To my absolute precious Ella Banana

Today Ella turns 2 years old and although I've only had her for 20 months of those 2 years it feels like she's been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  She really is very important to me in my life (maybe it's some paternal instincts inside of me that are surfacing) but i feel a very special and strong connection with my dog that is pretty hard to describe in words.  She has been a consistent source that has always found a way to cheer me up even through some of the most toughest moments in my life.  Always wanting to play and yet somehow knows when I'm having a terrible day and does the one thing I want when i'm in that mood; just being there.  Maybe this is the one thing I love about Ella more than anything else; although she's a dog and obviously there's no way for her to fix any of the problems I'm going through in my life, she doesn't necessarily try and fix it.  Ever have those moments when you're just having an incredibly shitty day and the one thing you want most of all is to just not think about it for a moment; not looking for a solution to fix the problem because some problems can only be fixed by yourself, rather, just want someone there to slowly take you out of that mood and comfort your mind and soul through the process.

I can't believe that 20 months ago was when she entered my life.  She weighed 4.1 lbs and I rushed to the shelter once adoption opened because I had a feeling she would not stay unadopted for long.  When I grabbed the ticket number at the shelter that was the longest 20 minutes of my life; fearful that anyone would adopt her before I could.   After making the decision to adopt her I witnessed at least 2 or 3 more people who wanted to adopt Ella or her sister Izzy... and could you blame any of them?   This was the VERY first time I met Ella and her first reaction?  was to kiss me unconditionally:


It was love at first sight and fortunately she found her forever home with me.  She went form 4.1lbs to now 8lbs... it's a little hard to imagine that she's grown twice the size she was when i first got her.  She still seems tiny even today, yet to be half that size and she was only 4 months old on that lovely day I took her home.

This is to the ultimate companion that's always knows how to put a smile on my face at the end of the day.  Today is her birthday and so I'm going to try and find her a cake and play with her as i do every day but today is her day... so no training today... instead just nothing but endless playing and all the naps she wants....




and in tradition i would like to repost one of my favorite posts about Ella.... with new pictures of course....

 If your dog could talk, these are some of most important things she would like to tell you...

1. "My life will probably only last 7 to 14 years. It will hurt me more than you know if I have to be away from you for longer than a day or two."


2. "If you have patience with me and give me time to learn what you would like from me, I can promise you, you will never be disappointed."


3. "Trust me with your life and have faith in our future together. If I don't feel that you honestly believe in me, I will suffer great emotional stress. My sense of self-worth is totally dependent upon your confidence in me."

4. "Don't stay mad at me for long or confine me to a cage to punish me. You have your friends, your job, and your recreation. I HAVE ONLY YOU!"

5. "Talk to me about anything you want as frequently as possible. Even if I can't comprehend your precise words, I can understand the meaning of what you're telling me by the tone of your voice."


6. "Remember no matter how you treat me, I will NEVER forget it."


7. "When you consider raising your hand to hit me, remember I have teeth that could break the bones in your hand, but I choose not to bite you."


8. "Before you scream at me for failing to respond to your commands as I usually do, take time to think about what might be wrong with me that would cause me to treat you differently. Maybe I haven't been eating right or drinking enough water. Or maybe my age is catching up with me and I just can't do what I used to do."


9. "Take good care of me when I get old. Someday you will be as old as me and you will see how it feels."


10. "Be there for me through good times and bad. Never say you can't handle taking me to the vets for stitches or surgery. Nothing could make me feel worse. Everything in my life is easier for me to deal with when I have you standing by my side. Remember.... my love for you is unconditional and it will last for your entire life."








Happy Birthday little girl.... =)

The Return of Frankentoy

rebuilt ella's frankentoy this morning and she is still absolutely in love with it... haha....



for those of you who don't know what the frankentoy is... it is an amalgam of several different toys all put together.... 3 squeak toys who's tails have been ripped off by Ella each with a broken squeaker inside of them... the 3 toys were a squirrel, a duck, and a weasel... all bought from Target and once the tail is ripped off then it's nothing more than a furry ball that's ready to come apart.   i tie the tails to a JW Holee ball



and stick a nylabone inside of it and the result is ella's excitement to play fetch with it and shake it around from side to side like it was alive... HAHA

Ella one year later

This post is a few weeks late but i felt it still needed to be said.  It has been a year now since i've adopted this little brown thing and ever since then she has been the best thing that's ever happened this entire year.

For those that don't know, i've never owned a dog before, let alone, a pet (except for maybe a goldfish) and the birds at my parents' house belong to my dad.  Ella is my very first dog and she has brought a lot of joy and purpose to my life, not that i wasn't short of any of it prior to having her, but she's made just about everything just THAT much more enjoyable when having her around.

The scared look on her face on the very first day that I adopted her


The way she sits with me to watch tv


The way she gets into trouble every now and then


To keeping me company while i'm playing video games



Always a smiling face whenever I come home


On long road trips with nobody to talk to



The way she sleeps in awkward positions



Being my alarm clock when i don't want to get out of bed



Always in the mood to play



Loved by everyone in her life



To understanding when i'm having a bad day and just need someone next to me


Ella has been a true companion, a best friend, someone who i can always count on to put a smile on my face even during my darkest days... which is more than i could say for a certain someone who left my life...

it seems every day Ella and I are getting closer and closer.  I read a few pages from a Dog's Purposes every now and then and it just reminds me that Ella does know who she is, she knows who i am, and she understand what's going on around her.  She has memories, she has feelings, and most of all she has a sense of purpose... to always be there for me when I need her... and she knows that I will always be there for her when she needs me...



The past year with her has been filled with a lot of ups and downs... but whenever she's around thing's are always looking up no matter how far i've fallen... now i know i may sound like a crazy dog person.... but you know what, i don't care... i love my dog to no ends and she is by far the cutest thing ever with every single mannerism she has... nobody hates her, everyone loves with her... and most importantly she knows that i love her the most

I love this little brown thing

Every morning Ella likes to show me how much she likes chewing her new bone that I got her. :)

Sleeping in my arms

I love coming home to her

A seat at the table

My baby thinks she can sit at the table while the family is eating dinner. She was too cute to tell her to get down so we just left her while she sat quietly and watched us eat.