I haven’t been blogging for a while and there is a good reason – meet our new family member Dakota! There was a void in our home and hearts after we lost our beloved dog Sammie in June. I was not sure when would be the right time if ever to get another dog but then the boys started asking for a puppy after we returned from Ireland. So the search for Dakota began.
Our first challenge was finding a type of dog we all liked and one that would fit in with children and cats. We looked at some rescue dogs and even visited a breeder in Pennsylvania but none of them felt right. Then one day my husband emailed me a picture of an Australian Shepherd he saw on a breeder’s website from Oklahoma. As soon as I saw her picture I fell in love and at that moment I knew she would be part of our family.
After contacting the breeder Carla and going over the logistics of bringing a puppy from Oklahoma everything fell into place pretty quickly. Before I knew it I was tracking her flights from Oklahoma to Houston and then to New Jersey. On our way to the airport there was a beautiful sunset and I recalled a similar sunset on the night we lost Sammie. It was as if Sammie was telling us it was okay and giving her approval. At that moment tears of sadness and happiness filled my eyes. We will never forget Sammie but are looking forward to many years of joy with our new angel Dakota.
Looking Inward with Lily 
Congratulations! She looks beautiful! Very happy for you guys!
Thanks Kate! She’s a cutie 🙂
So happy you found this little angel!
Thanks Suzie! We are so happy to have found Dakota 🙂
Your message brought tears to my eyes. Yes, Sammie will always be in our hearts as our beloved Ruffles is. They certainly touch your lives, these little pets.
Sorry, didn’t mean to make you cry. I shed a few tears remembering Sammie as I was writing this post. Our pets are a part of our family and we mourn their loss just like we do any other family member. Dakota is bringing lots of laughter and love into our home. I know we will meet Sammie and Ruffles on The Rainbow Bridge someday ❤
What a sweet looking puppy! She looks so full of fun and vitality. I’m so glad she’s got a good home with your family.
Thanks Holly! Dakota is a lot of fun and full of energy. She likes to jump in the air a lot and makes us laugh 🙂
That sounds wonderful! Can’t wait to hear more about her as she grows and becomes more ingrained in your family.
Such a lovely little puppy, I am sure she will bring you all such joy. My daughter also got a new puppy, very similar to yours, called an Australian blue heeler.
Thanks Joan. She is already bringing lots of joy and laughter into our home. I have read that Blue Heeler’s are a very intelligent dog. Good luck to your daughter and her new puppy!
She’s absolutely adorable! Your words really hit home as I can remember the ‘feel’ to the evening outside the night my dog passed away. It was a beautiful fall evening with leaves blowing around, sun shining and setting, and more birds than I have ever seen visiting our yard. I just sat. I can imagine it would be comforting and reaffirming to have that connection of something similar between that night and bringing your new puppy home. So happy for you and Dakota…you found each other! 🙂
Thanks Marcie! Dakota is such a blessing and a very loving puppy. I am sorry to hear about your dog but very grateful that you shared your experience about the night your dog passed. I can sense the peace that surrounded you on that fall evening. There are moments in life that we never forget and are especially vivid in our memories. I do believe there was a connection with the night Sammie passed and when we picked up Dakota. I think Sammie was letting us know it was ok 🙂