A Boy, His Dog, and a Butterfly

Otherwise entitled, "The Most Random Post Ever." ;0)

I'm not really an animal person. I mean, I like them okay. In theory, I think pets are great. They teach responsibility, they're cute......I used to envision a big lab sitting at my feet keeping them warm while a fire blazes in the fireplace, him or her playing fetch with the kids, going on long walks with the dog on leash, etc. etc.

And then we welcomed Addy into our home.

She was abandoned. She needed a home. Harrison met her, fell in love, and begged us to let him keep her. She was sweet, gentle....and completely covered in long black fur. But b/c I'm a sucker for those sad, pleading puppy eyes (Harrison's, not the dog's) we agreed. And now, for almost 3 years, she's been a part of our family. She sheds. Everywhere. She's neurotic. Absolutely refuses to fetch anything for anyone. Scared of the vacuum, the doorbell, Hud's pet hamster, strangers, car horns, other dogs....you get the idea.

She's also sweet, incredibly gentle, patient, doesn't chew on anything, hardly barks ,plays well with the boys, sleeps and lays around a lot. If she was furless, she would be the perfect dog. ;)

So even though my equally neurotic, OCD self is constantly sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming in effort to rid our house of dog hair, I've accepted that she is here for the long haul. Love the relationship that she and Harrison have. The way she comes to life when he comes home from school. The way she sits at his feet to keep them warm. She is part of our family. And so my battle of the dog hair continues. Grrr.

And speaking of animals....look who spent the day at our house yesterday.

Isn't she beautiful?
She seriously spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon in our flower beds. I could see her outside our front door, and when I finally went out with my camera to take some photos of her, I'm pretty sure she stopped to pose. :)

And then the much-needed rain started, and she fluttered away.

But not without waving goodbye. :)