It is a snowy evening and I'm curled up in the dark living room, with Marley laying on my feet. We have the soft glow of the computer screen and perfect silence. I always cherish this time of the evening when the kids go to sleep and I am free to do whatever I want!
This post is going to be a bit selfish. It's going to be about Marley & me. Marley has become an extension of myself- a constant companion that beams with love and loyalty. Since he is our first dog, I didn't really know what to expect. Yes, I campaigned for an adoption, thinking about the joy and love a dog would provide for the kids. Little did I know how quickly Marley would drastically change MY world! I guess it was evident when I replaced the kids' X-mas picture with Marley's picture as my cellphone screensaver. Maria was like "what the heck mom??" (I did eventually change it back) This sweet boy is the perfect companion. I could go on and on, but I think you get the picture. =)
I've always had the innate need to nurture and take care of people. Yes, being a mother allows me to do that, but Marley fills a void that I just can't explain. Kids are way more complicated than dogs. Dogs are simple and they don't ask for much. Love. Food. Play. It's my responsibility to make sure he is protected and feels safe. Marley deserves a good life, full of love, and I will fiercely protect him. He is a gift from God and we are the lucky ones.
For those who follow Jami and Angel, I must say that their story is an inspiration. I smile whenever I read Jami's posts. Jami's personal attributes can be seen through her writing- someone who is caring, honest and genuine.
For anyone who reads this, please know that Marley is happy and thriving. And, he is still sleeping on my foot. =)
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Winter fun, Part 2
I just posted pictures of Marley with the kids and Zoey. Everyone is enjoying winter, getting cozy with blankets and snuggling. Also, Marley and the kids have been enjoying the snow! I'm hoping to get some pictures of Marley playing in the snow soon- his favorite thing. I've seen the video of him as a puppy with his siblings - playing in the snow for the first time. Whenever I take him outside, I think of that video. So cute!
I must say that Marley's previous owner did a great job training him. He listens very well and has great manners. The one thing we noticed is that he likes to hump Luke. Luke is our 5 year-old son and Marley jumps right onto the back of him and goes at it. The kids think it's hilarious, even though they have no clue what he is doing. Maria video recorded one of Marley's "moments" and wanted to send it to America's Funniest Videos. That won't be happening...LOL. Not sure if it's normal for dogs to hump, even when they are fixed? Maybe someone knows the answer?
We found out that Marley loves ice cubes! When he hears the ice maker going, he instantly runs up to the freezer door. Whenever someone drops ice, he pounces on it. He still chews a lot and we've given him bones and chew toys to keep him occupied. Every once in awhile, we will find a dismembered barbie doll.
Honestly, Marley has the sweetest personality and does not have a mean bone in his body. All he wants is to be loved, play and eat. What a life!
I must say that Marley's previous owner did a great job training him. He listens very well and has great manners. The one thing we noticed is that he likes to hump Luke. Luke is our 5 year-old son and Marley jumps right onto the back of him and goes at it. The kids think it's hilarious, even though they have no clue what he is doing. Maria video recorded one of Marley's "moments" and wanted to send it to America's Funniest Videos. That won't be happening...LOL. Not sure if it's normal for dogs to hump, even when they are fixed? Maybe someone knows the answer?
We found out that Marley loves ice cubes! When he hears the ice maker going, he instantly runs up to the freezer door. Whenever someone drops ice, he pounces on it. He still chews a lot and we've given him bones and chew toys to keep him occupied. Every once in awhile, we will find a dismembered barbie doll.
Honestly, Marley has the sweetest personality and does not have a mean bone in his body. All he wants is to be loved, play and eat. What a life!
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Settling In
Wow, it's been over a month since Marley joined our family! Until a person actually own a dog, it's hard to put into words the profound effect they have. Marley is an incredible joy and blessing. We've settled in a daily routine, which Marley loves. He also has certain habits and routines that we find so cute. (That will need to be another post all by itself!)
Marley sleeps with us on the bed every night. Actually, one of his favorite things to do is sleep, which works out perfect since I love to sleep too! The morning starts up with John getting ready for work and Maria bouncing onto my bed to see Marley. It's usually early in the morning and Marley and I are still in sleep mode.....but regardless, he will lick her face until she giggles with happiness. It's a great way to start out the morning and it's hard to be grouchy with all that licking going on. Sometimes Marley will follow Maria to the kitchen in hopes of breakfast scraps, or he will stay in bed with me while I drink my first cup of coffee. Once I get out of bed- the excitement begins! The kids and Marley start their game of tag, the cat gets chased and then the adventure continues outside on the leash for a morning exploration. Around 8:30am we say goodbye to Maria as she heads off on the school bus. The morning consists of Luke, me and Marley. Sometimes we stay home and other times we run errands in the car....and let me tell you---Marley LOVES car rides! By 12:30pm, we drop Luke off to school for his Young 5's class. I noticed on Monday that Marley now cries and whimpers when Luke goes into the school building. My heart just swelled with love when he did that..the sign of unconditional, pure love. Sometimes I think we humans could all learn from the simple and pure acts of animals. The afternoon with me is pretty boring...LOL. I'm back in school now and have a lot of reading/studying to do. Marley usually goes into a low-key, relax mode with me- which I love. He's my loyal sidekick, however once the bus comes at the end of the day, it's fun with the kids again! When we put the kids to bed at 8:00pm, Marley is usually wiped out too.
All in all, Marley spends his day playing, sleeping, eating and loving everyone around him. I can't imagine how we managed without him before now.
Marley sleeps with us on the bed every night. Actually, one of his favorite things to do is sleep, which works out perfect since I love to sleep too! The morning starts up with John getting ready for work and Maria bouncing onto my bed to see Marley. It's usually early in the morning and Marley and I are still in sleep mode.....but regardless, he will lick her face until she giggles with happiness. It's a great way to start out the morning and it's hard to be grouchy with all that licking going on. Sometimes Marley will follow Maria to the kitchen in hopes of breakfast scraps, or he will stay in bed with me while I drink my first cup of coffee. Once I get out of bed- the excitement begins! The kids and Marley start their game of tag, the cat gets chased and then the adventure continues outside on the leash for a morning exploration. Around 8:30am we say goodbye to Maria as she heads off on the school bus. The morning consists of Luke, me and Marley. Sometimes we stay home and other times we run errands in the car....and let me tell you---Marley LOVES car rides! By 12:30pm, we drop Luke off to school for his Young 5's class. I noticed on Monday that Marley now cries and whimpers when Luke goes into the school building. My heart just swelled with love when he did that..the sign of unconditional, pure love. Sometimes I think we humans could all learn from the simple and pure acts of animals. The afternoon with me is pretty boring...LOL. I'm back in school now and have a lot of reading/studying to do. Marley usually goes into a low-key, relax mode with me- which I love. He's my loyal sidekick, however once the bus comes at the end of the day, it's fun with the kids again! When we put the kids to bed at 8:00pm, Marley is usually wiped out too.
All in all, Marley spends his day playing, sleeping, eating and loving everyone around him. I can't imagine how we managed without him before now.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Pictures
A picture is a worth thousand words. Well, actually a lot of pictures. =)
Marley on my shoulder
Marley & Maria playing
The man in the pic is my father-in-law. He & Marley became fast friends!
One of my favorites!
Sunday, December 23, 2012
A Transformation
In previous years, we've always scrambled to make sure everything was perfect for Christmas. A pile of Christmas presents for the kids, including matching Christmas pajamas to wake up in, a neat & tidy house, gatherings and parties, a family meal that was perfect. With me being a perfectionist, the holidays brought on stress and anxiety. I'd get everything accomplished, hoping that all these "things" would make everyone happy and we'd have a wonderful Holiday.
A few weeks ago, we adopted Marley/Yofi. Since then, I've gone through a personal transformation. As my husband and I discussed Christmas presents for the kids, we really thought it out. Do they need alot of gifts? Yes, they might enjoy a shiny new present for awhile, but then the attention moves towards Marley. He's brought everything into prospective for us. Material items have less significance as we think about our love for Marley and the joy that he's given to our family. Our lives feel full & the love of family takes center stage. In our society, it seems like Christmas has become more about "stuff" and less about God and Love. It has been very liberating not worry about Christmas and everything turning out perfect. In fact, I've been enjoying Marley so much this week that I have no idea what we will be eating for the Christmas dinner. I'll get the family's input and wing it.
As a first time dog owner, I bought a variety of items that I thought Marley needed. One of them included a pair of dog booties. Yes, I actually put them on him. He was a good sport about it and tried to walk outside. It was hilarious! The poor dog could NOT walk in the booties and they eventually fell off. He looked at me like I was crazy. It's a good thing that Petsmart has an easy return policy, because I've returned alot of items that realistically didn't work out. Another part of my transition has included the ability to not care about a spotlessly clean house. I do wipe Marley's feet when he comes in from the outdoors, but one look at that cute face and I don't really care how my floors look.
Here's to transformations and getting back to basics.
A few weeks ago, we adopted Marley/Yofi. Since then, I've gone through a personal transformation. As my husband and I discussed Christmas presents for the kids, we really thought it out. Do they need alot of gifts? Yes, they might enjoy a shiny new present for awhile, but then the attention moves towards Marley. He's brought everything into prospective for us. Material items have less significance as we think about our love for Marley and the joy that he's given to our family. Our lives feel full & the love of family takes center stage. In our society, it seems like Christmas has become more about "stuff" and less about God and Love. It has been very liberating not worry about Christmas and everything turning out perfect. In fact, I've been enjoying Marley so much this week that I have no idea what we will be eating for the Christmas dinner. I'll get the family's input and wing it.
As a first time dog owner, I bought a variety of items that I thought Marley needed. One of them included a pair of dog booties. Yes, I actually put them on him. He was a good sport about it and tried to walk outside. It was hilarious! The poor dog could NOT walk in the booties and they eventually fell off. He looked at me like I was crazy. It's a good thing that Petsmart has an easy return policy, because I've returned alot of items that realistically didn't work out. Another part of my transition has included the ability to not care about a spotlessly clean house. I do wipe Marley's feet when he comes in from the outdoors, but one look at that cute face and I don't really care how my floors look.
Here's to transformations and getting back to basics.
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