On Dog Birthdays and the Joy of Pet Ownership

This weekend our little Ellie-bellie turned five.  It is not lost on me that she won't live forever-though I slip that in my prayers at night just in case God takes mercy on this dog mommy's weak heart.  I love her.  I wish I could have 15 just like Ellie, despite all her challenges.  She loves to carry things in her mouth, she's never met a human she didn't like, she'd chase every tennis ball you throw, she lives for a good walk, and has never once been mad at me.  She's a winner of a dog.  I remember the day I got her crying in the car because I thought, what did I just do?  

Having a dog has completely changed my day to day freedom and I remember a great group of friends who gave me "the real deal dog talk" before I got Ellie.  It's true, you do have a huge responsibility for the next 10-15 years.  But, what I got was so much more than I ever gave up that day.  Thanks Miss Ellie for being the best gal pal I could ever ask for.  Here's a quick look at how we rang in the big five with a c-ELLIE-bration:

 Dad came home for lunch and we all hung out on the porch.  It was a gorgeous day.

 We leashed up the girls for a car ride and took them to a delicious (human) frozen yogurt bar that serves dog yogurt treats too. 

 The Birthday Girl loved it, just as we thought she might.

 Sister Sophie got one too of course and actually finished it BEFORE Ellie. 

 Happy Birthday my girl, may God grant my prayer and you live forever!

On dressing up dogs for Halloween

I don't know, maybe I am crazy, but as fall officially begins, I cannot stop thinking about how I plan to dress my dog children, affectionately we will call them my dog-taughters for Halloween.  If I am being honest, I would dress these girls up everyday of the year if it was considered normal dog owner behavior, because dogs in Halloween costumes can brighten up any one on any day of the week.  I think about their Halloween outfits (and mine...honestly) throughout the entire year.  Current thoughts: Ellie's in an alligator loving phase, she must be an Ellie-gator for Halloween.  Sophie is being a bit ornery, she needs to be a crab.  These are the abnormal thoughts that sprinkle through this brain 52 weeks of the year!   

Here are a few of my favorites for this year's crew:

Amazon: Ninja Turtle

Amazon: Raptor

Amazon: Police Officer

Does anyone else take great joy in selecting Halloween costumes for their four legged loves?  As I sniff my pumpkin spiced everything, I am happily welcoming in dog Halloween costume season!

Weekend in Review

What a week capped off by a fantastic weekend!  We are soaking up the last moments of Charleston's beautiful summers and taking in all that this city has to offer in summer. It is truly when the city comes alive with activity and fun and when you can muddle through the tourists a bit, you'll find how magical low country summers are.  I heard all about the humidity and heat when I first moved down to Charleston and y'all, they weren't lying.  But, despite that, it is still my favorite place to be hot and gross all summer long. 

My might fine man surprised me with all my favorites when I got home from a rough week on Friday night.  And yes folks, that is a Red Velvet cupcake and flowers from Whole Foods.  Because, if you are going to eat calories galore, let's make sure they are coming from Whole Foods, am I right?

I am not sure this sums up our marriage any better: Saturday morning watching Caesar Milan work magic on some sweet baby dogs.  

 Those last moments of a Charleston summer spent on Sullivan's Island.  The crowds has dissipated a bit before school starts and hello #taxfreeweekend, so we had some peace and quiet, and a ton of horseflies annoying us.  Our beach visit was cut short as a result. 

We checked yet another place off our Charleston Foodie Bucket List on Saturday after the beach.  What more can you say about Obstinate Daughter's decor than this photo? 

I got the shrimp roll which was a slight take on a lobster roll and pretty delicious.  

After volunteering at the Charleston Animal Society for a bit, we had a crew of friends over to entertain Ellie spend some porch time together before the Hootie and the Blowfish Concert.

Sunday was spent catching up on life and hanging with my number one and two girls while Rich was back home for his mom's birthday.  How am I supposed to get anything done with a golden floor mat?

When I couldn't take anymore of the #velcroGolden, I took her over to the local dog park for some running and a general release of her wiggles.  She's my girl and I love how she loves me.  

That's it folks!  A taste of our weekend as healing and therapeutic as it was for us me.   Time to soak up all that we have left of this summertime.