neads... spring graduation

NEADS spring graduation... Sunday April 10th....we were all excited to go.. this is Danny's graduation day!!! I haven't seen him since he left us in February 2015... so I couldn't wait to meet up with him again. I was happy to be able to tell Jeff all about his puppy raising and living with us on the farm......

Kathleen, Bernice... Linda, Logan and myself.....

As we were just heading into the "meet and greet".. one of the neads officials came with the sad news. Danny and his owner were not going to make it there for graduation. Ugh!!!  such disappointing news!!! I didn't realize how much I was wanting to see him, until this news arrived.... just one of those things that can't be helped.. but.. we puppy raisers really do look forward to seeing our babies this one last time....

Logan, on the other hand, took it all in stride. And though she wasn't able to meet up with Danny, she did find another service dog who lives in Maine and made fast friends with her... a "Ginger" to be exact... so, even though we didn't have Danny's owner to talk with, we did have some time to meet and talk with other clients and their dogs. 

After Logan got to say hello to some other puppies, she was good and happy to just lay quietly while other people came to meet her. This is one of her neatest qualities.. she can turn it on and shut it down so easily... a very good thing for a service dog (aka puppy in training) to know....

They had a nice turn out of clients, dog, raisers and guests, as they usually do..... the little puppy book I had made for Danny, I gave to Annie (our new trainer) and she will mail it onto Danny's people. I sure hope they enjoy it and I have to say, I hope that I might get a little card or note back from them. But, if not... that's they way it is.... they're not required by any means to keep in touch with us. 

We moved to the auditorium to enjoy the rest of graduation....

 Logan snuggled under the seats.. just where she needed to be....

And even though they didn't make it.. they did send a message that was read during graduation.. and so, the rest is "Danny's Story"....

Part of the graduation ceremony was to talk about the dogs that are out there doing the work. One of them highlighted was Rylie!!! She wasn't there, but it was so nice to hear about her and all the good works that she and her Mom are doing at Boston Medical.. I especially enjoyed seeing the photos of her at work.....

So, another wonderful graduation, another puppy off into the world... and that makes an official five graduates that I have helped along... Chester, Ginger, Rylie, Debbie and Danny!!!.... I always tell my babies.. "it's all about the RED vest".... and Logan seems to be on that track as well.......

celebrating heros...

celebrating a life.....

pet therapy visit....

spring snow ---- again.................

Hello April...

happy birthday to..... me!!!!

Easter

a harsh goodbye

March into neads....

spring snow.......

new wheels!!!!

celebrate.....3

early wood

Fridays are fun.....

a birthday boy.....

a day for leaplings....

with Calvin

visiting neads....

happy birthday Calvin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The day after Valentine's we got another load of snow. Funny how we had nothing the first half of the winter and now it seems to be making up for lost time.... I called Kass and she said no signs of Calvin just yet, so I was content to settle in and enjoy this storm. 

I'm keeping the car full of gas and have all my dog classes on stand by .. just in case Kass calls and says it's time. I get to be there for the birth.. which really makes me happy because this will mean that I have the privilege of seeing each one of my grand babies being born!!!

On Wednesday Kass had a doctor's appointment and I had to teach dog class... so I loaded up Logan and went down to watch Reagan while Kass went to the doctor and then I was going to class afterwards. Well... Kass called from the doctors and said that she's being admitted... they want baby Calvin to come now, not that there's any real trouble, but they're thinking it's time for him to be here before "troubles" begin.

Oh oh.. Logan!!! Fortunately Kathleen was working at the library.. so I took Logan over to her.. and then I canceled dog classes.. and now we wait. 

I spent the evening with Kass, Nate and Diana... it's quite certain that Calvin will be here within the next 48 hours. Around 9:00 pm the nurses checked on Kass and predicted that Calvin would more than likely be born on Thursday.  Since she still had the whole night to go, I decided I would go home.. get some sleep and just come back in the morning... Kass agreed, so i drove back to the farm.

I got a late supper, and climbed into bed... and was just falling asleep when the phone rang. It was Kass... seems things were suddenly progressing much quicker than thought, and Calvin wasn't going to wait much longer. I jumped up.. got dressed and rushed back.....

And within a few hours of getting back to the hospital... little Calvin made his grand entrance.... the birth went very well

Calvin Edward Flagg.... 15 minutes old....

Tired, happy Mom and Dad... Kass's doctor and Diana.... a great birthing crew!!!

After the big event, I went back home again... got some sleep.. took care of the critters and headed back. Family was arriving to check out our newest member... here Auntie Sadie sees little Calvin for the first time...

Abi is quite taken with her newest cousin. She was there when Reagan was just born, but I'm not sure she really remembers him being this small... She kept telling her Mom.. "he's so little"

And she was pretty thrilled when she got to hold him.....

another visitor of the day was Amanda and Bradon... actually Bradon and Calvin were due pretty much on the same day.. but Bradon couldn't wait and he came three weeks early!!!! so, they're about the same age just that Bradon has got a jump on Calvin with his early arrival...

The new mommies!!!

And now... life really gets busy and we are so thrilled to have our little Calvin here safe and sound... welcome welcome sweet boy!!!!!