birthday

Celebrating this Special Guy Today. Something You May Not Know.

john eThis handsome little guy turns 55 today. The only boy out of five sisters.

I met this little guy when he was just four years old. Little did I know, or perhaps I did, but he would turn out to be the love of my life.

You see, this is my Johnnie. The man I’ve been married to for almost 30 years.

Oh how I recall seeing him for the first time in highschool. I was a freshman and he was a senior. I can still see that dark blue winter jacket he wore with the fake fur collar (yes, that was in then). His hair hung just a smidge over the back of his collar.  The jacket he loved and called it his “cop jacket” because he thought about being a policeman.

We didn’t date in highschool, but oh, how I admired him from afar. After he graduated he went off to college, which turned out to not be what he wanted in life. He returned to our small town six months later.

I was half way through my sophomore year when I was walking home one night with my friend. He pulled up in his big brown Pontiac and asked me if I wanted a ride home. I knew that first night with him that I loved him.

I don’t recall when we discovered this other piece of the story, but it still makes me smile to this day. We came to find out that when my mom was pregnant with me, she and my dad had rented a cabin. And you’ll never guess who was staying next door?

Okay, so you guessed right. It was John’s family. He was four years old. I like to say that I peeked out of my mom’s belly button, saw John, and said, “I’m going to marry that guy some day.”

So I say a very Happy Birthday to the little guy that is now all grown up. How absolutely lucky and grateful I am for him. The love of my life. The one who is always making me laugh. Who is always making me feel special. Who is the most kindest and hard working man.  Happy Birthday my dear Johnnie.

Happy Birthday, Frankie, the Walk ‘N Roll Dog!!

 

Well, the big day has arrived!  Frankie, the Walk ‘N Roll Dog is now 10 years old.  I always thought dog years were measured in human years as every seven, but our friend, Jerry,  sent me a new updated dog age chart, and I’m happy to say Frankie is really only 56 in human years… and not 70 like I originally thought.

Check out Frankie’s very special birthday banner made for her as the official mascot of National Disabled Pets Day.  Thank you, Colleen! 

In honor of Frankie’s birthday we will be visiting Sharon S. Richardson Hopsice so Frankie can show off her birthday hat and hand out her special birthday cards I had made for her.

Also in honor of my sweet little one’s birthday I am re-posting my “Top 10 Reasons Why Living With a Disabeld Dog is a Blessing.”  Though, honestly there are many, many more.  Frankie has brought me so much joy in the past few years… beyond anything I could have ever imagined for my life… Happy Birthday my dear little dog… you are my heart, my joy, & my passion.

  1. Living with a disabled dog like Frankie helps me appreciate every moment of every day.
  2. Living with a disabled dog has given me a new appreciation for patience.
  3. Living with a disabled dog makes me smile watching Frankie’s perseverance, and helping me realize I can do anything I set my mind to do.
  4. Living with a disabled dog means no cleaning up doggie do-do in the yard.  Because Frankie is partially paralyzed I express her bladder and bowels for her, and I do it right on the toilet.  J
  5. Living with a disabled dog has connected me with some of the kindest and most compassionate people.
  6. Living with a disabled dog is an honor.  Being with Frankie and watching her thrive despite her challenge makes me appreciate all the beauty of life that surrounds us each day.
  7. Living with a disabled dog reminds me that challenges can get me down, or they can uplift me and help me grow.
  8. Living with a disabled dog has taught me to be grateful no matter what.
  9. Living with a disabled dog makes me smile every morning when I wake, and eager to start the day.
  10. Living with a disabled dog has blessed my life beyond anything I could have ever imagined.  My life has been enriched ten-fold because of Frankie, and I thank God for my little dog with tires each and every night before I go to sleep.