{happy birthday}

the start of every carolina football season marks the anniversary/birthday of our sweet gracie!

let the wavey dream lines take us back:

{2008} it was a dark and stormy week, due to hurricane fay, and scootie and i kept hearing this barking. at first we thought it was a dog my cousin was training, just unhappy to be in a pen. then we realized the barking was coming from across the street instead of next door. finally, on thursday morning, scootie called me on the way to school telling me i had to go look for this dog. so i leash up abby, our sweet lab, and we go for a walk. it took about 5 minutes to find this poor dog. abby started to get excited so i took her back home. when i got back to the dog, i realized this poor creature was CHAINED to the tree! no food or water anywhere. she had a chain around her neck that was so tight it was cutting into her skin, and the length of chain around the tree was so tangled up in the underbrush, she couldn't move. i was able to unhook her from the chain around the tree, but i couldn't get the chain off her neck. this poor, sweet, little girl was so exicted to see somebody. daddy was in the shower when we got home, so i was beating on the bathroom door, yelling that i found the dog but there was a chain around her neck. seriously, this chain was so tight she couldn't swallow food or water. he yelled back to take her over to papa's and have him cut the chain off. papa, the hero, cut the chain off and, i swear, when he did, this dog sighed with relief. we got back home and daddy was out of the shower. i just stood there waiting to see what he said. "well, load her up in the truck and let's take her to the vet." please know that steve bush is not going to take a dog he's not keeping to the vet. i still haven't said anything about keeping her. on the way to the vet, these words came out of his mouth, "she can't be and inside dog, you know." WHAT?! i get to keep a dog i JUST found, and i didn't even have to cry or beg. go daddy! the vet said she was about 8 months old and aside from being underweight, she was fine. and for the record, she was an inside dog.

her name was ALMOST caroline. it just didn't suit. gracie fits her perfectly. gracie still has her quirks. as in she HATES strangers. this dog either loves you or hates you. she hated chad for-e-v-e-r. then right before we got married, the switch flipped, and now she loves him. they snuggle up in the recliner and watch tv every night. she also starts the night sleeping at the foot of the bed, then snakes her way up so she's wedged between us. she is the wonkiest, wiggliest, snuggliest dog ever. she is our sweet gracie, and we wouldn't take her any other way.