When I was a kid we had this bookshelf my Mom and Dad picked up in Mexico. It was actually just 2 metal ends that held long boards. We had it in our family room, it was loaded with books and our TV and eventually our VCR About half way up on right side was a long line of blue encyclopedias with gold writing down the spine. I think they were called World Book Encylopedias. My parents got them so that we could write reports, do research and generally get smarter That is what you had to get before the internet. Sometimes we liked to read through these book and look up all kinds of funny things like African natives that didn't have any clothes on, we'd show our friends and giggle and slam the book shut if anyone walked in.
One of my favorite books was the D. I liked to look up the dog breeds. There were about 5 or 6 pages filled with pictures of different dog breeds. My favorite one was the Maltese. All cute and white and fluffy with their fur pulled up a little top knot wrapped in a ribbon on top of their head. I thought they were so cute - the perfect dog. I liked to pull out the D from time to time, find the Dog Breeds and dream about having one of these cute little dogs. I begged my parents who flatly refused. We did have a couple dogs growing up, one was a mutt named Spunky. I can't remember how we got him but I remember how we got rid of him - one morning he was just gone. Dad took him out to a farm so he could run free, at least that is what we were told. I still don't know if that is true or if he got hit by a car or something. Then we had a whole bunch of wiener dogs. Max, then Penny and then Molly. I guess my dad is a wiener dog sort of guy. My mom is probably more of a no dog kind of girl. But I so wanted a maltese.
Elizabeth Gifford and I used to write these little stories about when we grew up and who we were going to marry and how many kids we were going to have. We even recorded them, like a little play - each of us taking parts and reading the diologue. Whenever we "had another baby" (we always had like 6 or 8) we would get Kevin (who was a baby at the time) and pinch him until he cried so we could have crying in our recording. (sorry Kevin) Along with our fabulous husbands and herd of crying babies I always had a Maltese dog. That was my fantasy life. A husband (and I knew who it was- started with a D but for the life of me I can't remember his name now, Elizabeth's husband was name Brent), a bunch of kids and a maltese dog. We were of course rich and lived in a big house. Well even if it has taken 25 years my fantasy is coming true. I have a fabulous husband a herd of kids and finally a maltese dog.
I certainly didn't come all at once. Started with the husband and then added a house (which isn't quite as big as the one in my 12 year old fantasy) and added 5 kids along the way. The house didn't come with a yard - we had to put it in. So when we first moved in we told our kids we couldn't get a dog because it would run away. Couple years later we got a fence - but still no dog. Our kids demanded one of course, but we told them we didn't have a dog house so we couldn't get a dog or he'd have no where to sleep. They were still young so they bought that. Time went on and it dawned on them we could simply buy a dog house. So for the last 10 years or so we have given our kids one reason after another as to why we weren't ready for a dog - but someday we would get one.
The latest reason was that Rachel still sucked her thumb and that when she quit we could get a dog. This "reason" lasted about 2 years. As bad as she wanted a dog she just wanted her thumb more. Well the new year brought a new resolution. No more thumb sucking. This time it worked. She hasn't sucked her thumb since the new year. So we agreed it was time to look for a dog.
We checked the classifieds several times a day, went to an adoption fair at the pet store and had a rough time finding the perfect fit for our family. Everyone wanted something different - and for some reason everyone's top pick wasn't in our budget. Dallin had his heart set on a yorki. Ads for yorkies were plentifull but they were either selling for 600-800 dollars or they were free. He of course jumped on the free ones, there were tons of them. A new ad every day, written in the same type of not quite right english with lots of pictures of adorable yorkies that looked remarkable familiar to all the other ads. The couple selling them were good Christians who were in Africa on service missions for the Red Cross or something and they loved their little puppies but just couldn't keep them so they were looking for a good family that loved God and served him to adopt their puppies. All you had to do was send a check for $100 to Africa as the transport fee and pick the puppy up at the airport. I told Dallin it was a scam. No money until we actually got the puppy. Also reminded him if somethings too good to be true it is because it's not. Taylor wanted a dashound or a cocker spaniel. The girls wanted whatever looked cute at the moment. Ryan wanted whatever dog was currently being discussed. Rick wanted whatever dog was already comepletely trained and chipped.
A couple Saturdays we found what we thought would be the perfect dog - although he lived in Farmington which is about and hour and a half from our house. We called and got the ok to come up and see him, we loaded up and headed out. But apparently in the time it took us to drive up there someone else bought him. We we were really disappointed and beyond irritated that they would sell him when they knew we were on our way up there. We kept up our search and finally this week and ad for 2 little maltese puppies popped up. Miracle of miracles they not only live in Spanish Fork but only about 2 blocks away. We headed up there and immediately fell in love with the little guy. I was hoping he would be a little girl and that he would be already housebroken - but he isn't. But he was so cute we just had to bring him home. It has taken a good 25 years but my fantasy life is fulfilled A fabulous husband, a herd of kids and a maltese. Now if we can only get him to quit peeing on my floor.
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