Happy Monday! Yesterday was a big day . . . National Dog Day! So, Happy National Dog Day.  A day late! The Beuclers are BIG dog people.  We love dogs!

I had four dogs growing up . . .
**Thunder.  Great 1st dog name for the whole “what is your actress name” game. No clue what type of dog this was.  I was three, and I don’t think we had him for very long.
**Thunder.  Same name, different dog.  We didn’t have him for very long either. I think he was a rescue that didn’t work out with our family.  Again, I was very young.
**Muffy and Maverick.  American Eskimos.  My brother and I got to name them, and my brother was obsessed with Top Gun at the time.  I am sure Tom Cruise would have been thrilled.  These were outside dogs, so while I loved them, they weren’t really included in my everyday activities.

Fast forward to 2004, and my world changed.  Reid and I became crazy LAB people.  They sleep in our bed, they go to carpool with me from time to time, and they are members of our family.

#1: Duke Kensington Beucler . . . our 1st baby!

Four months before we got married, we got Duke.  He was six weeks old, and we were crazy.  Actually, Reid was crazy because he made a snap decision on getting Duke after church one day.  We went from dog free to having a dog in less than 3 minutes of seeing a group of puppies being sold at a passing park. But . . . this face.  It should be known that Duke Kensington Beucler was the best dog to ever exist on the planet Earth.  We lost him five days before he turned 12 in May of 2016.  And, if you don’t know, losing a dog is a HORRIBLE experience. Sweet, sweet boy. I will be forever trying to find a replacement for him, but don’t think there is one out there.

#2: Tahoe Devonshire Beucler 

Because we weren’t crazy enough, we decided to get another 6 week old puppy when Duke was just 11 months old.  It was the very best thing we ever did for sweet Duke and they were best friends! We saved Tahoe’s life on 4 separate occasions: Parvo, severe pancreatitis, a tumor in his stomach, and cancer on his lip.  We basically have our own wing at the vet’s office.  Even though he was a total ball of anxiety, he was a sweet boy, and lived thirteen, long years.  We lost him earlier this year, and I am a full believer God let him live to see us through 2017.  Tahoe was great at crawling up and snuggling with you, and he was a constant through last year’s heartbreak.

#3: Tank Ferdinand Beucler 

Do you think he looks crazy is in this picture? If so, it is because he TOTALLY IS! His middle name is after the sweet bull in the book Ferdinand.  Tank is 95 pounds, and basically a bull in a china shop.  In January of 2017, I jokingly told Reid that if he wasn’t going to give me a 3rd baby, then I wanted another dog.  We welcomed Tank on February 13th of last year, and found out we were pregnant on March 6th.  Bless this sweet boy’s heart, but he came to us at the worst time.  Morning sickness combined with a whiny puppy at all hours . . . not great! I actually referred to him as “Satan” or “Devil Dog” for several months.  The boys made up the chant “Tanky Wanky makes Mommy cranky”.  Ahh, so true.  When everything hit the fan last year, Tank was the last thing Reid or I wanted to deal with.  One of my dearest friends suggested I be patient with him, and that he may be an integral part in my healing.  She was SO right.  I still had to get up and walk him, feed him, and give him some attention.  After months of this, I actually started to like the dog.  Ha! He helped me to survive.  And, he was such a constant love for my boys. He is just now around 18 months, and while lots of craziness is still there, he is a sweet boy.  Lots of snuggles.

#4: TBD. Because I am a CRAZY person, we “may” be working on a little surprise for later this fall.  The kids have no idea, but a little something something “may” be in the works!!!

So, Happy National Dog Day everyone! Snuggle your dog today, throw him a cheerio or two, and fill up that kong with peanut butter! XO