Happy New year to everyone! It’s been nice to have a little post-holiday breathing room, get caught up on band work, start eating a little healthier again and getting active. One way we’ve been getting our exercise around here lately is to take our NEW PUPPY for a jog. Yes, we finally got a puppy, after 10 years of delaying and making excuses.

Maya-13 weeks old

Maya is a a Blue Healer X Australian Shepherd, and we picked her up in Vancouver when we made our annual pilgrimage to the Sylvia hotel for a couple days of big city fun.

Dan at the funky Sylvia Hotel

Francois was the one who spearheaded finding her and it was the fact that he was keen to take on the bulk of training and responsibility that made us agree that it was the right time. Perhaps there was a bit of yearning for a baby again as Joah is now in kindergarten… The boys, especially Oren, are very keen on the dog. Oren had desperately wanted his own puppy for Christmas- and I think was the next best thing.

Oren and Maya

I’ll admit to being nervous. Puppies are like babies and I wasn’t sure I was ready to have a puppy tearing up the house. The boys are bad enough! But from the moment we met her we were all in love. Smart as whip, good tempered, friendly but not hyper and beautiful. Zena and I were chatting yesterday about how it has surprised us how much we’d love her. And overnight I went from being strictly a “cat person” to posting photos of my dog on facebook and asking other dog owners we’d meet out walking what breed of dog they have. Geesh!

Walking on the trestle with Maya and the boys

Here are some pics as well of the holidays and the lovely, puking-and-pink-eye-free Christmas we had.

Lobster dinner with the cousins from Nova Scotia

Claire and me with eggnog!

Gram-gram with the grandkids