Puppy Love

The day Alex found her.

Recently, on her way home from a friend's house, my daughter Alex came across a stray dog . Being Alex, she couldn't just leave the poor thing stranded and hungry. Honestly, I was less than thrilled when she dragged said dog home. Seriously. The odds of finding her family were about as good as my chances of winning Ms. Teen Texas. Keep in mind, I'm forty-one, married with children, and have never even considered competing in a pageant.

We already have two dogs. We certainly don’t need a third. 

Karma hanging out in our room.

After speculation with friends, online searching, and a consultation with our vet, we’ve decided she’s likely a Great Dane/Greyhound mix. 

As it turns out, the dog isn’t quite a dog; she’s only 8 months old. She's a very large, 56 pound puppy. So. Yeah. That.

Karma thinks she's a lap dog.

She’s not only another dog in the house, but a huge-ass pup, still in the chewing stage. She’s already eaten the baby fig tree in the back yard, which my husband’s mom gave him for his birthday. Somehow I doubt it’ll be the last thing eaten by our newest family member.

Though it's probable she'll destroy a few more household items and possibly some apparel, we’ve had Karma for three weeks and she's already left her big paw prints all over my house and my heart. She's quite the character and has brought her own spark to the family. Karma is floppy and playful, yet shy. Unfortunately, she’s obviously been through something that has made her wary of men. However, she is gradually warming up to my husband Mike, which thrills him to his soul, even if he’d never admit it in a gagillion years. Each time she pushes her muzzle into his hand or lays her head on his chest, it’s a small victory for us—and for her.

Mike plays with Karma and our toy poodle Penny.

She likes to have all the toys piled around her.

All Karma wants out of life is to be loved. Well, actually, to be loved and to have ALL the toys, ALL the time. 

Me "winning" a pageant. HA!

We actually DID find her original family, and I'll post that story sometime soon. Right now, I need someone to loan me a prom dress and fit me for a tiara. I’ve got a pageant to win.

Funny how the things we don’t want, or we’re sure will be a pain in the ass, often turn out to be some of the best parts of our lives. What have you thought would be a trial that ended up a blessing?