Merry Christmas, everyone!

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

http://sendables.jibjab.com/view/Pvq4OiWXlnmrtYhnOMhZ

Love,
Greg, Melissa and Smokey

Sheep and cows and donkeys, oh my!

Yes, that's what I got to see at our church's living nativity program!  Every year for 55 years, St.Timothy's Episcopal church in Lake Jackson, TX has been presenting a living nativity program out on the church lawn. This year, I got to go with mom and dad.

That's me posing for a quick photo with one of the 3 kings of Orient Ore (also called Maji, or Wise Men of the East) before the performance. (I know that this is a Wise Man, cuz he's my dad, and he's very smart IMHO).

The Annunciation

³⁰ But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³ and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”  (Luke 1:30-33)

I got to see and smell lots of new things at the living nativity. Cows, sheep, and donkeys were there. These are all required exposures for a guide-dog. So, check those off my exposure list, people!  I also got to see and smell hay for the first time.  

The shepherds worshiping baby Jesus in the manger

⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 
¹³ Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
 ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
 ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
 ¹⁶ So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷ (Luke 2: 8-17)

I didn't actually get to participate in the program, even though I volunteered to dress up as a black sheep! LOL!  Mom and I watched on the sidelines, out on the lawn, with the audience. There were so many people there with lots of kids running around me. I tried really hard to sit still and behave myself. With all the distractions around me, I had to work really hard! 

The 3 Maji following the star

¹ After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ² and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

The Maji bringing gifts to baby Jesus

 ⁹ ... and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹ On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.  (Matthew 2:9-11)

It was a beautiful performance on a lovely, brisk evening.  What a gift this performance is to the community, and an important reminder of the REAL meaning of Christmas. Thank you, St.Timothy's!

 Now, this last photo is not from St.Timothy's program, but I had to share it with you. One of my mom's friends sent it to her.  Isn't it PAWsitively the cutest living nativity scene you could ever imagine? These well behaved pups all got staring roles in this program. Hey, I wonder if I know any of these guys?  Is that horse the director? (Ha Ha Ha)  Good job guys (and gals)!

Merry Christmas!

Later,
Smokey

Merry Christmas from Smokey

Hi everyone!  Smokey wants wish you many special Christmas blessings!  Smokey got his very first Christmas present at the Houston Puppy raisers Christmas party on Dec 11th.

This really cute stocking, 

a black KONG, and some yummy smelling oatmeal shampoo. 

We don't know who gave us this gift (it was a white elephant gift) but whoever it was, we thank you!

Smokey made a short movie to celebrate his very first Christmas season. Enjoy!  

Click on the link below to watch:

Smokey's Christmas movie 

Merry Christmas Ya'll!!

Waiting for Mr. Paws

Hi everyone!  I'm so excited about my very first Christmas. 

Yesterday I got to meet a few friend. Santa Paws! I heard that if you give him your Christmas list, he'll bring stuff for you on Christmas morning.  But you have to be really good!

Here's my list. I am a really good boy and I believe in you, Santa Paws. 

I am excited to see what you bring me. (Please don't forget the treats!)

We also went to the mall to do some shopping. 

Can you tell that dad doesn't care too much for shopping?

Just look at his face.  Shopping is one thing, but waiting on MOM to shop is another!

I got to help dad pick out some new shoes.

I saw lots of kids pointing at me and yelling, 

"Hey, mom! There's a DOG in here!"

And, I thought the mannequins were real people...but after sniffing them ...it was obvious they weren't.

Dad and I didn't last very long shopping...so we loaded back up in the car to go home and put up the Christmas tree.  

(Hey, either I'm getting MUCH bigger, or this car is shrinking. I can barely fit anymore!)

Mom gave me a surprise when we got home. Hmmm, what is it? 

It's a Santa Paws hat! She must have known how much I loved Santa Paw's red suit....

I look quite fetching in it, don't you think?

Oh joy. Mom just put my jingle bell collar on too.

I feel a photo shoot coming on...

While dad is busy assembling the Christmas tree...

mom is keeping busy... pestering me!

How much longer til Christmas?  Mom, have you addressed those Christmas cards yet? 

Maybe that's what you should be doing now!

I'm adorable...You know it... I know it...

But there's only so much a puppy can take. I am going to sleep now. 

Maybe when I wake up, Santa Paws will have been here. Do ya think?

Merry Christmas, yall!

Love

Smokey

Meeting the harness

At this point in every guide-pup-in-training's life (around 11-12 months of age), he or she gets introduced to....

 

....the harness

When Smokey goes back to Florida for final training with professional handlers, the harness will replace the blue service jacket that he has been wearing thus far (shown above).

At this point, we are just introducing the harness to Smokey so he gets used to it.

The harness is a bit heaver, bulkier, and more constrictive than the blue jacket he's been wearing up to this point.

The first few days, we just laid the harness down by Smokey's bed so he could smell it and get used to having it around.

We won't walk him while holding the handle of the harness, we will still use the leash. We only want Smokey to get used to the weight of the harness and maneuvering with a larger, more bulky device on his back. Our goal is that he is comfortable laying down,  sitting, obedient to commands and continues to act appropriately in the harness. Introducing the harness to the pup at this age and in a familiar and trusting environment reduces his final training time. Plus, it's one less thing that the professional trainers have to deal with when they begin working with him in March. Keep in mind, the pup will have lots of changes at that point in their lives -- new environment, new handlers, kennel mates, and a total different life experience. Therefore, learning about the harness early is a good thing.

Smokey is very laid back so the harness is no big deal.. 

To be quite honest, he wasn't even interested it, which is good!

It's just another day in a guide-pup-in-training's life..

The harness goes over the pup's head, just like the blue jacket..

And then snaps under his belly...

Ok. Done. Next! So, what do you have for me NOW dad?

ooooh. A Stocking! What do you mean I have to wait till Christmas? 

Good grief... I guess I have to be good, too, don't I?

While I'm waiting, I'll just make my Christmas list for Santa Paws. 

Treats, treats, and more treats.

Please and thank you!

Thanks PEO ladies! U Rock!

Hi again yall!  On Dec 8th, Smokey was asked to be a special guest at our local chapter meeting of P.E.O. International.  Of course, he had to be sweet smelling and looking his best for this special group of ladies, so I guess you know what that means...

Bath time!

If you have never heard of P.E.O. it stands for Philanthropic Educational Organization.  Please click on the link above to read more about their wonderful organization.  P.E.O. exists to be a source of encouragement and support for women to realize their potential in whatever worthwhile endeavor they choose. I have taken the liberty to share the mission statement from their website, which states:

P.E.O. is a philanthropic organization where women celebrate the advancement of women; educate women through scholarships, grants, awards, loans, and stewardship of Cottey College; and  motivate women to achieve their highest aspirations.
 
Needless to say, we were very honored to be the guests at their meeting to discuss Smokey and Southeastern Guide Dogs.  As usual, Smokey "worked" really hard during the presentation, but unlike other presentations, he managed to stay awake, and, for the most part, was on his best behavior.

Not working...

still not working...

Now...THAT'S working!

The ladies at P.E.O. were very interested in hearing about Smokey, his training, and his service potential for the future. Their encouragement and support warmed our hearts and is very much appreciated!  We didn't take any photos because Greg and I were too busy talking...but we hope that Tissie Schwebel will send us a copy of the photo she took at the end of our talk so we can post it here on Smokey's blog. 

We want to say a special word of thanks to Catherine Nagle and Jeanne Manry for inviting us, and to Jeanne for hosting us in her beautiful home. We enjoyed the delicious lunch, too!  We are so touched by your interest in Smokey and his future. And to ALL the ladies who so generously donated to help support the efforts of Southeastern Guide Dogs, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Melissa & Greg & Smokey

 

Oh, and Happy Birthday Smokey boy! 

You are 11 months old today! 

Party on, you little party animal!