"Miss Emily" and "Mr. Cooper" from Quincy, Massachusetts~

Hi Mama Sue,

We hope you and Papa Mike had a nice Christmas
with your family. We had a fun day; this was Emily's
3rd Christmas and my lst Christmas.

Emily found the stockings right off and wouldn't
leave her spot beside them until we got to open
them. Toy after toy came out of those stockings
and we had such fun playing with them.

Later in the day we even had a small taste of turkey,
ham and a bite of cheese. Christmas at our house
was great!!!

Love,

Cooper & Emily

"Mr. Bentley" from Buffalo, New York~

I already  chewed off Santa's feet and the top of the head!

I need a nap before I go see my cousin Petey and raise some havoc!

Here is a pic of me and Petey in the pool from the summertime!

Momma Sue
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas in your new home. It was reallllly cold this am in Buffalo NY, only 3 degrees!! And after the thaw this weekend, we got a fresh coat of snow, about 5 inches!
Love and Happy New Year!
Kathy and Bentley!!

"Mr. Winston" from Connecticut~

Hi Susan,

Merry Christmas, please see attached the Christmas card of Winston and his siblings. He is now over 2 years old. We love him so much.

"Drummer Boy" from Grand Junction, Colorado~

Hello Sue!

We just wanted to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a New Year
full of God's blessings!

I have attached a copy of our Christmas Letter. Since I don't have your new
address, I'm having to send greetings via email!

I hope that you are well and enjoying a holiday free from tons of puppies! You
always seemed to have several litters coming around the holidays. I'll never
forget driving to Denver through lots of snow to pick Drummer up at DIA on
December 14th 4 years ago!

I have been very busy baking LOTS of cookies. I bake hundreds of them - some
to keep, but most of them we give away to clients, friends, neighbors, etc.
I'm always done-in by Christmas, but it's worth it!

We do have snow this year (it's been on the ground for a few weeks now), so
we'll have a white Christmas. I did manage to make a little snowman with our
first snow and stuck him in the freezer - just in case there was no more snow
for Christmas. No problem with that this year!


God Bless and Big Hugs!



Glenn, Mary, Tim, and Drummer

Christmas Greetings 2013!

We hope that you have had a good 2013, and that you are well. It seems that the year sailed by so swiftly and, suddenly, here we are at the holiday season again. This year, have patience, because Mary has taken the bold risk of letting me write our “annual report”.
I got the opportunity to go to North Dakota in June to help my mother celebrate her 80th birthday. It was a wonderful time, not just in getting to spend time with Mom, but also to catch up with other relatives and friends. The time flew by too quickly, leaving so much left to talk about, and so many more people to see. All of the relatives were able to drive out to our old farm, and relive good memories from the past. Although all of the buildings were gone, we had memories of sledding on the hills, family gatherings, field work and play, and even got to see where my grandparents homesteaded around 1900. Everything was so green and lush.
Unfortunately, Mary and Tim were not able to accompany me on the trip. Tim had to work, and Mary had to handle all of my customers while I was away. (The disadvantage of being self-employed, I guess, and not having employees other than the two of us.)
Tim is still working at the main post office annex in town. It always astounds us how much mail goes through in a single day. Tim is one of many machine operators there, yet, some nights, he has 60 to 70,000 pieces of mail that go through his machine alone! Tim has also spent a lot of time this last year “enhancing” his car’s performance. He really has an amazing aptitude for diagnosing and working on performance engines. We are entirely blown away by his abilities in this realm, because he didn’t get it from either of us.
Mary’s Little Drummer Boy (Drummer) continues to bring smiles to our faces. He continues to make us laugh with his antic-filled days and unconditional love for us (especially Mary!) that we can all use when we have had a stressful day. Laughing at the simple joys of a puppy really is good medicine that we can always use more of.
Leaving the best for last, that brings me to my wonderful wife, Mary, the glue that holds all of our lives (and sanity) together. The old adage “A man may work from …” definitely holds true here. I can walk in at 7 PM from a hard day of client paperwork, and Mary will be fixing dinner, after having worked on my clients’ data entry, shopped, done the housework, etc., etc., and then want to know how my day went! Plus, Tim has to sleep during the day, since he works all night, and she has easily worked all of her stuff around his schedule, too. What a keeper!!!
I can say all of this mushy stuff because she let me write the letter. 
Mary still does her couponing to help our budget, plus assists other ladies in helping with theirs. It has really been a benefit to us and the others. And, no, she doesn’t do the Extreme Couponing, just knowing how to use sales cycles and taking advantage of sales plus coupons.

I am so proud of Mary and her lifestyle change this last year and a half. As you can see from the pictures below, she has had to buy a new wardrobe, and has found a local store that has new and almost-new clothes in brand names and more, for pennies on the dollar. That in itself has helped the budget too, as you might guess. I am so proud of her that, by listening when God showed her how to do it, and simply eating 2/3 of everything she was already eating, she has been able to do so much. Don’t look at the pictures too closely, because I have only lost 20 pounds. 
Mary and I continue to help with the Greeter program at our church, making sure everyone feels welcome when attending a service, and we are both on the prayer team, where we have seen God do some pretty amazing things.
We pray that you have a great Christmas, and that you will be able to see God’s hand of goodness and encouragement on you and your family in 2013.
Merry Christmas!
Glenn, Mary & Tim

"Miss Emily" and "Mr. Cooper" from Quincy, Massachusetts~

Merry Christmas Mama Sue!

The other evening our Mom and brother, Tim, brought us
over to the South Shore Plaza to have our picture taken
with Santa Claus. It was pet night at the Plaza and we met
a lot of dogs. We were very well behaved (even Cooper); Mom
told us to sit and stay and we did just that.

When it was our turn we got right up on Santa's lap and posed
for pictures. Santa said we were both very good and would
leave something for us on Christmas morning.

We hope you and Papa Mike have a wonderful holiday with
your family. We will send you some pictures of us on Christmas
morning.

Love,

Emily & Cooper

"Miss Bella" and "Miss Bethany Willow" from Tuckasegee, North Carolina~

Hi Mama Sue,

Guess who? It's Bella and Bethany from the mountains of your new state! Mom told us about your huge move and we were sad and happy at the same time! We hope you, Mike and all your family are doing well and will have a great Christmas. Our Mom hasn't had a very good year, she's been very, very ill! It's been scary because she has to go to a place called a hospital and they're trying to fix her heart! We're so glad to have her home with us and we hope you and our High Calling Families will say a prayer for her!

Mom is sending you two photos, we were sleeping but Mom told us she wished there was sound because we were snoring! Can you believe that? She said we were dreaming about Christmas and what is wrapped in all the boxes. Some smell really good!

Anyway, we think of you every day and Mom always says a prayer for you! She said she'll send more photos after Christmas.

With much love and tail wagging happy thoughts,

Bella and Bethany

Note from Mama Sue~

Good morning to all my High Calling Cocker family!

I hope you are all enjoying preparing for the remembrance of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ!
Christmas is such a wonderful time of year, isn't it? I love Christmas! Mike and I are looking forward to our two youngest sons flying down from New York to North Carolina to visit with us over the holidays.

I've tweaked the main website for the Christmas season, and noticed that it seems to freeze up sometimes, if using AOL or Google Chrome as your browser. The one that works the best to view the website is Internet Explorer. On the blog, if you are looking for a certain puppy name, simply type that name in the search box next to the "B" at the top left of the page, and click "enter" on your keyboard. That should bring up all the posts for that particular name.

I really miss having the puppies, and taking all the sweet puppy pictures, but love it when you send me pictures of your babies for the blog. Please keep 'em coming!

Thank you for keeping Mike and I in your prayers as we are getting "up there" in age and slowing down immensely. Thanking God for His constant providence and provision.

Merry Christmas, dear friends! www.highcallingcockers.com

"Miss Belle" from Clifton Park, New York~

Hi Sue!

Its been a long time since I've sent some pictures of Miss Belle. We are all doing great here in Clifton Park New York. Miss Belle actually has a new sister! We welcomed Madison Ann into the world on October 19th! Belle barked at her for the first 2 days and then realized, "I guess she's staying Mom and Dad"! Belle has been wonderful with the baby! She gives her kisses on her face everyday and sleeps on the floor in front of her crib at night. She really is the greatest dog in the world and we are so thankful everyday for her! Hope this holiday season finds you warm and blessed! Here are a few pictures of Belle!

Kristina

"Cyrus" from New York State~

Good Morning Susan:

I just wanted to let you know that I think of you every day and I am so grateful for the joy of sharing my life with one of your babies . My Cyrus is my Angel boy. He is such a loving boy.

I am currently training Cyrus in Agility and Rally Obedience. He loves both.

We took all 5 dogs to see Santa this past Sunday to get our pictures taken. I have attached the picture for you.

Have a wonderful Christmas and our prayers will be with you and your family.

Sandy and Cyrus

"Mikey", "Cubby", "Bailey" and their friend, "Jakey" from Indian Harbour Beach, Florida~

Hi Sue!

We had a very nice Thankgiving- just the 6 of us but that is just fine! George and I and Jakey- (the black and white)- ran a 5K Turkey Trot in the morning. It’s the 3rd year we’ve done it and it’s a real family affair. We only take Jakey as he’s the “athlete” of the family! The High Calling boys would rather rest and/or eat- except for Cubby but I can only deal with one with over 1000 people running! Then we watch the Macy parade and of course, the dog show- and then we had the most delicious turkey dinner! I ran 6 miles with George this morning- and beat him!


Blessings of Christmas to the whole Martin family- and especially you, Sue!
Ps- Mikey had a nice 9th birthday party on Saturday!

"Thunder" from Shinnston, West Virginia~

Hey Sue, I just wanted to send you Thunder's Christmas picture.. I will send you few more soon and write you more about Thunder... I didn't want you to think I forgot about you, I think about you everyday, Thunder is Amazing in everyway... I want to wish you and your Family a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year... Thunder from Shinnston WV... Snowy & Rio's Big Boy from 6-10-11 litter.. I wish you would open up a facebook account so maybe people can share stories about their dogs, I know you say you have your blog but facebook is maybe a way I can see Thunder's brothers & sisters, just a thought... I will be writing you a Long Letter and sending you more pics of Thunder soon... I hope everyone in your family are Healthy... Thunder and I Love You.... Mike

"Miss Jingles", "Archie" and "Toby" from Fleetwood, Pennsylvania~

Did you ever see better behaved cockers?  Honestly they are never allowed the 
front door so they were out of their element.  Of course I had a yummy treat in 
my hand for them.
We hope you all enjoyed Saturday's snow!
Kathy, Tim, and Jingles,Toby,and Archie

"Miss Sasha" from Toronto, Ontario, Canada~

Hello Susan and Mike,

We live closer to the North Pole than most members of the High Calling family - so we just had to take Sasha to visit Santa last weekend. She had a marvelous time with pre-Xmas treats and even a photo to record the occasion.

Yesterday (Friday the 13th) was Sasha's second birthday. It was definitely a day to celebrate the joy that this wonderful pup has brought to our lives. No doubt the families of her four littermates were celebrating too. I will never forget the special day when you placed that dear little face, lovingly wrapped in pink, into my arms.

Thank you for maintaining the blog. It is heartwarming to see the photos and to follow the life journey of the individual pups. In particular, we related to and laughed at the story of Mr Cooper and the beef stroganoff! (I still smile whenever I think of that story. )

We sincerely hope that your health is improving.

Best wishes to you and your family. May the blessings of this very special Christmas season bring Peace, Health and Joy to everyone and every cocker in the High Calling family.

Pat & Ron & Sasha

"Cosby" and "Brady" from Westville, Florida~

Brady and Cosby waiting on Santa!

Brady's favorite place to be...awww!!!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! AND HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, BRADY!! (DEC.7) WE LOVE YOU AND BIG BRO. COSBY!!!!! MAY OUR PRECIOUS HEAVENLY FATHER, ALWAYS WATCH OVER YOU AND PROTECT YOU.

Love in Christ,
Sherry and Family

"Mr. Oliver" (Rocky Rambo)~

Oliver is now 1 year & 2 days old.
This dog is the Loviest dog we have ever had & he is solid ENERGY !
He has grown up more in the past couple weeks than we have expected.
We just love him. We are inseparable.
Everyone we meet comment that he is just so darn cute, and he knows
it. He is so great with all our grandkids and loves to be around
children, he even watches TV. The aka Rocky Rambo name came the first
week we got him when he ran up stairs and jumped from the third step.
It is still his favorite thing to do. He loves his squeaky toys the
best, especially the real loud and obnoxious ones. We think he's
becoming very musical. We've enjoyed his first year with us.
We hope you and your husband are doing well and we are so glad we got
a puppy from one of your last litters.
Chuck and Darlene

"Miss Willow" and her friend, "Miss Jenny"~

Hi Mama Sue,

Jenny and I had lots of fun today romping in the snow. Mom took this
photo after we were brushed out and blown dry to commemorate the
occasion. Hope all is well with you, Mike and the entire family.
Would like to send you a Christmas card if you wouldn't mind sending
your address.

Lots of love,

Willow

"Archie" from Fleetwood, Pennsylvania~

This is Archie making his way through the ice and snow!

"Miss Jingles" from Fleetwood, Pennsylvania~

This was Sunday's snow and Jingles did not like it at all, notice the scowl on
her face! We had ice on Monday and a couple of inches so far today. So she is
not happy at all about going out to potty. I trimmed her and gave her a bath
last night and so now she is ready for Santa. Toby got the works last week and
Archie will be the last pup to get primped for the big celebration of Jesus'
birth.

Note from Mama Sue~

I hope you all enjoying Advent, and are having a great time preparing for the holidays! It is so wonderful to remember the birth of our beloved Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He came as a little babe to a young girl..a virgin... in Bethlehem, ...born to die...to save us from our sins. We have so much to be grateful for!

I know many of you are going through heartache, and many through physical challenges. Please know that I keep you in my prayers, close to my heart.

There are a few things you need to know. First, my computer is located upstairs, and I don't come up here very often. It's on this main computer that I make changes to my website and put pictures on the blog. So that's one reason I may be late getting your precious pictures updated onto the blog.

Secondly, I have had my AOL account for years and years and years. Consequently, I get a LOT of spam emails that come into my primary folder and don't go to the spam folder. There are so many of these emails (hundreds and hundreds) that I might accidentally miss something from one of my dear High Calling Cocker family members. If you sent me an email and didn't see the pictures put on the blog, would you kindly tell me so I can look for that email??? Please don't EVER think I deliberately didn't put your pictures on the blog.

It would help if you would update my email address in your computer. That way I might not miss your emails. My newest email address is MrsSusanMartin777@gmail.com

If you think of me and my hubby, please keep us in your prayers, as I will you. Also, if you have specific prayer requests, please let me know, and I will pray for you.

Much love for a blessed Advent season,

Mama Sue

"Miss Natasha" and "Mr. Stitch" from Palm Beach Gardens, Florida~

Hello Sue,

Hope all is well with you and your family. We are all doing fine - still in Maine, but hoping to head to Florida later this week. Lou has recovered nicely from his surgery.

Natasha is now two, and is still the Princess of the house. Today, we had some snow, and Natasha and Stitch decided to investigate. Stitch thought it was something to eat, and Natasha wasn’t sure she should be getting her delicate feet wet. Then, they decided it was fun to play in:


Regards,

Sharon & Lou

Happy Birthday, Ranger~ from Hot Springs Village, Arkansas~

Hi Susan,

My dear, sweet Ranger is two years old today! He has brought such joy to our lives, and now that he's a Pet Therapy Dog, he is bringing joy to many others as well. He is also quite the gymnast!

We hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday season!

Kaynella and Ranger
Hot Springs Village, AR