2010 is a year I am not likely to forget. Brady had left for college in the fall of 2009, and I was faced with the quietness of an empty house.
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Already in a somewhat fragile state, I was not prepared for the loss of my best friend, Missy the Boxer, in February of 2010.
(For those of you who are new to my blog, you can read the original story here.) Then came retirement that spring.
Here I was, free from children, free from the daily grind, and free from pets. Many people would have loved to be in that situation, but not me. There was an emptiness…a loneliness…a longing. It wasn’t long before I was searching for another Boxer to fill the void in my heart. For months I searched in vain, until I finally found a breeder who was going to have a litter available. The price was higher than what I could really afford, but I went ahead and put down a deposit on a female pup…and waited. Of course, rarely do things run smoothly, and I almost did not get a puppy at all…but that’s a tale for another day.
In the end, Muffy was delivered to my home…a bouncing, delightful bundle of fur!
It was love at first sight…for the both of us! And then something happened…a little voice inside encouraged me to ask about the last puppy in the litter…a show quality male. Was he still available? “He was”, replied the breeder…and she wondered if I would be interested in buying him, too. And so it was destined to be. The last few dollars in my savings account went to buy the last puppy in the litter.
One Boxer puppy is not for the faint hearted. Can you imagine two!
There were twice the messes. There were double the number of chewed up shoes…and the list goes on. A boy with an interest in electronics, Brody decimated a cell phone, a remote, and a camera.
Muffy, on the other hand, indulged in her more creative side…devouring stamping sponges, sponge daubers, and markers. But through it all, there was always twice the fun, twice the laughter, and unlimited love.
The Twins will always be an important part of my life, and the lives of my husband and son. They brought me back from the abyss of despair caused by a multitude of life-altering changes.
Muffy has continued to shine in the show ring, winning back-to-back Best of Breed wins just this past weekend.
She won a Working Group 3 Saturday and a Working Group 1 Sunday, defeating the #5 Great Dane, #5 Kuvasz and the #9 Great Pyrenees in the nation.
A dream was realized as I watched her proudly in the ring as she competed for the coveted Best in Show.
As for Brody, although fate cut short his promising show career,
he continues to shine brightly in his role of clown and companion.
And as his door closed, it opened again for his sister…
And so I celebrate the birth of my two best friends…born in the eighth month, on the ninth day, in the year 2010…8-9-10. Happy fourth birthday, Twins!
Thank you for allowing me this journey down memory lane. Tomorrow, it’s time for The Paper Players. Until next time…
Happy Belated Birthday to the twins!! What a sweet story to read this morning. Sorry I’m late, we just returned from vacation. I always enjoy your stories and especially the ones from your babies. I love their age, over the puppy chew stage and settling down to be the companions that give us joy and happiness daily. I sure can’t imagine my life without mine by my side!
Happy belated Birthday to the Twins. I am sure you made the day very special for them. How cute is their Birthday date is. Sorry this is late but I have had to skip over my e-mails lately. I love them with the stories that are told. Give them a big hug and a treat from me and Cookie!
Congratulations Muffy on your wins you had on this weekend! You are a pretty girl!
Happy belated birthday to the twins. When I read your tales of the twins, I feel the love you share with them. You are truly blessed as are they.
Happy Birthday Muffy & Brody! You are both so lucky to have a Mama that loves you so much! Thanks for sharing your story and your inspiration.
Your furbaby stories always make my heart smile, because the love and sweetness are impossible to resist. While I love all your photos, I always especially enjoy the videos–such wonderful puppy joy! Happy birthday to your sweet twins!
Happy Birthday to the Twins
Has it been four years already? Wow what a wonderful adventure you have shared with us. I have loved every post watching them grow up!
Love your Muffy, Brody and Lexi stories. Isn’t it funny that Muffy liked her girl today (crafting supplies) and Brody liked his boy toys (electronics like all guys). Happy Birthday twins.
I love your fur baby stories, as well. We had boxers for around 35 years. We almost always had two at the same time. We even bred our first one, Frau, and she had 10 puppies! What fun that was, it sure was hard to sell them. We ended up keeping one.
I love to read your posts. Thanks for sharing so much of your life.
I enjoyed meeting you at the Convention. Congratulations and Happy Birthday to Muffy and Brody! May they have many more birthdays.
I love your cards, you are so very talented.
I love your dog stories!! They are 8-9-10 & my daughter is 10-9-87. We call her our blast off baby!!!
I have loved watching the twins grow up. I stumbled across your blog one day by noticing a picture of the twins and being a fellow boxer lover I have followed you every since. I have also become a huge fan of your work. I have a pit/boxer mix and her birthday the we brought her home was 6/7/08.
Marla
Ann always wonderful to go down memory lane… thanks for sharing your special thoughts. Happy Birthday to all! Hugs
Happy Birthday you sweet little boxer butts!
Happy Birthday to the twins! Way to go Muffy!
Chris R. from Iowa
You write as beautifully as you create, Ann! Loved reading this. It is a wonderful thing when joy triumphs over despair! xo
Happy Brody and Muffy. Has Brady graduated college this year?
Mary
Awwwwww. Happy Birthday pups!
My favorite photo is Muffy and Brody looking out the window together — how poignant! I understand the changes of an empty house and retirement. We now have a 5 1/2 month old yellow lab/chow mix and she is quite the gregarious handful. Her name is Pi for our son’s mathematics ability! He has his master’s in computer science and lives in his own condo not too far from us, but the house is still big and empty. Enjoy! Nancy B
Love this story as I got my Yorkie during my son’s senior year telling him I had to replace him as he went to college. 14 years later, my Morgan is aging quickly & my son is living far away.
Happy Birthday to Muffy and Brody!!!! They sure are sweet hearts. Congrats to Muffy for her new wins. Brody is also a winner to have a loving home and two sisters.
Happy Birthday Muffy and Brody… My human son, Michael has his birthday today, but he is 38…. It is a great day all around.
Happy Birthday to your babies! I can relate to your story. After 20 dog free years, my not-an-animal lover husband decided out of the blue thatour family needed a dog. Sophie, my beloved Westie, came into our home and totally enriched our lives. So much so, that Vinny joined our family 5 years l1ater- two Westies are better than one!
I can’t believe it’s been four years. I’ve enjoyed every post and picture from these two. Can’t wait to see what the future holds for these special twins.
Happy birthday to Muffy and Brody!
Love that you share this part of your heart and family with us Ann! I’m sure they will have a fabulous day!
Happy 4th Birthday Muffy & Brody! And, congratulations to Muffy on her impressive weekend showing.
Harry sends his birthday barks too. He was four on 4-14-14!
My youngest English Mastiff had his 5th birthday on the 8th. For him, and all large breed dogs this makes him a senior…..
Dogs bring such joy and comfort to our lives; wide they lived longer…..
Such a beautiful story–Happy Birthday to both of your babies. They both are so beautiful and know they have brought so much happiness to your family even with the messes.
Now, Ann, that’s a lot of major changes in one year! Sometimes a crooked road leads us right to where we are supposed to be!
Happy Birthday you two spoiled but loveable companions…Muffy and Brody!! I have followed your story from the beginning and always look forward to what your Mom posts about you. Happy Birthday Twins..(thanks Ann for sharing)
Happy Birthday Muffy and Brody! I have so enjoyed watching them grow up these last 4 years! There is nothing like a puppy (or two) to bring happiness back into an empty home!
Congrats on Muffy’s and Brody’s show successes! But more important than ribbons is the way they helped you deal with an empty nest and retirement.
Happy Birthday Muffy & Brodie, have a very Happy Birthday. Hugs n’ Stuff, Lynne ( and our cat, King )
I have so enjoyed reading about the twins and Lexi. Happy Birthday to the twins!! I also enjoy seeing your creations and try to make cards as beautiful as your are.
Such a cute video and how the time flies by. Hard to believe that your babies are celebrating their birthday’s once again.
Thanks for sharing
i also love your fur-baby stories 😉 and always look to see if you’ve added anything about them in your posts …
I so love the stories of your fur babies. Thanks for sharing.