Our newest edition. January 9, 2012
I apologize for being nonexistent this past week.
As some of you know, we lost our sweet Mia girl on Thursday. I really need to thank you all for your prayers…..you have no idea how completely touched we are that some of you (who we don’t even know personally!) have prayed for us. Your comments have been so incredibly sweet. Although we are still grieving and most likely will be for a long time, we have peace in knowing that our best friend is no longer suffering. If you have ever lost a beloved pet before, I know you understand what we are going through.
On that note, we have welcomed a new addition to our home which has helped keep our spirits up. I introduce to you…….our new little man, Ammo.
I’d just like to say that everyone grieves differently, and this is how we are grieving. When Pat and I were married, we had discussed the fact that Mia was unfortunately not a superdog who would live forever…and we were in agreement on getting a new dog right away when that time came. We’ve actually had enough money in our emergency fund for this exact reason for years now.
(Side note: I’ve already heard some people in our lives comment that we are “crazy” or that they “don’t understand” why we would get a new dog right away, and to you I have to say…..mind ya business. Be supportive, be understanding, respect our emotions and allow us to grieve how we choose. Please, and thank you. :))
So today, my bloggy friends, I’d like to tell you the “story” of our Ammo.
We found Ammo through a Rottweiler breeder in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Leola, PA to be exact. Now…I’ve been near this part of PA multiple times. My family has vacationed at Hershey Park, Dorney Park, and many other places in PA. BUT….I never remembered being this far into the farm country of PA.
Turns out, Ammo was raised on an Amish farm. Which was a little confusing because I didn’t realize the Amish use the internet…unless they are keeping up with modern technology? Or someone posted the listing for them? (Or maybe I’m just that ignorant. I’m sorry if I offend.) The family was so wonderfully sweet, and had close to 10 children who were in the yard playing with all of the puppies. They were understanding of our situation, and expressed their condolences. We met the mom of the litter who reminded me so much of our Mia girl. It made me incredibly emotional on the car ride home, but I was so pleased to know our new little pup had such a sweet parent. The dad? Well that’s a different story. Let’s just say they kept him in the barn…..
Ammo’s original name was Sanders…but that just didn’t fit. You see, Pat has recently become NRA certified to teach the pistol safety course. And being a former Army man, guns are his “thing.” So naturally, Ammo was the perfect choice of a name for this chapter in our lives.
Ammo did remarkably well during the 4 hour car ride home. He sat comfortably on my lap, and barely made a peep. However, he STUNK of cow manure. Like…stunk. Like….I wanted to vomit. But apparently in Leola, PA, that’s a normal smell because even the gas station stunk of manure! Farm country at its finest. But really? I would actually love to live on a farm, regardless of smells. 🙂
So far, Ammo has been great. He has really taken to Pat, which is just what Pat needs during this time. We’ve had minimal accidents….even when he broke through the barricade we created in the kitchen to prevent him from running through the house while we were at work. Shockingly, no poop/pee anywhere! He’s also been sleeping through the night. And getting along with the crazy cat just fine. Here he is playing with our friend’s daughter…who calls him “Aim-mo.” 🙂
I do, however, feel like I have a toddler. But we love him so much, it’s worth it. While he no replacement of Mia, he is his own little maniac. Our Ammo. We are looking forward to many years of joy with this little pup. I’m sure you’ll be reading more about him.
This past week has been bittersweet, but I’m relieved in knowing the worst is over, and we are on the other side. We are hoping for a much better rest of the year, as this one definitely got off to a rough start.
I have made some bloggy goals for myself, which I’ll be posting about tomorrow. Thank you all for your prayers and support again. And I promise more pictures of our handsome boy 🙂
Lindsay says
I completely understand this process! When we lost our Buddy after 19 years (he was my parents’ first baby, older than I was!) it was so lonely in our house, completely different than it had ever been. We bought a puppy not much longer after that, and not many people could understand why. It’s not that we were trying to replace him, but losing Buddy left a huge whole in everyone’s hearts. We wanted something to fill that whole, and not many things can do that job better than a brand new life. Kelso’s been with us for 9 years now, and we couldn’t be happier 🙂 Best of luck with your new pup!
Lauren says
You said it perfectly Lindsay. We just wanted to fill that hole. <3 Thanks so much for your well wishes and support! 🙂
hellokellee says
My deepest sadness for you and my highest joys as well! I completely understand and defend your method of grieving. 3 years ago next month, we had to make the most horrible decision for my 12 year old Simba. I used to joke that his mission every day was to find a new way to earn the ‘bad-dog-of-the-day-award’ (the stories I could tell!). But God bless him – my heart was his. And oh, the emptiness – I told my mom, even a bad dog is better than no dog. A week later, we went to a PTA fundraiser auction for the school where I teach. They had a beagle puppy as one of the top ‘items’ and since I was so lonely for my Simba, I ended up lovin’ on that sweet puppy pretty much the whole evening. My daughter decided I needed her even though I protested that it was too soon — I couldn’t just replace my Simba. When Erin reached her $limit – an unknown gentleman from the next table handed her a $100 bill and said if she would keep bidding, she could have it — “that puppy clearly belongs with your mom”. So that night I brought home my Maggie girl – and I can’t begin to tell the depth of what she means to me.
All that to say – I totally get it. Ammo is A-DOR-A-BLE. I love, love, love puppies. Congratulations on your new addition. If you get a chance, you should check out a book by Cynthia Rylant “Dog Heaven”. I put my favorite picture of Simba inside on the end page as a little memorial to him. It helps me somehow.
Blessings! (BTW – LOVE your blog! You inspire me.)
Lauren says
This is such a sweet story! Thank you so much for sharing, and for understanding where we are coming from 🙂 I will definitely check out that book! And I’m so glad I inspire you with the little I have to offer here 🙂
Misty says
Oh Sweetie … I am so, so sorry to hear about Mia … I literally read your post with tears in my eyes and a HUGE lump in my throat … even as I type this now I have huge tears in my eyes and am just hoping my husband who is sitting beside me doesn’t look over as I KNOW he’ll think I am crazy for crying over a blog post – but, if he knew why … he would totally understand. We have a miniature pinsher named Chloe … affectionately nicknamed Monkey – we love her to bits and have often talked about how we can’t imagine our lives without her. My husband is a pilot and so I am home on my own a lot … Chloe is my little girl and she is such a gift! I thank God for her presence in our lives all the time … she is just the perfect addition to our family. She is 3 and a half and we got her when she was 2 months old … I love her so much. So, when I read about your love for Mia, I can totally relate. Please know that I will continue to pray for you and Pat … for comfort and for the ability to have all of those wonderful memories that you have of Mia to bring nothing but pure joy to your minds and hearts and that memories of her wouldn’t cause sadness or pain but instead just perfect contentment in knowing that you gave her an incredible life by being such amazing parents (I would say owners … but, let’s face it, when you love your pets as much as we do …. they really are like children …. family). I am excited for you guys about Ammo and I will pray for him as well … for a smooth transition into your family and for lots of patience for you and Pat … I remember what those first few months were like with a new puppy! Lots of smile and laughs … and lots of “Oh no’s!” LOL Stay in the peace of the Lord, my new friend. Great big hugs! ~ xx
Lauren says
Thank you so much Misty…your comments have really helped me through! I’m so appreciative of your prayers, and thank you for being supportive and understanding! There have been lots of “oh no’s!” already, haha. He is a little monster! You’ll definitely see more of him here soon 🙂 Thanks for being such a loyal follower!
Misty says
The pleasure’s all mine. 🙂