He Was A Promise, He Was A Pain.....but.....

I preface this post with the statement, "I was not a dog lover!" When we moved from our little place in Bloomington, Kaydree was devastated. She loved having the heated pool right out our back door. So in order to mend her broken heart, I made a PROMISE in desperation knowing that Kaydree really wanted a dog, I said, " Kaydree we are moving to a house with a fenced in back yard, so we can get a puppy!"

We moved in July and I put off getting a dog, hoping she would forget?! ;-0 Then around November, one day out of the blue, Kaydree looked at me, like she had been cheated! She said," You promised me, you would let me get a puppy!" Ugh!!! So after a couple weeks of going to shelters, checking on line and the newspaper, Emily...thank you so much, found Charlee in Iowa...whose name was Rodney?! Yep... changed that. He was a Christmas gift and he loved to lay under the tree on a little snowman attached to our tree skirt. We think at the time it reminded him of being snuggled up next to his siblings.

At the time the girls were into Charlie Brown's Christmas, All Dogs Go to Heaven (dog named Charlie), Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and Benjy loves Notre Dame (Coach named Charlie) So Charlee seemed like a good fit. The double ee's after Kaydree.
In the beginning we had fun dressing him in boy...dog clothes. I hadn't dressed a boy before! Here he is in his cute little Gap hoodie. Thanks to JoDell, he was the best dressed dog.
I stand to gain nothing by telling all of you non-dog lovers out there, how much of a blessing he is to our family, but especially to our girls. I did most of the work, potty training, baths, etc. in the beginning.. yes it was a PAIN! I will not lie.
BUT... I can not even begin to share the joy he has brought to our entire family. It took me about a year to become fond of Charlee. The things about Charlee that have won me over...

1. Last year at the Ward Camp out, I was freezing and Charlee slept right next to me and he was a useful little heater.

2. One night I was having a bad dream I was trying to run...ever have those, where you run but you can't get away, well I was breathing heavy and Charlee jumped up and put his nose on my nose and woke me up! ( The moment my heart finally surrendered and I knew I loved this little pup)

3. He knows about what time Kaydree gets home off the bus, and he starts getting excited putting his paws up on the window, looking for her.

4. Anytime we come home, Charlee is so excited to see us, he just can't contain himself.

5. When the girls are sick, Charlee just lays down by them and snuggles them all day.

6. Having Charlee has taught the girls how to be responsible and that loving something takes work!

7. At times when Kaydree has been sad or is struggling, she always wants to hug Charlee. He can bring a smile to her face during tough times in a way that none of us can.

8. Karsyn plays with Charlee for hours when the rest of us are busy. When Kaydree goes to school, Karsyn and Charlee have a blast... he often gets dressed up in princess attire.

9. Charlee is not the smartest dog in the world but he is so loving, loyal and is always good for a laugh.

10. In all honesty, It is work to have a dog, It is inconvenient to have a dog at times, it does cost money to have a dog.....but the happiness that he brings to our family is immeasurable.