Dogsitters, Vacation and Licenses

Our first vacation away from our boys was hard to start.  After having our goodles for about 3 months, this was the first time we'd be away from them for more than a weekend...but Hilton Head was calling us, and the goodles were left behind.  Thankfully, we have a great friend that stepped up to stay with our boys, instead of having to kennel them.  They love their Uncle Pickleman! (thanks a bunch Drew!)  This way, the boys were able to stay in their own home, and keep to a somewhat similar routine/environment while we were away.  (Choco has so much anxiety already, we didn't want to exacerbate it by sending him to a kennel!)  While we were gone, the boys also got to meet a new friend!  Our friend Ryan, who just recently got an 8-week old Golden Retriever (Mollie), brought her over to meet the boys and take a walk together.  Apparently, Jackson had to show her who was boss, but once that was dealt with, everyone got along well. :)

We were really blessed during this vacation with the opportunity to make many stops along the way.  On our way to Hilton Head (where my Grandma Theissen graciously rented houses enough for the entire family), we stopped through Cincinnati, and picked up my fun-loving cousins, Hannah and Makenna and continued our journey to Collegedale.  There we had a blast visiting friends for dinner and hanging out for the evening, and then caravaned with my sister and brother-in-law (Yvonne and Brandon) for the remainder of the trip to Hilton Head.

Let me just say, if you have never been to Hilton Head, it is a must see!  Being our first time there, Jeff and I took ample opportunity to explore the island's miles of bike trails.  We even got my mom and brother-in-law to ride with us one day.  This island is the first place I have ever been aware of, where it is possible to ride a bike on the beach (without any great difficulty! LOL).  The sand is so hard packed along the length of the shoreline, that each day we were able to ride many miles with the ocean next to us.  (We had to be sure that many MORE miles were shaded...so that Jeff's precious skin was protected...but the scenery in the shade was just as beautiful!!!!).  We probably put over 50 miles on our bikes just in the 3 days we rode around, and had a blast doing it.  There's nothing like starting your day on a bike by the ocean.

Theissen Family Photo- Hilton Head Island

Jeff riding on the beach at Hilton Head Island!

After 4 fabulous days of fun in the sun with family, we had to (sadly) move on to North Carolina where I was able to lay by the pool while Jeff did some work in the Sandford, NC branch of his company.  While there, I got to meet some of his extremely friendly and loving co-workers who made me feel right at home!  (And learned that they all LOVE my man...which they should! LOL).

With work behind him, we had another weekend approaching us, and were all too eager to get to see more friends.  Swinging through Virginia on our way home was an awesome way to end our vacation.  The best man from our wedding, Brian, his wife, Amanda, and their little man, Levi, hosted us for the weekend at their lovely place right in the heart of the Shenandoah.  It was awesome to relax with friends and see the area.  Whether touring around Skyline Drive, playing Guitar Hero, or perfecting our Ladderball throws...we had a blast ending our vacation there!  (Its too bad good friends live so far away!)

Jeff and me in Skyline Caverns...this stalagtite looked like melted chocolate...but didn't taste like it! (lol).

Overlook on Skyline Drive

Upon returning home this evening, we were attacked by goodle kisses, hugs, sniffs for a solid 5 minutes!  Jackson was so excited to see us, he could stop running back and forth up and down the hallway, and Choco had his "crazy eyes" on as he showered us with kisses.  (As we started to unpack our stuff and start the loads of laundry, Choco's tail went between his legs, and he needed to be reassured that we were not packing up again...but were home to stay!!!).

Jackson and Choco wearing their presents from Hilton Head Island, The Salty Dog Cafe scarves! 

As if all this excitement wasn't enough, we checked our mail, and found an awesome surprise!  For months now, I have been waiting, in anticipation for all the submitted documents and applications to be approved for my professional counselor license.  Just before I left for vacation, I talked to the State department that handles this, and was told that it would be a while before I heard anything.  Well, I guess my God is bigger than all the rules/regulations/politics of this world...because I received my full license!!!  I am now a LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR!  And the timing couldn't be more perfect!  This will open the doors for many more jobs (and salary increases) for me!!  What a mighty God we serve!  (Just a few months ago, I was under the impression that I was going to have to start this process over from scratch after moving to Michigan...but due to some great co-workers who encouraged me to follow up with the State, I found out that they would accept all my hours gathered in Tennessee!  Thankfully all my former supervisors were more than happy to help sign off on those hours, and just a few months later, I am LICENSED!!!!)

God is good!

Goodle?

What's a goodle?...you might ask...

When Jeff and I were talking about "growing our family"...we both knew that a dog was the first step for us!  After discussing what breeds, we determined that a poodle mix would be best, due to Jeff's allergies, and my desire not to have a shedding dog in the house!  In talking about getting a puppy, we decided that it would probably be best to wait until we had kids, because raising a puppy would take up a lot of time and energy.

The funny thing is, God had different plans.  One night, in February, I was doing my nightly read-thru on Facebook, and discovered that an old college friend was looking for a new home for her two dogs.  They were adorable!  Jeff instantly agreed how cute they were, and we both commented on how cool it would be to have some like that, someday...

After a few days, neither of us could get our minds off the picture, and I found myself going back to that picture a few times a day.  They had captured my heart!  I emailed my friend, and asked if she had found a home for them.  She had not.  She was sad that she couldn't keep them, but life was just getting two busy for a soon-to-be mom of two, and two large dogs.  Jeff and I prayed about it, and began to feel strongly that we were supposed to be the new "forever home" for these boys. 

We had never thought about adopting older dogs, and had always discussed a puppy to start off with.  But the more we thought about it, the more we realized how perfect this was for us, too.  At 2 1/2 and 3 years old, the two dogs were already house-trained, and had been through (most of) the puppy phases.  While we knew that taking on TWO dogs would be an interesting challenge, we knew that they couldn't be separated, because it was obvious that they were buddies in all the pictures that we'd seen. 

So...on March 17, 2011...just one year after being introduced via eHarmony...Jeff and I boarded a plane, headed for Fort Myers, Florida.  Over the next few days, we were introduced to, fell in love with, and drove back to Michigan with our new boys! 

From different litters, but of the same "breed"...these two are joined at the hip!  Their personalities are infectious!  So much energy and love...God knew just what I needed, after having moved away from Tennessee to start our new life in Michigan.  These boys are a blessing to us both, and everyone that meets them falls in love instantly!  We are so glad to have added them to our family! 

The new breed of golden retriver and poodle mixture has been more commonly referred to as the "goldendoodle"... but to us...they are our GOODLES.