Mommy and Daddy are Getting Married

My Mommy and Daddy are getting married. They are eloping to Wilmington, NC on Saturday, October 20th. It's gonna be just Mommy and Daddy and me....and my sister, Poochie, of course. She'll be there in our hearts.

I'm real excited 'cause I'm the best man and that means a lotta responsibility. I gotta make sure Daddy shows up and gets dressed right and I gotta make sure all the squirrels and birds don't crash the wedding. I may have to spend the entire ceremony chasing them :) I even got a tuxedo but I'm gonna give Mommy lotsa kisses to try and convince her not to make me wear the top hat.

And I'm also excited cause this is my first trip to NC and I'm gonna take a long road trip. I hope it's a doggie friendly place.

Most of all, I'm getting real excited 'cause the week after Mommy and Daddy get married, we are havin' a triple celebration. On October 27th, it's gonna be my birthday (ok, they gave me this birthday 'cause we don't know my real one) and it's gonna be my ONE YEAR BENNIVERSARY. Wow, one whole year since I got my Mommy and Daddy and my forever home.

Most important, it will have been one year since my angel sister chose me for the important job of taking care of Mommy and Daddy. It's a real demanding job and I gotta give out a lotta kissies 'cause Mommy is always cryin' cause she misses Poochie. But I've worked real hard and everyone says I've come a long way. So on my Benniversary, my probation will be up and if Poochie thinks I did a good job, I'll earn my wings and get the title of Angel, just like my sister. I really, really hope I passed!!!!

Imagine...a year ago I was on the street and then in the pound, set to be killed in a week if no one wanted me, and then I was rescued by the Animal Lovers League where I stayed for a month before Mommy and Daddy came to get me. A year ago I was alone and had no home or family. But now I got a Mommy and a Daddy and an Angel sister and tons of toys and good food. I get to sleep in the bed with my own pillow and blankies. I get to go for long walks and to the beach and road trips. And now I'm gonna be my Daddy's best man at his wedding.

A lot can happen in a year. I got chosen and I got a Forever Family.

Mommy and Daddy have a wedding web site at http://parsonsand riker.weddings.com

It's My 8 Month Benniversary!

Yay! Today is 8 months since I got 'dopted and found my Forever Family.

I am so happy. I have the best Daddy and he's my Best Buddy. I also have the best Mommy and I think I'm gonna marry her before Daddy gets a chance to and keep her all for myself!

Best of all, I have the BESTEST sister angel who chose me to take care of Mommy and Daddy and they say she's real proud of me 'cause I do such a good job. I hope my sister, Poochie, has a happy, happy birthday at the Bridge on Monday, July 2nd. I'll be sure to give Mommy and Daddy extra kisses that day 'cause I know they'll be sad since it's Poochie's first birthday at the Bridge instead of at home.

HAPPY BENNIVERSARY TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!

Tag! You're It! Game

My pals Sampson, Jazz and Shane all tagged me!

Here are the rules:
Each player starts with seven random facts about themselves. Dogs who are tagged need to post the rules & their 7 pawsome facts in their Diary. Then they choose 7 dogs to tag and list their names. Don’t forget to bark them a pmail that they have been tagged and to read your Diary, or, send them a fun Rosette announcing they've been Tagged!

Here's my 7 fun facts!

1. I'm an 80 pound dog in an 8 pound body.
2. I was saved from the kill pound by the nice people at the Animal Lovers League
3. My Angel sister, Poochie, comes to visit me and play when Mommy and Daddy aren't home.
4. My Mommy thinks my "schmekie" is disproportionately big for my body.
5. My favorite toy is my squeaky Matzoh Ball.
6. I'm going to be the Best Man at my Mommy and Daddy's wedding.
7. Mommy calls me Dr. McKissies because I give her lots of lickies to make her feel better when she's sad.

Here are my 10 dogs I am tagging (I know it's supposed to be 7 but I got tagged 3 times so I thought I'd add a few pals to my list):

1. Douglas (my 1st pal on Dogster)
2. Caffery
3. Mocha Bear, PhD
4. Baxter (the only pal on Dogster that I've met in person)
5. Kelsie
6. Sweet Angus
7. Bella
8. Benny Blanco from the Bronx
9. Darcy (she's a cutie)
10. Doolin Kingsley

Wow, I'm Waggin'!!

I can't believe it! I was chosen for Diary of the Day!!!!

My Mommy was so surprised when she checked her e-mail and saw that it was all for me!!! Rosettes and stars and pup pal requests and p-mails from lotsa great doggies on Dogster. I'm gonna keep her busy writing thank you notes to everybody!

This has been such a special month: first it was my 6 month Benniversary in my Forever Home, then Mommy's birthday and Daddy's birthday, and then my Mommy and Daddy got engaged!

That would be enough but Mommy wrote a letter for me and sent it to the shelter (Animal Lovers League) that rescued me from the kill pound so I could let them know how I'm doing six months later and thank them for saving my life. The other day we got a phone call that the shelter is having a big dinner and they are going to blow up the pictures Mommy sent and put them and my letter up as one of their greatest success stories!!! I'm gonna be famous!!

And now this: Diary of the Day!!!! With all this publicity, the pupparazzi will be following me on all my walkies!! What a lucky guy I am to have been chosen so many times: by the shelter who saved me, by my angel sister, Poochie, who thought I was worthy of following in her paw steps, by my Mommy and Daddy who love me so much and now by Dogster for Diary of the Day!

My Mommy and Daddy are soooooo happy and tell me everyday how proud they are of me and how proud my angel sister, Poochie, is too. I am so grateful that I got a chance to help heal my Mommy and Daddy's hearts and be part of my Forever Family.

Thanks again to everyone at Dogster.

Love, Benny

Happy Birthday to MY Daddy!!

To MY Daddy,

I hope you have a very, very happy birthday Daddy! This is your first birthday where you have me as your little boy so obviously, you don't need any more gifts....you already got the best...hee hee.

I am so proud that you are my Daddy and I am wishing you lotsa smiles and laughs and other good things. I wuf you very, very much!

Lotsa lickies and huggies from your little boy and your BEST BUDDY,
Benny
XOXOXO

Happy Birthday Mommy

Hi Mommy,

I wanna wish you a very happy birthday and I hope this is the first of many I get to spend with you. I'm so happy that you're my Mommy and that I have a Forever home. You made my wish come true and I hope yours comes true too. I also hope you like the presents I got you (if you don't, blame Daddy).

Remember that Poochie will be celebrating too. She told me to give you a gazillion extra kissies today.

I wuf you,
Benny

It's My Benniversary!!

I can't believe it's been 6 months since I got my Forever Home.

Seems like only yesterday and at the same time, a million years ago, that I was on the street, then in a cage at the prison pound and then at the shelter with no mommy or daddy or family or anyone to love me or call my own. Then a beautiful angel appeared to me and said she had a VERY important job for me to do and if I accepted the assignment, my life would be saved. Without knowing what I would have to do, I took that deal. No brainer!

That beautiful angel was my sister, Poochie, and the assignment, she said, was to go live with her Mommy and Daddy and take care of them. They were very sad because Poochie had to leave and go to Rainbow Bridge. On October 27th, Poochie's Mommy and Daddy came to the Animal Lovers League Rescue Shelter and brought me to my new home.

It was rough at first. They were very nice to me, gave me lots of toys, clothes, good food and I even got to sleep in the bed with them but they were really sad. I'm talking MAJOR depression and crying everyday. I was still in some shock from all the moving around, being on the street and then put on death row in the prison before the ALL shelter rescued me. Then I'm seeing angels and being offered Mission Impossible: to make this sad Mommy happy again. I started to wonder what I had gotten myself into. But my angel sister was always around to help me out and give me pointers. She even gave me some toys that Mommy thought were put away. And then Poochie taught me The Secret, the key to open all doors: PUPPY KISSES!!!!

Since then everything has been so great!!! With just a few licks from me, everybody's heart opened up wide...even mine. My Mommy loves me soooo much. She calls me "her little boy" and she hugs and kisses me all the time. She thanks me for teaching her to love again and for giving her some smiles and laughter to balance out her tears. My Daddy is my Best Buddy. We play all the time and go for long walks and talk about guy stuff (like how we don't understand women).

I have a great home with two overflowing toy boxes, lots of clothes (even though I prefer to be naked), and yummy home-cooked food. I've even gone to the beach twice and dared to get my feet wet at the shore. I've learned some tricks (just to keep the humans happy and feeling "in control") and I've learned how to socialize with other doggies so that I'm making lotsa friends in the neighborhood and everywhere we go. I even got to meet my Dogster pal Baxter 'cause he lives in the same neighborhood and we're gonna have play dates this summer.

Mommy and Daddy are always saying how proud they are of me and how far I've come. They love when I take part in the Monday Night Candle Lighting Ceremony, being quiet while they say the prayers and waiting with kisses ready for when they cry. We eat dinner together and then I lay under the table foot wrestling with them. We play all the time and when I'm not playing I'm snuggling with them.

I thank the people at the Animal Lovers League for rescuing me from the pound. I love my Mommy and Daddy so much and I love my angel sister, Poochie. I'm honored that out of all the dogs in the world she chose me to share her Mommy and Daddy with and give me a Forever Family. What an AMAZING 6 months it has been!!!!

IT'S MY BENNIVERSARY!! HAPPY BENNIVERSARY TO ME!!

Dr. McKissies to the Rescue

I thought the next time I wrote in my diary would be for my 4 month anniversary since being adopted but somethin' more important happened.

My Mommy is sick and Daddy took her to the emergency room on Sunday night 'cause she couldn't breathe. They came back home a few hours later and Daddy was real mad 'cause he said they just let Mommy lay there, crying and coughing, and when she threw up a bit, the nurse yelled at her to not spit on the floor! Boy, I wish I had been there. I woulda bit that nurse's head off!!! She was in a lotta pain and no one paid any attention to her. Daddy said she begged to go home and that she got more upset saying that Poochie had wanted to go home too when she was sick but Mommy "killed her" instead. She kept saying she was sorry to Poochie and got more and more upset so Daddy took her back home in the snowstorm.

When they got home, Mommy got in bed and she was crying and coughing and she looked really bad. She was shivering and freezing and sweating and hot all at the same time. I got real worried 'cause I've seen Mommy in pain from her back but not real sick like this. I could tell she had a fever and she needed some help. She was crying and kept saying she was sorry for not being able to help Poochie and for "killing her" and how she didn't have her "Poochicillin" to help her. She always said that puppycillin is the best medicine but that's generic and Poochicillin was her brand name miracle medicine.

Well, I got right to work!!! I started giving her a gazillion kissies all over her face and her hands and arms to cool her down. That made her feel a little better. I was real worried about her and she sensed that and she told me not to be scared 'cause she didn't want me to ever be scared again, that I had enough bad stuff in my life and she wanted me to feel safe and secure. I felt so happy hearing that but amazed that Mommy was sooooo sick yet she was thinkin' bout how I felt. So I kept giving her kissies and Daddy gave her some medicine so she could go to sleep.

Mommy insisted she had to say her prayers first (she says prayers every night for Poochie). She was laying on the bed saying her prayers and crying. Daddy was crying too. Her hand was laying open on the bed and so I took my FAVORITE toy, my squeaky Matzoh ball, the toy I am most possessive with and don't let anyone touch, and I put it in her hand. She opened her eyes while she was saying her prayers and saw what I did and she started laughing and smiling (but still crying). After she finished her prayers, she told me that was the sweetest thing EVER and that she loved me SOOOOOO much. She told me Poochie would be really, really proud of me.

Mommy never did get any sleep that night and the next morning Daddy took her to the doctor. Turned out Mommy had a fever of 102 and bronchitis/mild pneumonia. She's still really sick. Daddy stayed home from work for two days to take care of her and yesterday they gave me presents for our 4 month anniversary together. I've been on duty giving Mommy tons of kisses to help keep her fever down and her spirits high.

The doctor gave her a super-strong antibiotic but Mommy said nothing she could ever buy or be prescribed could work as well as her new brand name medicine, BENNICILLIN!!!!!!

Even though I'm sad Mommy is sick, this was the best anniversary 'cause it shows how we all help each other. Poochie helped Mommy, Poochie helped save me by getting Mommy and Daddy to adopt me and now I can help save Mommy when she's sick. It's great to be part of a Forever Family.

Monday will be the 6 month anniversary of Poochie going to the Bridge and that will be hard for Mommy but I'll be there to help her with the BENNICILLIN. Just call me Dr. McKissies :)

My First Valentine

I can't believe this is happenin' to me but I am in love!!!

Mommy took me out for a walk 'bout two weeks ago and we saw a Westie named Ozzie who was one of Poochie's friends. Well, he has a new little sister named Susie. She's six months old and the cutest Westie ever!!!!

I'm usually not so good 'round other dogs 'cause I get scared but Susie was sooooo nice to me and she played with me, jumping around and getting our leashes all tangled up. Then Mommy would give us both some treats so we could catch our breath and we stood there chewing away together. Then we played again.

Her brother, Ozzie, looked kinda suspicious of me 'cause I was making growlie noises but that's just what I do when I'm excited. I figured I better suck up to him 'cause he's a protective older brother. And I really wanted to see Susie again :)

I asked my Mommy and Daddy to get me a Valentine's Day present for Susie and they bought her a pretty heart charm for her collar. I hope Susie doesn't think jewelry is too much for a first gift or that I'm moving too fast. They also gave Ozzie and Susie some peanut butter cookies (remember I gotta suck up to Ozzie). Then I made Daddy carry the little pink bag on every single walk in case we bumped into them and finally!!!! yesterday we saw them walking on our block.

We gave Susie's parents the gifts and they were very impressed with me. I got to play with Susie again and we ran and jumped and growled and got our leashes all tangled up again. Susie's Daddy said that maybe I could come over to their house and play in the backyard so I guess he approves of me. I can't wait. Susie is the first doggie I've played with since I was adopted almost 4 months ago.

Now I gotta have some man-to-man talks with Daddy 'cause I don't understand girls. What if Susie cares that I'm not a full Westie? What if she doesn't like guys that are shorter than her or weigh less than her (Mommy says girls are very sensitive 'bout their weight)? What if she keeps expectin' more jewelry? What if Daddy doesn't know anything 'bout girls either????

Mommy and Daddy said not to worry 'cause I'm the most handsome boy they ever saw but they're my parents so they gotta say that. Anyway, I can't wait to see Susie again. I wonder if that will count as our third date... too bad I had my doodles cut off. She'll just have to love me for my looks and charming personality. Happy Valentine's Day!!!!

Stepping into Some Big Paw Prints

My Mommy and Daddy just did their Monday night candle lighting ceremony like they do every single Monday night at 10pm. They sit at the table and say the prayers and light 3 candles: one for Poochie, one for all the sick and ailing furbabies and their parents and the third is for the homeless, forgotten, abandoned, abused animals and those who gave their lives for research.

Mommy is the one who reads the prayers and when she gets to the line that says "I have sent you on a journey free from pain; not because I did not love you but because I loved you too much to force you to stay," she always breaks down and has trouble saying it. I think it's 'cause she still feels guilty and thinks she killed Poochie.

Well, I waited respectfully and the second they were finished with the prayer, I jumped for Mommy to pick me up and gave her lots and lots of kissies to lick away her tears. I've been kissing Mommy every single day and night (she cries A LOT) and it seems to make her feel better. Then I kiss Daddy too.

I do it partly 'cause it's my job. Poochie tells me (I'm the only one who can see her and talk to her) that I had better take care of Mommy and Daddy or she'll bite my head off! But mainly I do it 'cause I want to. I don't like to see Mommy and Daddy cry and Mommy cries every single day so I'm pretty busy licking away a lot of tears.

Mommy says that Poochie made sure I was saved from that kill pound 'cause I have a purpose. She says I had to stay at the rescue shelter for that whole month 'cause she and Daddy had to be ready to let another dog into Poochie's home. They had let two other Westie puppies slip away 'cause they weren't ready. Mommy says it all worked out this way 'cause Poochie made sure that the time was right for all of us to get saved. Poochie believed that Mommy and Daddy could help me and I could help them. Poochie is really smart 'cause Mommy says that she rescued me but that I rescued her back!!

I hope I can do a good job of taking care of Mommy 'cause I got some REALLY BIG paw prints to fill.