*Happy Birthday Milo!!*

Today our puppy turns 5! Milo is the sweetest most awesomest puppy in the world. He is a toy poodle/papillion cross. He weighs a whopping 8.5 pounds. He is a total "momma's boy"... a big cuddler and an even bigger baby. He loves to be held, snuggled, pet... He does a lot of tricks too... sit, stay, down, off, leave it, shake a paw, dance... and the best party trick... BANG... you shoot him and he rolls on to his back.

Milo came to us completely unexpectedly. In August of 2002, friends of ours were looking to get a dog. I went out to the pet stores with my girlfriend and our four boys (we each have two) one morning. I went to one pet store but she wasn't there so I assumed she meant the other one down the street so I went there... but she wasn't there either. Then my cell rights... Kelly is wondering where I am as she's at pet store #1. I tell her where I am and she comes to me. We have a look around, don't see much. Do one more look past the cages and we see this cute little brown fluffy puppy that Kelly wants to hold. This little girls' brother was in the cage looking so lonely without his sister so I said I'd hold him to keep him company. He immediately snuggled right in to me and I was in love. I called Bruce and he had the nerve to say "no"! I was devastated. Kelly and her family went back that afternoon and chose the brown little fluffy puppy.

As it turned out, I had to pick Bruce up from work that evening... and his office was right near the pet shop. So I begged him to at least come have a look. We left that evening a few dollars poorer with a date to pick up our new family member in a couple of days.

And that is how Milo came to be a part of our family. His sister is Mila... Milo is pronounced MY-low and Mila is ME-la. They are both such sweet doggies.

Check out Mila's mom's (her name is Kelly) artistic journalling blog if you're interested! She's done some neat things!