Like a Proud Mama

Bella usually hates the water, and we make fun of her for not being a real Lab.

But look at her now!

The only thing I was thinking of the entire time was "I wish Brandon could see this."

Happy Fourth of July!

Our baby

This is Bella. She is our 75 lb. furball of love, vomit, and gas. We took her in when Brandon's dad had to give her away because she and her brother Billy were outgrowing the house.

Her hind legs are also worth $10,063.56. Yes, this is Bella. Our troubled dog who was born with knees eleven degrees off what it is supposed to be.

Bella is a dog prone to ear infections, is allergic to grass, has scabs on her front elbows from laying on hard surfaces, and throws up more than someone with major food poisoning. At least she finally got over the nasty habit of jumping out of windows and tearing apart every plastic bag in sight.

She is not a Labrador. No, she is some mutant dog who refuses to go near water, doesn't retrieve, and would rather sit on a blanket than the soft sand when we take her to the beach.

But she is also a complete sweetheart, and we love her.

She never fails to greet me at the door when I come home from a long day of work.

I no longer wake up to the sound of her urine hitting the carpet.

She keeps me warm on cold winter nights by cuddling with me in bed.

But most of all, Bella saved me from days of lonliness when I was missing Brandon the most. Times were/are hard, but looking at that adorable face of hers makes me feel at peace.

You may think that a dog doesn't belong in a wedding blog, but she is part of our family. Also, her ridiculous vet bills equate to the cost of a small wedding. Besides, she's awfully cute, don't you think?