The Fabric of Our Lives: Hasta luego, Maddie!

Its official - the Talbert's are now a 1-dog family! I won't even try to hide my enthusiasm. Through word-of-mouth, we met a wonderful family who had recently lost their beloved boykin and were eager to fill the void. They came over in early August to meet Maddie and she's been with them ever since. It sounds awful to admit, but neither Ben nor I, or even Bella for that matter, have missed her all that much. The dogs had become outside dogs and we spent more time reprimanding them for licking/jumping/being smelly then we did loving on them; we didn't even get to enjoy them.

Now that Bella is flying solo, she is back in the house and didn't miss a lick. She is as obedient as ever and is definitely relishing in the fact that she now enjoys the simple luxuries she used to take for granted, such as air conditioning, table scraps, petting & hugs. Jackson adores Bella and wakes up pointing downstairs & panting, which is his way of telling me he wants to go play with the doggy. He gives Bella hugs & she is so gentle & tolerant, even when he is a little rough or steps on her paws. I am also obsessively brushing Bella daily because I cannot take the shedding.
(For all your dog lovers out there, the Furminator has changed my life. It removes gobs of hair and I swear it has reduced the hairballs by 95%. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.)

We know that Maddie has definitely been upgraded in life now that she lives with a family with 3 boys who love to walk her, snuggle with her and give her the exercise & attention deserves. This was definitely a win-win for everyone and one day when Jackson is older, we'll wish we had spunky little Maddie around to keep him entertained.

As a tribute, I've compiled a little summary of Maddie's life with us (it reads like an obit but that was definitely not my intention!): Maddie loved the water & would jump in anytime she got the chance. She loved getting affection and would sit in your lap for hours if you let her. She loved to "give kisses" and no matter what we did, she just didn't get what "no lick" meant!!! (She also liked to lick her butt which I had a real problem with.) Maddie loved to play fetch in the cul-de-sac but not so much in the backyard. She was very gentle & submissive around kids & dogs that were bigger than her and she'd roll over on her back when approached. She was timid in crowds, but would go nuts when she was in her comfort zone. Maddie absolutely loved going on car rides & when she was just a puppy, she fell out of the back of Ben's truck while we were going down the road (unharmed, thankfully). Maddie wasn't the sharpest dog on the block, but was definitely smart enough to only sneak up the stairs when we weren't looking. Maddie loved to be loved & was the most loyal dog I've ever had.

P.S. Ben, sweetheart, please don't surprise me with another "best birthday gift ever" ever again.