Jenn and Bella

These are a few pictures that Arline took of me and my "other girl".

Bella's Graduation

She did it! Bella graduated from obedience training. Does this mean that she has great manners? Nope! I means that she is completely house-trained. She has overcome a few bad habits, and she learned a few tricks along the way. However, she is still quite nervous around other animals....so she has embarked on a new journey. She goes to Doggy Day Camp one day each week. Her trainer said that she needed to figure out that she was a _ _ _, and that socializing her would help out a lot. She
LOVES it! She has made friends with a beagle named Brody and they have the best time playing together. The kids think it's really cool that Bella goes to camp!

Bella's Easter Surprise

Bella awoke to a nice surprise Easter morning! She had her very own basket filled with _ _ _ treats and toys. (You must remember that she does not really know that she is a _ _ _.) She knew exactly which basket was hers.

We let her chose which treat she wanted to enjoy Easter morning. She chose the chewy granola bone. As soon as we gave it to her....she took off and hid under Jason's chair. She feels hidden under there! I also think she enjoys some peace and quite sometimes! It is safe to say that they all four had some nice surprises from the Easter Bunny.

Our Growing Bella

Just a few recent pictures of Bella. This girl is growing so fast. She is a real handful but we love her! She had surgery this week. The morning of the surgery the boys were a little upset that she was no longer going to be able to be a "momma dog" - meaning she could not have puppies. I kinda blew it off and told them that it was gonna be okay. That evening after we picked up Bella from the vet, Jackson said, "Mom, what did Bella's doctor say that her puppies looked like?". After many more questions from him - Jason and I realized that he thought Bella already had puppies in her tummy and the vet was taking them out of Bella and giving them to another Mom dog. No wonder he was so upset that morning. After we explained that there were no puppies yet, he felt much better. My sweet Jackson!

Forever Friends

Is is safe to say that these two will be forever friends? Jase was resting in the dining room floor (what a strange place to rest) when Bella came and decided to try and grab some ZZZZZZ's too! How sweet!

Bella

These are some recent pictures of Bella. She is growing so quickly. She went to the Veternarian last week for a check up and shots and she is up to a whopping 16 pounds. We are not quite to the 20 pounds that the vet had hoped for - but we are well on our way. We think she will be around 80 pounds at maturity. Oh goodness - we all are crazy about her! She is so much work - kinda like having a new baby in the house, but we all agree she's worth it!

Gracie and Bella

Here's Gracie and her new playmate - Bella. These two have the most fun each day. I actually feel sorry for Bella, Gracie drives her crazy. The other day, I heard lots of barking going on in the living room and so I go in there to find Bella trapped in the crate and Gracie was barking. She said that she was talking to Bella. She always says "that Bella is too shy to talk - so she just sparks". Gracie has learned to "spark" and sounds just like Bella. She's so cute! Because Gracie watched Jason and I follow Bella around the house constantly when we were house training her - she feels that she has to do the same. Then very loudly from somewhere else in the house - Gracie will yell "Bella's snipping!". That means that Bella is sniffing and she might need to go outside now. Needless to say, Gracie thinks that she is the _ _ _ trainer in the family. I have to spell out _ _ _, because Bella doesn't realize that she is a _ _ _! Shhh! Don't tell her any different! She thinks that she is the youngest of the Tatum children!

Welcome Home, Bella!

Let me introduce you to the newest member of our little family, this is Bella. After many years of begging for a puppy, Jason and I thought that it was the perfect time for our kiddos to have a little furry friend to love. I have researched, talked to friends that are puppy owners and I even spoke with two different veterinarians. Jason and I wanted to make sure that we picked the puppy that would be just right for our family. After lots of opinions, we took the vets advice and decided on a Labrador Retriever. After even more research and many phone calls, we were led to super nice Christan lady in Azle, Texas. This is where we found Bella. From the first moment we saw her, we were all attached. She already has a special place in all of our hearts. With that being said, we're so glad that she is now a part of our family. Welcome Home, Bella!

After a long and noisy ride home, Bella was exhausted. I took her in the back yard hoping that she would go potty - but instead she went straight to sleep.

They next thing I knew, Jase was no where to be found. Guess where I found him? He was watching Bella sleep. Can you imagine how much he loves this little ball of fur?

Could she be our little boy's best friend?

The little girls - Miss Gracie and Miss Bella. These girls are gonna have lots of fun together while the "brudders" are at school. Shhh...don't tell!

All four of the Tatum children - Jase, Jackson, Gracie and Bella. Our little family now feels complete!

Oh my goodness! Look who is already so attached to this little girl! Who would of thought that the ones who were the last to "get on board" would be the first ones to fall for her? Jason and I love her already - even though she kept us up all night! I am sure more sleepless night are on the way!

This is Bella playing with one of her Welcome Home toys! Before going to pick her up, we all went to PETSMART to get all of the "new puppy" necessities. Of course, we had to get Welcome Home gifts. Jase, Jackson and Gracie each picked out something special for her.

This is Bella's very first bath. The breeder told us that she was probably ready for one. You all know me, I am a believer in baths! So at the end of a long day I gave her one. I think she did great considering she had such a large audience. Good Girl, Bella!


After she was all clean, she decided to take a little nap in Jackson's lap. Of course he loved it! He said to me "Mom, Bella smells so cute!". He is so funny and he is tickled to have her!

After a long day Bella drifted off to sleep in her crate. Bella loves her crate. The boys couldn't stand the idea of leaving her alone so , after they took their showers they went into the study and watched her sleep for awhile. They LOVE her so much! Night~Night Bella!