Meet Our Pets!

Since we both want to own a farm full of four-legged furry children, it is no surprise that we each have a few of our own. We spend hours laughing at the ridiculous, stupid, sweet, and unexpected perceptive and intelligent things our pets do. And while some might feel disinclined to have pets of their own (which is totally understandable), we couldn’t imagine our lives any other way, despite how difficult it can make traveling or on a long day when all you want to do is sit down but you have to clean up vomit; these guys are our babies, our family, and they make everything better and complete. The beautiful thing about pets is that they will always love you - unconditionally - and be happy to see you, regardless of how you’re acting, who you are, or how you're feeling, because you’re their whole world and that’s something that just can’t be replicated by many other things in life. So, without further ado, we would like to introduce to you our fur babes, in no other order but alphabetical. We've linked a bunch of pictures from our personal Instagram accounts so you can see our goofballs in their true forms - feel free to check them out!

Lauren & Cody's Fur Babes

Grendel

This little rascal. Somehow he manages the perfect combination of puppy and old man, even at his ripe old age of 4. We jokingly call him our box puppy because Cody picked him out of card board box. We also call him Gren-diesel (courtesy of moi) but he also answers to Gren. While he is the oldest, he's also the baby. He needs all the attention you can muster and even more, if you can spare it. Grendel is part husky and part lab and it makes total sense when you meet him. He is loyal, friendly, joyful, needy and sassy just like a husky and yet loving, intelligent, kind, and mild-tempered like a lab. He loves hard and snuggles harder. He's the pup who will ram his nose under your hand relentlessly, in order to get all the rubs. He's ruthless on his path to rubs, so be prepared should you encounter a Grendel. He also is full of sass and will talk right back at you, which makes it hard not to laugh or get even more annoyed, if you are reprimanding him. Grendel also is the proud owner of the happiest feet you'll ever know, when he gets super excited, he will tap his two front feet over and over, really quickly and it's pretty much the best thing. While both dogs are my shadow, we jokingly call Grendel my protector. No matter the activity, whether I'm doing my makeup, washing dishes, cooking, he will sit by my side the entire time and rarely moves, unless he sees a light or reflection. He's obsessed with light, by the way: lasers, flashlight, a reflection of light off an object, you name it. He will stare a hole through the wall trying to find and capture it. It's unreal and terribly futile but he is a dog after all and you just have to commend that kind of commitment. Side note but important, he loves PBR and hates wine, we raise 'em classy! 

Naga

The actual baby, she's 2 1/2 and wiser than you might guess, when you first meet her. Masked behind a complete goofball, she's incredibly intelligent. She carries her head low and reminds me so much of a wolf sometimes, it makes me laugh how majestic and goofy she can be all at the same time. She's stubborn and independent but incredibly loyal, loving and protective, just as you'd imagine a German Shepherd would be. Unlike our adventurer Grendel, who would run off for days and come back with what I'm sure would be novels full of stories, she tends to stick close by Cody and myself. We are always in her field of vision and she is very vigilant of both of us. She has her younger child tendencies: she gets jealous (especially when Grendel is getting attention, which happens often because he practically demands it) and she can be greedy with her food and bones. We have had to make an effort to teach her to be happy with her current bone (at any given time we have like four cow bones lying around) and not to try and collect them all and hoard them. But she's learning to share and that's something! All the same, she's extremely loving towards both of us and Grendel, I will find her cleaning/licking him regularly, and it just bursts open my fur mama heart. And despite the fact that she loves to hoard the bones, regularly she will give Cody or myself her bone and while it’s all gross and covered in slobber, it’s pretty dang sweet that she wants us to have it. Naga has never quite grasped the concept of snuggling, she'd rather be off in a corner chewing her bone (see independent) but she loves to lay at your feet and always be in close range to either of us. Her name entertains some fun nicknames, including Naga-laga, Nags, Nagalita, and Nagahyde. If you haven't guessed nicknames are unlimited around our house, we kinda love them and we name just about everything (including but not limited to our plants and even our Christmas trees).

Mallory & Travis' Fur Babes

Bambam

Bambam is my first baby, and our old man. He is a 8.5 year old black lab/boxer/chow mix - basically your good ole mutt. I got him right after my sophomore year in college from my old boss at Port City Java coffee shop, where I worked for over 2 years. And man, Bam was one hell of a dog back then - he literally ran away every day, he would have explosive diarrhea all over our walls, furniture, carpet every damn day, literally, would pee at the drop of a hat and leave a treasure map of pee for us to follow; he was exhausting. Of course, I am no dog whisperer, but I pretend to know why - so here is my justification: I was his 3rd or 4th home, so I think he had a lot of anxiety when we first got him, but once he really realized that I was his forever, he chilled a lot, but became a lot more protective of us. Especially when we brought his brother into our house. They became instant buds, and literally do everything together. He can be a total jerk sometimes. But we love him all the same; he's just a big ole baby. He is definitely a daddy's boy now though, he loves him some Trav. He is our guard dog, our protector, our big goofball, and is insanely sensitive to our feelings. Legit if I am crying or he can tell I have had a bad day, he literally comes and hugs me until I am not sad anymore. It's the best.

Hok'ee

I know, it is a weird name. We pronounce it "Hokie", although we are well aware that is completely Americanizing the word; it comes from the Cherokee language, and means "one who has been abandoned". When I worked at an animal hospital back in Wilmington, a super nice client came in one day with 2 new puppies and a momma dog. She had taken these dogs from a farm she drove past all the time (I know, that sounds terrible), but she told me that she thought they were being poisoned!! So after they were treated, Hok'ee (or Blue, as he was called back then because of his one blue eye), came back in because he had gotten Parvo. It was then that I fell completely in love with the 14 week old pup. When our client came back to pick "Blue" up, I asked her to let me know if the adoption falls through with him because I would love to take him home and see if Bambam could handle a little brother. And she called the next day! They have been the best of friends ever since; typical brothers, mostly playing, sometimes hating each other. He is a husky/pitbull mix, and is my baby. He throws tantrums like a typical husky, sasses us if he doesn't get his way or we don't move fast enough for him, and is an all-around weirdo! And he is so smart, too smart sometimes. Even though he is 5 years old, he still acts like a puppy. He is our adventurer, our burrower and percher, our hunter, and our 60 lb lap dog.

Keller

Keller is also a product of working at the animal hospital - can you tell I have a weakness?! She and her whole litter came in from a rescue organization we worked with, and they were all in really bad shape with upper respiratory issues and eye infections -they were so tiny! (If you have ever seen the movie Hostel, that scene where the girl's eyes are being torched out - that's what the poor babes looked like - graphic, I know). So, we all vowed to take one if the doc could save them - and she was able to save all but one! They all had permanent vision damage, though, earning them the names - Keller, Stevie, Wonder, Ray, and Charles. Keller was the worst surviving, losing both of her eyes, but man she is SO amazing. When we moved, she literally learned stairs (for the first time) and the whole house in about 15 minutes. And she beats up the dogs, and bosses them around, which is awesome, but also loves them and sometimes she lets them know. Queen Bee over here. She is still a typical 4 year old cat otherwise - sassy and independent, but extremely cuddly when she wants to be!

xoxo, your fur-loving mamas