A new puppy for Kathryn and Jeff!

They say getting a puppy is a test for having a baby...which let me tell you...once you get married, EVERYONE and their grandmother wants to know when that will happen - the baby that is, not the puppy. I've spent years trying to convince my family that our cat is our child, of course to no avail, because the instant we stepped foot in the house for Thanksgiving, someone (definitely an aunt) wanted to know when the baby would be on the way. Sigh.

Our good friends Kathryn and Jeff have been waiting to get their sweet Alaskan Malamute, Dude, for almost as long as it takes to have a baby. And for now, he is certainly the new love of their lives. We got to do a fun holiday-inspired portrait session at the Kinder Farm Park with this bundle of cuteness the day after he came home. At only 8 weeks, Dude was super fluffy and soft and sweet. And a little tired from all of his new adventures, which made him extra photogenic!

For new parents, I've heard it's love at first sight...which I think comes even easier when your first child is a puppy. How can you not love that cotton ball fur, those sweet eyes and lickable kisses?!

Get ready to be bowled over by all of this cuteness...

Hooray puppies!

The Furry Children of San Diego

I took a lot of pictures on our recent trip to San Diego...and most of them were of animals.

I wish I were kidding.

Apparently, Aslan has some competition. He could smell it on us when we got home. He knew immediately that his hoomins had cheated on him.

Even though it made Aslan jealous, I just couldn't resist all this cuteness. It's like happiness covered in fur.

Please welcome Julien (up top), Zoie (below) and Kessa (the other one). They all have wonderful owners who love them very much, so they are lucky ducks puppies. If you would like one of your own, you might try here.

By the way, Zoie has the puppy dog eyes perfected. If you need to learn how, your guide is below.

Kessa is the wise one of the bunch. Such a sweetie.

Julien is a ham. He is also affectionately known as Puppy McPuppy Pants.

I have never seen such a connection between a man and his dog as the one that my dad and his buddy share. They are two peas in a pod.

Zoie is definitely a furry child.

Family Portrait! You might recognize these two...

And I'll end with this one. Doin' the happy dance...

...cause it's almost the end of the week! Hooray!