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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

      • Erin says

        HAHA – I came to ask what the food competition was going to be, too! Can’t wait for the results! I really enjoy your blog/IG overall, but I have to say Sadie is my FAVORITE part 🙂 Happy Birthday Sadie!!!!!!!

        Reply

    • Carrie says

      This post made me giggle. She seems like such a fun, silly dog. What a great life she has and great parents! I am not sure if you and your husband plan on having kids someday, but if you do- you will be the best parents ever! I was the same way with my first dog and he is still my number one! When I had my daughter, I couldn’t believe the love I felt for her was so intense, even compared to my dachshund love! It truly blew my mind. Still, I do feel that dogs are children too! 🙂

      Reply

    • Julie says

      haha! the puppy stage definitely comes with some hurdles, but thankfully with attention and training they DO grow out of it! there are also tons of sweet adult dogs that need homes!

      Reply

    • Laura says

      We survived the puppy and teething stage with no damage to any furniture, clothes, etc. so it can be done! We also crated our dog at the beginning until she could be trusted which I think helped a lot!

      Reply

  7. Traci W says

    Happy Birthday, Sadie!! I was looking forward to this post! My husband and I recently lost our dachshund due to complications after back surgery. It’s so heart warming to see these beautiful pictures of your baby. I’m not sure when the time will be right for us to get another dog, but until then, I can keep up with you, ryan, and Sadie!

    Reply

  9. Carolyn St. Laurent says

    Happy Birthday Sadie!

    My eyes started to tear up with joy as I read your post! My husband and I can completely relate to everything you said about your lil’ lady. Our pup is just as silly and brings more joy and laughter into our lives than either us of imagined. 😀

    Here’s to many many more years of Sadie’s Birthday!!!

    Reply

  17. Danielle Dunn says

    Aweeee 🙂 Happy Birthday, Sadie!!! She reminds me of our little fur-munchkin… ZERO concept of personal space and the best little heating blanket ever!! Absolutely love this post – Sadie is one lucky little lady!
    xo Danielle

    Reply

  18. Nicole @ Squash on Squash says

    Happy Birthday to Sadie!!!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading every sentence of this post… she is such a crazy dog with hilarious character and you guys seem to be amazing dog owners :). I had a similar pet situation growing up (except I never even had a cat, or a hamster), and to this day, can’t wait until I get a dog!

    Reply

  23. Sydney Fitzsimmons says

    Awww I love this post! Happy Birthday to Sadie!!!! My husband and I just got our first dog 3 weeks ago after over 4 years of debating whether we were ready for the responsibility since we wanted to make sure we’d be great dog parents when we took the plunge. Getting Winston has already been the best decision we’ve ever made!!! I feel like we were meant to find each other and he was so worth the wait 🙂 I totally get dog parent love now which makes me love your posts about Sadie that much more! Winston has a lot of the same personality traits as her which totally cracks me up. PS Winston’s first friend is a Vizsla who’s never liked other dog’s, but loved Winston! They were so cute playing together and I was of course thinking of Sadie the whole time since she’s the only Vizsla I ‘know’ 🙂

    Reply

  28. Jackie says

    This was so sweet and such a great reminder enjoy EVERY SECOND with our 4-legged friends! You can tell from the photos that Sadie has a super fun personality. Did you guys adopt her from a breeder or is she a rescue? 🙂

    Reply

  30. Amanda says

    Sadie is 7?!?!?! I’ve read your blog for years, but I’ve apparently lost track 😛 Last I remembered you were celebrating five years. My, how time flies! Happy birthday, Sadie! May you have many many more!

    Reply

  31. Allie says

    That was SO SWEET! I can’t wait to get a little comedian of my own to melt my heart like Sadie has for you two! So adorable!!!

    Reply

  33. Jessica says

    This post makes me miss my dog ( Kenya- she was a black lab). She past away when I was 16 years old, and to this day I still get a little teary-eyed ( okay maybe a full crying session) when I think of her. But on a more positive note- happy 7th birthday Sadie!! You are such a cute little thing!

    Reply

  35. Paola @ Do It With Heart says

    This is so sweet! It’s exactly how we feel about our dog. Just today we lost a baseball cap (he has a tendency to chew the bill), but I couldn’t love my dog more. Not only their personality, but how they can’t stop showing you unconditional love. Happy Birthday to Sadie!

    Reply

  36. Kristin says

    This made me tear up! I love my dog as much as you and share many of the thoughts you shared about Sadie. They are truly family. Happy Birthday Sadie!!!!

    Reply

  40. Marrybell Beavens says

    This is the coolest post ever! There’s no doubt that you love Sadie just as you would a child of your own. This post only reinforces that. I don’t have a dog, but my cat Lia is my world. She was just recently diagnosed as Diabetic requiring twice daily insulin injections and it saddens me to see her go through it, but I love her dearly and know that she’ll get better with insulin. Thanks again for sharing your Sadie world with your readers, she’s amazing! 🙂

    Reply

  42. julie says

    Happy birthday Sadie! ! She’s friggin adorable. Aren’t dogs the best?? EVER!! We rescued ours almost 5 years ago and I can’t ( and don’t want to) remember life before him.

    Reply

  43. ranchcookie says

    I can completely relate! I had always wanted a dog growing up but my sibling and I were in so many sports that we just didn’t have the time. I finally decided to get my own dog this past year, he is only 7 months old now! But I was so nervous before I got him about giving him enough attention and being home enough for him! But I have to say I wouldn’t go back, I found my best friend who will never leave my side!

    Reply

  45. Beks says

    OMG. Sadie was the cutest puppy ever! Just look at that little face! Also, the picture of her sharing your shirt is one for your office. That picture would crack me up all the time!

    Reply

  48. Haelena says

    Happy birthday sweet Sadie! I feel like all of your viewers know your dog well enough to feel like it belongs to them too! Haha 😛

    Reply

  49. Erin @ Erin's Inside Job says

    Yay! My family was the same way growing up and I always wanted a dog but it was never practical. Once I moved out on my own I found the perfect dog and it was amazing! Unfortunately, life events got in the way and I was separated from her for 9 months. During that time my sister took her and got another dog of her own. It didnt seem fair for me to take her back after she had already bonded with the new dog, so my sister has them both now. I still love dogs, but after what happened I became scared about not being able to be there for one again. We may get one down the road, but for right now I’ll just admire everyone else’s and play w them when I can 🙂

    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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