Adoption Day

"Every once in a while, a dog enters your life and changes everything."

I posted a picture to all my social medias earlier today (Sunday, January 4th), and the caption was this:

"One year ago today, on a cloudy, misty day just like today, I went to "look at" some "husky puppies." The second this puppy was placed in my arms and her big brown helpless eyes met mine, I knew I had to keep her and care for her forever. In that moment, I decided that I was not putting her back down and that no matter what, she would have the best life possible. And ever since then, I've done my best to fulfill that. This past year has been a learning experience big time. I've had lots of stuff chewed up, had to clean up messes, had my hands gnawed up, pulled down streets while holding onto the leash for dear life, etc. I've also had a furry source of joy to look forward to seeing, missed her til I cried while I was in Boone, fought for her, loved her fiercely, spoiled her rotten, played Tooth Fairy when she lost teeth, played Santa at Christmas, taken her on adventures, and loved her with a unique love I've never felt before. Without Emery, life just wouldn't be as sweet, fun, or funny. And this is just the beginning. I can't wait for more adventures (hopefully recorded and published as a book series), cuddles, and laughs. I'll never forget January 4, 2014, because it brought this furry bundle of love into my life. The Lord made her just for me."

These puppies turned out to be husky / lab mixes. I went from going to "look at" them to leaving with one of them wrapped in a pink towel.

When she was handed to me, I held her tiny, shaking body in my arms and looked into her precious brown eyes. She looked back at me helplessly and in that moment, nothing else mattered. 

I knew that taking her with us would make an already complicated situation ten times worse...

I also knew I'd feel guilty because the sweet, perfect Beagle I'd loved for so many years was sick at home and not getting better and bringing a playful puppy home wouldn't be fair to her.

I knew she'd get to be pretty big, and I didn't know where she'd end up living or how we would work it out, but I knew I had to get her out of the cold and give her as much as I could.

After taking our first picture together (and many others in the car), we spent the day buying her things at Petsmart...

giving her her first bath...

watching her walk around in her ADORABLE ski vest...

FEEDING HER HER FIRST MEAL.......

Posting pictures on social media, so excited to share the cuteness with the world...

I named the bundle of joy Emery (short for Emerald) Anastasia, after going back and forth with a few different names. I decided things would be easier if we had the same monogram HA!



And so started the journey.
It was me and Emery against the world.

Like I said, the past year has been full of ups and downs. I've had to learn how to raise a puppy from scratch. Lots of trial and error involved. Lots of freak-outs, vet visits, chasing her down when she darts out the front door, getting up every hour of the night when she had an upset tummy, rescuing objects from her throat before they get swallowed, buying new harnesses because she literally chewed them off her body, cleaning her muddy paws, brushing her teeth after she ate a dead rat...

buying her sweaters and embroidered collars, taking her to play and run, buying her toys and treats, taking her to training classes and tearing up seeing the progress she makes, kissing her cheeks, cuddling with her, tearing up at the look in her eyes when she first saw the Christmas tree and how her eyes were all shiny and mesmerized...

taking her to Valle Crucis to run and enjoy heaven on earth, buying her a cake and having her a birthday party, showing her picture to little kids and hearing them ooh and ahh and her adorableness, taking a billion pictures of her, being lame and making her a Twitter account, taking her picture every time she turned another month old...

 etc,etc.


Emery bounced around for a few months while I lived in Boone and didn't have a stable environment for the first little bit of her life. It killed me. But no matter how rocky the start, I'm thankful for everything. I went out on faith, believing that if God had given me such a strong love and attachment to this precious creature, He would provide a way for me to provide the best life for her, and He has.

I'm so very thankful for Emery and the joy she brings to my life. I can't say that enough.


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I had to put on my HPU sweatshirt to recreate the first picture we took together. Emery still doesn't like to look at the camera, so it worked out perfectly!

"Does anybody have it any better? 

Isn't it easy to see just how well we fit together?!"

eBa