Earthtones Girl

A year ago today these little beauties came into our lives.  At first things went very smoothly.  Everyone was on their best behavior, got along perfectly and all was well…then it happened.  They/we decided to test the waters and all hell broke loose.  Pet adoption is a wonderful thing but it has it moments.  At first I resented them and kept asking myself and my husband…why did we do this?  Yes, we’ve saved and improved the lives of these 2 little creatures but we’ve made our lives overwhelming.  Not to mention limited.  All of sudden everthing revolved around them.  Chris and I were only married about 5 months and we were suddenly spending every waking moment with “the boys”.  We  didn’t even take a “real” vacation in the last year so we could spend more time with the boys…UGH!!!!!   But there was much more going on here.  You had a newly married couple trying to turn what had been MY apartment into OUR home.  (I wasn’t always so nice about that…sorry love) and in January of 06 we lost my/our Juno.  He was a 13 year old Bichon, my first pet and honestly the love of my life.  I worshiped that dog and had him with me from the time he was 6 weeks old.  I was his momma and when he developed a very serious heart condition I nursed him every day.  He also took care of us, settle arguments, with a little lick of the ankle or standing between us on his hind legs, asking to be picked up (we can’t argue if we’re holding him).  He was our angel…And then the decision had to be made…

We found Scooby and Chance and the love came, slowly but it came.  After the comparisions, after the resentment, after even a bit of jealously.  (Chris loved them from the start and I missed his attention.  One’s perception and one’s reality can blur sometimes).  After the guilt, was I betraying my Juno by loving another dog/s.  It took me a while to sort that out.  It also took the dogs time to settle in.  To make peace with their past, to get over the people/family they lost, to not feel afraid to get in a car for free of another move to another home, to trust us.  To trust these two people jumping through hoops trying to make them happy.  What does that look like from a dog’s point of view?

Daddy love…unconditionaly from the start.   In all the stress and intensity that is my husband’s life, two things give him peace, the sea and puppy love.  Yes, I’m in there too but in a different and equally unique way…that also took time to make peace with.

And here we are, 365 days later, a family.  We also celebrated the boys’ 3rd birthday yesterday.  Happy birthday puppys and happy anniversary to us.