golden cordeliaA GOLDEN PUPPY. A FAMILY'S STORY.

THE EARLY CHAPTERS

She's growing up.
We're growing together.

A little golden retriever, my husband, our son, and me. These are my notes on the puppy we're raising and the life we're sharing with her.

Meet Cordelia   ↗

16 weeks old on September 5, 2026

Cordelia standing in the yard with a baseball in her mouth
Cordelia, with something worth holding on to.

THE PHOTO JOURNAL

Little moments. A whole life.

Our life with her, one memory at a time.

JULY 2026

The first days home

Small paws, car rides, and the beginning of our family’s life with Cordelia.

Cordelia as a young puppy cuddled in her mother's arms

Safe in her arms

Young Cordelia riding in the car on her mother's lap

First ride together

Young Cordelia walking through the grass

On the move

Young Cordelia standing in the grass with a pink toy

Her very big toy

Young Cordelia sleeping contentedly while being held by her mother

Little golden dreams

JULY 2026 · THE FIRST WEEKEND

Meeting her family

Her littermates, first cuddles, new routines, and the beginning of home.

Golden retriever puppies peeking over a gate

A whole lot of golden

Golden retriever puppies playing indoors

Puppy pile

Cordelia cuddling with her new family

Right where she belongs

Cordelia sleeping peacefully on the floor

After all that excitement

Cordelia held by her young family member

Already a team

Cordelia cuddled by her young family member

Held close

Cordelia in the yard with her family

Our backyard crew

Cordelia sitting beside a stuffed lamb in the grass

A new friend

Cordelia carrying a blanket near her crate

Making a nest

Cordelia sleeping in her crate with her stuffed animal

First crate nap

Cordelia carrying a pink toy in the garden

Garden explorer

Cordelia rolling upside down in the grass

Upside-down puppy

Cordelia curled inside a storage bin with her toy

A very small den

Cordelia sitting attentively beside her young family member

Watching for the next thing

Cordelia lying in the grass with a green ball

Sunshine and a ball

Cordelia riding in a turquoise backpack carrier

Out in the world

Cordelia cradled by her young family member

Just a baby

AUGUST 2026

Growing into herself

Cordelia carrying a baseball in the garden

A ball and those big paws

Cordelia lying beneath leafy branches with a green apple in her mouth

Under the apple tree

Cordelia sitting on a cushion at home among her toys

The Golden Guardian

The moving moments Videos will join the journal here as her story grows.

LEARNING TOGETHER

One family learning.
One day at a time.

My notes on how we're raising Cordelia together: training, everyday care, and finding a rhythm as a family. A place for what we're trying, what we're learning, and the questions we still have.

LEARNING TOGETHER

01 Choosing Where Our Story Began Breeder02 Our First Days of Puppy Preschool Training03 Finding the Balance Between Caution and a Full Puppy Life Parvo & socializing

LIFE & LOVE

Room for the
whole heart.

My reflections on family life, work, motherhood, and marriage, with Cordelia in the middle of it all. On grief, loving again, and what her unconditional love is teaching me about being myself and showing up for the people I love.

REFLECTIONS

01 What We Named Her, and Why Cordelia02 The Village That Loved Her First Friends & neighbors03 Back to School, With a Puppy Family rhythm04 The Fog of the First Nights Those early wake-ups05 Beginning Again Grief & opening a heart

OUR STORY

A puppy named Cordelia.
A new chapter for our family.

Cordelia is our golden retriever puppy, and raising her is a family project. My husband, our son, and I are all figuring it out together: the training, the puppy chaos, the milestones, and all the little things that make her Cordelia.

This is where I’m keeping some of that story: the photos and videos, the things we learn, the moments I don’t want to forget, and probably a few mistakes along the way.

We’re starting here at 16 weeks. She’s still just a baby, so there’s a lot of Cordelia’s story still to come.