{"id":19497,"date":"2017-04-11T14:31:50","date_gmt":"2017-04-11T19:31:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/creativememories.com/apps/thepages\/?p=19497"},"modified":"2017-04-11T14:31:50","modified_gmt":"2017-04-11T19:31:50","slug":"a-mans-best-friend-paw-print-scrapbook-border","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/creativememories.com/apps/thepages\/2017\/04\/11\/a-mans-best-friend-paw-print-scrapbook-border\/","title":{"rendered":"A Man’s Best Friend: Paw Print Scrapbook Border"},"content":{"rendered":"

I did not grow up with any pets. Well, a parakeet. Does that count?<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, I grew up with asthma and allergies, which meant no extra dander in the house. It made me sad to not be able to even pet the neighbor’s dogs or cats. \u00a0I had no idea what I was missing out on until I outgrew the allergies and asthma in my adult years.<\/p>\n

My boys begged and begged for a furry friend.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

It was a hot summer day 10 years ago that my youngest asked to stop at the Humane Society. I agreed to go LOOK. I stressed and stressed the word LOOK.<\/p>\n

We walked into the kennel with dogs crying and barking galore. There was one dog in particular that wasn’t doing either, but had the puppiest of “puppy dog looks” in his eyes.<\/p>\n

Taylor and I both looked at him and said, “He’s the ONE.” (But, we were just there to LOOK!)<\/p>\n

How could we sneak this adorable doggie into our home?<\/p>\n

Next was a call to my husband to meet us at the Humane Society over his lunch break. (He knew at this point there was no way out!)<\/p>\n

By that evening, we were a family WITH a pet. A day I never ever thought would happen.<\/p>\n

\"LPP_01.jpg\"<\/p>\n

Champ, our new family member, came to us from a family of 5 kids, so we knew he was good with children. That family surrendered him because he constantly ran away. We thought we could train him to stick around home. Unfortunately, the curiousness of being a Beagle-mix kept him on the run. So, we had to do a little adjusting.<\/p>\n

Needless to say that after that, Champ fit right in. He loves to be spoiled rotten. He loves going through the Dairy Queen drive thru for his “pup cup”, he loves peanut butter on a spoon, and mostly he loves to sleep under the covers.<\/p>\n

I never imagined this is what I was missing out on all those years growing up.<\/p>\n

All the cuddles, snuggles and puppy-dog kisses bring brightness to my day, regardless of how gloomy it might be.<\/p>\n