There was lots of love in the room last Thursday at the Oregon Humane Society celebration of pet and people heroes, hosted at the historic Governor Hotel.  With 350 attendees, they raised over $125,000 in less than an hour.  And amongst the five Diamond Collar honorees, all of whom make amazing contributions on behalf of fuzzy faced friends, was one who really touched me.  Maty, a three legged Australian shepherd, who once “worked” as a blood donor dog, but now [amongst other things] is a nanny dog to ferral kittens.

Hmm.  I wonder if she can come help nanny my 3 year old and 7 year old kittens of the two legged variety.

Check out this link to read more about the event and the pets + people who were honored.  And note that with the exception of Maty and Midnight, who were both recognized, all of the animals shown below are currently up for adoption at OHS!  Speaking from personal experience, pets can make life-changing companions…and occasionally, nannies.

Welcome to the world Mr. Jones.  We are so lucky to have you [and your little blue bunny hat] in it.

I toured West Side Portland last weekend with a 10 year old birthday girl and her friends (limo and funyuns and cupcakes included!) teaching them how to turn off auto flash and work the macro button on their cameras. We also met a very patient man and his dog, who can sing on command.  And a bride and a groom out for their own photoshoot.

The birthday girl wants to be a photographer when she grows up.

Her father’s an accountant.  I’m sure he’ll straighten her out.

What are little boys made of?  Overalls and cowlicks and Lego Star Wars and wrestling and jumping on beds and Mr. Potato Head.  That’s what little boys are made of.  In the Scholes family… times 3.

And as good fortune would have it, this is also year 3 of documenting this fabulous and growing family that I’m fortunate enough to call friends.  It’s really incredible to watch how effortlessly Jenn + Steve appear to manage their brood of boys, while I bumble through my own parenting foibles of two (sorry, no humiliating stories here, that’s for a whole different kind of blog).

As you might have guessed by now, today’s post is brought to you by the number 3.  Thank you Scholes Family for making that such a great number.