Birthday, what?

On April 14, 2014 Moray turned one year old.  I guess I could say how I can't believe he's a year already, but the truth is, he's now fourteen months.  Yes, FOURTEEN MONTHS OLD.  Where has the time gone?   I seriously want it all back.  My time in months left to raise Moray can now be counted on a single hand.  Where did this 20-week-old-swimming-in-his-big-boy-vest go?

Just shy of 5 months

Moray can be a little slow to catch on to things in some areas, so while it seems progress goes at a snail's pace sometimes, days like today come where his behavior is impeccable on an outing that is several hours long in a crowed mall, and I never had to use a single piece of kibble to regain his attention.  Wowza! It hits me that he could have NEVER done that even a few months ago.

13 months old

Moray Man, as he is affectionally called in our house, has been such a joyful puppy to raise.  We have had our ups and downs and drama, but he is so happy and willing to please.  He has now mastered 29 of his 30 commands (still perfecting that last one), and many of his outings are old hat: i.e., it take some work to find new and challenging places for him to work.  

We have a couple things that we are still working through, and sometimes I get overwhelmed by "how much he can't do," and pressure to check "x," "y," and "z" off my list of Things to Do Before Turn In.  Sometimes *I* just need to step back and look at the long road already behind us and, for once, take my cue from Moray to just live here and now, enjoying every moment on this puppy raising journey, because before we know it, he will be of to his next greatest adventure.