Mason

Before hubs, before babes, there was Mason... A few weeks ago I had to say good-bye to my sweet boy... He came into my life completely unplanned over 11 years ago courtesy of an impromptu trip to Petsmart for Mary's new puppy, Bailey.  I, in a one bedroom apartment with one dog, thought adopting a 125 pound yellow lab with a bad leg was a great idea.    And he became my loyal storybook companion- as a young dog, bad behavior some of the time, best intentions all of the time.   He stayed by my side always, moving from Richmond to Charleston to Baltimore to Ann Arbor to Raleigh... :)  But his favorite place was always the river, where he could run and fetch and sleep on the dock. Age slowed him down, but he was always happy and wanting to be near us...  I learned so many things from this precious animal, and his passing has left a void in my life.  Having him meet Finn meant a lot to me, and appropriately, her first word was "dog". I think he knew. 

The two that came first-  Dixie and Mason...

Then this guy showed up for us...

and then Lily...

...and then there was this little bundle to adjust to... 

His best friend, Bailey- adopted the same day...