Wherein I refer to my dog 3,716 times

If you are thinking about getting a dog, you should. And you really should get yourself one of these guys, a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Their name is a mouthful, I know, but if someone were to guess that the number of letters in their name is a nod towards their love and affection then they would be absolutely right. DING, DING, DING! 

This is my pup, Ollie. Oh, I know, you have seen him a million times. But can anyone ever grow weary of those innocent, adorable eyes? 

I can’t. Even when he eats his own poop.

(Ack! Did I really just admit that? Okay that only happened, like, once. Or twice. And really, I like to look at it this way – he’s smart. Because he knew he was bad by relieving himself in the house, so he was trying to hide it and avoid getting into trouble. Even if it meant hiding it in his own small intestine a second time around, because, dang it, the Pooper Scooper is outside and how else can I discard my poo so that she won’t beat me with her latest Cooking Light magazine? Yes, it’s freakin’ disgusting and he earned himself some Scope afterwards, but how intelligent of him to try and be so incognito!)

Sorry about that. 

Anyway, Oliver is the third Cavalier that we have had in our family. After my Mom got hers, I knew I had to have one of my own. So Ollie was given to me as my college graduation gift from my grandparents. 

Whenever I walk in the door, he greets me as though he hasn’t seen me in eight months and wiggles his rear end with such delirium that I swear he can practically make a clapping sound with his butt cheeks. He loves to cuddle with me at night. He finds it eminently entertaining to nibble on Rob’s ears until he becomes a giddy little girl, squealing from being so ticklish.

And he is very much a mama’s boy, am I stating the obvious?

I have even heard it said of these particular dogs that they “live to love you”. And it is so true. 

I was outside on my patio early the other morning, watching Ollie dope around and eat my petunias, when I was thinking about that particular statement. It made me realize how we should be living our lives, and how He desires for us to live to love Him. 

Oliver makes this look so easy. Unfortunately, in our lives, as human beings, it is a tad more challenging. But if the feeling that Jesus gets when we live to love Him compares to the feeling of love that Oliver gives me, then THAT, that’s hard to comprehend.