I sure do...

Love him!

Tyler Nikolas Buddy Bendel, our baby.

The AKC, who began recognizing Brittanys in 1934, says the following about Brittanys: "The Brittany is a medium-sized, leggy, dual-purpose dog, equally suited for sport and companionship. According to AKC® Registration Statistics, it has surged in popularity in the last 50 years due to its talents as both a hunting and show dog. Originally called the Brittany Spaniel, it is now referred to simply as the Brittany, as its hunting style more closely resembles that of pointing breeds. Its dense, flat or wavy coat can be orange and white or liver and white in either clear or roan patterns. ... A compact, closely knit dog of medium size, a leggy dog having the appearance, as well as the agility, of a great ground coverer. Strong, vigorous, energetic and quick of movement. Ruggedness, without clumsiness, is a characteristic of the breed. He can be tailless or has a tail docked to approximately four inches."

I say that our Brittany, Tyler, is a fierce companion. His loyalty to our family is unwaivering. Though Brittanys are primarily used for hunting, our Tyler has made one heck of a family dog. He is so intelligent and eager to please. We have never given him any formal training, yet he knows to sit, lay, stay {all the usual commands}; he even "points" on instinct! He never ceases to amaze me. He loves his pal "Ducky" {a stuffed duck, imagine that}. He's great with our two cats and loves children. He's seen his share of adversity in his short 2 yrs. On Tyler's first birthday he was hit by a car, breaking his front left leg. At the vet's office he was exposed to parvo and struggled trough several extended vet visits for nearly a month. He recovered and was back to his cheerful self quickly. Then in February of this year he and our sweet Nik ran away. They were gone for nearly a week; Nik didn't make his way home, but thankfully Tyler did with just a few minor cuts and bruises. Tyler has always been my weakness, but since he's been home it's been more of an obsession. He's spoiled to say the least! He's never alone, he's either with Mommy or Daddy or Grandpa is "Tyler-sitting."

I can't say enough wonderful things about our baby, or the breed for that matter. Whenever we are ready for a new little one, we will definitely be going with a Brittany!

Everything

I'm currently obsessed with this guy. Our Brittany Spaniel Tyler. {he's getting his very own big boy post soon} He celebrated his 2nd birthday last week, complete with a puppy-approved birthday cake. Chance says I'm going over-board in my obession. But after we lost Nik I feel the need to make Tyler as happy as I possibly can; and if that means giving him an entire bag of treats all at once, or sharing a "few" bites of everything I eat; then that's just what has to be done. End of story.

A big congratulations to Mr. & Mrs. Ryan Hughes. Our cousin Cassie got married last Saturday. It was a lovely ceremony! Ryan is in the marines and is stationed in Washington D.C.; Cassie is going to be moving to join him after this semester is over. We are so happy for the both of them!!

This is our back deck. I'm loving the wisteria, but it's seriously lacking some luster. We're trying to decide what to do with it right now. We are hoping to find some old window frames to hang from the sides of the arbor. I think we're going with a pink and red color scheme.

Speaking of gardening, these are my new babies. My pretty pretty poppies have "popped" through!! I can't wait until they're all grown up. I think I'm going to put them in the kitchen.

The Bendel's Easter 2009

We had a delightful Easter, lots of good food and relaxing with family. And of course, since Easter is one of only 4 days that the bridal store is closed all year, I thoroughly enjoyed the day off. It is unbelievable to me that this was our second Easter as "Mr. & Mrs."

This was us last year:

The Bendel's Easter 2008

This whole swine flu thing has me wanting to bathe in anti-bacterial gel, spray my house down with lysol, and put plastic over all the windows and doors. It's terrifying! I'm praying that it doesn't make its way into my small corner of the world.

I'm still trying to figure out what I'm going to make with these beauties that I purchased on Etsy from KellWood. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!