Happy Birthday, Penny!

Penny Dog is seven today! She celebrated with cards from the kids, lots of singing and attention, a nice walk, and a homemade peanut butter and carrot cake.*

I have loved this dog with my whole heart since the second I saw her tiny puppy face, at only seven weeks old. She has grown from the cutest little ball of fur into a beautiful and loving family pet. We are lucky to be hers.

Here are some of my other favorite things about Penny, in no particular order.

The way she rolls on her back on the floor, wiggling to scratch, and then lays still with her paws in the air.
She is the best to take for walks (when no other dogs, mail carriers, or cats are around). The pup is always up for a neighborhood stroll, hike, or any other wandering adventure.
Her big dreams: the yips, snores, groans, and running-in-place paws leave me curious about their content. Is she chasing sticks? Socks? Something disgusting?
She is SO pretty, with her soft ears, curled tail, black-rimmed eyes, and rich copper color.
In the mornings when Kev leaves for work, if our bed isn’t too full of children, Penny comes in to snuggle with me. She nuzzles the top of her head (pretty firmly) along my back. It is a sweet sentiment, and also a little bit of a back massage.
The tiny white tip on her tail, that used to be bigger until she grew into it. It still reminds me of her as a puppy.
She does 90% of the kitchen floor cleanup after meals.
She loves me (and Kevin) more than any human ever could, in her own loyal pup way.
Even her flaws (anxiety, barking, jumping, underfootedness, overzealous play) are side effects of her loving us so much that she needs to be included in every single thing.
(Addie’s favorite thing about Penny) “She protects us.”
(Owen thinks she is best at) “Walks. With me.”