LeSsOnS lEaRnEd....

Well, here I am again apologizing for taking FOREVER to write about my big girl! Things happen, we get busy, life gets in the way of remembering the most important things, the little things, the things that when added together make up this big AMAZING thing called LIFE! Tierney makes up so many of those little things, she brings joy to our lives that is palpable.

Warning - this post may be offensive or contrary to what others think, these are my opinions and you don't have to share them or read them, this is merely to vent my frustrations and to remind myself of what is right for me.....

Yesterday something big happened in the world that brought a lot of reminders to my life and made me think of everything I've gained from having dogs, all the lessons learned that I never would have received from any human. Humans are inherently flawed, they make mistakes, they forget the little things, they hurt others, they hurt themselves, they forget their purpose, they lose their way, they forget to live like dogs....compassionate, loving, tolerant, kind, joyous, generous, forgiving, happy. Dogs don't look at other dogs with disdain because of what they've done in their past, what the color of their skin/hair is, their religion, where they're from, who their family is, what they do. No, dogs don't judge other dogs based on these traits, they look at other dogs for what they are...simply dogs and, often, friends.

With the state of the world right now, I am ashamed that humans are at the top of the food chain, I am ashamed of what we have done and continue to do to each other, I am ashamed of the tenacity humans have to hurt others. It's shocking to me that the color of my skin, my religion, what I do for my profession, who I love, where I have been and where I am going can create such disdain and hate in others before they even learn my name. I am shocked that humans have fallen so far that they have forgotten to live like our fellow mammals... with compassion, love, tolerance, empathy, kindness, joy, generosity, forgiveness, happiness. Instead we turn to hate, anger, disdain, intolerance and evil when interacting with others. I read something a friend posted yesterday that said kindness is not the answer....well, from what I've learned in my short time here on Earth, what I've learned from the four most important teachers I've had....I will respectfully have to disagree!

My most valuable lessons in life have not come from humans.... they have always come from dogs. My first teacher was a Corgi named Magnus. From the time Magnus was two weeks old it was clear there was something very different about this dog, he had a spirit about him I've never seen before. When he was only a week old, before his eyes were open, we found him hanging out in the kitchen about twenty feet from his whelping box doing his own thing. When he was a little puppy, no older than 8 or 9 weeks old, he would superman jump off the bed to reach me or my mom and continually hurt his shoulders. When he got older he would sit on the back of the couch and jump on the backs of the other dogs when they were walking by, then he would run off and look back like, "Got ya!" He lived every single day like it was a gift or, as we affectionately named it, "everyday as WOW day!" When he was two and a half he was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma and, just like that, my tenacious, vivacious, happy dog changed overnight into this frail shell of himself. But, even when he was sick, he still lived as if everyday were a gift. I will never forget the day before he died, I showed up at my usual time to the hospital to see him and he met me in the lobby happy as can be, jumping and acting his typical, non-sick self. Magnus' time on earth was quickly coming to an end...but he STILL remained joyous, happy, silly, fun, and he gave me one more "WOW" day with him!

It is clear that humans have forgotten to live with joy, happiness, and to treat everyday as a gift, everyday as a "WOW" day! I often wonder, if people lived like everyday was a "WOW" day would the hurt, pain and anger we cause each other continue? If we lived like every day was a gift, would we forget to love one another and treat one another with kindness? No, I don't think so....I think we would look at each other differently, we would look at life differently and maybe, just maybe, we would learn to value life and taking life away from another wouldn't come so easily.

My second teacher was a German Shepherd named Brear. Brear was my ultimate dream dog, I remember picking her out and having to wait two weeks until I got to bring her home...longest two weeks of my life! Brear was the epitome of perfection in my eyes. She was a big, slender, black and silver Shepherd that was full of loyalty to and love for me. I spent everyday with her, took her everywhere and ran everyday with her. Brear was loving and loyal, almost to a fault. I remember when I would do long runs with my mom and dad, my dad would be behind me, my mom would be on her bike and Brear and I would be in front. My mom would ride back and forth between my dad and me to make sure we were doing okay and give us water, and Brear would LOSE it whenever she would leave and whenever she could still see my dad behind us. She didn't want her people separated, she wanted us all to be together in our "pack." She would do whatever she could to keep us together, to keep us protected, to keep us happy. Brear taught me to be loyal to those I love and protect and cherish the love I have for those in my life.

It's clear to me that humans have forgotten to be loyal to those they love and to cherish the love they have for others. Humans have forgotten to love one another and, instead, have turned their loyalty and love towards ideologies and opinions. I wonder if we turned our love and loyalty back towards our fellow humans, would this end the extreme polarization we see today? Would those ideologies and opinions take a backseat to kindness, tolerance, and love? Yes, I think so. If we all were loyal to our fellow humans, loved one another and treated each other with kindness then our judgments and opinions of one another would turn towards tolerance, understanding, and kindness. Our differences would fade to the background and maybe, just maybe, we would realize that deep down inside we are all the same....we all want to be loved, cherished, valued, considered, understood, treated with kindness and loyalty.

My next teacher came to me by a very fortunate chance...a chance I took thanks to my mom and has paid off ever since, her name is Lana. Lana is the most darling, cute little beige dog that has become the center of my universe! Along with Lana, I got my husband Andrew and they have both added joy to my life that I am thankful beyond compare for every single day! I remember the first day I met Lana, she, Andrew, Tierney and I went for a walk along a trail in Colorado and she was TERRIFIED of Tierney. At first she hid behind Andrew's legs whenever Tierney would get close but by the end of the walk she was sauntering alongside Tierney as if they had been best friends from the time she was born. Tierney is different, she is big and full of energy and scary, but, in time, Lana came to love her and trust her more than anything. She now relies on Tierney to keep her safe, to make situations okay for her, to protect her from anything bad and to love her as her best friend and sister. We call Lana "Miss Wiggles" because she is always wiggling around when she sees us, jumping on us to tell us hello. She will get up on the bed and army crawl until she is at my face and I hug her with all my might. She is the sweetest, most loving dog and has taught me a lot about not being scared of the differences others, being tolerant and always wiggling with kindness.

It's clear to me that humans have lost their ability to be fearless of others' differences, to be tolerant of others. Humans have forgotten that our differences are what make us unique, interesting, fascinating....we have forgotten that we can learn from our differences, we should not only be tolerant of our differences but embrace them! I often wonder, if we looked at our differences as positives, if we were tolerant of one another, would we still first turn to hate, anger, and evil instead of turning to kindness, understanding, compassion, forgiveness and empathy? Would we look at others with disdain and hate for their religion, skin color, ideologies, opinions, who they love, where they've been, what they've done and where they're going? No, I don't think so. I was once told that one is not truly religious unless one is tolerant of all. I wholeheartedly believe that. If we all got over our fear of our differences and treated each other with kindness then, over time, the hatred, disdain, fear and evil would melt away. And, maybe, just maybe, we could get out of our own way and see our fellow humans for what they are...simply humans and, most often, friends.

And, last, but not least, my fourth teacher is a big German Shepherd named Tir na Nog...Tier, Tierney, Shep, Sheppy, Guisheppy, or Big Ol' Gal for short. I got Tierney only four days after the worst day of my life, the day Brear died. This little 8 week old puppy walked into my life and made me whole again. She is one for the record books....record books of craziness, joyousness, happiness, full of vigor and life, sweetness, love, goofiness, hilarity. She's full of differences that make her unique, funny, sweet, and full of life. My father-in-law calls her rain dog for her strange but funny propensity to chase and jump on grass that is blowing in the wind! She runs out the backdoor into the yard with such craziness that she scares Lana. She stands just outside the door wanting you to come join her, wanting to show you all she has found outside, wanting to share her joy and happiness with you. Tierney is a constant source of happiness, kindness, joy and laughter. She makes me laugh when we go to the dog park because dogs will be snarling and showing their teeth and Tierney will be wagging her tail and licking them in the face....as if to say, "No, we are friends not foes, silly!" She has reminded me that life is full of happiness and laughter, she has taught me not accept someone's anger and hatred as the final answer but to work through it and, to live each day with unbridled joy!

It's clear from what has happened lately throughout the world that humans have forgotten to live with joy, forgotten that life is full of happiness and laughter, and forgotten to come together to work through our differences and anger. We have learned to accept anger and hatred from others and to live with the same in our hearts. I wonder if we learned to laugh through the tough situations, to remember to be joyful, to work through anger with kindness and love, would we still see such evil acts? I don't think so. I think we would be happy, we would not turn to violence and hatred for those who do things to hurt us, we would learn to laugh and to be joyful again. And, if we could learn all of this then maybe, just maybe, humans could all be free from the exponential hurt we have and continue to suffer.

For me, these lessons are my truth. These dogs have gifted me with lessons that keep me hoping that humans can be good again someday. I sincerely hope those people who hate me for my skin color, my religion, my love, my opinions, where I've been, what I've done and where I'm going, will meet me on the sidewalk one day and not cast their gaze down but look me in the eye, because those people will be met with a smile and warm hello. And, no matter what continues to happen in this world, I will strive to remember these lessons and, if I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog and I will be as generous, kind and loving as they are.

I leave you with one last lesson from a dog...."when someone you love walks through the door, even if it happens five times a day, you should go totally insane with joy!"

CiAo,

ShAn & ShEp

A dAy WoRtH wAiTiNg FoR!

Hey friends,
It's been a long time since I've written and a lot of things have happened since our last post! But, Today is EXTRA special because today is my Shepherd's third birthday! I have been waiting for this day since December 6, 2012, the day I was blessed with this giant dog....and here are the reasons why....

When I was a sophomore in college my parents' dog Reina had puppies. Yes, this puppy birth was planned and two of the cutest Corgi puppies were born and, at the time, I was convinced that I wanted to keep the girl puppy. However, I soon found out that, despite originally wanting a girl dog, I would end up with the boy of the litter! This adorably wonderful boy became mine because he was a shining beacon of light from day one! When this little boy was only a week old, eyes still not open, we found him in the kitchen hanging out by himself! He had gotten out of his whelping box and made it all the way to the kitchen by himself! And this was the start of this little boy's crazy journey of fun, shenanigans and laughter! From this one little incident until the puppies were 8 weeks old he continued to make me laugh, continued to do all these crazy things and he had a spirit about him that I've never seen before....and, because of this, I decided that this little boy would be mine and I would call him Magnus, to signify his bigger than life personality!

Magnus was hilarious, he kept me laughing constantly! He would jump off the back of couches onto our other dogs' backs, he would unwrap every single piece of gum and eat every piece if I left him in the car for 5 minutes, he would jump as far out from the edge of the bed when he was a tiny baby to try to get to me in the morning...often falling and tweaking a shoulder in the process! Magnus was full of life and vigor and I thought he was the strongest, most exciting and funny dog to hit the earth! But, that excitement was short lived because when Magnus was two and a half he was diagnosed with T-Cell Lymphoma, a very aggressive form of lymphoma. Magnus was diagnosed on Monday with this cancer and he died on Thursday. I will never forget laying next to him at CSU Vet Hospital and wishing that God would just bring him back to life, I didn't want to say, "Goodbye"! Once he was gone I did a lot of reflection and I realized Magnus taught me one of the biggest lessons in life....his lesson to me is to live each day to it's fullest, to make each day a "WOW" day! Most dogs would have shown signs of being sick much sooner than Magnus, but because he lived the way he did, the signs showed much later. Because of his zest for life he gave me two and a half years of joy, laughter and fun and he saved me from spending too many days with sadness as he was battling this fatal disease. From the time I lost him until now I have tried my best to always remember his lesson, to remember to make each day a "WOW" day because I'm not sure how much more time I get here but I sure as heck will make each day as great as I possibly can, to try to fill each day with laughter, with fun, with compassion and happiness! Thanks Maggie...you were one of the best!!!

The cutest!

The boy! 

When I was a 2L in law school I told my parents I wanted to get a German Shepherd. My mom and dad were hesitant as neither had ever had a Shepherd and both were very unsure about the breed. But, Christmas of my 2L year they decided to get me a Shepherd...and thus began my journey with my very favorite breed! When I got back to San Diego, CA, after Christmas, I drove out to a farm in Campo, CA, and picked out my puppy. But, once I picked her out, I had to wait for two weeks until I could pick her up...she was only 6 weeks when I met her for the first time! That was the longest two weeks of my life and the day I picked her up was one of the happiest, most exciting days for me thus far! This little girl was about to change my entire path and add things to my life that I didn't think were possible! I decided to name this little bundle of fur, Brear, which is Gaelic meaning fields of Heather.

Brear was my pride and joy from the day I got her. She was loyal to a fault, I remember her keeping about a 25 foot circle around me at all times at the dog beach to make sure no other dog got near me! She was so incredibly smart and learned to run right next to me without a leash and each morning she would get up, touch me with her nose and then run out and touch her leash asking to go for a run!  She made every day exciting and fun for me and I loved her to a fault! She and I spent every single day together, we went everywhere together and we did everything together! She was not only my protector, my source of joy, my source of love, my source of laughter...but she was my very best friend! When I lost her I literally wanted to stop breathing...my heart physically hurt so much that I ached for it to quit beating! The hole she left in my heart and in my life the day she died I thought would never become whole again! Brear, you were my everything on earth and now you are my guardian angel....I miss you with every part of my being and I treasure the time I got with you! You are what started my love with the German Shepherds...thank you my big, sweet Shepherd, you were one of the best!!!

My gorgeous girl! 

The best! 

When I lost Brear I knew from the second she was gone that I needed to have another dog! The joy, laughter and happiness that a dog brings to your life is not something I'm willing to live long without! After Brear died my mom and I found a German Shepherd breeder in Julesburg, CO, and we headed out two days later to visit the puppies she had available. When we got there she told us about this little female puppy that she coined the "bold" puppy....well, you guessed it, that "bold" puppy ended up being the one I chose! Again, I had to wait for a week until I could get this "bold" puppy and it felt like an eternity! But, much to my surprise, this "bold" puppy showed up 5 days early because of a deal my parents made with the breeder...without my knowledge! I will never forget the night she became mine, I was so excited and so sad all at the same time...I was so happy to have another German Shepherd, so excited for our future together, but missing Brear so much! I wished that Brear could see this "bold" puppy, could teach her all the things she knew, could run next to her and show her how to be a good running buddy! But, life doesn't always deal us what we wish! I decided that this "bold" puppy should be named Tír na nÓg, which is Gaelic for "The Land of Youth". This mythical place is where sickness and death do not exist, where all stay youthful and never grow old and frail, where joy and abundance can always be found. I picked this name because that is what this "bold" puppy symbolizes for me and let me tell you, she keeps to her namesake! 

Tierney is BOLD, happy, youthful, vivacious, crazy, funny, joyful, full of life, goofy, loving, cuddly, and most of all the most beautiful soul I've witnessed in dog form! She embodies every good quality of Brear and every good quality of Magnus! She truly is the perfect combination of my two favorite dogs that came before her, she has the joyful, full of life, goofiness of Magnus and the loyal, loving, kindness of Brear! She has brought me laughter when there have been tears, abundance of joy when there has been fun, and love when there has been loneliness. She has taught me so many things...she has taught me to love and be open to be loved, she has taught me to remember those lost but be present every day, she has taught me to trust when trust was hard to come by, she has taught me how to trust being part of a family with her sister, Lana, her dad, Andrew, and her kittens, Niezsche and Machiavelli, but, most of all, she has taught me to go through life with optimism and not to fear the unknown. She is the epitome of beauty, brains, strength, and loyalty and I love her beyond words! It has been scary for me over the past couple of months knowing that her third birthday was coming up, knowing that every dog I have had has never made to three....and when I woke up this morning and there she was, up on the bed being crazy, it was another one of those moments that puts the trivial annoyances of life into perspective and with tears streaming down my face I wished my big, crazy, beautiful Shepherd a VERY happy third birthday! 

My baby girl!

Beautiful!

Shepherd Girl. 

The Best!

Love!

I was once read a quote from a friend that will always remain a truth for me - 
"It came to me that every time I lose a dog they take a piece of my heart with them. And every new dog who comes into my life, gifts me a piece of their heart. If I live long enough, all the components of my heart will be dog, and I will become as generous and loving as they are." 

Friends, if you get anything from this blog, PLEASE remember to love with all your heart, be joyful, be bold, go forward with optimism, and make EACH and EVERY day a "WOW" day! 

CiAo -

ThE sHePhErD & ShAn

SoMeTiMeS sHePhErDs KnOw BeSt

Hey friends, we are back and I'm sure you're all shocked considering how long it usually takes me to send out a post....SURPRISE!! I'm currently sitting on a plane on the way to see my husband and family in Dallas...hence the post!! But, I must admit I've been wanting to blog all week due to the nightmarish past few days I've had and some major reflection I've been doing as of late!! Shep, her sisters Nietz and Lan, and I have been hanging out alone while Andrew has been in Chicago and Seattle at conferences. In addition to that, I've been dealing with a horrendous work environment that has tested my patience and understanding to the very core!! And, as all this has been happening there has been one consistency, one I've realized will always be there no matter the stress, fear, annoyance, sadness or anger that life can bring.....my big ole' shepherd! 

It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how difficult things can seem, Tierney can give me just a look with her big sweet brown eyes, a nudge on the leg with her long nose or a hit with her ball as she tosses it to me to play and, in an instant, my world flips right side up again and all the weight on my shoulders is lifted! I often stop to reflect when I'm around her as to just how truly lucky I am to have gotten another wonderful ball of Shepherd joy! After Brear died I couldn't imagine ever loving a dog the same way in which I loved her! I thought, at the time, that Tier would be a good distraction! I thought she'd help fill in a void that would probably never fully go away! I had expectations for a nice life with my new shepherd but nothing too terribly spectacular! Yet, here I am writing another blog post about this big beautiful shepherd that has far and away surpassed any and all expectations, wants, hopes, and dreams I could have ever had for a dog!

She embodies the true meaning of complete unconditional love and loyalty without any expectations attached! She doles out exponential quantities of love to Andrew and me any and every chance she gets for no other reason than the fact that she's Tierney and that's just the way she operates! In addition to her much needed love this week after such hectic days, I was reminded again on Wednesday night of how much she truly loves us....

Wednesday nights are group run nights. A bunch of runners meet at our local running store, Runner's Roost, and run for 4-6 miles around the store. I've been going to run group for about 3 years now and have been taking my dogs since I started. Yes, that's right, all my running friends ran with Brear on many occasions! This week it was just my dad and me since Andrew has been gone and considering how dark it's been getting, I decided that Tier should go with us to ensure our safety out on the dark roads. My mom took Lana and Quinn, my parent's dog, to the dog park while we ran. Being a little late, we had to try to catch up to all the runners in front of us. Tierney, who hadn't been running for a couple days, was beyond thrilled to be out on the road trotting along in front of me! What happened next was just so typical Tier....every single runner we came upon she needed to see if maybe, just maybe, it was her favorite guy in the world! She searched and searched as we ran for her absent human! And, as we ran along through the crisp cool night I watched as the anticipation would build within her as we approached another runner, how she would start prancing as we approached, hopeful to find the dad she has been missing so much! As we moved along over the next four miles with Tierney constantly searching, I thought about the last two years with this beautiful girl - how much love she has given me, how she accepted Andrew into her life like he'd been there all along, how she brings laughter to our lives on a daily basis, how she protects Lana from any sort of danger that may befall her, how she is loyal to a default but mostly I thought about how incredibly lucky I am to have been blessed with another crazy, beautiful, joyful, wonderful shepherd! I often think, if only we could all love with the same unconditional capacity of a dog, how different this city, state, nation, world would be! But, alas, this divine gift has been imparted to the dog, leaving me to wonder in amazement at how they they never falter in their issuance of unconditional love to their humans! And, I am left with the hope and dream of someday being able to love those in my life in a truly unconditional way, the way in which my shepherd loves me!  

Anyway, and it's anyway not anyways according to my mother, the flight is about to land and I must sign off now. Until next time friends, enjoy the beautiful fall weather and as you meander through this crazy thing called life, may you always be reminded of the gifts in which you've been blessed and continually strive to love those around you with the same sort of devotion and understanding of a dog! And, to that big girl in the sky, "I miss you daily, I think about you often, you're never far from my mind and you're always, always in my heart!! I love you, Brear!!!"

CiAo,

ThE sHeP & sHaN 

MiNd BlOwInG bEhAvIoR

Hey friends!!! I know it's been awhile since I've written about my gloriously goofy shepherd but, in my defense we have been CRAZY busy!!! There was a wedding and then another wedding and then a three week honeymoon and then and then and then.....ya, it's been just a tad bit busy in the life of the shepherd! But, I think that's the way she likes it, or at least I hope she feels that way because I doubt it's going to change anytime soon! Anyways, I figured it was time to give you an update on the Shep and give you the full rundown of the biggest day of her life....so far.....

It was August 28, 2014, late at night and Shep and I were loaded in the Lexus with Andrew and Randy heading towards my parents ranch....The Wittstock Ranch to be precise. Andrew was dropping us off not to see us again until 5pm the next day....yes, it was the night before the wedding and Shep and I, being the traditional girls that we are, didn't want to see Andrew until we were walking down the aisle to promise our lives to him! We got out of the car and Tier was completely confused as to why Andrew didn't come inside and stay with us....she kept looking at me as if to say, "Where is Dad going, he always stays with us! He KNOOOOOWS this!!! What is he doing???" That night Shep and I relaxed at the Wittstock Ranch with my family from Alaska, Washington and California and our great friend Steph....side note: BEST photographer we could have ever asked for to capture the week's events!!!!!

After much chatting and excitement, it was time to hit the hay so we would be well rested for the next big day! I slept in my old room for the last time as a Wittstock with my big ol' shepherd right next to me....although, she did get up a few times to give Steph, sleeping on the floor, some good shepherd kisses and a few force cuddles (sorry Steph)!! The last night at home was perfect, I had my best friend right next to me making sure I was safe and happy! The next morning we had one last thing to do before getting ready for the evening's events.....we needed to go for one last run together as Wittstocks!

Shep, my dad and I jumped into the car and headed downtown to run the beautiful old town of Fort Collins. The four miles I spent running with Shep and my dad were the best! I thought about everything.....about where we started and what we had become together, about the times she was a baby and I couldn't wait for her to run with me, about how much she loves Andrew and Lana, about how I couldn't have done anything in the last year and half without her by my side, about how she fills my heart with all the love and happiness I could ever ask for from a dog, about how she pulled me through losing Brear, about how she fit in her own perfect place in my heart without ever overshadowing Brear's spot, but mainly I thought about how lucky I am to have her and to get to share her with the best man I've ever met! It was the perfect start to the day and to get to share it with my dad, as well, was the icing on the cake!

On the way for our last run as Wittstocks!

Getting ready to run!

Running as Wittstocks!

                         

Shep and Grandpa!

After our run we headed home to get ready for the big evening ahead. The entire day Tierney stayed by my side, she never wanted to leave me....I think she knew we were about to do something big and she wasn't about to get left behind! After I got my hair and makeup done by the lovely and wonderful Sydnie Chapman, it was time to head out for Berthoud and our big walk down the aisle! I loaded up my stuff and Shep and I were off to pick up my best friend Lauren....we had one more errand to run before getting to the venue! The whole way Tierney slept in the back seat content as can be, preparing for her big role! 

When we arrived at the venue Shep and I headed up to the bridal suite....fortunately we had our wonderful wedding planner Emily with us because we almost ran into Andrew!!! For the next hour and a half we hung out in the bridal suite with my wonderful bridesmaids, friends, and a few family members....and Shep was in HEAVEN! I've never seen her be so calm, so content, so perfect! She lounged with her favorite aunt Melody, played with Jenna's baby, kissed Elara and Grace, and kept me calm by being her goofy self! She took her job very seriously and couldn't have been more perfect!!!

Couldn't have done it without her!

Helping with my dress

Hanging with Aunt Melody

Hamming it up!

My favorite girl!

Sitting pretty with her bow-tie! 

Front and center, just where I want her!

Loving all the attention!

Kisses for the baby!

Best friends!

Perfection!

Couldn't ask for more!

The best!   

Melts my heart every time! 

Love her to the moon and back!

Playing footsie!

My running partner, dog, angel on Earth!

Always by my side!

The best shepherd!

After we were good and ready, it was time for Shep's big moment! Shep left the room with her Aunt Melody so she could pass Shep off to the other ring barer....Logan! Shep and Logan got in their places to walk down the aisle and it was officially show time! Shep was perfect....she walked right by Logan and went wherever Logan went....even turning around halfway down the aisle due to Logan deciding mid walk he no longer wanted to go to the end of the aisle! She looked beautiful and after much corralling of Logan, Elara and Lana...Shep was handed off to my bridesmaid Darcy where she would wait for her next duty....

Relaxing with her best bud!

Ready for their big moment!

Preparing for job number 1!

Ready!

Checkin' her surroundings...all set

Sitting with Aunt Melody!

Heading down the aisle!

Here we go....

  

Walking pretty!

I'll show you where to go!

Follow me Lan!

This way Shep...

Follow me Logan! 

The walk down the aisle couldn't have been more adorable and perfect! Logan and Elara did a great job, Elara even danced for everyone at the end of the aisle! Shep got to walk with her buddy Logan and everyone made it without any mishaps! Once Shep was down the aisle she was given to Darcy and sat patiently waiting for her next duty to arise...she couldn't have been more well behaved...I can't believe how perfect she was!!! 

Waiting for her cue....

Perfection! 

As we went through our ceremony Shep waited patiently for her next big job....handing me my vows! Tierney was not only our ring barer, she also had the big job of carrying my vows down the aisle....and she did a perfect job! After we went through most of the ceremony it was time to say our vows that we had written to each other....I called Tierney and she stood right next to my side while I pulled the vows off her collar and then passed her back to Darcy.....

Getting my vows....

Job well done Tier!

Once I had my vows Tierney's big jobs were officially complete! And, she proceeded to rest until the end of the ceremony....having such big roles is hard work for a Shepherd and she did a great job!

Job complete....time to relax!

Ahhhhh....this is the life! 

Getting a new last name is hard work!

After our vows and our first kiss we were finally pronounced husband and wife....and Tierney finally joined her sister Lana as a Pipes!!! It was the best moment of our lives thus far and we are so thankful for all that were there to help us celebrate the joining of our two families!!! 

Wahoo....we are officially Pipes!!!!

YAY!!!! 

Time to PARTY!!!

 

Pipes family complete!!!

After the ceremony it was time to party and for lots of pictures of our newly formed family....again, Shep took her duty very seriously and was great!!! 

Family! 

Ahhhhh....so happy!!!

After our individual pics we took a bunch of pics with family....

Picture time!!!

The Colorado Pipes!

She never looks at the camera!  

Parents, puppies, bride and groom! :)  

After the pictures were done it was time for the girls to head home with their trainer Micah. Overall the day was so wonderful and Tierney behaved better than I ever could have dreamed! And, now we are officially part of the Pipes family!  

As I reflect on the past year and a half it's amazing how far the two of us have come! Our relationship started with Tierney getting me through the toughest and darkest days after I lost Brear! And, it has come full circle to us joining Andrew and Lana becoming one big happy family of five...there is a cat thrown in there, her name is Nietzsche! I think of all the things we did together just the two of us and, as great as those were, those times don't compare to what we have gotten to share as a family with Andrew, Lana and Nietzsche! We are beyond thankful to get to merge two wonderful families and can't wait for all the adventures to come! 

Alright friends, it's time for us to sign off! We hope y'all have a wonderful, safe Halloween! And to everyone that joined in our big day, thank you for your love and support....it wouldn't have been the same without y'all! To that big, beautiful girl in Heaven.....I know you were looking down on me August 29, 2014, and you were by my side me every step of the way just as you've always been! I miss you so much and wish you were here to see how far we've come and how great life really is! And, most of all, thank you for the gift of Tierney....she is a blessing and I wouldn't be where I am without her love and loyalty! I love you my big, black shepherd!! 

Ciao, 

TiErNeY & ShAn