Tony proposed to Francesca at the Trump International Chicago Hotel, during the fireworks.  Not bad.  So with that in mind including the Trump building in their engagement session was a no brainer.  However, before heading downtown, we had to include their pup Bruno in a couple of pictures at a local neighborhood park……

About The Breeder: Windward Farms

First off, Windward is not a puppy mill.  Windward only breeds a limited number of litters each year, and unfortunately due to the economy, several owners who were in line to bring puppies home lost their jobs and simply cannot afford to add a new member to their families right now.  Normally the wait list for a Windward Border Terrier is over a year, so this is an incredible opportunity to give a new home to a Border puppy from a breeder with an impeccable reputation for breeding loving family dogs with fantastic temperaments!

Dont’ let the “Terrier” Name Fool You:

Yes, it’s true, Border Terrier’s are part of the Terrier family.   However before you have visions of small, yappy, hyper dogs who will destroy your house filling your head, not all Terriers are created equal.  Border Terriers are the most mellow and laid back of all the Terrier family breeds.  I’ve often heard the description (which is incredibly accurate) that the Border Terrier’s have a big dog’s personality, wrapped up in a smaller dog’s body.  In fact this is the reason that Windward Farms decided on the Border Terrier as their breed of choice.  Border Terriers defintiely have some spunk, especially as puppies.  However our dog Otis can just as easily curl up on the couch and watch movies with us when he’s not running around with Jack. In fact, Jack has more energy than Otis, and Otis has finally figured out if he hides under the bed, Jack can’t get him!

Small Dogs Aren’t Good for Families With Small Children

We heard a lot of stories from dog owners who encountered problems when they started a family.  Specifically, problems with their dog’s developing behavioral issues when a new baby is brought home.  Everything from being aloof and withdrawn to jealous and mean.  I’ve even heard the unfortunate stories of families who had to find new homes for their dogs because the dog just had too many problems assimilating to life with a new baby in the house.  Propery socialized as a puppy, your Border Terrier should be just as excited as you are when you bring home a new baby!

Takes  a Lickin’ and Keeps on Tickin’

Otis was great with Jack when we first came home from the hospital, however one of our bigger concers was how Otis would react when Jack started walking and playing with Otis as if Otis is one of Jack’s toys.  Not only has Otis become Jack’s best friend, he openly invites Jack to play with him, and genuinly puts up with every ounce of pounding that Jack can dish out.  Whether Jack uses Otis as a step-stool, ottoman,  pillow, or tackling dummy, Otis simply takes what Jack is dishing out, and usually licks his face for more once Jack is finished!

My Allergies Won’t Let me Have a Dog

Guess what, I’m allergic to dogs!  In fact if I’m around most of the popular, long hair breeds (Golden Retriever, Labrador, etc), I puff up like a blowfish, can’t breath, and can’t stop sneezing.  I realize that technically no dog is “hypo-allergic” because all dogs have a certain amount of dander in their coats.  However the Border Terriers actually have two coats, which benefits an allergy sufferer:  The Border’s soft undercoat contains the dander which aggravates allergies.  The wiry top coat however, helps contain the undercoat, which reduces shedding and ultimately helps keep my allergies in check.

Just like parents who think that their children are 200% cuter than any other kid on the planet, I realize that every dog owner thinks their breed is the absolute “must-have” dog.  So if the Border’s don’t warm your heart the way another breed might, please don’t let that stop you from bringing home or adopting a pet this holiday season.  Almost any dog, properly socialized, will bring years of companionship and love for you and your family.  However, if you have any questions about the Border Terrier breed (which just happens to be the best breed EVER!), feel free to contact Mary Jo Landergan at Windward Farms, 847-566-8073.  Or simply drop me a line at Jay@jacphoto.net if you’d like some perspective from a Border’s owner.

I cracked up when I saw this on their kitchen whiteboard….apparently there’s already been some discussion about when to start a family!

Both of Christie’s Pup’s were ready to roll, although Jack wasn’t so keen on being relegated to the upstairs once everyone was dressed

Every groom says “Oh I’m fine, not nervous at all, just excited and ready for the big day (and they’re all lying!)”  It was really refreshing that Charlie admitted “Yeah, I’m a bit freaked out right about now!”  Although you wouldn’t know it from this picture….looks pretty cool….

After their ceremony, we hopped across St. Charles’ Fox River and headed to Pottawatomie Park and the timing couldn’t have been better for their wedding and bridal pictures.  The cool thing about using Pottawatomie Park for wedding pictures is the large tower and pavilion make it possible to take pictures there even if the weather doesn’t cooperate.  Fortunately the weather more than cooperated for Christie and Charlies pictures, and we were lucky to get there just as the sun was setting (which by the way is the beautiful thing about fall weddings….as soon as the sun is gone…it’s time for the cocktail hour to start anyway.  So even though you might not have a ton of daylight for your pictures….you’ve got the best light of the day!)

This was awesome.  Neither Christie or Charlie are really into wedding cake (or cake in general I guess), so they decided to hire Cold Stone Creamery to provide an ice cream bar instead of serving wedding cake!  So there was no cutting of the cake, just a scooping of the first scoop!  Kinda cool when the first major decision of your marriage is what type of candy topping to put on your ice cream!……

…..mmmmm, come here caramel goodness….get down with your bad – self on that waffle bowl and vanilla ice cream!

Since the newborn pups are not the most photogenic at 2 days old, heres what they’ll look like at about 8 weeks!