Willow

Oh the holidays... soooo close to having a tearless holiday this year.

This year I...

• shared eggnog with old friends
• played cards with the cousins
• ate with the Grandparents
• watched movies with the family
• went to church with both sets of parents
• played a mean game of Tripoley with the in-laws
• saw Mission Impossible in IMAX
• watched my husband eat in bliss at Jack Stack BBQ
• tried a new hairstyle with the curling iron and nailed it
• exchanged gifts, laughs and stories
• celebrated the engagement of my cousin
• went to a beautiful/ killer wedding on NYE of our dear friends' Kelly and Lucas
• tried a new chili recipe

and also...

• bought a puppy
• had problems with the puppy
• returned the puppy

I almost made it through a holiday season without tears or Pepto Bismol, but after returning home last week with the new addition to our family, Willow the puppy, we had to pull out the Imodium. I know what I am about to share does not make us the most popular household in America, but I feel the lessons I learned are worth the raised eyebrows.


Here is Willow

She just so happens to be the cutest puppy on the face of the planet. I almost didn't choose her because I thought she was too cool for Brent and I to own. Upon our arrival home, Brent and I took every measure to ensure Willow's transition went smoothly. Besides the house three doors down catching on fire and fire truck sirens blaring down our street, I'd say we did rather well. However, as the week progressed there were some red flags that Brent and I could not ignore.

In the dog breeding world, Willow has what is called "socialization" problems. When I first heard about this I thought, "Hey, I went to high school, I know all about that!" Apparently this kind of problem is hard for dogs to overcome. Then I thought, "Well yeah, high school was hard." After many times of watching Willow cry when I got up or left the room and then scramble to get out of my husband’s arms who was doing everything he could to sooth her, I decided it was time to make a very tough decision.

In the end the decision to return Willow to the breeder was mine and probably one of the most difficult things I have had to do. While I am still trying to make sense of the experience and deal with the guilt, I know in my heart I made the right choice for us.


If I was on Oprah's Lifeclass this is what I would say to America:

• "Well Oprah, in hindsight we probably would not have bought a puppy during the winter months while living on a busy street in the heart of Chicago.
• I realized that Brent and I wanted to start a family NOW and not allow things to happen as they are supposed to.
• We weren't appreciating our time alone... but we are now!
• Yes Oprah, you could say I was looking for a purpose.
• Well, we named her Willow because she whipped her hair back and forth (Oprah laughs), but in the end we called her Weeping Willow because she cried a lot. (Oprah cries)
• I didn't listen to my intuition from the beginning. When Willow hid behind the fridge at the breeder’s home I should have known she wasn't playing hide and seek.
• You can't pick something just because it is the prettiest... I mean we've all seen The Bachelor, am I right? (laughter)
• It is okay to admit that you can't do something. It doesn't mean you are a failure.
• For the record we bring our own bags to the grocery store instead of using plastic... we aren't bad people Oprah.
• Even though the dog was scared of my husband he would have let me keep her. My husband would jump through hoops to make me happy and I am the most luckiest woman to have him.
• I hope I can do the same for him."

This was a hard lesson to learn and something that will take time to heal. We pray for Willow everyday to find a better fit and also kind of call the breeder... everyday. She's playing with her bros and sistas right now, fyi.

Here's to a new year of growth, appreciation and lots of LOVIN... and hopefully no more BIG lessons for awhile. Drama! Happy New Year!

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