{This Moment}

Following Soule Mama's idea...

                                                                      A Friday ritual. 
                                 A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week.
            A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Can't you see it?

It's been almost two years since my obsession with little dogs began. If you are new to this blog you might want to start reading here first to get the whole story... Once again, I have had this eerie feeling that the stars are adjusting themselves and God is smiling down on us in great favor lately...

In light of my past postings about little dogs, it's no secret that for two years I have felt this hole in our lives that could only be filled by a little furry being... oh sure, I know how lucky I am to have the family that I have and the life that we live however I still have still felt this yearning that I can't discribe... Those feels came to a head last weekend.

I've been looking at dogs, secretly for months on Petfinder and Craigslist. Not really saying anything out loud to DH until a month or so ago when a friend sent me pictures of a little dog in Missouri. For some reason, that little furball really spoke to me and I had everything worked out in my mind as to how we would get him north! :) DH didn't go for it tho... so I started looking locally again with a vengence and started sending little "hints" to DH's email... lol Yeah, subtle is not one of my strengths! lol I would just send an email with a link and never mention it again.... I figured that if the pictures spoke to him then it would be the right time and I would just know....So... I waited patiently, or at least as patiently as I get haha! And nothing was said!  I didn't even know if he was getting my emails! lol I finally said a few bigger hints and then I at least got a response that told me he'd been getting them but not really the reaction I was hoping for! I had pretty much given up when we were talking to my mom on the phone about her newest love and I brought up a craigslist ad in front of DH on the computer....

When we hung up the phone from talking to my mom, he just casually said "He's cute, why don't you call about him?"

WHAT!?!?!?!? Did I hear him right? Take a deep breath.... maybe I'm imagining things, could this really be happening?!


As you can tell, I was a bit surprised and my mind was is overload!!!  So, I emailed and got all the questions answered that I wanted and set up a time for the owner to come by the next day!  Holy cow did that really happen? I think I am still in a bit of shock! The owner was a very sweet gal who just wanted the best for her dog. She found that she was working 12+ hour days and he was spending way too much time alone in his kennel.... So, she wanted to find him the best home she could and required a home visit to ensure he was going to the right family. This all transpired on the same day that we tried out our new church so you can see why we feel the warm glow of God showing favor on us...

But I'm getting ahead of myself...she brought him for a visit, and stayed for about 2 hours I think. You could tell it was hard for her to leave him and I was afraid that she might change her mind... but he really did seem happy here, and of course the girls were just crazy about him. Karma didn't seem to care in the least and DH.... well, you could tell he was trying to be the strong and silent type saying not much more than "He's cute" the whole time but I could tell he was interested and couldn't wait to start bonding too...
.
Now for the freaky part....as I mentioned, it's been almost two years since we "lost" Remi. It was the 30th of January, just two weeks before Valentine's day.... and this new little love of mine was born that February. Yeah, try to soak that one in....I knew even then that there was a bigger purpose. I just re-read my entry from the day we got the phone callfrom Remi's owners, and even then I knew that there was a reason we had to love a little dog only to lose her... I just never could have imagined that it was for a puppy that would be born and raised nearly 2000 miles away!!!

Once again this comes to mind... :)

Isaiah 43:19 (New Living Translation)
For I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

  And so...that is how Linus came to live with us... isn't he a dear!? lol This picture was taken the first day we had him... Karma hadn't had the chance to warn him about the girls' love of dress-up time! ha!

The day U-2 came to town...

I have been meaning to write about this for weeks now and never seem to find the time. My days are filled with crafts and school and crafts again and then sick kiddos in between... and yes, more crafting! But that is a whole other blog entry to write! Now back to the day in question...





My dear hubby had a once in a lifetime chance to go see U-2 with his cousin. So with a few days notice, our schedules flipped around and he set off to meet his uncle and cousin in Dallas for a incredible guys night out! Well somewhere in the mix they started talking about a kitten his uncle's family had rescued and how they really needed to find him a good home. Even as I write this, I can imagine DH's reaction and certain mood in response to that. "Noooooo" was surely his reply! lol As his uncle started telling him about this cat, who he fondly called Eddy, DH started to actually show interest! Meanwhile, I was at home chatting with his aunt and she was sending me pictures! I find it so funny how things seem to work out when they are meant to...This all took place on a Monday and by Sunday we were driving to Oklahoma city to meet them for the handoff!!!

















Since bringing him home, Eddy became Kobuk (named after the national park in Alaska and also a coffee shop ) and he has filled a terrible void in our house. I can somehow feel the energy has changed and it warms my heart every night when I look over and see Kobuk stretched out on DHs chest! I don't usually feel that one animal should take the place of another and I would still want Kaladi back if I could but I can't. Kobuk has healed a spot in my little ones heart that cried daily for her loss...and now she just can't stop talking about "Bobuk". She is totally in love and I am so content to watch them play!











For now and always I will be indebted to U-2 and I will remember the day they came to town...

It was Fate!

The last week is a bit of a blur. Last weekend started with so much let down from not getting that puppy and confusion as to how a person could actually do that to us! I still haven't figured out what she had to gain from that but I do know that we were obviously not meant to get that dog! (Duh! Right?)

It was a wonderfully cloudy, gloomy day that I would have otherwise been happy about but we were all just draggin' and it was far from the Valentine's day that we'd planned for the girls (and us too). We all finally got around and headed out to the Humane Society (with no luck there) and then on to Petsmart. The girls and I went in ahead of Jason and we quickly found our way to the back of the store which was full of dogs in need of homes! The first dog I saw was a puppy curled up in the lap of someone else....The girls and I looked over the other dogs but came back to this little puppy. There was a couple trying to get a feel for her and I just kept thinking "just walk away" " please don't take her". We hung around in the store until the couple decided that she wasn't the one for them and then we proceeded to spend about 3 hours getting acquainted and filling out the paperwork to bring her home! My heart jumped into my throat when they said we wouldn't be able to take her home for a few days...and then a woman I recognized came over to us and I was able to remind her that we'd adopted a cat (Kaladi) from them before and she approved us on the spot! And so we brought a 9 month old terrier/dachshund mix that went by the name "Fate" home...

As I type this, our new puppy (now known as Miley) is asleep on the chair and inching ever so close to falling off in her sleep! She has worked her way into our home and hearts and is quickly finding her place in our family. There's sure to be more posts and pictures about her in the future! It was definately *fate*!

Worthless

1 ad on Craigs list for a puppy FREE
Price for said puppy $100
1 1/2 hour drive to Ft Worth and back $40
1 hour waiting in a parking lot waiting for owner of puppy....

WORTHLESS!!!

Yesterday morning I thought for sure my stalking avaliable pets on petfinder was over. I found an ad for puppies that were just O-so-cute, gotten emails back about them and even talked to the woman on the phone. We arranged to drive into Ft Worth just as soon as Jason got home and were supposed to meet this woman to pick out a puppy! We got within a half hour of the Home Depot where we were supposed to meet (she had offered to meet us part way) and called her cell phone to only get her voice mail....we got to the packing lot, called her work number ,cell number and even emailed her but never heard from her...after an hour of sitting there we finally gave up and came home. The poor girls were SO good and SO confused! We hadn't told them why we were going only that it was going to be fun. I felt so bad and am still in shock this morning. I just can't understand what happened or why someone would do this to us. By the time we got home the ad was pulled from Craiglist and I never had heard from her again....the only thing that gives me any comfort is that obviously we weren't meant to have one of these dogs ...that and what goes around comes around right?

Something's missing

How is it that a little dog, that I'd never guess I'd love, could take over our lives, hearts and home? It makes me smile when I think about her, more happy than sad...There is an unspoken feeling in our house today. Jason has given me more hugs than even usual and I find myself telling the girls I love them even more than usual too...like somehow that will make the hurt and longing go away. Last night, after they picked her up, my wonderful hubby even drove across town to get my favorite pizza. I feel this loss, but at the same time a sense of happy. Happy that she was so excited to see her owner, Happy that he seemed so sincere and Happy at the thought of a puppy that he promised us....I feel like we did a good thing taking care of her. She was brighter than anything I could have hope for coming back from vacation to a place we were far from excited to return. For three weeks, I was focused on happy things and not wallowing in the sad...that's how I want to continue my days...She gave us so much....

A moment of calm

I know you'll all be wondering and for the time being I am having a moment of calm and optimism...

I got a phone call last night from the owner of Remi (Ragamuffin) asking if he could come get her. It seems he had asked his sister (our neighbor) to come and get her a week and a half or so ago and he just found out last night that she hadn't. He went on to apologize and offer us a puppy for free if she has one. He explained that his family has been in housing limbo while his son has been in the hospital. The little boy was born with only half a heart so they have been in Ft Worth with him...he seemed genuinely sorry for us having her this long and was nice enough to let us keep her until this evening. Jason wasn't home last night, he had class, and I wanted him to be here for the girls sake (and mine)so he's coming this evening to get her. I still feel numb/sick and it was so hard to explain it to Janie. It's funny tho, while I was talking to her and trying to explain that we did a good thing taking care of her when she needed it and that sometimes we have to do things just because they are right and not because we are going to get anything out of it- giving her the pep talk I was giving myself one too.

Let night I was not in the frame of mind to look on the bright side, or to have faith that this all happened for a reason, I just needed to sulk and cry. Jason came home and I had to go over it all with him too and we talked it all out and all the reasons that this happened to us and to her. This morning I am feeling a little bit better about it and I'm trying to keep the faith that God knows why this happened and that it's always easy to have faith when things are going good. I am trying very hard to have faith when I don't understand why. God always knows the bigger picture and his plans for us are always bigger and greater than anything we can imagine....I kind of think that maybe we had to love her so we could be open to another little dog that needs us. I would have never even looked let alone considered a little dog. To be honest I wasn't even looking at anything that wasn't a yellow lab. I have felt this void and empty spot in our house since Koda's passing and I couldn't see that maybe that empty spot could be filled by someone smaller...Maybe God knows there is a dog out there that will need us and we would have missed out on it because I had blinders on. Or maybe, this is one of those things that just happens and we have to take it at face value- we had three great weeks with a loving dog that needed love...

The saga continues

I have decided that holding ones breath only gives you a headache and in our case heartache too... I'm sorry but I just don't have the words or energy to explain it all but please send extra prayers...we are all going to have a pretty crappy day...We knew this could happen...I promise to explain when I can breath deeply again...

Holding our breath

It seems like our "Saga of Remi" may be coming to an end. I've been trying to cover my bases and have talked to everyone I know to possibly call. Last Wednesday I called both the Humane Society and Animal Control and they both said that basically she is ours. When I asked Animal Control what the time line was for an animal becoming officially a stray and she said that the moment she stepped off the neighbors property without tags and we felt that she needed cared for! The only catch would be if they called the cops and accused us of stealing her! (Can you imagine!?)
SO... this morning I called the police department, no they didn't even laugh at me, and asked them for their advice too. The woman at the front desk told me that after contacting them about "their" dog twice, I didn't need to try again and should just consider her ours! She said to document everything (thankyou blogging) and asked if I took pictures (laugh!). She said that she didn't see how they would ever come back and try to take her and if they did then we had more than enough to prove neglect! I am just beside myself and don't feel like it's even real but still feel a lightness in my step and attitude today. It's a dark, rainy and gloomy day but it's the best I've felt in such a long time!
I've gotten laundry done, dishes, vaccuuming, rearranged the livingroom yet again and quite a bit of sewing done in the short time I've gotten to work on it! I feel so accomplished and look at the world in a better light....I am just so glad we get to make her life better because I already know she's making ours better too!

Living in the moment

I know it's been a few days since I wrote...we still don't know anything about Remi. That's what we decided to name her. I'm just tired of calling her "little dog". We've had no contact with the neighbors, she's been here for two weeks on Friday. I can't believe they aren't missing her! She's such a joy! I feel like we're in such limbo and I really don't know what to do! I just keep hoping that something will just work it's way out...Any advice?

I've got pretty much everything worked out in my mind if they ever say we can have her....first a trip to Micheals to get her a new basket that fits her better and then to the pet store for another little sweater (they are dirt cheap on the clearence right now! lol)...then on to the vets for shots etc (I figure that would probably take a day or so to get an appointment) and last but not least...the groomers...oh how I want to take her to get beautified! Her insides are already so beautiful, I just want her outsides to match!

Baby steps

I know that pictures won't do her justice but she is looking so much better! There are some nasty knots at the opening of her ears that I just haven't been ready to tackle. Her ears are so thin I don't want to clip the wrong thing! After that is taken care of she will be knot free and I think her over all appearance will be even better! That and we didnt' have a brush for a small dog, we got one now and it is helping too!

When I was done clipping off all the matted fur, it looked like we had a fur dog rug on the patio! How gross! I was able to fill a gallon ziplock bag with her fur! It's such a shame that the fur is so nasty- I can see how dog fur could make great felt and yarn. From the underside of the matted hair it was really pretty and soft! lol

We still haven't heard a word from the neighbors, even tho she's pretty much been here for three days. She'll go over there occasionally but always comes right back over. I have a towel made into a bed for her out there on the porch but it's been too stinkin' cold for her to sleep outside....even Jason has let her in the house when I wasn't looking...Please send extra prayers out to her owners that they let her stay....she's already working her way into our hearts....

What a difference a day makes...

After the entire family sat on the back porch shivering in the cold and bundled in sweaters this morning with the dog, Jason quietly snuck back into the house and said he'd be back. He was going to the neighbors to talk to them. Even at the time, his silence said so much. I could tell that this man of steel had been touched by this little life...

The owner wasn't home but her live-in mother was. She acted as if she were afraid he was there to turn them in for having dogs (we don't think they are allowed to). Jason assured her that he didn't care and tried to stress that we rather enjoyed having the little one over and that our girls had grown fond of her. She said that they were only taking care of the dogs for a short time for someone that was ill and the dogs were just too much. Jason offered that if they couldn't handle all the dogs that we'd be happy to take the little one in and of course she was shocked. But that was all that was said. Jason asked her if she'd mind if we cleaned her up and she said that what ever was fine....so....we began the ultimate doggy make-over...

The parts I am holding up are her ears, the rest is matted up fur, poor thing!

The unexpected

For months now, we have been discussing the idea of getting another dog. I am just lost without Koda and have felt like something is missing no matter how much I adore Karma. We've called on a few dogs but nothing has worked out and we've been so on the fence that we've pretty much tabled the idea. I just keep praying that if we are meant to have another dog that it will work out and that it will in some way find us...That's what made yesterday so hard...

I started out the day like any other...trying to figure out what to do and just how much I could get accomplished. I had started taking down the decorations and was going out to the barn to dig out more boxes so I could tackle the tree....that's when I saw the neighbors' big white dog in our yard barking at me and nearby was another little dog, so nasty and grudgy that I couldn't tell what it was! I yelled at the big one to go home and it finally retreated under the fence through the hole it had dug but the little one lagged behind. I called it over and was so horrified by the shape she was in that I feared she only had one eye because of the way the matting had covered her face. I couldn't see but only one eye, not even her nose or her mouth but she quickly came over to me and within seconds was laying belly up at my feet. It makes me want to cry at the thought of a dog being that neglected...She looks like she has 4+ ears because of the big matts of fur sticking of the top of her head. She could easily have 8 legs for the extra knots she has hanging next to each leg and it almost looks as if she has an extra limb protruding from her side only once again, it's just fur. She has the sweetest little spirit and lights up (as much as she can in her state) when the girls even look in her direction...

I talked to the son thru the fence later in the day and was asking if her got a new dog. I had been seeing the big white one in our yard for some time now but the little one had only been showing up since we'd returned from our trip. He said that the big dog (Peek-a-boo) was his uncles dog and that the little one was his grandma's. So, now we knew she is theirs...and I'm so sick to know that I don't have the right to clean her up (which would take ALOT!) and bring her in to love her. She did finally go back over there around dinner time after spending the entire day at our house.

THEN, this morning we wake up to find THREE dogs in our yard! The original two and another one. This one isn't in nearly as bad of shape but could definately use a bath too! lol It also has a collar on, which the other little one did not. So maybe this dog is the grandma's and not "Licker" as Janie has taken to calling her? As you know, I am all for animal rights and in a group or on paper I would fight to the death but as one person and a neighbor I don't know very well at all I feel helpless....I was up half the night worrying about her out in the wind and the cold and I want so badly to just bring her in and clean her up. Please say a little prayer for this pup and us too that we have the strength to know what to do... :)