Allan has a new cousin. . .Yes he has old cousins too!

This morning I was perusing Facebook, as I do most mornings. What do I see but a photo album by my cousin, Laura’s, husband, Kevin (they got married in May) and their new dog! His name is Murphy, and he is a Yorkie-Poo (that means he is a mixed breed of a Yorkshire terrier and a poodle, for those of you who aren’t informed about dog breeds!)

Allan, of course, has no idea I have a cousin named Laura, or that I have any life outside this house that doesn’t revolve around him. But I know who his cousins are! This post is dedicated to those animal relatives out there! They are so cute!

Here is Murphy, in a photo freshly lifted from Kevin’s Facebook album! What a cute little face! He looks quite a bit like their family’s old dog, Snickers, a Yorkie who lived into old age and spent his last years with missing teeth and a tongue that lolled out the side of his mouth. He joined his other old cousins in their attractive old age, including Rascal, a (mostly) outdoor farm cat who lived to be 15 and finally was put to rest as a frail, balding, tumor nosed mess (who I still loved, regardless of his appearance!) and Penny, the 13 year old golden retriever who suffered joint problems and became very good at walking on three legs during her final days. There was also Buttons, Rascal’s brother who died at age 9. He was a Holstein cow patterned cat who spent his last years content and lazy but also drooling as he lounged in the sun all day. They were all loved until the end!

Here are some of the others (that I had pictures of )!

Little Jakey! You all know him if you have been reading this for awhile. . .he is my sister's dog and a mix of a German Shepherd and Chocolate lab. He's a German Chocolate! He always makes good eye contact with the camera in pictures.

There is Wallace/Walter/Wally! He lives with my parents at the farm. I found him in the classifieds last year and Justin and I went to meet him at his old house and knew he was a good boy! His name was originally Waashi or something like that but we thought it was too weird. He is a golden retriever and, although he never had hunting dog training, still shows the instincts of one. He "points", like in the picture above, and last fall he would follow my dad around when he was hunting near our farm and when he raised the gun Wallace would sit close to his side and didn't fear the sound of a shot (unlike our previous retrievers, Penny and Chubby, who would panic at the sound of guns, thunder or fireworks).

These lovely guys belong to my brother and sister and law, Josh and Kelsey. Their names are Bison and Belle. They live in South Dakota and have a new baby around the house (Jack). They like him and are very nice around the baby! Bison is the one on the right, and I'm sorry to say, the more timid and submissive of the two (don't let any Sioux fans know that!). Belle is the female. They are brother and sister.

This is Izzy. She belongs to my cousin Kara. Look at her cute little expression! I remember the first time I met her a few years ago we were at my aunt and uncle's house in Fargo for Thanksgiving and I was laying on the floor playing with her and all she wanted to do was lick my hair! It was cute. I must have used some delicous hair products!

This is Reagan, with my cousin Brenna. "Reagedy Ann" lives in Geneva, IL, with my aunt Kris and uncle Tom.

This is Walker Texas Ranger, usually called Walker. He lives in Northern Minnesota with my cousin Katie and her husband Adam. I love this picture because he looks like a happy farm dog!

This is one of Allan's only two cat relatives! His name is Smithers and he lives with Justin's sister, Michelle, and her family. They recently adopted him from the Humane Society and chose him after he jumped on Jason's shoulder. He really wanted a family! I don't know how anyone can choose just one animal at a shelter. It is a good thing Justin picked Allan as a surprise for me because I never could have decided! They also have two dogs, Suzy and Chloe.

This is Rosco, a boxer that my sister and brother in law adopted a few years ago. He's so nice and really doofy. When he gets playful he gets so exci.ted but he also can be very sweet and mellow (like he is in the photo!)

This sweet little kitty belongs to my grandma Phyllis. Her name is Sadie, and Phyllis took her in after her neighbors moved and abandoned her (the scumbags!) Her eye is kind of crazy and the vet said it is permanent but not a major cause for concern and she still has sight. Grandma also has a little dog named Molly, who is a Bichon and I think some other breed. She is a little curly thing.

This little cutie belongs to my aunt and uncle, Karen and Terry. This was taken on Christmas Eve so she is bigger now. She is also named Chloe. That night there was tons of snow (remember the wretched Christmas blizzard?) and the poor little thing could barely walk through it! Jake and Wally had no problems, however, and tried to play with her in the snow so she had to come in out of the cold!

Wow, when I got to writing this I realized there were more animals in the family than I thought! My aunt Jenny's family, who lives in Michigan, has two dogs, a little black mutt named Clover and a greyhound named, if I remember correctly, Zoe or Chloe. Also, my aunt and uncle Cindy and Steve, who live in California have had many puppies throughout the years who live the good life and get to swim in their pool (Wallace would love to visit them!). If I'm not mistaken I believe their dog's name is Sarah.