and then there were 5

Let's start out by going back 14 years !! Toward the end of the year we took a trip to WV to see the Christmas lights at Oglebay Resort - they have a beautiful set-up !!! On the way back home the next day we stopped at a flea market off I-71 between Columbus and Cincy (who doesn't love a good flea market). So we're walking around this HUGE place (this flea market has multiple buildings plus outside vendors !!! and I see someone has pups for sale, well they were rat terriers and I had no interest in an ankle biter so we just walked past and continued looking around. A few minutes later hubby walked up to me and said "Did you see that lab/chow pup back there?" Umm no they were all rat terriers - he told me I should go back and look. Well all by itself was this adorable black furry puppy (I didn't pay attention to her earlier because I just figured she was the mother of all those puppies). 6 months old, black lab/chow - she had the black tongue of a chow and the furry curled tail of a chow. They wanted $50 !! Nope can't afford it - so I haggled with them (good thing I listened to my mom all the times she dragged me to garage sales hahaha) and by the time I got back to the van, I had a puppy, a bed, a kennel, leash, collar - well my husband and my youngest son just stood there ... HEY you're the one that told me to go back and check her out !!

Shadow at about 4 yrs old

Fast forward to 2013 - I knew Shadow was getting on in her years so I started searching for another puppy. Hubby just rolled his eyes !!! After about a month or so of me sending him pictures with comments like OHHHH ISN'T THIS ONE CUTE ..... OHHHH I WANT THIS ONE !! He took it upon himself to start looking for a puppy for me (as he didn't want to come home one day after work and have an ankle biter greet him (little did he know I didn't want a small dog). So on New Years Day he said COME ON we're going for a ride - where .... oh you'll see ! About 1 1/2 - 2 hours later we arrived at a house and were greeted at the door - she showed us into their family room and on the floor were two of the cutest little white fluffy puppies you could ever imagine !!! WELLL I sat on the floor for half an hour and couldn't decide which I liked the most all the while hubby was in the kitchen wheeling and dealing with the mother and her son - when we left we each had a puppy in our arms !!

This was a few months after bringing the girls home - Sassy and Sadie with Shadow - the vanilla oreo cookie !!

Another year went by and I was on facebook looking at the "for sale" items in one of the local groups and someone had posted they knew of an adult grt pyr that needed adopted OMG ... really !! and it's local !!! So I sent the lady a msg and found out this dog was literally down the street from us. Two weeks later we went down and met with the husband and he took us out back to show us the dog. He was beautiful - but I also found out that when I bent down to hold his head and almost had my hand taken off - that he has a terrible ear infection and doesn't like being touched ! We took him home right then and there ...contacted the vet (found out they use the same vet as we do) and once the guy gave his permission to have the vet records transferred over to my name - that the poor dog hasn't been treated for an ear infection in years !!!

Meet Sampson (Sam) - he is the best boy one could ask for.

Fast forward a year ... while looking on a grt pyr group on facebook I noticed someone had grt pyr/st bernard puppies for sale IN OHIO no less :) I talked and talked to I was blue in the face and kept getting the same answer - 4 dogs are enough. So I pouted (you know, lower lip stuck out, sad looking eyes) and YES it worked !!! In October on the way home from a conference in Louisville, KY we stopped at the ladies house and brought "smudge" home :)

Yes folks - Smudge really was this tiny !!!

Smudge looking over his territory !

and then there were 5 - 5 wonderful 4 legged creatures (oh can't forget the 2 cats !! )

Mr. Sugar (cat) playing with one of our foster dogs

Miss Ellie was "gifted" to me when my daughter and her fiance moved to FL

We're also fostered several pups/dogs over the last few years - no we don't have any livestock, our property is to small so I make it up by having HUGE dogs instead !!! Sad thing is at least with a horse their manure can be put to good use hahaha

Please follow, upvote and resteem!
Thanks to all my followers and to everyone that upvotes and resteems my posts.
Thank you for all of your support. Every little bit helps on our homestead.
Hope everyone has a great day.
Please Upvote, Resteem, and Reply down below! Thank you!

Find Us ALL Over!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/c/twofamilyhomestead
E-mail [email protected]
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/twofamilyhomestead/
Steemit https://steemit.com/@twofamilyhomestead
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/twofamilyhomestead/
Twitter https://www.instagram.com/twofamhome/
Blog https://www.wholesomeroots.org
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/twofamilyhomestead/

There is also a great on Facebook now too! Homesteading on Steemit https://www.facebook.com/groups/348897942197243/?ref=bookmarks

Badge by @allforthegood!