The Little Pack

It is hard to believe that I have had Jackson for 8 years now. As we walked today I couldn’t help but reflect on all the ways we have both grown and changed throughout the years and how in the end, the one thing that has never changed is how much I love him. My heart still sings when I watch him run, and I feel proud every single time he listens to every word I say, sometimes even the ones I don’t say out loud. People we pass always comment on how well-behaved he is. Today I found him heeling (we call that “stay with”) when we were passing a group of people before I ever even asked him. We truly have an amazing connection. There are times I go to the door to call him to come inside and he is already there waiting. There are times that I feel sad and he is right there by my side before that first tear even falls. There are times that I decide to take him for a walk and he begins to celebrate before I even tell him or start to get ready. We know the way the other thinks and I know what we share is the stuff of legend. Think Jack London books and The Journey of Natty Gann. And I am blessed.

Don’t tell the others, but these two may be the sweetest of the bunch.

And, yes, Archie really is that big.

Caught in a rare moment of harmony, we finally have proof that they really are friends.

Sleepy Kitty

Awww… I just want to squeeze him tight! Somehow all the naughtiness becomes so trivial when faced with the abundant sweetness in this picture.