Oh, my dear, sweet, little Sophaclees, I wish I had a glamour shot of you to post on your second birthday, but alas, you are dreadfully difficult to photograph. I did snap this shot this afternoon when you didn't realize I had the camera on you, but you STILL thwarted my attempt to capture your beauty by breaking out into a yawn as soon as the shutter clicked.

Grrrrowwllll! Snarrrrl! *yawn*

I can't believe that almost a year has passed since we drove to the middle of nowhere, Michigan to adopt you from Linda. I can't believe that you're two years old now, even though I feel like you're only just turning one. So tiny. So dainty looking (because you're honestly not dainty in any way, Ms. Classless.)

This month, the home-made calendar hanging on the kitchen wall is dedicated to you and the many, many photos we have of you sitting side-saddle. This seems to be the only way you'll sit and it's earned you one of your many monikers: SideSaddle Sophie. (Although, NoSophie seems to be the most used of all our nicknames for you... and the photo below proves why)

Shoes and tables are the tastiest of treats! If only I had dog toys to entertain me while the humans were gone. Not ONE dog toy around, so of course I have to improvise. If only I had dog toys...

For all the destruction you tend to inflict upon our personal items (who really needs a coffee table with corners, anyhow?) you are one of the happiest and sweetest of dogs. You absolutely LOVE your daddy and even though you might be climbing on my lap for pets, I see your eyes starting straight at Shawn. I might be petting you, but your heart lies elsewhere. It's not really polite to be cheating on one human with the other in quite so blatant a manner, but hey, you're a dog and you're cute. I'll let this one pass.

You are a huge change from living with Annabelly and Jinx. You're nothing like either one and sometimes it's hard for us to remember that. You might actually be a dog that we need to crate for longer than we did with Jinx. You're stubborn and not quite trustworthy yet. We both hope you will end up being just as trustworthy as Jinx Puppy is, but it's s work in progress.

Sophie, you have been wonderful for Jinx. Poor Jinx who took a long time to get over the passing of his big sister, Annie. He was unsure of how attached to get to you when we first brought you home, but it wasn't long before he was initiating play time and getting you back from all the jumping on his head you were doing. The two of you play often and engage in a wonderful sort of Finnish Lapphund Dance as you do. It's so entertaining to watch you squirm all over the place, thinking you're fighting back when all Jinx has to do is put his weight into the game and drag you all over the deck by your tail. Heh.

The Dance of the Finnish Lapphund

Your (stubborn & cheeky) personality has brought us so much happiness in the last year. The loss of Annie (who wouldn't have put up with your sass, young lady) was a difficult grief to get through. Still, today, we'll tear up in this house over her loss, but you've managed to worm your way into our hearts (both human and canine) and remind us that life goes on and each dog is a gift to be able to share our lives with.

February 23, 2012

The best thing about adopting you was how quickly you trusted us and adapted to your new life. Even that first night in the hotel in Michigan, you attached yourself immediately to Shawn when we were worried that you'd panic the entire weekend. It was difficult getting you into our room, from Linda's van, but you were content to curl up on the bed and sleep away the weekend. You slept in the 13 hour car ride like you'd been part of our lives forever. You might have howled the first couple of nights (and you're still not wonderful during the day when we crate you, but we're working that out...) but you sleep on our bed and don't even get off once (much to our chagrin on the rare time you've thrown up. You need to learn to jump OFF the bed to do that, m'dearie.). As long as your curled up between us, you're happy.

You love kisses and snuggling. You love burying your head under our arms and hands and in the snow. You're curious and way too smart for your own good. You love woodworking (though we'd prefer you didn't practice on the furniture...) You try my patience and pull at my heart strings.

Happy birthday, Sophie. Thanks for being good for us (if not for our furniture...)

Hiiiiii! It's my birthdaaaaaay!! Buy me things! Put a candle on my birthday coffee taaaable!

We love you.