This weekend we brought little Miss Brinley home!  We flew down to Portland to pick her up and bring her back to Alaska and had a great few days away from work and projects to get to know her and bond before introducing her to her siblings.  We were too busy playing and getting to meet her when we first met with her to get pictures but on the ride home she slept in my lap quite content to snuggle.

We stopped to pick up puppy food and dinner for us, so while her Daddy and Mimi went into the store I stayed outside to let her stretch and play in the sun with her new toy.

And she snuck in a few belly rubs too!

Once at Mimi’s house she investigated the basket of toys that belongs to her Aunt Honey.  Honey didn’t seem much amused by this but didn’t voice any objections either.

After playing for a bit her Daddy shared his water with her for a quick drink and then everyone watched the animals on the TV for a few minutes.

All that playing made for one tired puppy, so she had to take a little nap.

And so did Daddy.  Having a puppy sure wears you out!

Daddy took her out to go potty a few times overnight and by morning she had somehow moved into the bed rather than her kennel.

The next day was spent exploring Mimi’s garden.  There was lots to see and explore including every inch of the area under the plants and the hose that made fun puddles on the patio!

Every so often we’d take a break to rest and just enjoy the view.  But soon we’d be on the go again.

Eventually she needed a nap to recharge while us humans enjoyed some lunch.

After the nap she tried to play with Aunt Honey, but she wasn’t in the mood.

So we played with some of Honey’s toys instead.  A family friend came over for dinner with their dog but she was older and didn’t want to play even though Brinley did her best to say she was friendly over and over again.

All that excitement sure wore her out so she slept pretty well that night.

The last day included more exploring in the garden, a couple quick trips in the car and lots of snuggles from Mimi.

She loaded up in Aunt Honey’s carrier to make the trip to Alaska and was a hit with everyone who met her, from the ticket counter to security.

She was still very tired from the excitement of the day and fought to stay awake, even if that meant just letting her head hang on the opening so she could see what was going on in the terminal.  She eventually fell sound asleep and slept for the majority of the flight home!

Since she’s been home she’s getting to know her siblings who were very excited to meet her.  With a moving mass of 4 canines this is the best picture of the interactions I could get thus far!  There have been a few moments of learning who’s alpha and who’s not, but it’s going well.  Sometimes her brother and sister tire of her insistence to play but her new friend Paige – a friend’s dog we are watching – has been exceptionally patient and gentle with her so they have cuddled quite a bit.

Her kitty sister has met her briefly, but is in hiding until Paige leaves in a few days.  I’m sure there will be a period of adjustment for both when that happens.  For now, she’s coming to work with me during the week so she can have quick potty breaks and walks every two hours along with a romp at the park during lunch.  There will surely be many more pictures taken in the coming days and weeks so stay tuned for those! 🙂