A love letter to my Phoebekins

You may think it's silly for me to profess my love for my four-legged friend as much as I do, but I love her that much and I'm not ashamed of it. For you to really appreciate how I can love a dog as much as I do, you have to know a little history....

You see, I've wanted a dog like her my entire life. I remember begging my parents relentlessly for a dog, wanting a furry friend to cuddle with, talk to, and play with.  I even brought home a turtle from the pond beside our house in desperation after they continued to refuse me of my one and only wish (Ok, I probably asked for a few more things, once in a while). Mom and Kelly have always had allergies, so having a dog or cat in the house was out of the question. I wanted a pet I could interact with so badly, I even attempted to talk them into letting me have a bird! (Thank goodness they said no.)

Finally, one day, I thought my wish was coming true. We got a little puppy named Scooter, who was going to stay outside in Daddy's shop. Scooter was great and all, but my little 8 year old self soon lost interest after I discovered how stinky and rough an outside dog was (not to mention extremely uncomfortable to cuddle with on concrete).  We went through a few outside dogs over the years and they were all good dogs, but they were really Dad's dogs- not at all what I had been wanting.

When I moved to Memphis to start pharmacy school, I was living by myself and decided it was time for my dream to come true. I found Phoebe, and fell in love with her at first sight.

How could you not fall in love with that face?

We've had each other for four wonderful years now, and not a day goes by that I don't think about how happy she makes me.  I love how she lightly scratches the door in excitement when she knows I'm coming home, the way she lies on her belly with her back legs straight behind her, how she nuzzles her head next to mine every morning when I wake up, and the fact that she's such a momma's girl. :)

She's so prissy sometimes that it makes us laugh- she will stick her nose in the air and refuse to look you in the eye if she's not happy about something.

Her favorite things to do are let her hair blow in the wind, and to run circles around people and couches.

The people at the vet nicknamed her "Ferocious Phoebe" because she tries to talk a big game when other dogs come around....

The thing is, she's all talk, no bark.

She may try to act tough at times, but she can really be a bit of a baby...

Phoebe is perfect in my eyes, and the best part is she's the most loving and affectionate dog ever (If you've ever met her, the tongue up your nose is her idea of affection. See below for examples).

She's everything I ever wanted, and I can't imagine my life without her. Again, I know most people aren't quite as passionate about their pets, but she is literally my childhood dream come true. Thanks goodness Brandon loves her almost as much as I do, and she loves me WAY more than she loves him. (Kidding! But I am her favorite most of the time. :) )