PUPPIES

This is Kalley, Amy's friend. Kalley had a birthday party. After the party all the little girls came over to hold "Amy's Puppies"

FOOD RECALL

Many of you have contacted me concerning the dog food recalls. The recall for Sensible Choice is for their Senior Formula. To learn more about it go to www.royalcanin.us. This past year Rolling Oaks switched to Nutri Source. I have been very happy with this food, and highly recommend it. We feed the Large Breed Formula and 2 1/2 cups is enough per day for our active dogs. Their coats have been great, and they bounce back after being under stress. You can visit their web site www.nutrisourcedogfood.com to find a dealer near you.

JASMINE HAD HER PUPPIES!!!

Jasmine had 6 males, 4 females on April 16. Mom and babies are doing great! This is Jasmine's first litter, and she is a natural mother! This litter is spoken for. If you are submitting an application now, there will be puppies available in August from the Lilly/Banner litter.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAMUEL!

Our grandson Samuel has his first birthday party a couple of weekends ago...

TASHITashi at one year

Tashi as a puppy

Barb-

It's hard to believe it's fast approaching Tashi's first birthday, it seems like yesterday when I got your email that Jewel and Captain had their puppies. I'm sending you some pictures that will chronicle her seven months, from the time we were able to visit her at 5 weeks old (when she was just known as hot pink...remember, I knew somehow that she was going to be my puppy) to yesterday so you can see how she has grown up and changed. She was such a beautiful little puppy and now she is growing up to be such a beautiful young dog. If you want to share these images with your potential customers please feel free, it is a nice way to visualize what the little bundle of fur might look like in a few months.

Not only is she just a very beautiful dog on the outside she really has as loving soul. Recently, my dad passed away from cancer which as you can imagine was/is a ..very.. difficult time for me. I have to say, I really believe she knew and understood what was happening through his final days of his illness because she was so loving and attentive to my dad. After my dad's passing, Tashi must have known how difficult it was for me because she shifted her energy to making sure she was loving and attentive now to me. All the time and effort put in by you and your family with your puppies in the first several weeks of their lives has really helped mold her into a wonderful family member and not just a dog. That plan and diligent hard work coupled with a breeding plan of your dogs produce such a wonderful companion. It is not overlooked that your plan and hard work allowed my dog to become a 50 lb lap puppy and a loving soul helping me cope through this unbearable time.

Again, thank you and your family for all you have done.

Regards,

Dar

IT IS MUDDY ON THE FARM!

AMY'S BIRTHDAY

Amy turned 12 years old on Wednesday. What a special day of celebration. We started the day with breakfast in bed. Amy had been awake at 3,4, 5 and 6 a.m anticipating her big party. She could only eat half of her breakfast, she was so excited. After school 12 little girls came over and Russ gave them rides on the four wheeler as they ran the dogs through the woods. After pizza, we went into town for a swim party. We ended up playing keep away from Russ and Daniel. More than once there were five or six little girls hanging on Daniel trying to get the ball away. Through it all, Amy could hardly stop laughing. Filled with joy to be surrounded by her friends. After the party Russ and the kids had meetings to go to, so it was just Amy and I, and she was hungry! As we sat at McDonalds, she giggled and laughed as we talked about her big day. She could finally relax and enjoy her meal. As I watched her, I thought of all we have been through together. More than once she faced death while fighting leukemia. I don't know if you have ever been in a situation like this, but when death was near, I could see it in her eyes, I could feel it in the room.There is a heavy presence. I begged God to spare her. With every fiber in my being I fought for her life. And she lived! I feel privileged to be Amy's mother, and watch her go through life care free, enjoying the simplest things life has to offer. As Easter approaches, the air is filled with hope. When Amy was fighting for her life, I played the song "There is Hope for the Hopeless" over and over. I printed the words and hung them on the refrigerator, as a reminder not to give up.

When hearts start to break and emotions run wild, when it's all you can do just to paint on a smile, when tears start to flow down the lines on your face, you may feel there's no mercy, but don't give up on grace...There's hope for the hopeless, there is no need to fear, when all seems lost, Jesus is here. There is joy in the morning, you can find happiness, if you look to the lord, there is hope, there is hope for the hopeless. In a world full of pain, you can never escape, you can run from your fears, but they keep up the pace! Just when if seems that the race will not end, you come to a place where the healing begins....there is hope for the hopeless, there is no need to fear, when all seems lost Jesus is here. There is joy in the morning, you can find happiness, if you look to the lord, there is hope, there is hope for the hopeless!!

We faced low hemoglobin, high white blood counts, infections in the catheters, liver damage, possible liver transplant, cyto megalo virus, drugs I can't pronounce, blood transfusions and temperatures spiking. Through all that, with the support of my family and the strength from the lord, we made it. Now, if Amy doesn't seem "normal" to some people, I feel sorry for them, because they don't know what I do. Knowing the story of Dick Hoyt and his son Rick, the father/son team who run races and triathlons...with Dick pushing or pulling Rick because he is disabled...I understand. Because Dick knows the love that is unexplainable. A love that goes beyond the worlds standard. A love that reaches deeper than the world can understand. It knows no boundary. It doesn't measure success with how much money you make or the car you drive. It measures success with the heart.

For those of you who know someone who has a child with special needs, don't pity them, envy them. Not for the trials and tragedies they have to go through, but because they experience a love like no other. We were Chosen for this gift. It is a grand day. Amy's birthday. My life will never be the same, and that is a good thing.