
presents wrapped - check

Have I forgotten anything? For the first time, I have managed to have everything set for the holidays. The only thing left on my list is bake Christmas cookies; and those shouldn't be too much further along. I am still scratching my head trying to figure out how I managed to get everything done this past Thanksgiving weekend. But I can tell you one thing, it feels wonderful. Maybe this year I can finally relax and enjoy the weeks counting down until Christmas.

My mother and I headed out, bright and early, to hit the stores for the ever famous, black friday. I had a pretty good idea of what I was looking for, so it made the stores less stressful. We shopped, grabbed some lunch, shopped some more, chatted, hit up Starbucks for some re-fueling, and shopped some more. When I pulled into our driveway that evening, gifts had been found and purchased for everyone on my list. On Sunday, Brian and I headed out to find the "perfect" Christmas tree. After some deliberation, we found the perfect, small but ever so adorable Christmas tree. The rest of the afternoon was spent trimming the tree, putting up decorations and hanging lights outside. Now as much as I would like to, I cannot take credit for the hanging of lights. Brian, bless his heart, stood outside on the roof in the blowing snow giving our house, Christmas curb appeal. Note: I did feel guilty and made sure to have some nice hot cocoa for him when he came inside. Later that evening when Brian had left for work, I sat down, Christmas movie in hand, and did some wrapping. After arranging all of the gifts under the tree, I took a deep breath, sighed, and said "whew, I'm done." And does it feel good...


our tree topper...

Girl Party

It's a sleepover
On Wednesday evening my niece Ayla came over for a fun filled night of playdough, books, coloring and jumping on the bed. She finished out the night with a bath and crashed on the "big girl" bed. What a wonderful way to spend the evening! Aaron and Tracy: hope you enjoyed your evening!










Whew, what a night!

A Look Into Our Lives

Our little family
dog (noun) a domestic carnivorous animal with a long muzzle, a fur coat, and a long fur-covered tail, whose characteristic call is a bark. Latin name: Canis familiaris

Our dogs are such a big part of our lives. They are great company, feet warmers, toes lickers, motivation for excercise, comedy shows and wonderful companions. And with Brian currently working third shift, they give me piece of mind at night. Not that long ago if you would have told me that we would be parents to three dogs, I would have laughed and said "yeah, okay". Who is laughing now? But I wouldn't change anything. Our dogs have become members of our family; I couldn't imagine our lives without them. Don't get me wrong, there have been times when I ask myself, "why oh why...three dogs...this is crazy" but when they make you smile or make you laugh it reminds me why.

So you may be asking, how does one acquire such a large furry family. Let me enlighten you. Meet Kahne, our golden retriever. My stepmother and I had picked Kahne out when he was just eight weeks old. She loved golden retrievers and had always wanted one. Sadly, a few short months later she unexpectedly passed away. When I moved out, Kahne came with me. You could say he holds a special part of my heart and reminds me of her every time I look at him. According to Brian, Kahne is my dog; he thinks I am Kahne's favorite. :) They say golden's are loyal and smart and with this I must agree. He loves running out in the woods, swimming in Lake Michigan and just being your best friend. He will always be my first "baby".


Brian and I felt guilty when Kahne was home by himself and wanted to get him a friend. And so came Emmy. Emmy is your typical lab mix who sometimes doesn't seem to have all of her ducks in a row. We met Emmy at a local animal shelter and instantly fell in love; she was only five months and still had that puppy cuteness. She had been brought into the shelter after being hit by a car. They saved her back leg but her paw is flat as a pancake and a bit deformed. Adoping Emmy meant an unknown future with her "bumb wheel" but we couldn't imagine our lives without her. To our suprise, she seems to function just fine and has had minimal problems. She has found a special place in our hearts.


Then there is Dillon. Dillon came to us a little over a year ago. Some of you may remember Dillon, he was featured on WZZM as the dog that was away from home for a little over two years. The Kent County animal shelter picked him up and because he had a micro chip was returned back to his owners. Within a few weeks after his story aired the owners did not want him anymore. The owners had asked our neighbor to take him and give him away at a local auction where people will bring "free" animals. Of course, my heart went out to him and we decided to give him a forever home. Dillon, also referred to as the "Dillman" "Little Man" and "Dillon five-o", is one of most unique beagles I have known. He hates the outdoors but instead loves the anything that is soft, warm and comfortable. The couch seems to be his object of choice and since we do not let our dogs on the couch I am constantly shooing him off. (the below picture was an exception) We have a fenced in backyard which is wonderful for the dogs; however even when we let them all loose, Dillon doesn't take off. He is perfectly content roaming the yard and sticking close. He must love his new home as much as we love him. :)

Big Buck Down

Opening day 2008
One of the many things that Brian and I have in common is that we both enjoy hunting. He is much more dedicated than me, but I was really looking forward to this year because opening day fell on a Saturday. Our freezer is looking pretty bare and since we rarely eat beef, venison this year is a necessity. We headed out to the woods a little after 6 in the morning all bundled up for a long day in the woods. Brian and I sit together and I was "it" for the day. Lucky for me, a nice 5 point came in range. Brian and I were both so excited we about fell out of the treestand we were shaking so hard. Brian even got the whole thing on video. He may not be the biggest buck ever, but I am pretty proud of him!


I couldn't have done it without him; love you Brian!

A Day at the Park

I met Jody and her family on what I believe was the last nice Saturday of the year. The colors were perfect and the weather was nice and comfortable; the kids totally loved the leaves. Enjoy!