big dogs = big tears

against my better judgement, i just finished watching Marley & Me with my little one.
i swore i would not watch any movie where the dog, a yellow lab none the less, dies at the end.
but she was home from school & feeling puny so i gave in.
i was crying before the sad part even began...i knew what was coming.

my girls are very protective of me
they know i can't handle sad animal stories
do you remember Mighty Joe Young?

he was an ape for crying out loud

clearly make believe

but i bawled like a baby

Spirit..the movie about the horse

why the writers felt that every possible crisis should happen to this one sweet horse...

well, needless to say

i was a wreck in that movie theatre

the girls still talk about how loudly i was crying

but back to the point

i cry over any sad thought, sad movie, sad song, sad commercial about animals

but especially ones about dogs.....big dogs in particular

blazer
chelsea
bailey
brinkley

black lab-adopted from the pound
yellow lab-full blood purchased from a breeder
great dane mix-found as an abandoned neglected puppy
golden retriever-adopted through the golden rescue

each one of these wet nosed 100lb'ers has had a special place in my heart

the black lab, blazer, was sick when we adopted her from the pound. they warned us she was soon to be put down. we took her anyway. she accompanied me as i trained for 10k's. everyone stopped us as we ran & complemented her perfectly shiney coat. the sweetest black lab i've ever seen.
i have a terrible memory -often forgetting what were apparently major events , but i'll never forget that call from the vet telling me she wasn't going to make it. i don't think i had ever cried that hard before.

chelsea the yellow lab. we all loved her so much that my parents went back to the breeder that same weekend & bought her sibling for themselves....maggie. mom & dad deeply loved that dog. we wanted a companion for chelsea, a golden retriever was the plan. but chelsea's last day with me was just like john's with marley.....why did i think i could handle this movie?

again, it amazes me how i remember this ( because i really do forget everything!)- but a few weeks after bringing chelsea home, my husband called me at the hospital where i was working to tell me he had found something & that he'd show me when i got home. i arrived that night to wet kisses from a huge "puppy" with a brindle coat and enormous paws. she quickly stole our hearts & became my next running partner. everyone loved bailey, my brindle great dane mix. she was such a perfect dog.
those two sweet doggies outlived their expected age.

years later we finally did get that golden retriever.
i've told his story before here....
& i'm serious when i tell you he his the best dog ever
he doesn't bark
he doesn't chew
he's never had an accident
he's my latest running partner
& he follows me everywhere

A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about?

How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special?

How many people can make you feel extraordinary?

john grogan from Marley & Me

please tell me you have a face like this that greets you each time you walk in your door....

{{& if you live in Atlanta , you can go here & truly obtain a dog with a face just like this}}

& even though they occasionally drool

their unconditional love is like none other

~ Brinkley~

the dog who truly does make me feel extraordinary

a little peek at what brink was up to this afternoon...