my sweet pete.

This morning my sweet, sweet pup, Petey, ascended into the skies and joined all my other loved ones in Heaven. It feels like a part of me is missing. That may sound weird to anyone who has never owned a dog, but he wormed his way into my heart, cleared an opening, and nestled his way in for a lifetime. Right now it feels big and gaping and a little impossible. I keep expecting him to turn the corner and shake his happy tail so hard his whole body will rock. Eventually, that big hole will fill with sweet memories and instead of a pang of sadness, I will feel a burst of happiness.

I miss him. A lot. He was the first dog I ever had that would run to me whenever I was crying. He would scratch at my bedroom door until I opened it, and he would lay with me until I was done. It meant more to me than a lot of things. I will never, ever forget him. He was a sweet, old soul with a lot of character. He will certainly be missed in our home. I will always love you & think of you, my sweet Petey boy. xo, R.

why i won't be here.

It's finals week. Oh, your finals are already over? Yeah, I know. I think my school is the only one in the nation who thinks it's appropriate to make finals week the entire week before Christmas.

When am I supposed to do my Christmas shopping? I blame you, Dean of Students, if the people in my life have hap-hazard Christmas gifts. So Mr. Dean, if you get angry snail mail, you know where it came from. And I'm not taking the blame.

That is all. See you on Thursday when I'm cuddled up at home with my sweet pups. Which reminds me, any kind thoughts for my oldest pup would be greatly appreciated. His heart isn't what it used to be and it's not being super reliable right now. He's a hearty old man, so we're hoping he'll push through it, but your love and kindness sent his way would still be very welcomed. xo, R.

He's cute, right? Sorry it's not the best photo ever. He's as shy as they come, so this is the best I could do, which is pretty good considering he's very, very scared of the camera (and vacuums, thunder, fireworks, and anything else that makes unpleasant noises).