Our Getting-Married Daughter's Life with Our Labs

This is my all-time favorite picture of Sarah, our Sweet Girl Child, and Baxter:


And in seven short days the wedding bells will ring for her. As you might expect, we're neck-deep in last-minute details and all the little things we now realize we forgot to do.

One of those was to pull old pictures to scan for the PowerPoint loop we're displaying at the reception. The loop will include photos of Sarah's growing-up years co-mingled with photos of Chris's (her fiance's) growing-up years, followed by more recent photos of the two of them together.

So DH and I spent hours yesterday pouring through boxes and boxes of photos and albums we haven't seen in years (I never was good about organizing my photos, and don't even ask me about scrap-booking!). We had great fun (and surprisingly few tears) reminiscing about our human kids' childhoods.

In the process, I found old photos we've taken of our Labs -- a great reminder of just how integral they've been to our lives (DH's and mine) and those of our children.

Permit me, if you will then, to indulge in a few memories as a tribute to the gift we have in our human and canine kids alike. I think the following photos will warm you heart nearly as much as they do mine.

This first batch is specifically a tribute to our Sarah Girl, whose huge heart, tenderness toward all things living, and exuberance for life enrich all who know and love her (more than she knows). She and our Labs have been buds for a long, long time:

In the last two years with Kenya as a pup, Mamma Elsie, and Elsie's newborns:



With the Baxter Boos and Ridge!


With the Elsie pup back in 2005:


With Baxter, as a little squirt, back in 2003


And what's really fun, is that our soon-to-be son-in-law shares Sarah's heart (love, tenderness, etc.) for living things (I suspect that's why he's starting med school). He and Sarah were a great help in socializing the pups from Elsie's last litter:





And with helping Kenya with her transition to our family two years ago:



All of our kids have loved all of our Labs through the years (and our Labs have loved them). I wish I could post photos from when they were young, but my scanner is giving me fits. So this first batch will have to do.

We're thoroughly tickled about the wedding, and we love Chris to pieces. Of course, any suitor wanting to marry our daughter had to pass the Lab test and the Cottage test (he had to love both, and the Labs had to love him), and Chris "passed" with flying colors. :o)

We couldn't be more pleased. :o) :o)

So join me, won't you, in wishing them well as they start their new life together! Med school is no picnic, especially as newlyweds and on top of an out-of-state move, but they'll have the Baxter Boos with them in Maine to smooth rough edges along the way (we'll miss you, big time, Boos!).


If you feel like inundating them with well wishes (that would be fun), feel free to e-mail them or send e-cards to Sarah (sarah.esherick@gmail.com) or Chris (cjwatras@gmail.com). Be sure to tell them your from LabTails. :o)

They're great kids starting a good life together; I'm glad one of our Labs can join them along the way. :o)

Thanks for indulging me. It's a bitter-sweet time.

'Til next time,
Joan