Ryan's back!!

Ryan came home Saturday...thank goodness! I needed him home badly, for my sanity's sake. As soon as he came through the door Haley yells out, "We're a real family again!!!". Well said.

Not much went on this weekend. Sunday morning I was able to take Etta out, Jeff came with me. There's this great spot out by Provo airport, it's a dirt road that goes forever right along Utah lake. Etta can run free and I can practice training her somewhere other than our backyard. Plus it's pretty quite so she doesn't get distracted as easily. Right now I'm still working on the command "come" (she knows sit and stay pretty well now). She knows "come" by my calling the command and by the whistle but I want her to learn using only my hand signals...she's having trouble with that one. Anyway, eventually I'll need a field to practice in. My neighborhood is surrounded by fields, one after another, but all are fenced with "No Trespassing" signs. But on Sunday, Jeff and I spotted two pheasant hunters in a field hunting with their dogs. PERFECT! It turns out you have to be a member of the hunting club to go onto the field, but the owner said that I could use it any time to work with my dog. So I'm pretty relieved...I found a perfect spot super close to where I live.

In other news...It's amazing what school can do for your kids. They're like little sponges, taking everything in even when you think they aren't listening. The other day I was fixing the girls' their lunch when Haley started singing...I know what's new there, she's always singing! But then I started listening and realized she was singing the months of the year...in order, starting from January to December!!! Wow! But then when I asked her to do it for Ryan when he came home she absolutely refused...I haven't heard her do it since. But then she has never done anything on command, she has always done things her way. But I was pretty impressed to say the least!