Welcome to the wide world of Newfie!

You read it right…I celebrated a burpday yesterday! Yes, this time it was really my burpday and not Mackenzie’s. I turned 4 years old. Can you believe it? Mom and dad said it’s almost a miracle I survived this long. The first year I was especially crazy…but apparently I have calmed way down so I’m not going to get shipped off to Abu Dhabi like Nermal. Remember that little guy from Garfield? Before my time, I know.

Things that have happened to me in the last year:

• I got my first weekly blogging gig on No Ordinary Homestead called Ayla’s Thoughts. You’re reading it now so thanks for the support!! Before I would only blog here and there…and even when I had my own blog, Mom was still doing most of the talking. But apparently I proved that I can be just as cool if not cooler than she is and I’m happy to keep up the hard work!
• I perfected my plastic surgeon skills on Dino the stuffed dinosaur after he returned from a very long hiatus in the attic. I bet you never thought you’d see a dog that could perform liposuction, did you? In case you worry about Dino, he is in fact still with us…just very limp and skinny now.
• I had some awesome play-dates Mani and a really cool one with Dexter at the new dog beach. And of course I can’t forget my first play sessions with Mackenzie either!
• I finally got to experience some real snow…and learn to respect it deeply. I hear we’re going on one more winter wonderland vacation in a few weeks and I sure hope my rumored doggie booties have been made by then so I can keep the ice out of my toes. Ouch!
• I also was terrorized by cardboard and I swear to you that I still have nightmares about that thing coming to get me.

It’s been a great year, even though we didn’t really travel anywhere too special. But I have to admit that I love staying home where everything is familiar and I don’t have to worry about missing out on the latest gossip either. You have no idea how much pee-mail builds up when you leave for just a few days!

As if it was fate, I got to play with my best bud Maya yesterday who celebrated her 4th birthday on February 17th! Happy belated birthday Maya!! I heard she got fed spaghetti bolognese all day by her humans. That was not on the menu here but I did get some very nice bones and I always get something special in my dinner bowl so I guess I can’t complain. Some of us dogs just have it good. 😉

I’m looking forward to a year of many more hand-fed treats from Mackenzie during brushing sessions (the brushing I hate but the treats make is just slightly bearable) and hope that it will not be discovered that I’m getting a bit chunky. I’m not ready to go on a diet and I’m telling you that I really don’t get all that much food during the day. I could easily eat twice as much if they would give it to me…stingy humans, trying to tell me they are watching out for my health as they hoard my food. BOL! (That’s Barking Out Loud for those of you not hip to doggie speak.)

Newfie kisses to all!

Ayla