Meet Asher

Meet the newest member of our little family, a three and a half month old New Zealand huntaway cross named Asher. Her full name is Asher Naboo Drummond (had to sneak in the Star Wars in there somewhere haha) and we fell in love with her a week and a half ago when we took a random trip to the SPCA. Three days later, she was all ours.

I grew up with a Filipino pure bred black labrador named Shadow since I was eight years old, and sadly, last year about this time (when I was also in New Zealand), Shadow had to be put down. He was the first boy I ever loved and on hot Philippine days, I would cuddle up with him on our cool, marble floor and tell him all my secrets. We also had a golden retriever that was given to us by a family friend and she had to be put down around the same time, so over the last year I have been very doggy deprived. I think Josh caught puppy fever from me because only two weeks after we arrived in New Zealand he told me to get in the van cause he wanted to take me somewhere as a surprise. It was the SPCA. Needless to say, we were craving some puppy love and we certainly have our hands full with plenty of it.

Our favourite walk to take her on is the path along the cliffs and down into this little beach cove, where we let her run leash-free on the sand, leaving her big paw prints in the sand behind her as she takes off on her own little salty adventures. The walk back home is through a cow and sheep pasture where we also let her run free, even though she mostly just runs along with us until her friendly cow buddies come running to say hi. This has happened three times now and is the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen animals do. A curious cow will jog over to Asher and sniff her out while Asher gives her a few licks on the nose and then the other cows come over for some puppy loving. At one point the other night she was surrounded by four giant cows all waiting for puppy kisses. Asher took turns licking all of their noses while Josh and I gave the cows head rubs on their funny, furry heads.

We're keeping her warm in a little doghouse with sheepskin while the chilly New Zealand winter is hanging around, but sometimes, when it's just me home alone and all the boys are at work, I let her come in to nap with me on the living room floor. She curls up in my lap or on my chest and falls asleep for hours, she's the most cuddly puppy I've ever met. Oh, did I mention I live in a house with four boys, two pet ducks (Steve and Allen), one puppy, one bathroom, no dishwasher and one heat pump across from cow pastures and a slaughterhouse at the edge of cliffs that drop off into the Pacific Ocean? It is still sinking in that I now live in the South Island of New Zealand, a place that I fell in love with at nine years old and always dreamed of living. A place that gets weather patterns from ANTARCTICA. Someday I will write a novel. Until then, blog posts will have to do. 

So, now that we've finally decided on a name for her, it's only fair that I share our most favourite photos of our baby girl with all of you. Some of these are off my iPhone so excuse the quality of some of the photos. 

falling in love with her at the SPCA

on the way home from the SPCA :)

naptime with mummy

kisses for daddy

the path along the cliffs where we walk Asher, my favourite spot in Timaru

view off the cliffs

view off the cliffs

view from on top of part of the cliffs

the beach cove she loves, with the mountains in the distance.

our baby girl found a comfy spot in the tall grasses

lucky to catch this photo off my iPhone one beautiful morning at sunrise

flying pup

I know this is blurry and its off my iPhone but it was just too cute. Asher's pretty good about bringing us the stick back after we toss it

I love kissing her right behind her soft, furry ears 

daddy and asher at sunset on the stoney beach

cows grazing in the pasture by the ocean

princess of the pasture 

can't say no to that cute face

cows amongst the frost one chilly morning

daddy and asher in the pasture