WARNING: Super cute pics of puppies ahead!
It has been 6 months since our 2 1/2 year old chocolate lab, River, passed away and I don’t think I’ve given the right intro to our newest little guy (a puppy, not person), which he definitely deserves. But first, here’s a little bit about River and our short, yet meaningful, time with him.
It’s amazing how animals truly steal your heart and the moment they are no longer around, it’s like you are living in a totally different world. We lost River completely off-guard and to this day, we still mourn and I have a feeling that will be something we’ll never fully move on from. When he passed away, we were at a loss. The feeling that there was a “blank space” not only in our hearts, but in our house, was terrible. One of the worst situations out of it, and I’m sure many can relate, is watching his sister quickly experiencing the depression of losing her brother. Bailey is also a chocolate lab and they shared the same mom but were from two different litters. The moment they met, it was just automatic that they somehow knew they shared blood. It was, and is, extremely special. As time passed and he did not come home, we witnessed her feeling a numbness, we knew she was not okay and we also knew we had to step up for her and her health. The idea of losing another piece of our heart was unimaginable.
Okay, the tears have to stop!
Bailey became a priority and we figured out very quickly we needed to do something. We did not think we would be looking for a companion one month later, but we learned fast that it was the best decision. One thing we knew is that we wanted another lab, but we were aware that our breeder we have gone to was no longer able to breed (it was too risky for their mom). Sooo, we started looking. We saw many, many breeders, but it just didn’t feel right. Of course it’s hard to say “no” to any adorable puppy but we definitely needed to agree on what was right for us.
Meet Easton (below)! Justin found Easton on Craigslist so I was a little nervous but after talking with his current owner, we knew it was going to be a match. Even though Easton was a little bit older than we were initially thinking, we drove out to Othello, WA (literally middle of nowhere) and met our soon-to-be little buddy. I think it was a little bittersweet for the owner since he helped breed him and that was their one pick of the litter. Him and his family decided they were going to keep one of the puppies and Easton was their choice. They later found out they were expecting a baby and unfortunately, no longer able to commit the time to raising a lab.
Can you guess what the number one concern we had was?! Yep, introducing him to his new big sis. It was actually VERY nerve-racking. Well, it wasn’t that “love at first sight” moment like with River and I think both of us were a little nervous it wouldn’t be a good situation (LOL pretty much a blind date). OMG, let’s just say he was SUCH a puppy with the chewing and sharp teeth! He drove her insane for the first month and a half with biting her ears and her collar, but they have grown closer and she sets her boundaries. If you know Bailey, then you know she is the calmest dog and always has been. We are always asked how old she is and people are shocked when they learn how YOUNG she is.
I think we can say he is one of, if not THE, cutest dog. That face is unbelievable and the compliments we are getting, is pretty great. OH did I mention he is half silver/half yellow lab? Fun fact is that they “create” chocolate labs but you can really see his silver coming in around his face and his fur is showing some yellow-ish spots. As you can also see above, and it’s never-ending at home, Easton is a snuggler. We are pretty sure he thinks he is a human but that’s okay, we definitely are happy with his loving and very playful nature.
We are so lucky to have found him and I think both Justin and I officially believe that he was meant for us and our family. We will absolutely never forget River, he was our first fur-baby we picked out together, but we do know he is healthy in dog heaven and still chasing balls. He was too young but I’m glad he’s hanging out with some of our other pets who have passed away. Not sure if you believe in this kind of stuff, but I’m convinced he shows signs he’s still around. The rainbows continue to show up when we need it most or the “Over the Rainbow, What a Wonderful World” song comes on out of nowhere, but I do hope those reassurances last a lifetime. He was a special one.
Here are some more pictures of our newest little guy! We love you Easton and so grateful for you ❤
-Kelly
Livin' in Leggings 