(4/20) Our other "children"

Before we had children, Doug and I agreed to babysit Sugar for a few months while her owners, my best buddy Dee and her sweeties Cole and Emili, got situated in their new home. Fast forward almost 13 years and so many things have changed....Dee and Cole were tragically killed in a car accident, Emili is 20 and living life without her mom and her bubba, but....we still have Sugar. I hadn't spoken to Emili for a few years, sadly losing touch as we often do with even our closest friends. One day she called me and the first thing she asked..."Do you still have Sugar?" We do....she's just as scrawny and snaggle-toothed as ever, but we still have her. I think of Dee when I see her...and the little girl who was only 7 years old that entrusted me with her well-loved dog. So, in honor of Dee and Cole, we'll continue to love and care for Sugar until it's time for her to meet up with her former owners...who, I'm sure, will greet her with open arms.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

In addition to Sugar, we have this super cute, furry little fellow named Wrangler. He's the result of Sugar and a friendly neighbor....we actually thought Sugar had been spade since we'd had her almost 10 years when "this" happened. She had 4 puppies....Weston named Wrangler and Avery chose the name Pink Barbie Princess for one of the girl pups...this was later changed to Trixie Pink-Barbie-Princess by her new owners/our old neighbors. We ended up keeping Wrangler and he, like all the pups, look nothing like either their mother or their father, who was a blue heeler--what can I say...Sugar has good taste. Wrangler is so sweet, lets the kids lug him around, dress him up, lay on him, etc. His only vice....he still "leaks" when he gets excited and cannot remember to go outside to potty (either that or he's too busy...much like a toddler) Despite this, we love him, he's a great family dog and he's a daily reminder to keep in touch with old friends...you never know when it will be too late.