We didn’t got to bed until midnight, and I was hoping the shih tzus would forget to wake us up, but they were right on time at 6:30.

Nigel had an abundance of energy this morning. He kept tearing across the floor then turning around and racing back in the opposite direction. I was so involved in watching him that I didn’t realize that Flower had moved over and was sitting right next to me, with her head resting on the laptop stand. Then, she moved it to rest on my arm. Later, she was using Dottie’s side as a pillow, and looking backwards at me. I thought it was so sweet. Moments like that, I think of when we brought Flower, Candy, and Dottie home, and how Flower flattened herself against the wall and snapped her teeth when I tried to approach her.

Later, Flower and Candy were roaming around, and Dottie was in her preferred position on the couch. Flower and Candy came up and put their paws on the couch, and Dottie snarled at them and growled. I corrected her and moved her over next to me. Flower was courageous and leaped up onto the couch.

John was going out to brave shoveling snow, after our biggest snow of the season. We decided to take the dogs outside. The snow is so high that it made a barrier to the street, so we knew they couldn’t get away. We put their leashes on their collars and I took them into the garage one by one, except Nigel, who dashed out the door after Dad as soon as I attached his leash.

The main reason I put their leashes on them is so they could get used to trailing them behind them, since it has been a while since we put leashes on them. Flower was the only one that really acted frightened.

Flower and Dottie wouldn’t leave my side at first, but once the sidewalk was shoveled, Candy walked up and down it, and then Flower and Dottie went to check it out.

What I wasn’t think about was the noise from the neighbor’s snow blower. As soon as it started up, they all ran back into the garage, except Nigel. Candy wandered back out and decided to explore under John’s truck. A little while later, I saw her trying to hop through the snow, which was at least as tall as she is. She made a couple of attempts and then went back under the snow.

Once John and the neighbors had cleared enough snow away, Nigel wandered off to examine the neighbor’s garage and then trotted down the sidewalk, before we noticed. John went and got him and we kept a better eye on him after that.

Flower follow me wherever I went, until I decided they’d had enough adventure and put them back inside. Dottie mainly stayed in the garage at first, but then came over to me and stayed by my side.