Gratitude

Congratulations are in order for Team Kiri (Sparklers) — they have a sparkling new CDX to put behind Kiri’s name. Well done, Alison and Kiri!

And speaking of Sparklers, this is Claire…

You cannot know the significance of that photo. Following her pregnancy and repeated knee surgeries, she was so broken. Certain things were just impossible for her — simple things like trotting or controlling her body enough to lie down from a stand. Nothing was easy or smooth.

I was reflected on this yesterday as we walked and I watched her trot confidently and powerfully — no limp or even slight hitch anymore. She can jump again. I am starting to believe she will be able to do a CDX — like her sister, Kiri.

Claire reminds me that a body possesses what it needs to find a New Normal. She is not the same as she was — but with time, patience, and intention the new Claire is strong, resilient, happy, and so inspiring. #gratitude

Eleven-year-old Harper B for BRRRRRR is another reason I feel so grateful.

Harper has always liked to carry things on walks — Pozy does it as well. Sometimes it is best to adapt to the dogs rather than insist they always adapt to us 🤷🏼‍♀️

Just a funny photo of another reason I feel gratitude — Capella.

Happy Monday! I hope you have much that inspires your gratitude today.

BRRRR and GRRRRRR

We have been having a very cold spell recently but being Montana-tough, Suzanne and I walked dogs at the warmest part of yesterday — it was 18 degrees when we started.

The dogs had so much fun — the humans did as well. But yes — BRRRRRRRRR.

Meet Glen…

Kitten-taming is going well, as you can see.

The two kittens are siblings and so I named them after my kids. No, I do not have a secret child named Glen but I do have a Galen and one day I left out the “a” when texting with Dear Daughter.

She pounced on that like a typical older sister — it went about like this: Hey GLEN — mom has never forgotten my name, and therefore, I am the favorite child. HA HA!

It continued to go like that — in fact, she is still calling him Glen.

Dear Daughter was named Nicole with the intention of calling her Nikki — that never happened, and she remained/remains Nicole.

I had wanted to name her Summer Dawn — because that is a perfect name for a baby born in February. I was talked out of it. In my defense, I was still a teenager when I was thinking that was a good plan.

Dear Daughter regularly thanks the Universe that she was not named Summer Dawn, and enjoys tormenting me about this. Almost as much as she enjoys tormenting Glen — I mean, Galen.

So far, the older son, Christopher, has escaped Dear Daughter’s attention — give it time.

Back to the kittens.

Their names are Nikki Summer Dawn (orange) and Glen Christopher (black). How perfect is that?!

Happy Sunday to you.

Winning

Big congratulations are in order to Team Margie Moonshadow who got the first points towards her championship yesterday — with a major!

Margie with her handler

A dog needs 15 points to be a champion, but that has to include two majors. Points are based on the number of dogs competing. A major means there were enough other dogs that the number of points awarded to the winner is three, four, or the maximum points that can be earned at one show — five.

Getting majors can be tough — you have to find a show that has enough competition, and then you have to win.

Great Job, Team Margie! And so much gratitude to Toby for everything she is and does ❤️

Margie’s littermate, Maple, thinks she won big time with all the snow we have here in Montana.

🍁🍁🍁

My dogs agree — they love the snow! Thanks for Lee and Adri for keeping me in Maple pictures.

I finally got the official badge from Pet Partners this week…

Being able to spread joy in the world — with a dog — is such an amazing gift. To me! I am so grateful for the dog and the opportunities she provides to do good things together.

Happy Saturday, Friends!