Roxy

May is a big month for us with our anniversary (2nd), Kyle's birthday and Mother's Day (both on the 12th), and Alexa's birthday (16th).  Kyle got a sitter for our anniversary and we went out to a yummy Italian restaurant called Gloria's Little Italy, where they make homemade noodles and sauce that are to die for.

Kyle told me how rough it was to have to share his birthday with Mother's Day as a kid, and I could tell that he wasn't all that excited for it as an adult either, so we kind of split it up.  He took me to the Golden Corral breakfast buffet on Saturday as an early Mother's Day celebration.  All the breakfast food you can eat -- good plan.  He also made me breakfast on Mother's Day, but he got to pick dinner.  My big surprise for his birthday was a dog!  He's been wanting one for years, and I thought this summer might actually work.  I looked at a bunch of shelters in the area, and finally found a good dog at a shelter up in Park City.  Side note: whenever I would talk about Park City in front of Alexa (on the phone, etc.), she would get all excited and run to get her shoes so we could go to the park!  Haha.  Anyway, I went up on Saturday afternoon and got the dog, and then kept her overnight at a friend's house here in Orem on Saturday (THANK YOU, Jeff & Kim!).  I then went over early Sunday morning (before their sprinklers went off :) and picked her up to hide her in our backyard.  Kyle and I were in the kitchen and all the sudden she started barking in the backyard.  Kyle looked at me with huge, wide eyes and I immediately opened a cupboard and hid behind it.  I told him that he had to close his eyes, and then led him and Alexa out to meet our new dog.

Bringing her home from the shelter

She's a 3 year-old chocolate lab named Roxy, and she's great!  Already housetrained, will obey simple commands like "sit" and "stay," she's a good running partner, and great with kids and other dogs.  She immediately knocked Alexa over because she was so excited, but it hasn't happened again.  Alexa took a little while to warm up to her--she would get really excited and run up to her but then get scared and run back and try to hide behind us.  I started moving so Alexa couldn't hide behind me :).  She does great now, and loves to throw Roxy her ball or rope, feed her, sit on her, and give her kisses.  Roxy is the first thing she asks for every morning.  Roxy even kisses Tyler's hand and makes him smile and coo.

Side note--I just caught Alexa brushing Roxy with the grill brush, haha.

dancing with her pups

Roxy had just pulled the rope out of Alexa's hand before she threw it, haha

Video of Kyle and Alexa seeing her for the first time: