MERRRY CHRISTMAS! Wishing everyone and their pups a wonderful Christmas!

Phase 10

DeSoto 49N7 LAB M 10 No

I was very excited this morning when I saw the phase report in my inbox. I was hoping DeSoto would be in 9, but instead he was in 10! I am happy he decided to get with the program and not hang in 8 forever. I am very anxious to get a call. I am hoping for the good one, but if it is the CC`d call he will be picked up by me and be my forever pet. I am very proud of DeSoto for making it through all the phases, and I will be very proud of him for whatever he decides to be.

Katlynn & Focus

6th Folder 6th Photo Game

I was tagged by Elizabeth and Alana to play the photo game!

Rules: go to your picture folder, and in the 6th folder, choose the 6th picture and tell the story behind that photo. And then tag six more people to play!

This is a photo of DeSoto at Cabela`s in front of a big polar bear. DeSoto was around 5 moths old when this picture was taken. DeSoto did great with all the statues at Cabela`s for only being 5 months old!

Since I don`t know who has played this game, I tag everyone who has not played!

Katlynn & Focus

Hmmmmm

DeSoto 49N7 LAB M 8 No

Diva 400N LAB F 8 No

DeSoto, how sad is this?! Your sister is in the same phase you are and you have been there a month longer?

I am starting to wonder if I will be recieving a Christams present soon because DeSoto is in 8 and most of the other dogs in his string are in 10. I know DeSoto is doing the best he can. Maybe phase 8 is so much fun he just can`t leave?! Or maybe he just loves spending time with his sister. I know either phone call I will be sad. DeSoto will always have a special place in my heart wheather it be a guide or my forever pet.

Get moving little boy!

Katlynn & Focus

DeSoto Pictures!!

First off, I would like to thank Kelsey for the wonderful pictures of my boy!

While Emily and Kelsey were in the kennels picking up Suede, they happened to see a little friend of mine. I was so excited when I got the e-mail and could not wait to see them. DeSoto looks great and seems to be very happy playing. I now regret not going to the graduation, but I think it would have been very hard for me to see him and not even get to say hi. In this picture Kelsey said he just got corrected, seems like he is wanting to do his own thing.
This is a group picture of all the dogs, DeSoto is on the very far right.

Thanks again Kelsey!

Katlynn & Focus

San Francisco

San Francisco was great and so was Focus. The 4 hour car drive was great Focus mostly slept or chewed on his bones. When we got there is was dark but Focus needed some exercise so we decided to walk on down to the mall. I was anxious to see how Focus would react to all the noises, smells, etc. and he acted like it was no big deal. The main reason we went to San Francisco was because my mom won the raffle tickets for the Guide Dog Lunch-In. Focus by a old train car that was in a parking lot at one of are rest stops.
Focus at the Lunch-In. The Lunch-In was very great and had good food. Focus behaved himself well by sleeping the entire time. There were some guests speakers one being Morgan Watkins and his guide dog Will. His speech was great. Another lady and her guide came up and talked and than they presented puppies to the raisers. At the end everyone got to go up and see the puppies. They all were very cute and I wanted to take one home.

Focus on the cable car.

Focus at Pier 39 checking out the Sea Lions.

The Sea Lions.

How could I not have taken a picture of this?

Alcatraz.

The Golden Gate

With our our tickets we also got a tour of the San Rafael campus. I just had to take a picture of the 3/4 golden liter who`s mom happens to be Cheyenne. There are 9 in the litter, and I believe the lady said the letter started with an "F". Overall the trip was great and I hope to go there agaon with another guide dog puppy.

Hope everone has a great rest of their weekend!

Katlynn & Focus

Phase 8-Boring!

DeSoto 49N7 LAB M 8 No

Ok DeSoto, it`s really time to start making a move. Remember, graduation is January 31.
San Francisco post tomorrow!

Katlynn & Focus

25 Things I`ve Done

Things I've Done. To participate just copy and paste in your own blog, and bold all of the things you have done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (soon!)
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen an eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square (Soon!)
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House (Soon!)
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

Katlynn & Focus

Phase 8 Still

DeSoto 49N7 LAB M 8 No

Ok DeSoto I think it is time to stop flirting with all the cute girls, and get down to business.

Katlynn & Focus

Happy Thanksgiving!

First off I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I sure did! Thursday I helped my mom a little in the kitchen but I mostly helped get all the plates, silver wear, etc out and cleaned. We had friends and family come over and join us. Everything tasted delicious, I wish I could have eaten more! Thanksgiving dinner was great. Focus was locked up in the kennel just because I did not want him to bother anyone and be tempted to help himself. I did not hear a peep from him because that morning we took Dietrich (my pet) and Focus running in the hills. Focus of course did not get to go off leash, but he got a good 2 mile hike.

Today my mom got up at 4 a.m. and went shopping. I was too lazy to get up so I slept in. She got a some good deals, but my favorite was:




This is my Thanksgiving present and early Christmas present. I was in need of a camera before Christmas because I don`t think I mentioned this but my mom won a a raffle prize of 2 tickets to the annual Guide Dog lunch-in, in San Francisco at the Gala a few weeks ago. I just could not go and not have a camera to take pictures of Focus in the city. The lunch-in will be on December 10. So since I could not leave it in the box I had to take some photos of Focus!

Focus in his Large vest. I know he is growing up WAY too fast, he`s already 50 some pounds.

I have many things to be thankful for, way to many to list. So I will list one.

DeSoto 49N7 LAB M 8 No

Katlynn & Focus