Missing you, Bun...

Every day without you is still so strange.  Christmas without you was hard.  The turning over of the new year without you was hard.  Thinking about breeding Kindle, and raising puppies without you is hard.

You were the best puppy raiser.

I have struggled to find the right dog for Kindle's first litter.  With every dog I considered, I thought of you, and the promises I had made to you, and your memory.  I found a dog I believe is the right one.  I hope I am right.  I hope and pray that any resulting puppies will be healthy, strong and live long, happy lives, loved and adored as every puppy should be.

At several points along my journey to find the right dog, I considered giving up, afraid to make the wrong choice, afraid of the mines that litter the breeder's playing field.  It is such a difficult, and frightening field to navigate through, but for whatever reason, I choose to march on.  Call me crazy...I think every breeder has a drop of two of crazy in their blood. Why else would we put ourselves on this path?

I pray that I have made the right choice.  There is nothing sweeter for me, and more life affirming, than the joy of puppies.