Gio the Pug

(Oh that face!)

Alright- the Rice family had a lot of fun this week. Mom and Critty went to the US Open in New York, saw Federer and Nadal in person, saw the sights. Lucky. Joanna MOVED to New York to room with a friend and embark on some new adventures. And since Dad is not home enough to take the puppy out- guess who got to watch him?! YEAH! US! If you can't tell, we are pretty excited to have been able to do this. We are actually pretty bummed that as I am typing this, Mom and Critty are on their way to come pick up the sweet pooch.

I have never had a dog so I had no idea I would have so much fun. (That was of course after I got over the initial shock of picking up doggy poo. I think I walked in the house after the first time and said to Jeff "that was foul.") Jeff on the other hand grew up with a pug. Jeff always thought Gio was a wild dog but those two guys bonded this week. Jeff has come to the conclusion that he is a sweet puppy that just really loves people. Here are some memories of our week with Gio:

1. Gio barking at something outside just as I went for a bite of my egg sandwich. Eggs flew. I have never scrambled to pick something up quite as fast.

2. Turning into our neighborhood late at night after work to see Jeff running around with a leash in his hand. I looked ahead of him to find a prancing pug that looked so happy and free. He had escaped! (Don't worry, he jumped right into my car!)

3. When either of us were tired and went to lay down for a nap...Gio seemed to be tired and ready for a nap too...he was always at our feet, and SUPER excited to see us when we got home.

4. We took him to my Nephews first birthday party. He saw some of the guys playing with a hacky sack and wanted in on the fun. He took it and again, pranced around the backyard. Then later he tried to get the Doberman to play with him. Sweet Max wasn't really in the mood. This Puppy had no care in the world- even when a dog 5 times his size was chasing after him and growling. (We are starting to sound like terrible puppy sitters!) P.S. Max is normally the most gentle dog on the planet. Poor Dog was just in a bad mood because he was dealing with a bad cat scratch and his paw was wrapped up in a sock to keep him from scratching.- Love you Max!

5. Checking Email, blogging and reading my scriptures at night with a sleeping Pup on my lap.

We will miss those big brown eyes and nightly cuddles! But we will still get to see him all the time so its okay. Thanks for letting us watch Mr. Gio!