Foster Family: Our first child

Okay, okay let's just get real here and say that I used to hate this dog. Judson already had her when we started dating and she was always ruining the moment. On our first walks together this dog was jumping all over me while I was trying to be really cute and graceful. Get my outfits all muddy while I'm trying to impress this boy! Our first kiss was on one of our walks and this dog wrapped around me on her leash and made me trip. Awesome Rylee! You suck.

Judson asked me to marry him, so I guess we were getting pretty serious and I realized crap... I have to like learn how to tolerate this dog. So when judson would go to work I would babysit her at my house. She was crazy. She pooped on my floor. Vomitted on my floor. Peed on my floor. Blah. Then judson and me had to try and find a house with a backyard to be able to keep this crazy animal.

Then, something happened. Judson had to have a bachelor party. Soooo as a kind soon-to-be wife gesture, I said, "hey darling, I will keep Rylee at my parent's house with me in Graham for two weeks while you go have your fun." Well... it wasn't really worded like that, but let's just pretend. So, she came home with me and I decided to get her fixed. HALLELUJAH! This dog turned into little angel baby to me.

She was so sweet and calm in her painful, post surgery form. Is that wrong to say? But she needed me!! She would lay in my lap for comfort and follow me around everywhere! She was the sweetest thing in the world.

And so, we bonded and fell in love. Now this dog is such a wonderful part of our lives. She is like having a toddler. She doesn't really mind all the time but everything she does is so darn cute. She makes us happy and reminds us to have joy when we are so exhausted. She wakes up full of life and READY for the day! It makes us want to be that way too, ya know? When we argue she just runs back and forth between us till we are laughing so much at her we forget our silly arguments. Awesome Rylee! You rock.

I also seriously suggest to newly married couples to raise a dog before a child, if you can. We learn so much about each others parenting styles from the way we treat Rylee. I'm a push over about things he really wants her to do (play fetch correctly) and he's a push over about things I really don't want her to do (always get on furniture). When one of us says "No Rylee, no people food for you this time." the other one feels bad for her and sneaks her some under the table. We're a mess, but we have each other! We are a happy family of three and I wouldn't have it any other way.