Christmas- Part 3

Not only did I get a chance to see my family and friends while I was home over Christmas, I also got to meet my new dog-niece, Brutus! (yes, I agree...Brutus is a rather masculine name for a female dog, but I'll get to that later). She's about 7 months old and is a Beagle/Lab mix. I must admit, my first introduction to my dog-niece was a little overwhelming. It was Saturday morning, my first morning waking up at home and I suddenly had this crazy dog jumping up on me and tearing through the living room. One second she's jumping up on you and literally the next second she's running this crazy course around the living room and down the hall. My dad called those little episodes her "brain farts". However, it didn't take long for me to fall in love with her (and for her to settle down). She's the CUTEST dog and, I have to say, I miss her. We went on a couple of walks on the beach, she chewed on some of my socks, she hung out with me while I ran on the treadmill...good times. Here's a few pictures of Brutus for you to enjoy!

Yes, this really happened. Kyle yelled upstairs and we all thought something really serious had happend. Nope. He'd just figured out how to get Brutus on the treadmill!!

Me and Bruti. Yes, that's the name I've chosen for my dog-niece. It's just not right for a GIRL to be named Brutus. Now, I am all for team pride in supporting the Buckeyes...but, really. SHE'S A GIRL!!!!!!!!! And, if you ask me, some of her "brain farts" stem from her confusion...my dad kept calling her a "him" or "he" all week. SHE'S CONFUSED, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Fortunately she has an aunt who loves her and gave her some girl time. (Also, please notice Kyle's cheezy grin in the background. He cracks me up.)

The day after Christmas, Kyle, mom, Andrea and I were all sitting around that night playing euchre and suddenly realized that we hadn't heard Brutus for a while. That's when we noticed that she'd just hopped up onto the "forbidden" couch to lay down and literally put her little head on the pillow! It was SO cute, and she looked so tired and comfy-cozy...how could you tell a face like that to move?!?! She was one tired puppy (get it?) =)

For any of you who know my dad, we all thought he was a dog-hater. Not true! He definitely liked having Brutus around and Brutus LOVED him. They bonded. In fact, after Kyle and Brutus left on Saturday my dad actually said he missed her! Well, actually, he said "I miss little wingnut". Same difference.

This picture isn't too clear, but you can see Kyle and Brutus pulling away in his Jeep. I included this picture, because it was about this time last year that he got his Jeep and I blogged about it, mentioning that the only thing he needed was a dog to ride along with him. Mission: Accomplished. (on a side note, Kyle said that Brutus was so tired after her busy week with her family that she was asleep about 10 minutes down the road.)