Thirty Years

This photo is my birth certificate.

Thirty years ago today, it was finally official – the long process of my dad adopting me was complete.

Although I had already considered this man my dad for more than three years at this point, some things take time.  It’s funny how one small piece of paper can represent something so monumental in my life and bring closure to a complicated process.

This birth certificate, with my new name printed on it, signified a new beginning for me – a life in which I knew where I belonged.  My dad choosing to make me his daughter was loving and selfless and amazing, and reflected the respect he had for my mom, of whom I was an extension.

So I got a new birth certificate to reflect this new life.

I was so thrilled to have this new name – immensely proud of the story behind how it came to be and what it meant for all the days of my life that would follow.

Those of you who know me know how much I love my last name.  I don’t just love it, I LOVE IT.  Sooooooooo much.  I think is a fabulous name!  (Don’t ask me how many monogrammed tote bags I have!)

But more than that, this name is a gift.  The greatest gift I can imagine receiving.

And that is why when C and I got married, I did not change my name.  This name means everything to me – it is my family’s name, my dad’s name, MY name – and I never once ever considered changing it after getting married.

Let me be perfectly clear:  I utterly adore my in-laws.  I hate the term “in-laws” because C’s mom and dad are so much more to me than that.  I could not love them more if I tried.  They are truly my second set of parents who love and support us in every sense of the word.  My parents and brothers love them, too – as cliché or cheesy as it may sound, we really are two families that have grown into one.

And so the decision to not change my name had nothing to do with C’s parents – I happen to love their last name – and if I am being honest, it really had very little to do with my family, either.  It was simply a deeply personal decision that was right for me.

When C and I talked about getting married, I told him that I wasn’t going to change my name.  He didn’t even blink.  He knew exactly why I was so attached to my name and how the history of my life was tied up with it.  This was not surprising to me – he is an awesome human being and an even more awesome husband.

What WAS surprising to me was that he offered to change his last name.  This possibility was not even on my radar – I hadn’t considered asking him to do so and I certainly did not expect him to suggest it.  While it may be a tiny bit more commonplace now, twenty years ago, we had never even heard of anyone doing such a thing.

And so C gave me the second greatest gift I can imagine and he legally changed his last name so that it would be the same as mine.

Unconventional?  Yes.

Grand romantic gesture?  YES.

We’ve gotten our share of weird looks, ignorant comments, and ridiculous questions when people find out what we did, and many, many, many people think my brothers are C's brothers and that I am the one who married into the family.  Which is fine by me, since they were 5 and 6 years old when C and I started dating and so C really IS their big brother and for all intents and purposes, always has been.

It’s been thirty years since I received my new birth certificate declaring me an official member of my newly-defined family.  If it’s possible, I love my name even more now than I did back then…I love hearing students call me by it, decorating my classrooms with items related to it, and dreaming of the day when it will be partnered with the prefix “Dr.”

Happy Tails to you!

Sweetest Day

Sweetest Day is typically thought of as a “Hallmark holiday,” but according to Wikipedia, it was actually established in 1921 by a candy company.  Regardless of its origin, I am a fan.  It’s like a mini-Valentine’s Day in the fall!

I had no plans to write a blog post about Sweetest Day, but then this happened:

Sleeping Beauty was finally released on blu-ray this week, and I could not wait to add it to my collection.  I remember seeing it for the first time at a drive-in with my mom when I was very young, and I absolutely loved the movie, even though Maleficent became the villain I was most terrified of growing up.  The music is awesome (I featured the lyrics to Once Upon a Dream a few months ago when my brother and sister-in-law got married) and I love the style of animation.

The fact that C bought the movie for me for Sweetest Day was very kind of him.  But it was the sunglasses that put the gift over the top because of the thoughtfulness behind them.

For those of you who aren’t fans of Sleeping Beauty, two of the three good fairies, Flora and Merryweather argue about the color Aurora’s dress should be, saying “Make it pink!” and “Make it blue!” while using their magic wands to change the color.

One pair of sunglasses is pink and the other is blue…so sweet.

Happy Tails to you!

And Then There Were FOUR!

Most of the FB pages I follow are related to dog rescue – Hendrick & Co., Hope for Paws, WagAware – and animal causes in general – ASPCA, PETA, HSUS – to name a few, but my favorite is Dachshund Rescue of North America.  This is the organization that is nearest and dearest to my heart.  As a result of following all these pages, I see a ton of animal stories day after day in my newsfeed and cry when I read the horrendous stories of abuse, neglect, and abandonment.  I am so thankful there are people working tirelessly against animal cruelty and also for organizations who take in unwanted pets, heal and foster them, and find them loving homes.

And I wish I could save them all.

We have adopted five Dachshunds through DRNA and doing so has proven to be the most rewarding and fulfilling thing we’ve ever done.  Our first foray into rescue was in 2009 and our dogs have brought immense joy, craziness, barking, and love into our lives!

However, when we lost our sweet Molly in 2010, I was so heartbroken that I swore I would never get another dog because I didn’t think I would ever get over it.  And of course, I never have gotten over it…that loss will always and forever be with me.  But the sadness slowly ebbed and was replaced by happy memories that we reminisce about all the time.

After months of seeing dogs every day in my newsfeed, Duchess appeared one day and I somehow knew she was meant to be ours.  We adopted her in August 2011.

Fast forward to November 2013, and we lost Gunni.  This almost killed me.  I was so attached to her that I really thought I would never recover.  As with Molly (who was Gunni’s mom), I swore to myself:  no more dogs.  Losing them just hurt too much.

Five months later, we lost Duchess.  Two dogs in five months.  People toss around the word “devastated” in a way to explain an exaggerated sense of disappointment.  When I say I was devastated, I mean that my heart felt as though it had been shattered into a million pieces.  And again, the promise:  no more dogs.

Life continued with our three little gals, who never fail to amuse us with their antics.  I continued to cry daily about all of the dogs who need homes.  I continued to donate to my favorite animal organizations, because even though I felt I could not help out in terms of taking in a homeless dog, I could give money in support of medical care and fostering.  And I told myself, I’ll never get another dog.

Until I came across this a few months ago:

A Dog’s Last Will & Testament

Before humans die,

they write their last will and testament,

giving their home and all they have

to those they leave behind.

If, with my paws, I could do the same,

this is what I’d ask…

To a poor and lonely stray,

I’d give my happy home;

my bowl and cozy bed, soft pillow and all my toys;

the lap, which I loved so much;

the hand that stroked my fur;

and the sweet voice that spoke my name.

I’d will to the sad, scared shelter dog

the place I had in my human’s loving heart,

of which there seemed no bounds.

So, when I die, please do not say,

“I will never have a pet again,

for the loss and the pain is more than I can stand.”

Instead, go find an unloved dog,

one whose life has held no joy or hope,

and give my place to her.

This is the only thing I can give…

The love I left behind.

- Author Unknown

My attitude quickly changed as I realized that I was actually being incredibly selfish.  I had decided to never get another dog because it hurt too much?  Pathetic.

Thousands upon thousands of dogs are euthanized at shelters in this country every year just because they exist.  Because people are too idiotic and irresponsible to spay and neuter their dogs.  Because people have children or move or come up with some other lame excuse for dumping their dog at a shelter with no regard for their fate.  Because breeding dogs is big business.  Because people think shelter dogs must have something wrong with them – when the truth is that the only thing “wrong” with them is the despicable humans who tortured, neglected, and abandoned them.

I realized that I am in a position to help.  Even though I can’t save every dog, I can save one dog.

Last week, a dog popped up in my newsfeed.  Sadie, 12.  And somehow, I just knew.

On Thursday, I emailed the DRNA contact person to ask if we would even be considered as adopters because Sadie was in South Carolina and we were two states away.  A string of emails with DRNA and Sadie’s foster dad followed, and on Friday, we were approved and made arrangements to pick her up.  Her foster dad agreed to drive three and a half hours, as did we, to meet in the middle so we could make her ours.  This all transpired very quickly and we are extremely grateful for everyone who played a role in making this happen – the foster families of both Molly & Gunni and Duchess were contacted to vouch for us; Sadie’s foster dad was willing to drive so far with her to make sure she went to a loving home; Jane, the DRNA rep chatted with me on the phone and took care of the paperwork so swiftly – what a phenomenal organization!

With Sadie being 12, we don’t know how much time we will have with her, but we do know it will be fabulous.  We got Molly at age 14 and only had her a little more than a year.  We got Gunni at 12 and had her for four years.  And we got Duchess at age 15 and had her for almost three years.  So you never know.  The reality is that you never, ever know how much time you will have with a dog, regardless of their age at the time they are adopted.  So we are going to enjoy every minute.

I’ve said it before, but senior dogs are amazing and rescue dogs are amazing.  So a senior rescue dog?  So fantastic.  They appreciate every moment with you – so happy to have a warm blanket to snuggle in, a lap to sleep on, and a home to call their own where they will never have to be afraid or alone again.

As I type this in the car, we are about 15 minutes from meeting our new girl.  We cannot wait.

A little while later...

AND NOW SHE’S OURS!!!!!!

I sat in the backseat with her for the ride home and I don't want to jinx us, but she is the most calm and relaxed Dachshund we've ever seen.  She snoozed beside me snuggled in a blanket and did not make a peep.  She has a tail that wags happily and it is clear that she was loved deeply at her foster home.

When we arrived home, we weren't sure how to introduce her to the other girls...we didn't want all three of them excitedly running at her and scaring or overwhelming her.  So I held Sadie while C lifted up Ginny, Maddy, and Chelsea one at a time so they could sniff each other.  It wasn't long before Maddy was kissing her in the face and Ginny was following her everywhere she went.

Chelsea seems pretty indifferent at this point.  We figure she's just thinking, "Great. Another one."  :-)

Here's Sadie!!!

This was waiting for us when we got home:

Have I ever happened to mention how AWESOME my mom is?  <3

Happy Tails to you!

Fairy Tale Weddings Showcase

As with our trip to Ireland, all the photos in this blog were taken with my phone, so please forgive any that are slightly out of focus!

We took a short trip down to WDW for the weekend and had a great time!  As you know, we choose character names for our Magic Bands, and for this trip, we were Pongo and Perdita from 101 Dalmatians:

Our Inspiration

Dalmatian decals I purchased online - blue collar for Perdita, red collar for Pongo - just like the movie

We flew down on Friday evening and the main purpose of trip was to attend the Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons Showcase for final inspiration for our vow renewal ceremony in a few months.  The event was held at the Grand Floridian Convention Center and it was very well done!  We attended two sessions, sampled food and cake, chatted with the pros, and admired the decor and all of the many table settings.

the most magical way to travel

Alice in Wonderland table and cake:

Assorted cakes and cupcakes:

And the MOST AMAZING cake I have ever seen:

As for the rest of the weekend, we mostly relaxed, and in my case, did homework.  We stayed at the Contemporary, which is FABULOUS.  We’d only ever stayed there once before, and for only one night, so getting to experience the resort for three nights was amazing.

the envelopes I found online
(there was a third one with a Toy Story theme, but I didn't think to take a photo until the second day of our trip
after I'd already left that one for Mousekeeping)

On Friday night, we had dinner at Beaches and Cream, which is over at the Beach Club.  It is one of our favorite places at WDW, and now that reservations are necessary, we felt very fortunate to get one.  After dinner, we went over to Downtown Disney and wandered around the shops.  Always a good way to spend an evening, in my opinion!  As I have previously mentioned, I am not into pin trading, but I bought a couple of pins that I thought were adorable:

And this is my favorite purchase of the weekend:

Mary Poppins cosmetic bags  :-)

The Wedding Showcase was Saturday, so after a quick breakfast at Contempo Café, where we enjoyed the monorails zooming through the atrium, we headed over to the Grand Floridian.  After the showcase, we had a dinner/bowling date at Splitsville, which is at Downtown Disney.  I am an absolutely terrible bowler, but I love bowling!  I was fully prepared to lose in an embarrassing fashion to C, but did not predict what a competent bowler the eight-year old in the next lane would be.  Oh, well!  I had fun despite the numerous gutterballs.  Once we got back to the Contemporary, we decided to watch the Magic Kingdom “Wishes” fireworks from the resort.  Beautiful!

Yes - this was the ball I used!

extremely fashionable

We also indulged in some delicious cupcakes over the course of the weekend:

We slept in on Sunday, which was awesome.  I admit that I love sleeping pretty much all the time, but we’ve had a lot going on and were both kind of run down, so sleeping in all morning was a welcomed luxury.  We were able to snag another Beaches and Cream reservation, so we went over there for lunch and then got ready to go to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.  This party is one of the few opportunities where adults are allowed to wear costumes into the park, and we’ve attended the party three times before and were very impressed with the quality and creativity of the costumes we’ve seen.  As for us, we are not big into costumes, so we’ve never dressed up for the party, but we decided to get into the Halloween spirit a little bit.  C wore an Oozma Kappa t-shirt and a Sulley hoodie, and I wore a Minnie Mouse skirt, yellow Crocs, and Minnie bow in my hair.  That is just about the most “costumed” you will ever find us.

We went over to the Magic Kingdom around 4:00 and were able to ride a bunch of attractions before the rain began.  It absolutely poured while we waited in line for Splash Mountain, but the payoff was that as we rode it, there was a gorgeous rainbow in the sky almost right over Cinderella Castle.  So pretty!  The rest of the party was a lot of fun, even though it rained off and on all evening, which caused the second showing of the parade to be canceled.  The upside of the rain was that it caused the crowd to thin out nicely over the course of the party; it certainly wasn’t going to chase us away, so we stayed until the end to enjoy every second.

pumpkin spice waffle sundae

candy corn ice cream

On Monday we sadly had to pack and check out of the hotel.  We spent the day visiting some of our favorite resorts and I got quite a bit of homework done.  While I would definitely prefer to not do homework on vacation, I can’t complain about getting to do it in such a happy setting!  We knew our flight was delayed, so we had a few extra hours to relax before heading to the airport.  The flight was supposed to depart at 8:15 pm, but did not take off until 12:20 am, meaning that we did not get to our house until almost 4:00 am.  Even though we were tired, the welcome we received from our three furry friends was so adorable.  Actually, it was four furry friends because my mom’s dog was also thrilled to see us – probably because she knew our return meant that she would be going home in the morning to reclaim her title of “only dog.”

For those of you who think I only ever have positive things to say about all things Disney, you may be surprised to know I have two minor complaints about our trip:

1)  Downtown Disney is a disaster.  I know it is undergoing a major refurbishment, but that fact made it no less annoying to search endlessly for parking or navigate all of the construction.

2)  As I said, this was the fourth time we attended the Halloween party.  I don’t know if Disney now sells more tickets to the event or if we have lucked out in the past and attended on nights that weren’t sold out, but it was super crowded.  In my opinion, absolutely ridiculously busy for something that costs people a good chunk of change.  In the past, we have walked right onto attractions and found prime viewing for the parade and fireworks with little forethought.  Not his time.  It felt like people were everywhere and it was only because of the rain that people began leaving so that by the end of the night, the park felt rather empty and that’s just how we like it.

Overall, it was a fantastic weekend and I owe a huge thank you to my lovely mom, who spent the weekend taking care of our girls, and another thank you to my awesome sister, who spent part of the weekend with my mom so that she wouldn’t be alone.  I love these women.  <3

Happy Tails to you!