More is More

Happy Saturday!  Today marks the One Year Anniversary of Tessa coming into our lives and since the vet told us she was 2 or 2 1/2 years old when we got her, we’re also going to call this her 3rd birthday!  I made a special card just for the occasion featuring an Elzybells image and October Afternoon Farm Fresh papers from the 8×8 pad.  The image was colored with Copics and cut out with a nestie circle and mounted on a nestie blossom (Summer Sun). I added some Brown Sugar Sparkly Fluff to the puppy’s ears and feet.  Ribbon and pink ZVA crystals are from TE

  The sentiment is computer generated – When I count my blessings, I count you twice! – because that is exactly how I feel about my sweet Tessa.  She is an incredible blessing dropped right out of heaven into our laps!

The picture above was taken last week after her very first professional grooming.  They put that red bandanna on her and she loves it! When I ask her if she wants to put on her bandanna she jumps up in my lap and cranes her neck.  It’s so cute.  I’ll be making more for her!

In case you don’t know the story of how Tessa came to us, I thought I’d share it here again.  Last year on Memorial Day Weekend Curt was in charge of a car show event at church.  It was his first time heading up something like that and he was excited and a bit stressed on Saturday for the event on Sunday.  Around 6pm he jumped in the shower, telling me that he had lots of registration/computer work to complete when he got out. A few minutes later there was knock on our kitchen door.  It was a woman I didn’t know and she asked if I knew if anyone in the neighborhood owned a long haired chihuahua.  I told her that I didn’t, but asked what the problem was.  She said that her family was at the soccer tournament being held at the school 3 doors down from us and another team mom had found this little dog wandering around.  They had asked everyone on the field if the dog was theirs and they had even run over to the vet’s office on the corner to see if the dog was chipped.  The woman explained that they were all from out of town – just here for the tournament – and didn’t want to take the dog out of the area and lose the chance of finding her owners.  And that’s when I spoke those fateful words “Oh I’ll take her and find her owners!” Did I consult my husband?  Oops…nope I just charged ahead.  So as Curt is getting out of the shower I yell “I’ll be right back.” and off I go with this woman to meet what would become one of the great loves of my life.

I got to the field and they had her in a milk crate.  She had a collar on, but no tags and she seemed pretty well kept so I thought sure we would find her owners.  As I was walking back up the street to come home, Curt met me half way and when he reached out to the lost pup she snapped at him.  Oh no!  I’m in trouble here.  She was sweet as pie to me and obviously frightened.  We worried that she had been treated badly by a man or maybe she had only lived with a woman.  Anyway – we had to get dog food (just a little because afterall we would only have her a couple of days!) and we had to make signs and put them up.  My wonderful patient husband went along with my dog rescue plan even though I know his head was on the verge of exploding. (The photo to the left was taken her first night with us.  She looks like a totally different dog to us now! And yes I have pink plaid PJ’s!  LOL!)

You have to keep in mind that we had discussed several times the possibility of getting a dog.  We had even spoken to a breeder of of Mini Eskies (the type of dog we were certain we wanted), but in the end we decided that it would just be too difficult with the birds since they had shown great fear of any dog we had ever brought in the house.  Also keep in mind that Curt has never liked very small dogs…especially hairy ones!  And keep in mind that I had done this rescue thing before and been successful at finding the owners. Soooooooo…all that to say that I genuinely had no intention of keeping this one!  Seriously!

On Sunday the pup still would not let Curt near her and he made the proclamation “That dog goes to the pound on Monday!” First of all Monday was a holiday and second of all there was no way I was taking this tiny little 5 pound dog to the pound.  I knew if I couldn’t find her owners I would be able to find someone to take her.

After we got home from the car show totally exhausted I decided to try to bring her into the living room while the birds were out on their play trees.  I knew if they reacted to her, she would have to go straight back to the kitchen.  To our amazement, the birds completely ignored her – no response at all.  And she ignored them.  Wow! (the window photo is one of my all time favorites – taken probably after a month or two.)

On Monday we put out more signs and had a bunch of friends come over to see her.  She was afraid of all the people – and as usual I was in the middle of the crowd talking with everyone – so she went over to Curt and jumped up in his lap.  I think that was the first moment of bonding.  🙂  In the Lord’s perfect timing it just so happened that Curt had that week off as a work in the yard vacation and we had a big BBQ scheduled for the following Saturday. Tessa spent all week helping Curt in the yard.  I think someone around Wednesday or Thursday we started to cringe when the phone would ring thinking it might be her owners.  On Friday we went and bought her a bed and a leash and some toys.  No one ever called to claim her and the rest is history.

BTW – she loves people now and is sweet to almost everyone who comes over.  We still don’t know exactly what

kind of dog she is, but the vet’s best guess was a cross between a long haired chihuahua and some sort of terrier. She and the birds get along fine – our only issue is Tessa grazing on food they discard which wouldn’t be a huge deal except that she is so small we really have to watch the amount of her food intake.

(photo to the right is Tessa wearing the dress her Auntie Denise gave her.  Curt absolutely hates for her to wear clothes. A bandanna is ok, but NOT clothes!  This photo just cracks me up!)

I had no idea that I wanted or needed a dog.  Over the past year she has been a constant tangible reminder to me of God’s deep love for me – his graceful provision beyond what I even imagine.  So yes, when I count my blessings I count Tessa twice!

Happy Birthday Sweet Tessa Toodles!!!

And here’s my new favorite photo of her – also taken last week when we got home from the groomers.  I want to get this one made into a poster!

Thanks for stopping by!  Come back soon!

(Tessa hates it when company leaves!)