Our First Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. A holiday dedicated to give thanks. Let me tell you this Thanksgiving I was and still am so incredibly thankful for my little family.
Last Tuesday, we made our way to Fayette, Iowa, where Andrew's family lives. Our six hour drive was fairly uneventful. I slept, Andrew drove, and Lily watched the surrounding landscape between cat naps in the backseat and my lap.

Before we could go to Andrew's parents' house, we had to stop by the local vet's animal clinic to board Lily for the majority of our vacation. Most of Andrew's family is highly allergic to dogs, especially boxers. We stopped by the North Fayette Animal Clinic.

Lily Noelle was enthralled with the new sights and smells! We gave her over to the vet technician after saying some goodbyes. It was a hard and emotional parting, as we had never been away from Lily more than a night.
Fast forward 5 days (filled with laughter, good food, games, and lots of family fun). It was Saturday, and we could finally pick up our baby girl! Andrew and I were bouncing off the walls. We got to the animal clinic early. After paying the various boarding charges, they brought Lily Noelle to us. Andrew swears she got bigger over the five days; I couldn't be sure. Lily Noelle was ecstatic, as were we! (So ecstatic, in fact, we totally forgot to take ANY pictures!) We were so incredibly happy to be our small family once again. :) The rest of Saturday night Lily Noelle would not stop checking to make sure we were still there. She also had to be right next to either Andrew or me.

A very exhausted puppy

On Sunday, we made the six hour car ride back to Minnesota. Again, the ride was pretty uneventful. I slept and Andrew drove. This car ride, however, Lily laid on my lap the ENTIRE way home! Let me tell you, a 40 pound puppy is heavy after an hour of laying on you; after six hours, however, that puppy weighs a ton! No matter, I was just happy to have our family back together again! :)

Fast asleep and somehow comfortable?

A 40 pound puppy doesn't exactly fit well in the front seat...

A couple of Sleeping Beauties :)