Little blessings from Ten wonderful years.

I just returned from a trip to Hawaii. A celebration of ten years with my sweet husband. We had a fabulous and a nice relaxing time.

I just have to say something. I have learned a great deal about this man over the years. We have been a couple for almost fourteen years, married ten. I learn something new about him on occasion. Things that make me love him more (usually!) and things that make me appreciate him more than ever.

The relationship that Stan and Bailey had was one of wonder. Stan picked her out for me. From a farm in Idaho all those years ago. A guy that worked for a trucking company that Stan worked with on occasion at Michelin had told him his dog had puppies and he was welcome to one if he was interested. She was the prettiest he said. The others were cute, but her coloring won him over. She was like honey where the others were white. He picked her up and put her in the passenger seat of his car. Driving her to me in Utah, he fed her Pringles. Yes, potato chips. Here is this puppy just weaned from her Momma, eating potato chips.

Over the years the relationship was one of Master and dog, Alpha and subordinate. Stan loved her, she loved him. It was just a struggle for them to figure out who played what role sometimes. And she did love me so much. She, I think sometimes found it hard to share me with Stan. And he too may of felt left out of the bond Bailey and I had.

About a week and a half after we lost our Bailey, Stan did the most wonderful thing. See, I knew he loved her. He had always loved her, and loved her for making us so happy. He knew it would be hard for me to lose her. He knew how much the kids would miss her. I knew he would miss her too. I knew he would even miss the things he never thought he would about her. So, he came home one evening with a card for me. In the card he talked of wanting to do just the "right thing" to show me and Bailey how much she meant to him. He thought that the best thing he could do was to memorialize her in a way that would mean a lot to me. See on the wall of the room where we said our goodbyes to Bailey was a tree. A beautiful tree full of silver and gold leaves. Each leaf was inscribed with the name of a pet, and something like the date of birth and death, or a little something that the owner wanted their pet remembered by. I thought it was a wonderful idea, and one that gave me a little comfort during that horrible time.

So, there in the card was a leaf. A gold leaf with Bailey Schafeitel written on it. And under her name was "Lizard Hunter". It made me smile and cry all at the same time. See Bailey was so funny about lizards. The years in Arizona were spent telling Bailey to get the lizards because they would crawl all over the back walls and houses down there. She would get them and then spit them out once she realized her dominance over them. Up to the moment she was leaving us, she would always perk her ears up and look at the walls whenever anyone said "get the lizards". While in the room with her, all of us gathered around crying and sad. Stan said to her "Bailey, get the lizards"! And even in her worst moment, she perked her ears up and looked at the walls for lizards. We all were able to laugh at that during that difficult time.

I learned something new about Stan that day. That even though sometimes Bailey drove him insane and he swore up and down that he didn't want another dog, he truly truly loved her. He missed her and he knew how much she meant to me. He has never judged me for crying hysterically over her. He hasn't asked me when I am going to move her bed, or her food bowl. He lets them be and knows that I need them there for now. He told me just last night that he missed her. We came home for vacation and for the first time in a long time, she was not there to greet us. He missed her. He loved her. There was always love between them, but I never realized that they too had a bond. Different than my bond with her, but just as strong and just as important. They both always did things for me. They both knew what made me happy and what made me sad. They went through a lot together too. I may of just been to selfish to see it at the time. So yes we all miss her, we all want her silly goofy self back with us. But am I ever thankful that I have Stan. And that he gets me, and knows how much I need this time to miss Bailey. He is going through it too.

So am I lucky or what? Ten years with a wonderful man. Someone who knows me and respects me. Someone who even said the other day, "so...you will have to let me know when you are ready for another dog". That made me smile and made me take note of one more thing that makes me love this person more everyday.