What's Your Favorite...

Pet/Animalt? Well if you know anything about my daughter, Rainee, you know she loves loves loves dogs! It's been like that from the moment she saw her first one. When she was a baby one of her first signs (in sign language) was dog.... every time we saw one she would do the sign... then when she she started to talk, we had the combination of saying and signing "doggie" for the longest time. Her first stuffed animal, that I couldn't leave the store without, was... you guess it... a doggie!!!

As she got older, she was constantly asking us for a dog... but although I wanted to please her... I had never had pets growing up... so, I wasn't sure I wanted one... or wanted the responsibility... and Steve... well, he just didn't want one at all... at least I willing to think about it... but for Steve it was no way no how are we getting a dog!!! But over the years I could see how much it meant to her... and how much she needed a companion, being an only child at home. So, I told her pray... pray with your whole heart, if that's what you want.... and praying she did... she prayed for the right dog for our family... prayed for daddy to change his heart and for it to be open to getting a dog.  She prayed constantly.... she knew her prayer would answered.

Over the course of nearly 2 years, Steve changed his heart... and when he did... we started looking for a dog. We'd go to humane society's, pet store... but every time we went looking... we'd walk away empty handed... and every time, it broke Rainee's heart.... and mine as well... because I knew how much she wanted a dog... and how long she'd been praying for one. But after every disappointment,  I'd tell her... those dogs just weren't the RIGHT one's for our family... and she'd pray.... and she's cry... but she kept praying.

Then one day, she woke up bright eyed, smiling from ear to ear and saying over and over.... "Mommy, I'm getting a dog today!!!!" When she said it, she said it with such assurance... and knowing... it was amazing to hear her so excited... I told her to talk to her daddy about us looking that day... and sure enough... daddy said yes. The first thing we did was look on the humane society's website... where we found a few we thought we'd like to check out... so off we went...

Once we go there... the only dog Rainee was remotely interested in was... Champ. From the moment she saw him, she was in love... and so was Steve... and me, well I was a bit apprehensive because of his size and Rainee was so small it was a bit hard for me to agree to such a BIG dog. But once I saw her sitting with him and saw how gentle he was with her.... Steve and I both knew we could not go home without Champ. So, just like she'd  said when she woke up that morning... she became the proud owners of a real dog... Champ became the newest member of our family... and Rainee's prayers were finally answered. 


Since then... she begs us for another one... and well... Steve said we could... but it has to be a puppy for my cousin's Black Lab... so sometime in the future we'll add another to our family.... because my little Rainee just loves dogs!!!

We'd love for you to share your favorite pet/animal with us over at TheseAreAFewOfMyFavoriteThings.... so stop by TheseAreAFewOfMyFavoriteThings and check out the beautiful inspirations from our DT... And don't forget you don't have to do a scrapbook layout, you can do a card or even a project of your favorite pet/animal.