Meet Our New Addition

If you haven’t noticed, I have been on the quiet side lately.  The projects have slowed down a bit.  Our floors have never been mopped so often ever.  And a full night’s sleep is a rare thing these days…

Because we got a floppy, goofy, clumsy, mischievous yet adorable little pup.  I’ve mentioned her on Facebook and Instagram, but I haven’t officially introduced her here on the blog.

Meet Stella!

Back when Robert and I first got married 6 years ago, he desperately wanted a big dog.

He grew up in a “dog family”. It wasn’t just his parents who adopted pups of all shapes and sizes; his aunts and uncles and cousins and cousins’ cousins and pretty much every single person in his family had dogs.  Everyone even brought their dogs to family reunions, put peanut butter in their mouths, and filmed family videos of them with hilarious voice-overs having conversations about how weird their owners are.  (My in-laws are one-of-a-kind.)

But 6 years ago, we lived in an itty bitty apartment where big dogs weren’t allowed.  So one day, 4 months after we got married, we found a little Yorkie-Schnauzer mix on Craigslist who a family was needing to give up.  Lola is still our best Craigslist find to date (and there has been quite a lot of Craigslisting for us over the years).

Then Olivia was born a year later, and I was adamant that a puppy and a baby weren’t going to mix.  Potty training just a tiny human was enough for me.

Credit: Alisha Rudd Photography

But once we moved into this new house this spring with a big backyard where we can roam a bit, Robert mentioned it again.  He wanted a big dog.  And I just couldn’t say no because this man of mine works so hard for our family, he gives so much time to make my ideas and my passion for our home come to life, and he’s my best friend in the entire world.

Credit: Alisha Rudd Photography

We knew a Goldendoodle would be perfect for us with having a 5 year-old, and I’m allergic to short-haired dogs, so we searched and searched for months on several Doodle rescue sites.  None of them ever worked out.  Apparently, Doodles are a big deal because as soon as one needed a home, it had an adopted family within an hour, and many of them were on the other side of the country.

 

Then, a friend of mine told us about a lady who had Goldendoodle puppies and they would be ready to go home right around the time of Olivia’s birthday. The look on Olivia’s face the day we surprised her was priceless.

She is totally in love with Stella now, and despite us telling her not to, she tries to carry her around everywhere she goes.  It’s no easy feat for a 5 year-old, considering how big Stella has already grown.

Stella’s favorite chew toys are my baskets, my rugs don’t stand a chance, and I’m really really glad our sofa is slipcovered because I’ve already had to buy a replacement cover.  I forgot just how much work these little furballs really are, but I know she and we will adjust soon, and she’ll be Robert’s buddy, Lola’s companion, and Olivia’s little protector.   (And most likely my sidekick just like Lola always is when I’m painting furniture or decorating a room.)

It’s not easy sharing projects these days and our home is going through an interesting, rather destructive, phase, but in the end, I know it’s all just “stuff”, and the result is going to be a lifelong friendship.  No throw pillow or living room rug or piece of furniture is better than that.

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