Boston Bear Craddock

This month we are celebrating two years. Not of marriage (yet), but of .... wait for it..... Life with our favorite furry friend. So indulge me. I feel the need to dedicate this post to someone who brings so much joy into our lives: our two-year old, ever-loving golden retriever, Boston. I asked for a dog all my life. Sorry, not asked. Begged. The conversations usually went something like this: "Pleeeeeeeeease can I have a dog?" "Ask your dad." To dad: "Pleeeeeeeease can I have a dog?" "No." "I will do everything! Feed it, walk it, bathe it, brush it. You won't even know its here." "No." "But why?" "If you ask me again, you're grounded." And this is how the conversation went for about fifteen years of my life. Fast forward to 2006. I had just graduated from A&M, and had returned home to attend graduate school at the University of Texas Dallas for Speech-Language Pathology. I was far away from the love of my life who was finishing up school at A&M. Most of my days were filled with lots of studying, and missing Kyle and dreaming of marrying him one day. I found this situation to be the perfect set-up for training a puppy. And somehow had the nerve to try again despite a lifetime of persistance to no avail. Of course, I start with mom: "Mom, I really would love to have a dog." "I think you should have a dog. But you will have to ask your Dad." Great. "Dad, can I have a dog?" I go on to explain my logic of why this time should be different from all the others." The response: "Uhhh....." In my Dad's language this translates: "I'm not saying yes because I still don't really want you to have one and I definitely don't want to put my stamp of approval on this but if you must I'm not saying no, so you better hurry and act before I have the chance to change my mind and forbid this horrible act from taking place forever." Basically, it's my dad's closest thing to an enthusiastic, "yes!" I've heard it many times in my life. But this time I really, really couldn't believe it. Boston came to live with me at the end of April in 2007. I had always wanted a golden retriever, so there was no question as to what kind I would get. Kyle's family currently had a golden, Dexter (who passed away a few months later), so I knew Kyle loved them too. I found Boston from a breeder nearby (sort of), and went to visit him with my mom when he was 10 weeks old. I fell in love. I did a lot of deliberating in the next couple of weeks (he was a rather expensive dog), but after visiting other litters decided no other dog would do. Here he is on his first night home:And first few weeks home: Boston is the sweetest, most snuggly and loving dog you will ever meet. His one mission in life is to please his owners, and occassionaly to make them crazy by eating their valuables. Here are some memorable events in the past two years of Boston's life: 1. ate a pair of my sister's underwear (unknown to us at the time), threw up for hours, went to the puppy ER, had x-rays, and pooped out the underwear, fully intact, the next morning. 2. ate Kyle's diploma from A&M (seriously) 3. ate my two-month old cell phone 4. ate my $200 glasses 5. fell into a cattle guard that should have broken his legs and bounced out perfectly happy with only a busted chin 6. ate 10+ chocolate chip cookies off the counter top Sure, he has his destructive moments, but we just love Boston. Everyone who meets him loves him. See? There's just something about him. Maybe how he sits upright for you to pet his belly, or how he hugs you with paws on your shoulders. Or maybe its just how he's always happy, as long as he's with you. His favorite thing is to go to the lake house. This is pretty typical:He loves to swim for hours and hours. We love our Boston Bear. And things he loves? Cheese, cheeseburgers, whipped cream, his kong, tennis balls, expensive electronic items, going on walks, and being pet as much as possible for as long as possible. Thanks for indulging me :-)