Weekend with Layla!

Remember that time I said I would be better about posting on a regular basis? Well, clearly it didn't happen. My whole usual routine has been switched up the past couple weeks due to starting grad school, and going from full-time to part-time at work but now I have developed some what of a schedule! 

So, I'll try to fit blogging in there somewhere. Hopefully haha! I mean it's been about a year and a half with you guys so you pretty much know what to expect from me at this point. Aka frequent memory lapses and random bursts of whatever I feel like blogging about! 

I have no idea where to start so I'm just going to pick a random post because it includes two of my favorite things: 

1) Layla (big surprise!)

2) the outdoors 

Saturday morning after my run, Hannah and I took Layla and Lola for a hike in the woods. We came fully prepared because I know there is a creek, and I know Layla/Lola love the water. I mean they're Golden Retrievers so it's pretty impossible to keep them out of it! 

We hiked around for a bit on the trails and then took them to one of the deeper parts of the creek so they could swim! Layla was thrilled because she loves the water and her big sister so she couldn't have been happier to be frolicking around in the water with Lola. 

Hannah and I couldn't stop laughing at what a goof Layla was! The water was pretty deep and came up to their shoulders but Layla kept sticking her head under the water like a little duck. We would throw pebbles in to the creek for them to chase so Layla would take off bounding and then shove her whole head under water to look for it! 

There was another dog there with his owner, too, and it was funny because we had met them last summer. You know you're a crazy dog lady when you recognize the dog before the person haha! He was super friendly, and loved running around in the water with the other two. 

After letting them swim for awhile, we started to head back out. Layla was the little energizer bunny, and could not get enough of her energy out! She's good about staying close when she's off leash and checking in but she legitimately was just spazzing out from happiness haha! She would run up to us on the trail then dash back in to the creek, panic that we were leaving her behind, run back to us, then back to the creek, and repeat! 

Which led her to finding the mud...

She also has an obsession with running across bridges. I have no idea why but she LOVES them. 

It was a great morning with perfect weather, and Layla got nice and tuckered out! Which was perfect since Hannah and I ended up taking my mom to lunch, and Layla took a nice long nap while we were gone. She basically didn't move for the rest of the day after her exciting morning. 

Then on Sunday, Layla got a request from her fan club to meet up! I keep joking that Layla has a fan club but it's hardly a joke anymore. Wherever we go, people adore her and we always get stopped so they can see her. Amanda was staying the weekend at our Bible study leader's house since her and her husband were taking their oldest son to college. Amanda has stayed with them before earlier in the summer, and the youngest boy Micah fell in love with Layla when he met her. He also loves the chickens and cats so he likes to visit! He just turned 10, and Layla adores him. She really has a thing for younger kids which I'm glad about since that's not always the case with dogs. 

Anyway, his older brother Jonah wanted to meet Layla too so Amanda asked me if I would meet them at a dog park near their house. Normally, I would say no because I don't really do dog parks. I haven't taken Layla to one since last summer when she got attacked by another dog. Long story short, but the owners just got the dog, had no clue about his temperament let alone if he liked other dogs, so they brought him off-leash to a dog park to find out if he liked other dogs (not the way I would have done it). Layla was the first dog to show up, and got attacked first thing. The owners blamed her, sooo we left. And never went back to one. Generally, we have not had positive experiences with dog parks because owners simply do not control or watch their dogs as they sit on their phones. 

BUT, I have to say I loved this dog park. None of the dogs were overbearing which was good for Layla. She was timid for awhile after she got attacked, and I had to work on socializing her with dogs I knew were friendly to make sure she wouldn't develop any sort of fear aggression. 

All of the owners were very responsible and kept an eye on their dog. I was very happy about that and Layla was extremely relaxed with all the other dogs. She even made a new friend! The lady was so happy because she said that so often since her dog is on the smaller side he gets pushed around/bullied by bigger dogs. Layla is the exact opposite, I've seen her submit to a chihuahua, she doesn't care about size! 

She ran around with Micah and Jonah until she couldn't anymore! I definitely want to go back because there were tons of trails and other parts of the park. There was a guy who was even riding his horse on the trails! Apparently, it's horse friendly which I thought was really cool. Amanda's friend Bethany is visiting this weekend and bringing Layla's boyfriend Denver! We have plans to go back to this park and do some more hiking. 

You can't tell me they wouldn't win any "Cutest Couple" awards...