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Happy 7th Birthday, Sadie!

by 177 Comments

Growing up, I always wanted a dog. Every year around Christmastime, without fail, a puppy would be at the very top of my Christmas list. My family traveled a lot when I was young, so my parents explained that boarding a dog all the time wouldn’t be fair to the dog and told me time and time again a dog just wasn’t the right pet for our family. We had hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, a bunny and even a cat, but a dog wasn’t in the cards.

In 2008 I got the dog I had been dreaming about since I was a little girl.

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A crazy, wiggly, scrawny, cuddly, needy, excitable vizsla we called Sadie.

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Ryan and I talked about getting a dog for months before Sadie came into our lives. For as much as I wanted a dog, a big, big part of me was worried about being a good owner. I wanted to be a great dog owner and give a puppy the attention, exercise and affection every dog deserves.

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Eventually we decided to go for it and our world flipped upside down… in the very, very best way possible. We both fell head over heels in love with our clumsy puppy and couldn’t get enough of our sweet Sadie.

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During the puppy stage, we lost a coffee table while Sadie was teething. I lost my favorite pair of nude pumps. We lost a couch (thankfully a cheap one from craigslist) when Sadie decided she was part-hamster and wanted to burry herself inside the couch cushions when we were away. We lost a comforter (or two), again to Sadie’s burrowing tendencies.

But we gained so much more.

We gained a furry companion who greets us with joy and unconditional love every single day.

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We gained a “heating pad” that keeps us warm under the covers during the cold winter nights.

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We gained the most enthusiastic hiking and outdoor adventure buddy in the world.

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We gained a sous-chef for life.

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We gained a family member who has absolutely no concept of personal space.

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We gained the most adorable walking buddy who reminds us to appreciate the little things in life every day.

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Because sticks are amazing, after all.

We gained a 38-pound comedian who makes us laugh until our stomachs hurt.

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We gained a crazy ball of sunshine who brings more joy into our lives than we ever could have imagined.

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We gained a best friend and the perfect third member of our little family. She’s simply the best.

Happy, happy 7th birthday Sadie!

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About Julie

My name is Julie and I am a full-time blogger, new mama, fitness enthusiast (certified personal trainer and group exercise instructor) and food fanatic (mostly healthy... but also not-so-healthy) living in North Carolina with my husband, dog and baby boy. Thank you for visiting Peanut Butter Fingers! I hope you enjoy little glimpses into my life and have fun trying the sweaty workouts I frequently share and making some of my favorite recipes along the way!

Comments

  1. jen says

    I think this is my favorite PBF post ever. Probably because I am absolutely nuts about my own pups and can relate to every single thing you said. Also, my oldest furry baby will turn 7 next week too 🙂 I am totally making her a birthday cake!

    Happy birthday Sadie!

    Reply

  2. tanya says

    OH my goodness this is so sweet! I agree with everything you wrote. I don’t know what I would do without our crazy vizsla! Happy Birthday Sadie!

    Reply

  4. Pooja Parikh says

    I love this!! I can absolutely relate to your childhood desire to have a dog. My story is very similar, except my parents were afraid of dogs so they wouldn’t let me have one. I finally got a dog last year, Margo (her first birthday was yesterday), and she has absolutely changed my life! She’s everything I could have wanted in a dog and more. I was not prepared to become so attached to (and obsessed with) her. Oh, and she’s turned my parents’ lives around as well–they are now totally in love with her. : ) Happy Birthday, Sadie!

    Reply

  8. Mary Beth Richardson says

    Very sweet! I feel like I know Sadie from these posts and instagram! Happy Birthday, pretty girl!!!

    And I love that you mentioned the puppy phase, and the losses. My step daughter (Kaylyn) adopted a pit bull/lab pup and doesn’t like that it chews everything. Every other month we are asked to take Mya, because Kaylyn’s mom doesn’t want her “destroying” the house. I am leery to adopt a pup, but your posts show that you take the bad with the good and the good can outweigh a few furniture pieces and comforters 🙂 If Mya comes to live with us, I will mellow out and refer to Sadie’s joy! HAHA!

    Have a FUN day of birthday adventures!

    Reply

  10. Chelsi says

    Happy Birthday Sadie! I have been lucky enough to have a dog since I was 5 years old – she lived to be 17 years old!

    Now my husband and I have one beautiful little skinny girl who is a complete only child! There is some kind of love you get from a dog you just can’t get anywhere else – I love all your posts that include Sadie – she is adorable 🙂

    Reply

  15. Georgina Dench says

    This post makes me so happy…and miss my own crazy pups so much! My pug henry will be 7 in March…they grow up too fast! Haha. Happy Birthday Sadie!

    Reply

  19. Carol T. says

    Happy Birthday Sadie. You are so lucky to have great parents that love you so much… many more birthdays for you.

    Reply

  20. Ellen @ My Uncommon Everyday says

    This is so sweet! Beautifully written, and it sums up exactly how I feel about my dog (except she was a rescue, so we didn’t deal with the puppy phase 😉 ). Those little four-legged creatures sure can wiggle their way into your heart. Happy Birthday, Sadie!

    Reply

  22. Shelley says

    Happy Birthday Sadie!!! Great photos of her!! My husband and I have an Aussie mix and a Golden Retriever who rule our roost…we couldn’t love them more!

    Reply

  27. Janay Ridge says

    Happy Birthday, Sadie! My life would not be the same without my crazy, obnoxious, goofy and lovable little fur ball too!

    Reply

  29. Bethany says

    Happy Birthday Sadie! I have had my Pom, Dixie, for 12 years now! She was my Christmas present when I was in the 8th grade. Now I am 27 and love her to pieces! She is our child, friend, cuddle buddy, kitchen floor cleaner, little guard dog! Dogs really are a human’s best friend!

    Reply

  30. Amanda says

    With that, you just WON favorite of the year!!! Congratulations! I seriously teared up because I feel the same way about my dogs! Happy Birthday Sadie!!

    Reply

  31. Liz says

    Happy Birthday Sadie! I’m sure you are the best parents Sadie could ever ask for! I share the same love for my border collie 🙂

    Reply

  34. Kim says

    This post seriously made me tear up! This is so sweet. I had a family dog for 17 years and when she passed away it was the WORST. Now my fiancé and I have a one year old pup who is so sweet too and we love him SO much. Dogs really are the best friends to their owners! Happy birthday to Sadie 🙂

    Kim
    http://trendkeeper.me .. I’m talking blogging success!

    Reply

  39. Jennifer says

    What a beautiful post! It made me cry. LOL I always look forward to the posts about Sadie and love when she is randomly in the background of your pictures. I’ve always wanted a dog too but always had cats and birds growing up. My current apartment complex does not allow pets. One day I will own a dog. I love them.

    Reply

  40. Leiah says

    Such a sweet post!!! It makes me feel so much better to hear you lost so many things during the puppy stage (sorry 😉 !) because we are going through that now with our 4 month old Vizsla. She’s such a wild woman but I would not change a thing! Happy Birthday Sadie!!!

    Reply

  44. Aneeta says

    Happy Birthday sweet Sadie!!! I hope you have a wonderful day celebrating an amazing little lady!! One day Julie, I hope to make my puppy dream come true too!! Soon!

    Reply

  45. Karishma says

    LOVE this post and LOVE every single picture! You haven’t lived until you’ve lived with a four legged family member!

    Reply

  46. Rachael Sofie says

    I LOVE THIS POST! Absolutely adorable. My pups are worth every single last pair of steve maddens and uggs they chew up. Of course, they have expensive taste cause they always go for the good stuff. Happy Birthday Sadie!

    Reply

  47. rlmg1006 says

    Happy Birthday Sadie!! We’re looking into getting a dog too! What route did you take researching what kind of dog and where to get her—pound, breeder, etc?

    Reply

    • Julie says

      we actually got sadie from a breeder because i have allergies and knew i could only have a certain kind of dog (vizslas don’t have an undercoat which makes them a great fit for people with light allergies — they’re still not hypoallergenic though)! if/when we get another dog in the future, we will definitely rescue. when we got sadie, i didn’t realize there are TONS of rescue groups out there dedicated to specific breeds. if there’s a certain breed you’re interested in, definitely look to see if there’s a rescue near you!

      Reply

  49. Emily @ Sweet Summer Smiles says

    Aww! Your post made me tear up! I feel the exact same way about my dog. I never would have imagined when I first got him much joy he would bring to our lives. I love that you’ve always included Sadie on your blog, I hope she has a great birthday! Will she be participating in the chicken/beef sandwich tradition this year? 🙂

    Reply

    • Julie says

      yes!! we’re having her pick between rotisserie chicken and fried chicken this year. i think she’ll go for the rotisserie chicken, but we’ll see!!

      Reply

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I am not a registered dietitian. My blog is simply a documentation of my life. The views I express are mine alone, based on my own experiences, and should not be taken as medical advice. I DO NOT post everything I eat. Though I am a certified personal trainer, the workouts I post may not be right for you. Please speak with a medical professional before making any changes to your current routine.

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