As I sit on the couch, with a precious Collie girl Bella in my lap, as the fireworks begin to go off, it is a reminder that this year, this weird, odd, bizarre and at times, cruel year is coming quickly to end. Looking back on this year, so many things have happened, and so many things have not. I decided tonight is as good as any to look back and reflect on what this year has meant to the Brinker's, while the sweet Tequila in my favorite margarita, eases the pain of things that were dreamed of, wished for, and prayed for in 2020.
In our world of fostering & rescuing, there were so many happy moments that overshadowed all that was going on in this world. Our sweet Sage, who we had for over 6 months, finally found her furever home in early June. That girl has hit the jackpot with her new family and we could not be happier about where she has landed. We fostered 2 different sets of puppies, the "Friends" litter, Chandler, Joey & Phoebe came along at just the right time. Virtual school had just begun, and I was deep into the trenches of trying to figure out this new mode of teaching over night. Those puppies quickly became members of our class, and regularly made it onto our video calls. Then came short and sweet, Miss Emma. She was quite the puppy...gave Bella a run for her money! As with puppies, she was gone in a few short weeks! Then Miss Lassie came along...skunked. Yes, you read that correctly, she has been skunked. That was just as fun as a barrel full of monkeys let me tell you. Girlfriend got a bath, then another, got groomed...and the skunk smell was finally beginning to fade. She hopefully goes for a sleepover tomorrow...praying that it goes well! Then, we rounded out the year with a second set of puppies, our "Sports Teams" litter, 3 boys---Astro, Comet & Rebel, and their so sweet little sister, Aggie. They were Christmas puppies....yes, I know, how cute would reindeer names have been...stinking adorable, that's how cute. Missed opportunity there. There is just something exciting about giving a pup their new name for their new beginning. 10 fosters for 2020...to me that is a whole lotta good.
2020 stole our sweet Micky boy from us. He was diagnosed with cancer on a Wednesday, and by the following Monday, our sweet boy was telling us that it was time to let him go across the Rainbow Bridge. That boy healed our hearts and brought so much joy to our house. He was such a happy dog, and loved everyone that he met...even if you did not like him. He was a sensitive soul too. I have a theory about Tri-Colored collies. They are way more vocal than their counterparts, and boy are they such sensitive souls...they pick up on EVERYTHING going on around them. Micky was no exception...he loved with all that he had and all that he was, a beautiful boy gone way to soon.
My most handsome Micky. Hey Micky, you're so fine....
2020 was just cruel enough that I helped my boy pass over Rainbow Bridge, and then I had to prepare to begin Distance Learning the next day....man, that was rough. Thanks, 2020. I put a smile on, and off I went doing what I do best! Speaking of Distance Learning, what a trip that was. A crash course in technology that you think you know how to use, but hey, its 2020, you really have no clue what you are doing. It's like walking in the dark and there are legos scattered across the floor. Some steps are great, and others hurt like hell. My foot still hurt from Micky, and I just kept on stepping on those legos for a few weeks until I got into the groove of working from home, and teaching through a computer (What is life even at this point?!) We made it though. The ride might have been rough, we may not have always kept our hands and feet in the vehicle at all times, but we survived, and we thrived in the end.
Our sweet nephew, Brooks was born the day after Jared's birthday! He is the cutest little nugget, and his pictures and videos bring so much joy! He was born a few days before my Spring Break began. When Spring Break arrived, I packed up in the car & took off for Memphis (before lockdowns and stay-home orders) to love on that sweet boy & take care of his mama. I soaked up all of the baby cuddles that week! We snuck up again in the summer to love on that sweet baby some more, and so Jared could meet him! Then back again super quick in August for his Baptism.
