Like so many young children, back when my daughter was 5 she wanted a puppy for Christmas. We had lost our beautiful shaded silver persian cat of 17 years two years prior, and we felt the time was right to welcome a new pet into our home. We found ‘Bubbles’ through a friend, and when my husband went to pick her up on Christmas Eve day, he was smitten and knew she was ‘the one’ when she ran over to him and started playing with his shoe laces and hopping all over his feet.
The challenge was how to get her into the house without our daughter knowing, and more importantly, how to keep her from finding out her new puppy was hiding in our house until the following Christmas morning. Luckily, we were out of the house most of the evening on Christmas Eve, but it was VERY close!
We enjoyed our time with Bubbles immensely, but she left us too soon at the age of 13 in 2005, the day after Christmas. Here is a letter I wrote to her a few days before she died. (If you click on the picture, it will be a lot easier to read.)
Now for some lighthearted cuteness…
After my daughter graduated from college in 2008, she moved into an apartment and her boyfriend got her a puppy. That’s him in the next picture, and as you can see, he was waaaaay too cute for words. A year later she came back home to live with ‘Charlie’ in tow, and a year after that she moved to Singapore and we had Charlie for another 6 months while she got settled. I brought him to Singapore to live with her in August, 2011.
Charlie was my best friend. I miss kissing his little snout. I miss our nightly ‘Cheerio’ time. I miss having him with me when I go kayaking or for a walk. I miss playing hide and seek with him. But he’s where he belongs, with his mommy who also loves him more than you can imagine. Charlie has that effect on people.
Here is a picture of him as a puppy…
I think it’s safe to say the answer to his question is YES!
And here he is all grown up and looking very debonair, don’t you think?
Gosh, I. Love. You.
All images (except Charlie, Bubbles and my letter) sourced at imgfave
Partying At
Charlie says
Hi Gwandma!
I miss you too! And I miss cheerio time and watching you cook and bake in the kitchen for hours. And watching All My Children and Dancing with the stars while eating the stuff you use at night on ur eyes. I made lots of fwends in the elevator this week and someone said they have a puppy that looks just like me but in brown! I also played with a dirty sock this week and i liked it a lot. Mommy also bought me a ‘poodle rug’. It’s a small fury rug for decoration that she puts on top of the couch so i cant pee on it when shes not home but she puts in down on the floor when we play or when i finished my bath so i can rub my face in it and run around. It’s my favorite time! I love you grandma!! *lick, lick, lick*
debbiedoos says
OMYgosh..you have me on this one. LOVE this post. Very sweet your letter to Bubbles too. I know how much our Lucy girl has touched our lives after just 5 years. Ahhh..you ended it well though, so I thank you for that.
Shannon Fox says
Hello! These sweet pics are such a treat!!
Kathy Moody says
Awww, what a sweet post. Charlie is just too cute! I love the letter you to Bubbles. That is priceless. Our four legged friends bring so much love into our lives. I know it was so hard to give Charlie back to his mommy. We lost one of our cats last year that we had for 10 years, and I still miss that sweet kitty so much.
Thank you so much for sharing your lovely post at A Bouquet of Talent. I am so thankful for you!! HUGS
Shannon says
Oh, how sweet . . . dogs are the best. I am so sad for people who don’t have dogs in their lives. I’m glad Charlie’s with his mommy but I’m sorry you are missing him.
bettyl says
Pets are a wonderful addition to a family and it’s truly sad when they leave us.
Susan (Between Naps on the Porch) says
Both Bubbles and Charlie were adorable! I can see why you miss him. What a cutie pie! So sweet…your letter. I just read Charlie’s comment. lol So cute!
Julie says
Such cute puppy pics! My little girls went wild over them. Guess we’ll have to get a puppy soon… 😉
Jill McCarthy says
This is sooo adorable. Dog love here. I love it.
Dawn Lanier says
What a delightful post! I just love the idea of your letter to Bubbles – it made me smile and think of my Muppet, a 5 lb Yorkie that blessed my life for 13 years. This was a GREAT story – glad you shared it.
Anita says
I love puppy stories. We got a puppy about a year and a half ago…She is such great company!
Mike McDonald says
What a sad but lovely story. Thanks for sharing.
Edmund Lee (@EdmundSLee) says
So cute and sweet Doreen! Love the pictures and the letter! =)
Alexandra McAllister says
OMGoodness! I love your post and your pics. Thank you so much for sharing. Fur kids, I believe, are angels with fur. 🙂 God bless.
Alli says
Your letter to Bubbles brought tears to my eyes! And all the puppy pics are simply adorable. Thanks so much for sharing your memories of Bubbles at Throwback Thursday.
Kelly says
Doreen, I loved reading your letter to Bubbles. What a special memory for your daughter! I can imagine the joy they both felt when Santa brought them together that Christmas morning. It sounds like Bubbles was a playful and happy as my Coco is. Bichons have such remarkable personalities. They really are like a person in a dog suit! Thank you for sharing your story with us.