Dog days of summer

We had another birthday in our family. Our faithful canine companion, Millie Paige ______ turned three today. We got Millie when she was a just a puppy. We had moved to our new home that summer and for the first time I couldn't reach out and touch my neighbors house from my yard. That was kind of weird for me. We have a big yard and so decided that we wanted a dog, plus we had a boy now and what makes a more natural pair than a boy and a dog?

So we took a trip out to the Puppy Patch in Weatherford, TX and picked out a pet. I wanted a chocolate female. DH wanted a yellow male. We compromised on a yellow female. We spent some time looking at all the dogs and they were really cute and bouncy as you would expect a lab pup to be. Finally we spotted Millie. She wasn't nervous and came right out to play. Fortunately for us her litter was just recovering from ring worm and she had a blemish on her forehead. We got her for a $150, which is a great price for a papered lab.

We brought her home and began to enjoy our great bargain dog!

After a trip to the vet and to the pet store our start up cost went up to closer to $400-500.

Then we discovered that she didn't stay in the yard very well and we had to fence our 1.6 acres to the tune of $3000.

Then we got to live through her "teething" days: one new bed chewed, one couch cushion destroyed, the molding on the stairway, the blinds, anything left out or open, chewed, chewed, chewed. We bought bitter apple: $5. We kept her in a crate when we were gone, we bought her chew toys: $35ish. Then we sent her to man's vest friend: $1000.

Then we got her fixed: $150 and there were puppy shots and...

Our bargain dog was some bargain! I felt like I needed to spin a web above her crate that said "Some Dog" or "Radiant" so that DH wouldn't see dollar signs each time she came trotting by with her tail wagging and someone's shoe hanging out of her mouth!

Now three years later we can't imagine our lives without her. For one thing she has really helped to declutter our house. She and E play every day. She loves to swim and fetch and is so good natured. The kids climb on her, fall on her, take food from her, dress her up, whatever and she's just so happy to go along with them. She barks at strangers and licks our friends to death! We couldn't ask for a better dog.

Today E and I went to Wal-mart at the end of a long list of errands that took up our morning. He picked out a chocolate cake for Millie's birthday, which he informed me he'd have to eat for her since chocolate kills dogs. And we celebrate our four legged friend.

PRICELESS