5 weeks of joy -

Lucy Mae has been ours for 5 weeks ago today!!! A few things have changed... ;)

*She is no longer 2.6lbs. She is now 4 lbs.

*She is longer, bigger, and a growing puppy! (I don't think she'd hold still for a measuring tape)

*She is 12 weeks right now, and will turn 13 wks. on Monday!

*She knows her name, and comes when she is called. She definitely knows the word "no." ;)

She has run into our lives with full loving force, and even though she's a lot of work ....

we wouldn't have it any other way. She is so so worth it. :)

~

Dear Lucy Mae ...

My precious, darling little puppy. You have captured my heart and filled the gaping hole that I thought would never be filled again after our sweet baby Mopsie who died 6 1/2 months ago. I thought I would never feel that joy again, that if we got a dog, surely it would never be as special. Joy had left our house in a very tangible way, and I was crushed without hope of that return.

... but then God said "yes", and we got you. We got in the car with you, and my heart realized HOPE in the most real way in a few years and HOPE exploded into a million little pieces of JOY.

Not 5 minutes mine, and I was already in love with the sweet puppy you are. You love to be near me, and fall asleep on my lap every night until you go into your snuggly little kennel. You dream and woof and run races and dream of eating in your dreams and it's the cutest thing ever. You stretch and yawn and are cuddly in the most babyish way and I love just watching you.

You love to show your love to me by licking my face until I am laughing so hard. You respond quickly! to laughter!! You love to respond to the differing tones of laughter, and you have not known me to cry yet. Except for tears of joy. You have known those.

(no makeup and pure joy here. haha.)

I didn't just want you so badly, Lucy Mae ... I needed you. I needed a dog so badly. :) And you are just the perfect little one. I whisper to Jesus so much how thankful I am for you. I think you hear me sometimes, because you reach up and lick my chin.

You are a puppy, so everything is new to you. You don't know what squirrels are yet, because you walk along, and you are like "TWIG! ... no wait. LEAF! LEAAAAAF!!!*pounce*....GRASS!!" and it reminds me how very special our world is, when you are 8 inches tall, or when you are 5 1/2 feet tall. You are enraptured by new sounds, and will stop mid-chew to stare wide eyed in that direction. You LOVE the sun. You love lying on my stomach and being outdoors.

... and I love it TOO!! :D

Today we had rain. We had a lot of rain. And today I took you out to walk through your first rain puddle. You were NOT enthused. I tapped the water with my finger, and you were enraptured! I could see your eyes "IT MOVED!", hahaha, and then you smacked it with your paw, "WET! GAH! WET!!", your ears swiveled in disapproval and you backed up, but I drew you in again, and splashed a little with my wellies. Then I walked across the puddle, and pulled you with me.

You could not believe I was making you get your paws wet. How inconsiderate, since clearly this puddle was something to be hated and feared ... the moving wet thing. You got to the other side and shook off all 15 drops of water, and WAS NOT GOING BACK. In fact, I have a defiant picture of you looking the other way, ignoring me. But I made you do it. And you took your sweet time coming back across, watching the water move, water dripping off your nose and paws, and I think you enjoyed it more. :) you were SO CUTE.

... and then you sat down by my boot and looked out across the water.

and I remembered again how thankful I am for you.

You became that best friend that lives in my house 24/7 that always loves, forgives and is cheerfully by my side that I missed so much. You fill every day with joy now. Joy that I had no tangible grasp on in those months before. Even when you make a mess, or chew on something, or don't listen to me, or wreak havoc .... I will never stop loving you. I look forward to all that God does in our lifetimes. :)

Happy 5th week of being ours!!!

I love you, my sweet sweet baby Lucy Mae.

Thank you, my loving Savior, for so sweet a gift to me.

~ Jean Marie ~