Show and Tell: Meet Gracie & Audrey

I'm raising my hand for Mel's Show & Tell for the first time! Please join us around the circle to share your own item in our weekly ode to elementary school!

Since we're still getting to know each other here at Our Someday Family, it's about time I introduce you to the rest of my family-- my two adorable Cavalier King Charles Spaniels.

Please meet Gracie. She's our first Cavalier and our first dog together. She's our head-strong diva dog with an uncanny ability to "sense" someone's feelings and change her attitude to fit. That's one of the reasons why I'm so excited to get started with our local therapy dog program. As soon as she passes her test, we'll volunteer at schools, nursing homes, the Ronald McDonald house, or pretty much anywhere that will have us, to bring some smiles and puppy kisses to people in tough situations.

Gracie was actually an amazing Christmas gift from my equally amazing hubby. And, while I'd usually discourage puppies as Christmas gifts, hubby new exactly what he was doing. We first started talking about getting a dog early in 2006. We had narrowed down the breeds to a few, including Cavaliers. Then, sometime around August, he decided that he wasn't ready to get a puppy and that we should wait a bit long for x, y, and z to sort itself out. I was so upset! Little did I know that right abou then was when his evil, yet wonderful scheme was born. And, on Christmas Eve 2006, I came home to find Gracie with a bow on her head! She is the puppy version of me...a perfect canine companion. But, before long we realized that Gracie needed a canine companion of her own. And, hubby secretely hoped that we could find the puppy version of him!

Please meet Audrey (who loves to bask in the sun while she nibbles)! She is the perfect addition to our family. Completely like Andy and opposite of me and Gracie in most every way possible. Where Gracie is a head-strong, stubborn pup, Audrey is laid back and just loves to lay around. She is also incredibly vocal, but not in the typical dog ways like barking (though she does that, too). Audrey grunts and makes other odd grumblings to let you know whe she's happy or sad. Almost like the dog version of a purrr...it's so funny and cute. It's almost like she's trying to talk to us. Too bad we don't speak "doggie grunts," but she still manages to convey her emotions just fine.

Audrey is a puppy mill rescue. The puppy mill surrendered her to a local vet to have her put down claiming a "knee deformity." There was no knee problem. In reality, they reached their quota on how many ruby Cavaliers they could sell that week and needed to make room for new puppies. It's an indefensible and inexcusable practice that is all too common in this country. On behalf of Audrey, I implore you to buy puppies only from reputable breeders. Or, better yet, adopt a rescue. You will never regret it! Part of Audrey's wonderful, laid back personality is a sense that she's grateful and content to be in a better place. I can't imagine our family without her, so I'm forever grateful to the vet that refused to put her to sleep and to the rescue organization that brought her home to us. Thank you Paws & Claws!

Gracie and Audrey may not be sisters by blood, but you'd never know. They are the perfect compliment to each other's personality and our family. We love them...and they love each other!