Our Dog Charlie

charlie plays dress-up!

2011-08-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

The weekend that Jon and I went to Chicago, Charlie stayed the weekend with his aunt Margaret. She adores Charlie and he likes her too :) Starting Friday night (after Jon popped the big question!) she sent us "themed" pictures of C each day!

This was Friday night after we called her and told her we were engaged! Isn't he a handsome in his tux?!

The next day Charlie graduated from obedience school - with flying colors, of course! So that called for a celebration! Margaret is training Charlie to be a therapy dog and he first had to past an obedience class. They start the therapy dog certification in September.

While we were in Chicago we went to the Jimmy Buffett concert....Charlie decided to go to Margaritaville too!!!!

and on the day we came home, we received this picture with the text that said..."hurry home, can't wait to see your ring!"

* no worries, no alcohol was consumed by charlie :)

aaaaaannnndddd WE'RE BACK!

2011-06-10T12:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, can't believe it is August and it has been 6 months since I have done a post. C and I have had a very eventful past few months. We made the move to Memphis, TN..yes, that's right - home to blues, bbq and elvis! I love my new job and C has been settling quite well in his new home town. Jon says C likes having a "man in his life" all the time! ANNNDDD the best news is that me and Jon are engaged!!!!! Here are a few pictures from C's recent adventures :)C after his first bath. He goes to Brown Dog Lodge and they love him!!l

charlie plays in the snow!

2011-02-13T17:33:00.000-08:00

We had almost 2 feet of snow last week! Charlie did NOT know what to think and he wouldn't go off the patio sooooo here is what I did..... The snow was on the ground for several days and Charlie made himself a track around the entire yard - smart dog! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TMl8nttbF0

charlie's snow day(s)....

2011-02-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

Charlie now lives in the frozen tundra. We have been snowed in for over 48 hours and I think we BOTH are going a little stir crazy now!

Day 1...checking out the snow

it wore him out, so he spent the rest of the day here.

kept snowing and snowing and snowing sooo....

he had happy hour but he didn't drink much of it....I think he likes the real stuff better :)

Day 2..

look at the face...no, charlie you can not have my sandwich!

cabin fever setting in....he literally just sat there and looked side to side and I'm sure he was thinking "what the heck is all this white stuff that sticks to my fur when I try to walk in it!?"
and that wore him out too!

Weather is not looking any better for the next day or so..........I'm thinking we are BOTH going to have to brave the elements tomorrow and get out of this house!!

charlie meets willow!

2011-01-31T18:58:00.000-08:00

I went to the races this weekend with some girls from college so Charlie got to stay at home. He ALWAYS travels with me so its weird to leave him at home but I'm so thankful for good friends that want to keep an eye out on Charlie boy! My friend Anne came over to check on him Saturday and Elizabeth brought her dog Willow over to play with Charlie. According to Anne, Charlie wasn't too amused with Willow but I think he warmed up to her just a bit.

charlie goes to the office...

2011-01-24T18:46:00.000-08:00

Charlie made a visit to Margaret's office while we were in Memphis last weekend. Everyone at her office LOVES Charlie and I am known as "charlie's mom" :) We have decided that Charlie is a great stress reliever during tax season so I see many more trips to the office in our future. The only pic I got while we were there was in the elevator. It is really blurry but he was so amused with looking at himself in the door!

on his way!

charlie's new pillow

2011-01-24T18:42:00.000-08:00

I think this picture is so sweet! Charlie is cuddling with my brace...obviously he thinks its comfortable :)

charlie goes to the dog park, mom goes to the ER!

2011-01-17T18:02:00.001-08:00

Saturday was not an ordinary day at the dog park! It was gorgeous on Saturday and warmer than it has been in a long time so lots of doggies were taking advantage of the "heat wave!" I had plans to go to a fundraiser with friends Saturday night so I thought I would take Charlie to the park to let him run around, burn some energy and then be exhausted afterwards. Well, here is what REALLY happened:

We arrived at the park and it was PACKED! Lots of big and small dogs and Charlie was so excited to run in and play. He runs in and I wander over to a group of adults to visit while he plays. I wasn't there 3 minutes and the next thing I know I am on the GROUND. I remember hearing the dogs running and I was down. As I laid there I noticed my knee was popped out of place...oh my gosh I thought - what the heck?!? I screamed "my knee, my knee...call 911!" I tried to call my friend Courtney and Amanda but they didn't answer so I sent them a text (yes still on the ground at this point). As I rolled over and tried to get up my knee "popped" back into place.

Those stupid dogs plowing over me caused quite the scene at the dog park! 3 firemen arrived first and kept me calm until the paramedics arrived. The paramedic wanted to "see" my knee so the fireman CUT my leggings :) They gave me an IV with some pain meds (I almost passed out at this point) and then put me on the stretcher and loaded me into the ambulance :( Charlie was such a good boy. He sat right next to me and my friend Courtney took him home.

I arrived at the ER and they rolled me into a triage room. An x-ray later the doctor told me I had a dislocated patella (knee cap). They put me in a knee mobilizer with another dose of heavy pain meds and I was on my way. I am so thankful for my friends Courtney, Amanda and Katie. They all dropped what they were doing and came to my rescue! 4 hours later I was home on the couch with meds, pizza and a movie. My parents arrived later that night and are still here with me. I go to the doctor tomorrow morning and our hoping for good news. I am not very good about "sitting still" and hoping I get a new brace that will at least allow me to drive on my own....but we will just have to see what tomorrow brings!

Charlie has had to share his couch the last few days :) Charlie has enjoyed having his Cocoa here too :) nothing fashionable about this :)

charlies goes to school!

2011-01-15T17:33:00.000-08:00

Jon and I went to Nashville for a weekend so I dropped Charlie off with my parents. He was there on a Friday and my dad was busy at the farm and wouldn't be able to check on him and didn't want to leave him in the house all day......SOOOOO Charlie went to school with my mom! By noon she had called to tell me that he had been to visit the supritendent and had been to the principal's office! Charlie was a HUGE hit!!! All the kids wanted to play with "the big dog!" So glad mom still has her job :)

charlie goes to firestone!

2011-01-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

I had to get new tires before we made our last trip to Memphis. We were leaving town right after we were done so Charlie went with us! He is such a trooper!!

confused charlie!

2011-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Jon and I came to Fayetteville for a few days before going back to Memphis to ring in the new year. We had to stop in LR on our way back to Memphis for Jon to get his car. Jon wanted Charlie to ride with him but he was so confused! He hung his head out the window looking back at me all the way to the interstate. He was SO excited when we BOTH arrived in Memphis :)

charlie goes to the country

2011-01-12T08:30:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we went to FC for the afternoon to celebrate my birthday with the fam! Charlie loves going to my brother's because he has lots of friends there - it is sort of like a small petting zoo... a couple of dogs and a horse! Notice the camo bandana - always dressed for the occasion :)

Charlie snuck into the barn and got in the area with Cass the horse! He slid through the fence - I have never seen him run so fast. I don't think he will be going back close to that horse again :)

oh charlie boy!

2011-01-10T18:18:00.000-08:00

Jon gave Charlie this HUGE bone for Christmas and Charlie found it today! He was so eager to go outside and chew on it for a while!

We are having snowy, sleety weather tonight and Charlie is DYING to go outside but I will not let him. He is not happy at me. He just stands at the door :(

charlie's christmas eve

2011-01-10T18:06:00.000-08:00

My mom had a Christmas Eve sermon on her laptop and Charlie saw it...so he watched it :) Good boy Charlie!

What is Christmas eve without at least ONE present, right?! Charlie got a new necktie of course!

wide load!

2010-12-09T17:46:00.000-08:00

I had a backseat full of prints to be autographed when I went home for lunch the other day. Charlie INSISTED that he come with me so I had no choice but to put him in the very back of my car. He was SO confused! It was so funny because I would like in the rear view mirror and he would be laying down so I couldn't see him and then he would just POP up. It was like he was playing peek-a-boo! Oh Charlie boy - always makes me laugh! :)

charlie's turkey day

2010-12-01T08:31:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving in FC and LR....Charlie let Maddie borrow a bandana so they would be twinkies!! Don't these two look like trouble and ready for turkey?!

where has charlie been?!

2010-12-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

He has been busy decorating for Christmas among many other things!! I have been super busy and have gotten WAAAAY behind on my blogging! I have lots of pictures posted so stay tuned, lots of posts coming your way :) Merry Merry from Charlie!

charlie goes to pet smart!

2010-08-16T19:16:00.001-07:00

We were in Memphis this weekend and decided to take Charlie on a field trip so we took him to Pet Smart! He did so good!

He had to check out ALL of the chew toys!

And just as we were about to leave...he found the CATS!!

I had to post this picture of the box of milk bones that we found at Costco. GREAT deal on a 15 pound box! These should last Charlie a LONG time. Maybe by the time we finish the box, he will have learned how to ROLL OVER :) !!

ready for the weekend!

2010-08-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

Charlie went to the groomer on Wednesday and he is all fluffy for the weekend! We have friends coming in town and that means Charlie's friends too. His old pal, Blake Wrigley will be arriving tonight! I told Charlie when I left the house this morning to rest up because Blake would be here soon :)

In honor of Blake coming to visit, I thought I would post a picture of these two pal's. This was the weekend that Blake moved to LR and he rode with me and Charlie. Of course, he wanted to be just like Charlie and wear a bandana!!

charlie does p90x..

2010-08-04T08:12:00.000-07:00

Well not really, but he was the best cheerleader for me! I think he decided this was the best spot to hang while I did my workout and he wouldn't get stepped on :)

charlie watches soccer..

2010-07-04T11:50:00.000-07:00

Since Jon has been at the World Cup, Charlie has been watching a lot of soccer! Jon was at the Argentina game yesterday so I told Charlie to watch for him and he stood there forever. Jon begins his journey back to the USA this afternoon. I am SOOO excited!

charlie's new bed!

2010-06-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

My mom was here for a few days and look what she did! I had been wanting to recover his bed since it did not match my color scheme at my new house so while we were out and about we found this cute fabric and it looks so good! Charlie approves too :)

Go Team USA!

2010-06-22T19:17:00.001-07:00

Jon is in South Africa for the World Cup.....so in his honor Charlie put on his red, white and blue bandana tonight. If USA wins tomorrow then Jon will get to see them play because they have tickets for that round of games (or something like that, I'm not exactly sure how it works) but none the less he is having a wonderful trip and just goes on and on about how incredible S. Africa is. We can't wait until he arrives back home!!!

what has been going on with charlie?

2010-06-07T14:25:00.000-07:00

wellll, he has a found a new use for his swimming pool - a HUGE water bowl :)

he went to a party and found another new water bowl.....an ICE CHEST!

he got a bath and a NEW fan that makes it so much easier to dry him!

and he came to work with me today! doesn't he look so happy :) this boys needs a HAIRCUT! with all of his traveling he has missed his grooming appointments but that will all change on Wednesday when Charlie takes a trip to Rover Oaks!

charlie needs some sunglasses...

2010-05-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

I worked from home this afternoon and Charlie was my assistant - well not really, he just rolled around in the grass. I love this picture because he looks like the sun is too bright for his eyes!

charlie gets a bath....

2010-05-24T04:56:00.000-07:00

Since Charlie was in Memphis last week he missed his regular grooming appointment SOOO this weekend, we decided to give Charlie a bath. Well, let me re-phrase that, Jon gave Charlie a bath and I supervised and took pictures :) Charlie did so good! We got a plastic swimming pool and he just stepped right in. The part that took the longest was drying him. He holds water and it took TWO hairdryers to get him dry! Jon and I decided that we have a whole new appreciation for the ladies at Rover Oaks Grooming and writing a check is a much easier than giving Charlie boy a bath but it was a great way to spend a Saturday morning and Charlie loved it!

After his bath and all fluffy! We treated Charlie to a new bone and he loved it!!

another memphis adventure...

2010-05-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

We were in Memphis this past weekend and Charlie had a slumber party. He spent the night with his aunt Margaret (I guess its really his great aunt Margaret but that sounds old and she is way more snazzy than that!) Margaret is always taking Charlie to parties, to her office, for walks, buying him treats - she spoils him just as she has done (well, still does!) me!! Saturday morning she took him over to Ann's so he could run around and do his business in her yard and he came out looking like this! Charlie loves to play in the big bushes and it had RAINED the night before and was still raining. Poor Charlie looked like a drowned rat! When we picked him up she told us he hadn't eaten his breakfast so we just put it in the backseat with him. I turned around and he was eating it! Charlie boy will eat wherever! I brought back some furniture so there was no room for Charlie :( so that means he is spending the week with Jon! He looked a little confused (actually VERY confused and a little SAD) that I was leaving and he was staying, but I think he figured it out! Charlie has ALMOST mastered a new trick that Jon has taught him. I think by the time this week is over he will have it! I'm so happy that Jon and Charlie are the best of pals :)

charlie does yard work...

2010-05-10T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, sort of! We spent a LONG weekend in Memphis and it was the best! Saturday morning, Jon worked in his yard and me and Charlie supervised...in the hammock :) We could not believe that he actually got in it (with Jon's help of course!) He even sat up and moved his big booty to make the hammock swing. I think Charlie has a new spot :)

On the way back to Fayetteville, I had to stop in LR to pick up a painting. I forgot how wide it was so I had to lay down one of my back seats. Charlie was not happy, so he laid his head UNDER the painting!

charlie's party pics!

2010-04-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

Charlie had the best time at the partaaay!!! Here are some pics...

all dressed up! notice the bucket in background? well, charlie LOVED it. It was filled with adult beverages and he loved eating the ice!

I can't remember if this was the day of the party and he was resting or the day after and Charlie boy was TIRED!!!

Charlie's friend, Madison came to the party! They loved watching the tv together:)

Late in the evening...I think I was getting sad that Charlie was leaving for 2 weeks. Notice, he always has his eyes on the TV :)

Time to dance Charlie!!

Charlie liked the cocktails too :) Don't worry, he just had a sip!

charlie gives back...

2010-04-23T09:14:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I had a housewarming party. It was so fun to see so many of our great friends!! I had been wanting to have a party at our new house, but didn't want our friends to feel obligated to bring a gift, SO...I decided to ask our friends to bring a donation for our furry friends at the Humane Society of the Ozarks. I was so pleased with all the items we collected - from dog food to dog bones, treats and toys and a few cash gifts. I cannot wait until Charlie comes back home next weekend (he is spending 2 weeks with Jon since I am in crunch mode right now before a big fundraiser on the 1st) for us to make a trip to the Humane Society with all the goodies! We want to thank our friends for coming and being so thoughtful :) More party pics to come!This was the next day...Charlie looks a little sluggish from the party :) He looked so handsome in his polka dots!!!!!!

silly charlie...

2010-04-16T09:47:00.001-07:00

Last night I was taking some pictures of the flowers on my patio to send to my mom...well, Charlie saw the camera and decided he needed to be in the picture! He loves the camera :)

charlie's new "hair-do!"...

2010-04-15T15:50:00.001-07:00

Yep, Charlie got a haircut and a GOOD one! He went in for his "summer cut" and they did that and more but everybody needs a good haircut every once in a while right?! I know he will be much cooler since the weather is warming up!

charlie goes to the groomer...

2010-04-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

I took Charlie to the groomer this morning (as he goes every 2 weeks), but this morning he was being so funny in the car! I had my backseats down with stuff for work so he had to ride in the front seat but it took him a while to get settled! :) He first tried to lay down with his head on the dashboard....

But then he finally figured out that he would just have to sit up! Since the weather is getting warmer, Charlie is getting his "summer cut!" today!!

charlie's back!

2010-04-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

I have never gone that long without Charlie but he had the best time with Jon and he made new friends at Brown Dog Lodge. Jon dropped him off to spend this past weekend with my parents while we were in LR and when I FINALLY got to pick him up on Sunday he was MORE excited to see Jon than me! He jumped up and down 4 times and didn't even acknowledge me! I think it's because by the end of the week Jon had ran out of diet food, SOOO he got him the good stuff! Is that bribery? I think so....but in all seriousness, I'm so glad that Jon and Charlie are such good pals :) This was in the car on the way back to LR. It was so cute, Charlie was resting his head next to Jon!

charlie goes to brown dog lodge..

2010-04-07T19:19:00.000-07:00

Jon took Charlie to Brown Dog Lodge on Tuesday. He loved it and they said that he plays well with others :) The best thing about this place is that they have a web cam! It was so hard to not watch it all day!! I was able to take a few "snapshots" from the webcam. It's easy to spot Charlie!! He is going back on Friday. Here is the link... http://browndoglodge.com/web.htm

charlie's easter...

2010-04-05T08:59:00.000-07:00

Charlie had the best Easter and he looked SO handsome in his necktie :) We spent part of our weekend in FC and the other part in LR. Charlie loved seeing his doggy friends and he is even warming up to the puppies at Jon's parents house! The Easter bunny visited Charile and brought him a huge bone : ) !!

Charlie is spending this week with Jon! I had some chairs recovered and brought them back home this weekend so there was no room for Charlie in the car AND Jon thinks that Charlie is the coolest dog ever (as we know he is!!). Jon is so excited about getting Charlie for an entire week! I'm going to miss my Charlie boy this week but I know he is in good hands :)

charlie's new wardrobe..

2010-04-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

I am VERY excited about the new set of ties (and so is Charlie!) that came in the mail last night. I searched all over for an Easter necktie and found this cute set (www.bowwowsbest.com) for a better price, so Charlie got 3 new ties :) He is going to be the most handsome dog ever this weekend!

another day in the life of...

2010-03-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

CHARLIE! He is OBSESSED with his TV. So much in fact that I googled last night if too much TV was bad for dog's eyes! Friday morning, I had to turn the TV OFF to get him to go outside and do his business! As soon as I open the door in the morning, he RUNS into his room and stares at his TV! Not only is Charlie on a new diet but I may have to limit his TV time :) !!

This was taken a few weeks ago when we were in Memphis. He was pooped after playing outside!

charlie's new TV..

2010-03-25T06:28:00.000-07:00

In our new house, I devoted a room to Charlie. I like to call it his "man cave!" Well, he hasn't had a tv but often I would find him sleeping on the couch in that room so while my parents were here this week, we got a new TV for my bedroom and let Charlie have my old one - I think he likes it!

charlie's boy weekend...

2010-03-10T12:49:00.001-08:00

I don't know who had more fun this past weekend - Charlie or his new best friend Jon?! Saturday I made a day trip to the races in Hot Springs with some girlfriends so Charlie spent the day and night with Jon in Memphis. I wasn't quite sure Jon was going to bring him back to me on Sunday :) Here is a recap.

They played fetch...

They took a nap..

They took more naps and watched movies..

and Charlie's most favorite part of the weekend....riding in Jon's jeep!

I think I know someone besides me who will be excited about their return trip to Memphis in a few weeks :)

TV star..

2010-03-03T07:50:00.000-08:00

Charlie is a TV STAR!! I sent the picture from the last post to my friend Sarah who works at KNWA and she sent it to the news anchor. I didn't know or didn't think that they would show it but I had on the news last night and at the end they showed the picture of him and their new fan...CHARLIE! I was able to grab the remote and rewind so Charlie could see himself. I think he knew it was him :) I paused it and he stared at the TV and even stood up on his back legs and tried to paw the tv. It was HILARIOUS!!

critter corner...

2010-03-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

Our local news station has a segment on the 9:00 news called "Critter Corner." They always have a couple of CATS that are up for adoption. Well, last night Charlie caught this on the news and was GLUED to the tv. After it was over, I turned off the tv and told Charlie it was time to go to bed so I went into my room, turned on the tv and got ready for bed. Any other night, Charlie would jump in the bed. Well, last night when I came back in the bedroom Charlie was no where to be found. I walked in the living room and Charlie was sitting in front of the tv just staring - it was OFF! I guess he was looking for those cats. Silly boy CHARLIE! I have a good friend that works at KNWA so I sent her this picture this morning and told her that Brad Reed (the anchor) has a new fan!

charlie's boo boo..

2010-02-25T10:10:00.000-08:00

Charlie is one crazy dog! He is loving his new yard and playing with his bones but for some CRAZY reason I have caught him digging holes with his big NOSE! When he came in yesterday morning I noticed this on his nose. He has rubbed it raw! Last night, I put some neosporin on it so hopefully it will heal soon :)

charlie goes to fc...

2010-02-23T07:35:00.000-08:00

My mom sent me these pictures from the day that Charlie and Margaret made their trip to FC to deliver his Valentine gifts :) It never fails that Charlie is on a mission to find my parent's cat when he arrives at their house. The cat is pretty smart - she goes under the bed where Charlie can't fit! Charlie will lay here FOREVER!

bones..

2010-02-21T16:59:00.000-08:00

Last weekend Jon thought it would be hilarious to get Charlie the BIGGEST bone ever so this is what we found! Charlie has LOVED them and he doesn't let one out of his site!! He has been chewing on them all week and even tried to bury one in the backyard. It has been raining here all day so I took Charlie for a walk to use the bathroom (we still do not have sod - fingers crossed we will get our yard finished this week) and Charlie was determined to take his bone with him...So I let him!

another day in the life of charlie..

2010-02-19T07:26:00.001-08:00

I had forgotten to post this picture. This was the afternoon of the Super Bowl. The Animal Planet was having a "Puppy Bowl" and Charlie was GLUED to the tv! Can he get any closer?! Maybe he is telling me that he needs a bigger tv..

charlie's weekend in the big city!

2010-02-16T12:46:00.000-08:00

Charlie and I had such a fun weekend in Memphis and he was the most handsome dog ever! I found this adorable necktie online and just knew he would LOVE it :) Can't you tell he is just thrilled?!?

Margaret took Charlie to her office on Saturday and was a HUGE hit. He "worked" for about an hour and then he and Margaret took off to FC and delivered Valentine's to my parents (Cocoa and Puddin to Charlie!) and also to Bibby.

Jon and I took Charlie to the dog park at Shelby Farms. It is a HUGE open field with several lakes and Charlie just ran and ran! At one point, he found a dog friend and took off with the dog/owner and I had to chase him down. We are still working on Charlie being a good listener :) Charlie was such a good boy this weekend and he can't wait to go visit again!

lazy saturday..

2010-02-06T12:39:00.000-08:00

I took Charlie with me this morning to run some errands and I guess it wore him out :) This is where I found him! He has been really good about laying on the blanket that is on my new couch and I was hoping to not let him get on my new furniture but no luck :( I think he has found a new spot...

and its....

2010-02-02T05:56:00.000-08:00

GONE! Charlie just makes me laugh. I came home last night and he was running around the house with this chew toy. I'm actually surprised that it lasted as long as it did. Charlie has a habit of DESTROYING a toy as soon as he can get his paws and teeth on it :) Here is an example..

And he starts... Keeps going....and it's gone..DESTROYED. I need to teach Charlie how to use a broom :)

silly charlie!

2010-02-01T06:49:00.001-08:00

I walked in the kitchen last night to find this. Charlie was pawing at the dishwasher!! I looked and there was a small bone under there. Not sure how that happened since we have only been living here a week. I got a long spoon out to try to get it but no luck. Charlie was not a happy camper! He just laid there staring at the dishwasher :)But he eventually gave up and went back to his bed...in front of the fire :)

charlie's snow day!

2010-01-30T14:39:00.000-08:00

A winter storm has hit NWA and we have had about 8 inches of snow since yesterday!! Charlie has LOVED the snow. We go out every couple of hours and he just runs. We are so thankful that our neighbors have let us use their backyard. They invited us over for snow ice cream but they assured me that they had gotten the snow from the front yard - HA! Here are a few pictures from yesterday. The last picture is from this afternoon - when we came in from playing he had clumps of snow frozen in the fur on his legs! I felt so bad for him so I got the hair dryer out to melt it and dry his hair!!!

scoot over charlie!

2010-01-29T10:18:00.001-08:00

Charlie is getting settled into his new house this week, no fence yet tho :( The first night he slept on his bed but then pounced on me at 1am!! I think he was scared so he wanted to snuggle :) The last couple of nights when I get ready for bed this is how I have found Charlie and he is impossible to move!!

charlie's housewarming present..

2010-01-24T14:55:00.000-08:00

We are officially in our new house and its starting to feel like a home! We were able to move in on Friday. Charlie was completely confused when the movers arrived at our old house. That morning, I told him that we were moving! He wagged his tail but then again, he always wags his tail :) I think when he saw me put his food and bag in the car he knew he was going with me! When we first walked in the house, he sniffed everywhere but we soon got his man cave all set up and he has been one content dog :) It may be a few more days before our fence/yard is ready so our good neighbor friends offered to let Charlie play in his yard. I took him over the first afternoon but he HOWLED!!

He was very excited about his house warming present that Margaret got for him. It came in a box addressed to "Mr. Charlie Eldridge." It is a food/water bowl stand!! He is so excited. The card was so sweet. It read "Charlie, I hope you love your new home and have many happy happy meals and drinks from your new stand. If you need bowls, we can get them. Woof! Love, Margaret"We are so thankful for my family and great friends that helped us move into our new home. We love you all!! Looking forward to many many memories here!!

unexpected suprise...CAT!

2010-01-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

Each morning Charlie goes out on the balcony outside of my bedroom. This morning, I noticed he was really WAGGING his tail as he was looking through the curtains and out the door...well, I'm glad I noticed what was out there BEFORE I opened the door. I have no idea how this CAT got to the 2nd floor but Charlie wanted to have her for breakfast!!

Charlie and I have big weekend plans...we are moving into our NEW house! His yard isn't finished because of the crazy rain we have had so it could be tricky for the next few days. Stay tuned for pictures of Charlie in his new "man cave!" :)

charlie's christmas..

2010-01-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

Charlie had a great Christmas! He got a couple of new toys - which were destroyed immediately! He loves to get those squeakers out! But the best thing about Christmas was his outfit :) I wanted to get him a fun Christmas collar or tie like he had for Halloween but I just ran out of time before I got to Forrest City....SOOO...where else do you go in FC - Wally World! I found this t-shirt in the men's section, size large. It fit him perfect!

Christmas Eve - eyeing that ham!

All packed up for Christmas! Where's Charlie?!

Too much milk punch?

Charlie and Maddie - of course, Charlie is hogging the couch!

Loving the couch again :)

He REALLY wanted some ham and corn chowder :) Leave it Charlie!

where's charlie?!

2010-01-13T06:13:00.000-08:00

I woke up this morning and I could NOT find Charlie! I'm in the middle of packing up my stuff to move next week and I cleaned out under my bed and took my bedskirt off last night....sooo, when I got up this morning Charlie wasn't on his bed, he wasn't on the bathroom floor he was UNDER THE BED!!!

charlie goes to the vet..

2010-01-11T13:44:00.000-08:00

Charlie had his annual check-up today! He was such a good boy and just laid on the floor while Dr. Smith took his blood and his temperature and gave him his vaccinations. She said that she doesn't have too many dogs that just lay on the floor. Good boy Charlie!! We did get some not so good news....Charlie is OVERWEIGHT! He needs to lose about 5 pounds. When the vet asked me how much I feed Charlie she laughed :) I'm afraid he has gone into shock tho - I gave him his dinner and he looked at me like, "where's the rest mom!?"

new year's eve..

2010-01-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

I know I am posting these in the wrong order and I still have Christmas pictures to post but I had to share this picture from New Year's Eve. I rung in the new year with some of my best friend's in Little Rock. We had a fabulous dinner and then an after party at Ashley's - complete with karaoke and flip cup! Charlie didn't participate in those but he did get to hang out with his good doggie friends, Blake, Bear and Tyson :) Of course, Charlie was dressed for the occasion in his "burberry tie!"

happy new year!

2010-01-04T21:15:00.000-08:00

This picture makes me laugh! Charlie was in the backseat and I turned around to find he was just sitting there with a big bone hanging out of his mouth. It sorts of looks like a cigar :) We are finally home from a crazy 2 weeks of traveling...Forrest City, Little Rock and Memphis. Back to reality tomorrow. I think Charlie is tired too. He slept the entire way home today. I was so jealous! Wishing you all the best in 2010!!!

BBBBRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

2009-12-10T13:48:00.000-08:00

It is COLD in NWA! This morning the temperatue was 9 degrees - brrrr! I'm not sure if Charlie is liking the cold weather or not. I brought him with me to work yesterday and he RAN right to the office door. Charlie doesn't "RUN" very often so I think he was cold and missing all his fur. I'm still bummed that Rover Oaks shaved him! What part of trim do you not understand? Anyway, if I get Charlie out again this week he will be sporting this! Stay warm out there.

happy anniversary charlie!

2009-11-22T18:46:00.000-08:00

I cannot believe that one year ago this past weekend,I made the journey to Branson, Missouri to pick up our 4-legged friend that has come to be known as cccchhhhhaaarrrrlllliiiiieeeee! I will never forget seeing him jump out of that suv in the Target parking log - at that time, I was overwhelmed..."what have we done, he is huge, how will I ever afford to feed him, groom him, etc!!" But the past year has been so great! Charlie has become one of my best friends! He travels with me wherever I go, he has become the charity's mascot, he has made so many dog and people friends. He is always so happy to see me when I come home - always wagging his tail with a big smile on his face.

I went to LR this weekend and Charlie spent the weekend with the Champlin's! Miss Madison just loves Charlie - while I was over there last night, she was feeding him bread. It was so cute :) I also heard that she fed him vanilla wafers too. Charlie probably didn't want to come home. Amanda sent me this picture Saturday night.

We have been moving my office this past week and Charlie went with me on Friday. Do you think he is pooped?!
I found this duck toy this weekend when I was helping Robert pack up his apartment. Charlie loved it!
We hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday!

whirlwind!

2009-11-16T06:56:00.000-08:00

I just noticed it has been 2 months since I have made a post about Charlie. The last 60 days have been more busy than usual..I survived my last fundraiser of the year, yay!!

After the craziness of our fundraiser, I have made a girls trip to Memphis and we also made a very fun trip to Forrest City for my mom's birthday. We all stayed at my brother's house and there were 6 adults and 5 dogs and the funniest part was I slept in a twin bed and well, what about Charlie? He slept with me! It was a little snug :)

We do have some exciting news to share....Charlie is going to have a new back yard! I drove him past our new house last week and he wagged his tail so I think he approved! If all goes as planned, we will move in around the first of the year. So I'm busy picking out brick, paint, flooring, lighting, etc...

We spent this past weekend in Little Rock and Charlie got to see a lot of his friends - Blake, Tyson and Brooklyn. He was so sleepy on the way home yesterday and slept the entire way! I even heard him snore a couple of times. I took this picture when he first woke up...Oh, Charlie boy!

oh charlie boy!

2009-09-15T17:54:00.000-07:00

I had to post this picture! Today I played in a golf tournament and wasn't sure what time I would get home so I asked Kate to come by my house and let Charlie out....well, she sent me this picture with the text "charlie will not come outside!"....if he could talk I think he would say.."ha, you want ME to come outside, are you kidding me!!" oh charlie boy! never a dull moment with CHARLIE!

charlie entertains houseguests!

2009-09-14T18:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was busy and Charlie is worn out! Charlie's friend, Clarence spent the weekend with us while his parents went out of town. Clarence loves to play and run around and Charlie loved having him here but he laid on the couch all day yesterday after Clarence went home. My mom was also here this weekend. Charlie loves his Coco (that is what he would call her if he could talk!) Here are a few pictures of Charlie and Clarence. I went to the LPGA golf tournament on Saturday afternoon and Charlie was so excited to see me when I got home so he cuddled with me on the couch :)

charile is a biker dude!

2009-09-08T13:51:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, me and Allison went to the Pig Trail Harley Store in Rogers for Bike Night! We were selling tickets for the motorcycle and of course Charlie wanted to go. I had found this bandana at Sugar Bear's Dog Bakery and he fit in perfectly! We decided to make it a "do rag" so he would really fit in with the other bikers. I couldn't believe that he let us do this and he kept it on the entire time. Charlie is such a good sport!!

charlie in the newspaper!

2009-08-31T17:11:00.000-07:00

The NWA Times did a profile on me and my role at Pagnozzi Charities. The writer learned that the charity had a "mascot" and asked for Charlie to be there for the picture. I wish he had been looking more at the camera, but he was being a little camera shy that day. I have had lots of comments about Charlie and even a lady from Rogers who emailed me and wanted to know where Charlie came from..she wanted to know how much he weighed and the pros and cons of a goldendoodle. There are no cons about Charlie - we love him!! Go Charlie!

charlie goes to the groomer!

2009-08-27T18:49:00.000-07:00

Since Charlie got his "summer cut" back in June we had not been to the groomer in a long time! I forget how fluffy and soft he is after he has a bath. how can you resist that face and fluffy hair!?

Sugarbear's Dog Bakery

2009-08-24T18:57:00.000-07:00

I was out running a few errands yesterday afternoon and I stopped in the new dog bakery in Fayetteville. It is called Sugarbear's (Nelson's Crossing) and it has the CUTEST stuff - dog treats, toys, accessories, dog beds, and Charlie's favorite...neckties! I picked up a few treats and also this "skull and crossbones" necktie. Next time he goes with me to sell Harley tickets he will be in style with all the other bikers! If you have pets Sugarbear's is a must! I lingered a little too long in Target and forgot that these dog treats do melt :)

charlie goes to hawaii!

2009-08-20T20:30:00.000-07:00

Just kidding :) But doesn't this picture look like he is somewhere tropical?! We were actually on Dickson at Jose's. Our charity is selling raffle tickets for a chance to win a Harley and we are selling tickets at Jose's Bike Nights. Charlie had been in the house all day today and it had cooled off so I decided to let Charlie tag along too. He loved it! Lots of people walking up and down Dickson Street with their dogs and everyone stopped to meet Charlie. If we had been selling tickets for a chance to win Charlie we would have raised a million dollars!

charlie's first day of school!

2009-08-19T18:54:00.000-07:00

I was on facebook tonight and I got tickled at everyone posting picture's of their kids first day of school...SOOO, I decided to dress up Charlie in his "school attire". I have been waiting to post a picture of one of his new ties and this is the perfect time! So, If Charlie had gone to school today, this is what he would have worn :)

vote for charlie!

2009-08-09T13:29:00.000-07:00

Friends, Charlie needs YOUR vote! We have entered him in the Top Dogs of Arkansas online contest that is going on now. Round 1 started last week - you can vote up to 3 times a day for the next 3 weeks. Charlie says thank you!

- Go to arkansasonline.com/pets and search "charlie"
- He is entered in 3 categories: "cutest pet", "spoiled rotten" and "fat & lazy" (pictures below)

charlie goes to work!

2009-08-05T16:25:00.000-07:00

I took Charlie to work with me this afternoon. He usually lays on the floor but today I turned around from my desk and this is what I saw. All he needs now is the TV remote :)

charlie's new wardrobe

2009-06-18T18:30:00.000-07:00

On a quick shopping trip to Hobby Lobby the other day I discovered the bandana (or necktie as we like to call them) aisle. They a have every color and so many styles to choose from! Needless to say, I went a little crazy! Here is what I came home with and Charlie is already sporting a new one with his new "summer cut" :)

charlie can't swim :(

2009-06-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

so.....I have some sad news. I thought since Charlie is a GOLDEN doodle that he would be a good swimmer. Well, not so much. We went over to swim at Ashely's last night and Charlie would not get in the water. He liked to lay down and drink the water but would not get in - in the meantime, Blake is doing cannonballs in the pool! That boy is a swimmer!! So, I get in the water and try to get Charlie to jump in - nothing happens. Me and Ashley then pull him but he gets out of the water as soon as he could and run as far away from the pool as possible. Maybe we will be investing in swimming lessons or maybe one of these?? So we have concluded that Charlie has way more doodle in him than we thought :)

charlie's big weekend plans

2009-06-04T07:51:00.001-07:00

Charlie recently got an invitation in the mail to for his cousin's birthday party! The invitation is so cute! The picture is sort of hard to read so the text is below. He is so excited!! His cousin is Blake, a black lab who is Joe (Robert's brother) and Ashley's dog. The party is this Saturday at Gulley Park. Charlie can't wait - in the meantime I am on the look out for the perfect necktie for Charlie to wear to his first dog party!!!! Stay tuned for pictures from the paw-ty!

Calling all paw-ty animals!

Please join us for a tail waging fun time to celebrate Blake's 2nd Birthday

Dogggone goodtime from 3 - 5pm (Humans Optional)

June 6th at Gulley Park

Yappy Hour and Treats

If rain should damper our paw-ty, hop on over to my cousin Charlie's house!

margarita's and neckties

2009-05-31T16:54:00.000-07:00

I'm still playing catchup with Charlie's latest adventures! A few weeks ago, while we were preparing for the Grand Slam Party, I went to La Huerta with Meredith and Elizabeth to have one margarita. Charlie was at the groomer (which is very close to La Huerta) and he was going to be ready in about 30 minutes so to kill some time we went to have a much needed margarita! Well, we had one and then of course another and then we decided we wanted to have another but in the meantime Rhonda at Rover Oaks called to tell me that Charles (that is what she calls him, she just LOVES him!) was ready.....soooo.....I asked the waitress if they allowed dogs on the patio and she said, "si, just bring him through the back gate". I don't think they had any clue how big he is, sooooo..I go pick up Charlie and I told Rhonda that we were going to La Huerta for margarita's! She probably wonders what kind of mother I really am?! sooooo...we take charlie to la huerta (through the back gate)...you should have seen some of the looks that we got! Charlie is always so thirsty when he leaves the groomer so I asked for a "bowl" of water and here is what we got!
When I picked up Charlie this past Thursday, Rhonda asked me if Charles was going to La Huerta!! I love this bandana (or neck tie as Robert calls them) that he has on.

On Saturday, I had to run a few errands and of course Target was on my list. I always check out the dollar spot when I first walk in. This week they have a section of DOG items. Sooooo...I picked up a few happy's for Charlie. He got a margarita chew toy (which is already destroyed) and 2 neckties! We went over to the Champlins to cook out Saturday night so I decided that he should wear one of his new neckties. The first picture is the necktie that Robert wanted him to wear, but Charlie insisted on wearing the other:) I thought it was most approriate for a summer evening! Charlie has BIG weekend plans so stay tuned for details!

charlie visits the fam's

2009-05-27T20:31:00.001-07:00

SO, we have had a BUSY couple of months. I am WAY behind on my blogging that I don't really know where to start. In between Charlie's mom being very busy with 2 fundraisers, back and forth to LR of course and a couple of trips to FC and a trip to El Dorado the time has flown by!

This past weekend we went to El Dorado for Memorial Day weekend. Robert's cousins LOVE Charlie!! They came over for crawfish on Saturday night and followed Charlie everywhere. Of course, Caroline wanted to ride him, so what did we do?! We let her and Charlie didn't mind one bit! Here are a few pictures of Charlie with Caroline and Suzannah...so cute!
I had to post these pictures! Me and Robert went to FC a few weekends ago. My mom and I had a Cosmos and Cupcakes party for my friend Lindsay who is getting married later this summer. It was of course pouring down rain the day of the party. During the party, Robert, Charlie, my dad and my parents dog, Maddie went out to my brother's house. We knew it was bad when they called and said that Charlie had cut Maddie off and she went in the POOL and we should bring some extra towels, but I never guessed this is what I would find when we arrived:) He RAN out to the car and I didn't even recognize him! POOR CHARLIE!!!

charlie goes to school, new haircut and march madness!

2009-03-22T16:55:00.000-07:00

Charlie has had a busy past couple of days! We took off to Little Rock on Thursday after work and after Charlie got a new DO! He went to the groomer and got 2 inches cut off! He was getting a little shaggy and with the weather getting warmer it was time for a trim - more like Charlie got a crew cut! He looks so handsome!!

On Friday, we drove over to Brinkley so mom(or as Charlie calls her - Coco) could show off Charlie to all of her children at her school. She had told them all that she had a surprise for them and was she right! The kids went CRAZY! All we heard all day was - "that's a big dog!", "can we ride him?!", "he looks like a horse!" Charlie was on his very best behavior and let every child pet him. I posted a few pictures from his visit to the school!

Charlie has been busy watching basketball all weekend. Every time Robert and I would leave the house, we would leave it on the basketball tournament for him to watch - of course, that called for a new bandanna - one with BASKETBALLS!

Charlie has not felt very good today and has a few accidents around the house. We hope he gets better before we get in the car and head back to Fayetteville in the am or that could make for an interesting trip:)

Charlie looking so handsome with his new do and b-ball bandanna!
Charlie with his Coco

one lucky dog!

2009-03-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

Charlie is ready for a night on Dickson and some green beer (water)!

dude's weekend

2009-03-10T13:57:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, I had plans to go to Hot Springs to celebrate one of my best friends, Ashley's 25th birthday. Good thing this blog is all about CHARLIE because that would have been an interesting post! We had a great time, but I just can't recover like I use too.

SOOO....Charlie got to spend the entire weekend with Robert and I don't know who was more excited - Charlie or Robert! I was not so excited at first and was so upset to tell both of my boys tata for the weekend! BUT, they had the absolute BEST time. Robert got to show off Charlie to all of his friends and family in El Dorado. One of his friends referred to Charlie as the "Ferrari of dogs" because EVERYONE wants to see Charlie!! I posted a few pictures from Sunday when we reunited!

Charlie got groomed on Friday and I was so upset that I forgot to grab his Shamrock Bandana sooooo..Robert let Charlie wear this one and it was GREEN!

Boys will be boys! MOM...are we home yet!?! Charlie has a habit of getting in the front seat just about when we get to 540. This time, he laid his head on the dashboard, feet on the floor and booty in the seat. He is so SILLY!

just another day in Charlie's world..

2009-02-24T12:53:00.001-08:00

Last night my old roomie from college, Kelly, was in town for work and she spent the night with me and Charlie. It was her first time to see him and the first words out of her mouth were....."good gosh, he is HUGE" Charlie liked Kelly so much and had his head in her lap in no time! We were watching the Bachelor last night and Charlie really got into it as well. Here is a picture....we think he likes Melissa, but maybe it's Molly:) He literally stared at the TV for a good 15 minutes or so and kept moving his head around following the show...we were laughing so hard!

Charlie was soo tired last night and I got this picture of him sound asleep on his bed. We had a busy weekend - we went to Little Rock and Robert and me took him to the dog park on Sunday. He LOVED it! We even met a labradoodle named Charlie and there was a blond poodle that followed Charlie all around! We will defintitely be going back to the dog park - everyone that was there with their pets were so friendly and they had big bowls of water for the dogs and of course little bags for when they go poop! It was sort of funny - all of the dog owners were chit chatting and talking about different obedience schools and what toys their dogs like to play with and which ones last the longest, etc...as if they were real children:)

charlie is...

2009-02-16T16:41:00.000-08:00

BAD TO THE BONE! I love this bandanna!!! We went for a walk when I got home from work today and when we got home, I gave Charlie a good brushing and changed out his bandanna for the week. He will be sporting this one until it gets close to St. Patrick's Day:) I had the best luck (and the best time) at Hobby Lobby a few weeks ago picking out some new threads for Charlie!

thank you from charlie...

2009-02-09T14:03:00.001-08:00

I had to share the thank you card I made to send to my parents. They kept Charlie last weekend while Robert and I were out of town for a wedding. Everyone that knows me, knows that I love sending notes. I was going to send them a note from me and then I decided it would be more personal to send it from CHARLIE!!!

catch up on charlie!

2009-01-28T08:42:00.000-08:00

WOW! It has been nearly a month since we last posted. I can't believe it is almost February. Where did January go?!?

Here are some quick updates on Charlie...

His true personality is really coming out and he is so comfortable with me and Robert. He is the most loving dog ever and loves to cuddle up with his mom and dad! We love how he lays his head in our lap. We tell people that Charlie thinks he is a lap dog!

We have also gotten into a normal routine during the week. Here is how it goes: my alarm goes off, Charlie IMMEDIATELY wakes up, my alarm goes off again, Charlie put's his head on my shoulder and nudges me to wake up! We get up and I fix Charlie's food and he eats while I take a shower. Then, if it's not to cold, he gets some fresh air on the balcony while I get dressed. When I'm almost ready to leave, we go downstairs and he goes outside and does his business and comes right back in. He gets a treat and goes straight to the couch! Of course, I have already turned on the Disney Channel for him. "Be a good boy, Charlie" and I'm out the door!

Charlie has had many play dates with his friend Clarence in the past few weeks. It's so funny to watch them play because Clarence is so small versus Charlie! Here are a few pics...

In the last few weeks, we made our first trip to the vet. Charlie goes to Dr. Smith at Stanton Animal Clinic. I highly recommend them and I will tell you more why later. We went in for Charlie's yearly shots. Dr. Smith told us that we really lucked out with Charlie. She could not get over how good he is. He just laid on the floor while she gave him his shots. He does have a yeast infection in his ears, but she said that is common in both poodles and retrievers so it's really common in goldendoodles. We have a cleanser that we use each night and they are getting much better! Also, for all you wondering, Charlie weighs 84 pounds! The vet said he is really big for a goldendoodle:)

We also had a scare recently and this is why we love Dr. Smith so much. We went to Little Rock last weekend. I had gone to have lunch with my old roomie and when I came home Charlie was (of course!) so happy to see his momma and was jumping all around! THEN, he had a BIG SNEEZE and blood starting flowing out of his nose! I went into panic mode and got him to the kitchen floor with towels to stop the bleeding. I called his vet and told them what was happening. Dr. Smith called me back within 10 minutes and told me to put a damp rag on his nose and if it doesn't stop bleeding we would need to bring him in. Well, one problem we were in LR, so she was so nice to give us a vet in LR to call if need be. Luckliy, it quit after 30 minutes or so and we didn't see anymore blood after that. We took him in when we got back to Fayetteville and blood count was great! She said he must have just sneezed so hard his burst a blood vessel!

Charlie smelled really bad a few weekends ago. I'm not even go to describe how bad it was. But, he was already scheduled to go to the groomer on Thursday and this was on a Sunday and there was no way we were waiting! So, what did we do!? We gave Charlie a bath! That was quite the experience. Thank goodness Robert was here that weekend or I don't know what I would have done! We filled up the big bath tub with water and lifted him in. At first, he did not like it and JUMPED right out! Water was everywhere....so attempt #2, we get him in, I pet his head and say "good boy, charlie!" while Robert bathed him. I think I got the better end of the deal:) We were laughing so hard because Charlie's legs are SO skinny when his hair is wet. POOR CHARLIE, he was not very happy that I was taking pictures! I can't get my pictures uploaded so I will post that one later.

To wrap up the month and this post, an ice storm has hit NWA! Over 50,000 people are without power, but we have lucked out so far. Many of our friends and Charlie's friends came over last night. Charlie loves playing with Blake and Dizzy, but he is not to sure of going out to use the bathroom on the ice! After we got in bed last night, we loss power until about 4am this morning. I was so glad to have Charlie laying right by my side all night to keep me warm!

We are hoping the weather gets better soon because Charlie has big weekend plans! Robert and I are going to Dallas to one of his friends' weddings, so my mom is coming to pick up Charlie on Friday in Little Rock and bringing him back to us on Sunday. Here are some pictures from Christmas that my mom sent me. Charlie loves playing with Maddie! I hope Charlie is on his best behavior for his grandparents!

merry merry from charlie...

2008-12-29T19:38:00.001-08:00

We are a little late with our latest post, but we have been in a whirlwind since last weekend! Robert came to visit us before we trecked out on our Christmas journey and we had the best time - Charlie even helped himself to a bag of homeade sugar cookies while we were at dinner one night, but thank goodness he didn't get sick:) Charlie has done so good the past week or so but I on the other hand forgot to charge the camera and the battery went dead very soon after our trip began! I have a few pics to post but my mom is sending me a few more.

We started our holiday in El Dorado with Robert and his family. Charlie loved seeing Rhi, Robert's blue heeler, but she is very old and doesn't like to play very much so he enjoyed the peace and quiet before we headed to Forrest City on Christmas Eve. We were so excited that Maddie remembered Charlie! She was so happy to see us pull up in the drive way - they played and ran the whole time we were home! We are happy to report that our Christmas tree remained standing and no valuables were broken just a few pictures in the hall were left a little dismantled from the herd running up and down the hall:)

Charlie also got to make a trip to the "big city" that is better known as Memphis! He got to meet some more of our family friends, Ann, Annie P, and Mary and of course, everyone LOVED Charlie! We also took Charlie to Ann's house to run around in the backyard and tend to his business! We think he was a little nervous at Margaret's so we wanted to give him some time in the backyard:) I think Charlie's favorite part about the "big city" was sleeping at Margaret's because we slept in a king size bed. To bring you up to speed, Charlie has been sleeping in the bed with me so he was very excited about getting to stretch out in the big bed! Another favorite of the big city, was picking up bar-b-que to take back to the family in Forrest City. We put it in the trunk, but Charlie knew something was in there that smelled yummy to him - he went crazy sniffing for it!

We have now made our trek back west and our spending a few days in Little Rock at Robert's before going back to NWA for New Year's and his Mom's birthday. We hope Charlie remembers:)

Santa brought Charlie a big bed (it even has his name on it!) from Orvis and we put it together for him last night, but the real bed was more comfy to him:) We went for a long walk this morning and he came in and flopped right down on his bed - we know he will love it when we get settled back in Fayetteville. Here are a few pics from the holiday. We want to thank all of our family for hosting us this past week - we had the best holiday ever and our looking forward to many many more! Here is to a great 2009! love you all!

a busy saturday...

2008-12-13T16:23:00.000-08:00

Charlie had so much fun today! While I knocked out some Christmas shopping, he went to play with Clarence. Clarence is a small black lab and is so cute! I'm so thankful for the many friends we have with dogs so that they can play together while I'm at work or need to run lots of errands. When I went to pick up Charlie today, I forgot the backseat was full of presents, so Charlie had to ride in the front seat! I was laughing out loud at him because he looked just like a real person sitting in the seat - his head hits the ceiling! He also loves hanging his head out the window too! Here are a few pictures....He is now snoozing!

My mom sent me some pictures she had taken from Thanksgiving. The other dog is Maddie, their German Shepard. Maddie and Charlie love playing with each other! We hope our Christmas tree is still standing after we arrive next week:)

Charlie LOVES the TV! TOO much turkey:)

charlie goes to work!

2008-12-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

We have had a busy week! I had a visitor at work one afternoon and he had so much fun! I even decked him out in his very own Pagnozzi cap!

The weather has been icky and cold this week but today the sun was shining so Charlie went to play with his new friend, Winnie, to get some fresh air! She is a black golden doodle about half Charlie's size but they play so well together. As soon as we got home Charlie went right to sleep! I found him under the Christmas Tree! I told him to rest up because tomorrow he is going to play with Clarence while I do my Christmas shopping. Robert went to El Dorado this weekend and we miss him already! We can't wait to see him one week from today!!

oh charlie...

2008-12-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

I have been a bad mother and have not yet posted his pictures from Thanksgiving, but they will be coming soon. We have been super busy since getting back to Fayetteville on Monday. Charlie has done really well in the house while I'm at work. I leave the Disney Channel on for him and he seems very content. No accidents except for he tried to get into Allison's bagels but we figured that he didn't like them because they were whole wheat:) We have seen Ashley and Blake several nights this week and Blake and Charlie love running around together. When I came home yesterday I found Charlie on the couch! Here are a few pictures....you will notice we have a tree up but no ornaments yet, wondering how Charlie will do first....

let our travels begin...

2008-11-26T07:12:00.001-08:00

Well, we have been very busy the past few days and Charlie has been on his best behavior! (Get ready, this a long post!) I needed to go into work for a few hours before I left town for the holidays so I left Charlie alone in the house for the first time. He did SO well - no accidents and everything was all in one piece when I returned home. Charlie really likes hanging out on the balcony off of my bedroom - here are a few pictures that I took Monday morning before I went to work.

We began packing our bags (yes, charlie has his own overnight bag too!) We packed his food, treats, his leash and what was left a hotdog squeeze toy and his chicken too. Charlie likes to follow me everywhere I go - so he made as many trips down the stairs as I did. We were soon all packed - even had to give the car a good cleaning to make room for my stuff and Charlie too and we were off on our journey! It was Charlie's first time to ride in my car and he loved hanging his head out the window!!

We made it to Little Rock with NO accidents - yea! Charlie slept the entire time. Charlie was a little confused when we got to Robert's but he was wagging his tail in no time! We also learned a few new things about Charlie on our first visit to Robert's. One, we learned that Charlie WILL get on the couch. We decided that it is because there is more room on Robert's couch for Charlie. We also learned that Charlie will chew on things other than his toys. He chewed a belt loop off of a pair of Robert's pants - So we know what Charlie will be getting Robert for Christmas:) We also learned that when we leave Charlie in the car to run into the grocery store he likes to move to the front seat! I was laughing historically when I got back to the car on a quick trip to Kroger. We said our goodbyes and parted ways for the Thanksgiving holiday. Charlie was so sad to leave Robert and we think a little confused too - where am I going now?!

On the way out of town, we stopped at Fresh Market to pick up steaks and shrimp to take to his grandparent's - when I got back to the car there was a man putting grocery's in his car and he said, "mam, I have to tell you, when I walked by your car I thought to myself, wow, that kid needs a haircut!" That kid is Charlie! Charlie will not be getting a haircut anytime soon - we love his big fluffy, curly hair!

We made our journey over to Forrest City (yea, no accidents!) but it was a little tricky introducing Charlie to my parent's german shepard, Maddie. Charlie was VERY calm, but Maddie went CRAZY! Barking and jumping everywhere! We let them sniff each other and Maddie finally calmed down. Charlie has had a few accidents in the house, but we know Maddie just scared him (or that is what I'm thinking). They have been running all around the house and it sounds like a herd of cows but all is good. My parents also have a cat that Charlie has been trying to find. The cat likes to hide behind the tv - she will probably not come out until we leave on Saturday, but Charlie has enjoyed looking at her - the picture is below.

meeting charlie..

2008-11-23T17:35:00.000-08:00

YEA! We have Charlie and he is a so much bigger than he looked in his pictures but he is our new best friend!! We made the trip to Branson to pick up Charlie and meet his owner Erin. She was so sweet and even sent us with his leash and some of his favorite toys. He was a little hesitant at first to get in the truck, but after some lifting we got him settled. I rode in the back with him and it was to much surprise that when we both sit up he is SO much taller than me and his head almost hit the ceiling! Erin told us that the drive to Branson was the longest he had ever ridden in a car so we headed straight back to Fayetteville. We did very well until we were about 20 minutes away when Charlie had his first accident. Luckily, Robert had put some towels on the backseat.

We got home and Charlie walked all over the house checking out his new crib! We found out that Charlie's collar and bed that we had bought was not BIG enough, so we will be making another trip to PetSmart! Charlie is such a big and loving dog and is so soft!! He did very well and just laid on the floor all afternoon watching football with Robert - I think the ride wore both of them out, they were snoozing after no time! Charlie is so well-mannered. He doesn't get on the furniture or even drink out of the toilet.

Last night a big group of our friends got together for a Thanksgiving party. We took Charlie with us and he even got to meet his new doggie friends, Blake and Clarence. They had the best time playing in the back yard! We just know Charlie is going to be a social butterfly like his mom and dad! We all had a great time at the party and Charlie slept all night! He laid by the bed and didn't budge all night!

Here are a few pictures from our first day with Charlie. We have a big week ahead of us - Little Rock tomorrow and Forrest City the rest of the week for the holiday. We can't wait to see how it all goes:)

Charlie checking out his new toys and bed - the bed is a little small for charlie, but he has been using it as a pillow and he has already pulled the squeaker out of one of his chew toys too:)

Yes - Charlie is much taller than me when he sits up in the car!

it's official!!

2008-11-21T20:08:00.000-08:00

Well....it's true. Tomorrow at 10am, Robert and I are going to become dog owners! For the past few months, we have had a serious craving for a puppy and tomorrow that dream is coming true. We are not getting a puppy, but a 75 pound golden doodle named Charlie who is just over a year old. Long story short, my mom received an email a few weeks back from her cousin who knew of a family needing to find a home for Charlie. As soon as we opened the picture we were in love with him! He looks just so darn loving and cute, how could we not resist!? So, I got in contact with the owner the very next day and it was a done deal. We decided to wait 2 weeks to give them a little more time to say goodbye to Charlie and we set the date - November 22nd, 10am in Branson to meet our new four-legged friend and to for a new chapter in our life to begin!

We have been doing the normal things to prepare for our furry friend - trips to PetSmart and PetCo, checking out doggie daycares, and I even checked out Charlie's crate for myself! We have all the essentials - dog food, dog bowl, chew toys, and even an overnight bag for when we go see Robert in Little Rock. We are keeping our fingers crossed that Charlie likes to ride in the car:)

We will post pictures soon of our new friend...countdown has begun...less than 12 hours!