Yatzie and Moët wish all their friends a Happy New Year!

Today as we were doing groceries we came across a new line of Feast Day Meat including fresh rabbit leg. Bart and I did not hesitate but brought one of those boxes home for a Feast Meal for the dogs! And it was surely a great feast for them! Yatzie first tried to steal the package from my hands but afterwards waited quite (!) patiently for her plate! 

This Christmas Bart and I escaped together with the dogs to a lovely dog-friendly hotel in the middle of Amsterdam. The dogs immediatley felt at home, on top of the huge soft bed, in our cosy room! They were also welcome to accompany us in the bar and at breakfast. The hotel even offer walking the dogs or looking after them in the room if needed. But we planned our weekend so that we could be together almost all the time and did not need that service. But I found it amazing that it was possible! We are used to getting a lot of attention from peple when we bring the dogs to new places, but this time, with glitter and gold ribbons around their necks, the attention was overwhelming. 

We took a lovely walk with Moët's son Bink (Benoit) and these two look alikes stayed side by side through the whole walk! So sweet!

On 5 December Holland celebrates Sinter Klas. We met him and his helpers on the school yard this morning. Yatzie was very curious as always, and got much attention, but Moët kept a safe distance to these weired looking guys! The Dutch kids wait all year for this happy day, when they get gifts from this kind bishop from Spain. His helpers, Zwarte Piet, used to be painted all black but as a result from the current discrimination debate they nowadays just have a litttle dirt on their cheeks, the idea being that they have descended down the chimney. Yatzie was also happy to clear the grounds from the left over Pepernotjes (ginger bread cookies) that traditionally are thrown by Sinter Klas to the kids.

Having dogs brings you so close to nature and you get to experience its beauty in a way you just don't do without dogs. Fall is my favourite season and these colours bring such peace...

My Swedish nieces Anna and Melise are visiting this week! As you can see a lot of cuddling is going on!

A wonderful fall day we met up with Moët's 3 daughters Vera (from Denmark), Merveille and Lizzie, and of course grandma Yatzie en halfsis Luna was there too. It was an amazing day and the dogs were like in Paradise it seemed! Thanks Karin Barth for the lovely photos! 

Today we had our first reunion for all nests together. 10 barbets came from east and west, with our very special guest Beli from Poland! We had a wonderful walk in the Soesterduinen, in full sun and the dogs and everyone was as happy as can be! Afterwards we had a nice lunch together in a restaurant and shared about what our dogs mean to us. It was a very special feeling for me to see all these barbets together and realize that it is all because of Yatzie that they are here, spreading the spirit of goodness, loving kindness and gentleness thoughout the world! Thank you everybody who came to join us today:

Yatzie
Champagnes: Ayala (Teddie), Ambeloui (Beli), Henriot (Charley), Moët
Angels: Hanael (Luna), Nahaliel (Hugo), Angel
Miracles: Amaro, Esperanza (Lizzie)

We all said let us try to arrange this once a year! 

What a joy - Yatzie's daughter (Moët's sister) Ambeloui aka Beli from Poland came to visit us today, to be part of the reunion of our kennel, together with her owners Marzena and Agata. We had not seen her for 5 years! She has had two nests during this time at the Kennel Splendeur Dorée Barbets. We already knew she was a beautiful barbet, but now we could see her with our own eyes! 

Yatzie and Moët were very curious about her, and the three girls spent a lot of time during the resunion to get to know each other. Who is she this girl, Yatzie and Moët seemed to ask themselves? She seems so familliar but why is she not submissive to us like all other dogs :-) ? 

Merveille is a cutie don't you think?

This lovely fall morning we were playing fetch as the sun was rising. Is there a better way to start your day than with your dogs playing happily  around you? 

Moët had a small growth in her teat that the veterinary considered better to remove and check, because of where it was growing. It was a small operation but still had to be made under narcose. It all went very well and Moët was back home after a few hours. I stayed by het side lal the itme. The scar is very small but must heal now, and she is not allowed to run hard and swim at the moment. So we are having lazy and boring days... In a few days she can run happily again. And we are crossing our fingers that it is a benign growth.

Yatzie was my first dog ever. She totally captured my heart and after she came into my life everything changed for  me. I loved her so much I wanted a puppy from her. From Yatzie's first litter the first born puppy, a brown sweet girl that we called Moët, stayed with us. She was very different from Yatzie but a sweeter dog one could not imagine. Every morning, as I wake up, she still kisses my face from joy. Then Moët had puppies, and there was this fun, joyful, adventorous little puppy with a white sock on her left leg, Merveille. She became our third curly package of love, living in a guest family and seeing us regularly. I am such a blessed woman. 

Today the Miracle puppies are turning 1 year old! They are such beauties and look a lot like their mother! 

It is today 5 years ago that Yatzie had her very first litter. We have been so lucky to have Moët with us all this time and are today celebrating her 5 year birthday. A big Happy Birthday we also send out to all the other puppies from the Champagne litter - and we wish you all a great day filled with adventures and sweets!

Amaro, Moët's son, is growing up to be a very handsome guy! He loves to be in the company of the girls but even though he is quite a teenager he behaves very well around them. We spent some hours in the dunes together and had a very cosy time in the sand!

Yesterday we went to walk the dogs in a park we had never seen before in the outskirts of Utrecht. Suddenly we saw a herd of deer in an enclosure. I have never experienced this before, but they were so used to people that they liked to eat from your hand! The ground was full of acorns and the deer were crazy about them. Yatzie dared to come and stand beside me and she behaved very well. I was surprised that she did not get totally wild around them. Moët kept some distance. This was a very special moment for me, to be so close to these beautiful and noble animals. Only on our way out of the park did someone tell us that dogs were not allowed there...

Angel's 5 puppies are now 7 weeks old and we went for a visit this weekend! They look lovely and liked to be cuddled with too! Moët checked all of them out very well, while Yatzie stayed on the couch with Marita who is bringing these puppies up in a fantastic way - but according to Yatzie those grandkids were still  too wild to be around! 

Just a recent shot of Yatzie I like a lot, despite its over exposure. 

Moët found the perfect place to watch Bas playing his first football game this season. Or was she actually scanning the field for rabbits? More likely!

Yatzie is happy to be back at home and sleep in her favourite wardrobe amongst Bart's shoes that she makes a total mess of. I guess they smell nice and cosy :-I !

"We're back celebration bones" after far too many days apart!

What a lovely, spoiled quartet of l'Esprit de bonté! Very soon we will see them again!

I am getting all these photos from Yatzie and Moët's vacation address and it is really great to know they are so well taken care of! Thank you Anja & co! X

Yatzie and Moët are now in good care with their extended family - while we as a family escape to the sun in Spain for a while! Luna en Lizzie were thrilled to welcome them in their house - and so were the rest of the family! Enjoy all the long walks on the "peel" and the abundance of cuddles in this loving family my sweat hearts! Hasta luego!

After having repacked the bags the dogs and I are now on our way to Horst in south Holland where Yatzie and Moët will be staying for two weeks in the best possible company of Anja, Erik, Kyle, Kiara, and their own daughters Luna and Lizzie!

I was not sure how Yatzie and Moët would find a sailing trip in quite hard wind... My friend Patrik, in Gothenburg, offered us to join him as he was sailing his boat from Orust to Öckerö, a trip of around 6 hours. It turned out to be another great adventure for all of us. The dogs did fantastic. They were so cool and laid down where they were safe. They soon found out that that was not on the higher side of the boat :-) ! We had a nice break in Marstrand where we walked around the fortress and then had a simple but delicious lunch on board. Thank you Patrik for a wonderful day at sea together!

As we were travelling down south from Lapland we had a nice rendez-vous with Clifford (Cliquot) from Yatzie's first litter (Moët's brother). We had not met since he left us soon 5 years ago and it was a joy to see him and his sweet family Dennis, Kristina and Jonna. Thank you so much for coming ur way to meet up! 

Leaving paradise - that is a paradox. But it must happen until we are there for real...

The weather in Lapland can change very quickly. Last night we could see some bad weather over the mountains and sat down by the waters by our house to enjoy the feeling of it approaching.

The grandeur, the silence, the waters, the beauty - this is where we belong!

I have never seen the dogs as happy as they have been this week - every day there is a new adventure waiting and they love it! And they get a lot of attention from all of us as you can see! Today we went to a new place to try our luck fishing. We did not caught any fish but we enjoyed it anyway. At the end of the day Moët laid down to rest on the grass, like most dogs would do - but Yatzie she found it a better idea to lie down on top of a plastic boat that was turned upside down! 

It was not the first time that Yatzie got close to a fish - but she seemed to have forgotten what kind of creature they are and she did not like that slimy, jumping thing on the ground! Once she realized that it was a harmless creature she stayed quiet and we had a lovely, peaceful day fishing along our favourite river, within walking distance from our cottage. The dogs followed me wherever I went, along narrow paths by the water falls - it was a little scary at times. But I know them and they have very good balance and judgement too. Once we sat down for a break Moët took a well deserved rest falling asleep right there by the fire!

The weather here in Lapland is just amazing this year! We took off in our little boat to a sandy beach on the other side of the lake where we have our cottage. There my nieces made a natural oven from slate stones where we fried eggs and sausages. Then a cooling dip in the clear waters and sun, sun, sun! 

The place where we have our Lapland cottage is called Klimpfjäll. It is close to the Norwegian border. There used to be a mine in the Stekkenjokk mountains between Sweden and Norway and years and years ago they built a mountain road through the wilderness to this mine. The mine unfortunately had to close but the road is still there and it gives us the chance to very easily get high up in the mountains by car. We park along the road and then we walk into the wilderness and sit down at some beautiful spot just to enjoy the nature. The dogs love jumping the stones and swimming in the called waters. And they love the grilled sausages we make on the open fire - and of course they get to taste!

When Yatzie and Moët get really happy they start chasing each other and tumble around - this si how happy they got when we arrived here!

Yatzie and Moët at the banks of Kultsjön, by our house. The silence of the wilderness is stunning. This video is recorded at 22.30 - it does not get dark here these days!

We are enjoying a few lazy days at our cottage and the dogs are loving it! 

We arrived in our paradise!

During Yatzie's first two years she almost daily walked in the forests north of Stockholm, where we lived then. Today, on our way to Lapland, we went back to visit the area and spent a lovely hour in her beloved forest. This time with daughter Moët by her side. The forest was full of adventured for the two barbets but alos of blueberries and Yatzie and I ate a lot! She always loved blueberries, Moët spit them out!

Here they are the three generations, Yatzie 9 years, Vera 10 months and Moët 4 years and 10 months!
It is very touching to see them together and to ponder on the fact that one has been blessed with the possibility to be part of bringing these beautiful bundles of joy and love to the earth!

We had a yummy and sunny premiere breakfast on the terras that Jörgen had just finished! 

Fyn is a small island and the beach is within short reach from the house of Vera's. We took the three generations barbets there and they had a lovely time on the  beach and in the water. Until Yatzie and Moët found a trace and disappeared on the fields behind the beach.... Luckily we found them quickly - tired, dirty and happy!

Peliyah or Vera as she is called lives on the countryside on the middle island Fyn in Denmark. I was stunned by the beauty and peacefulness of this island. She has a barbet brother Helmuth and a sister Wilma. Tania and Jörgen have created a dog paradies there, with a fenced huge back yard where the dogs can run freely. Vera has grown into a lovely barbet resembling her mother Moët is almost every way! She was from the very begonning as a puppy extremely happy, waving her tail already as she came out of Moët's belly! And she still is just like that!