7-17

Nine years ago today, I began a journey to an unknown town, to start a new adventure.

This town was Victorville, and the adventure was into dog-motherhood. 

(if you ever refer to me as my dogs "mom" I will probably slap you in the face. But lets face it, thats what I am in strange interspecies way.)

Along with my parents and my littlest big sister, we began a incredibly exciting road trip. 

Those couple hours were probably the longest of my life, as I tried to distract myself with my bag full of dog books (I have almost as many of those as cookbooks ;) and the brand new Jessica Simpson CD that my sister let me borrow that day.

As we arrived at our destination, we were greeted by puppy barks and wagging tails. There were several puppies in the litter (which was actually a couple litters, first sign that Penelope the Great was probably born in a puppy mill.) which ranged in ages in colorings. None of those puppies really looked the way a beagle, the breed of my desire, should look; but all won me over with their incredible cuteness. My decision came down to two pups. The sixteen week old tan puppy, or the ten week old black and brown puppy. I picked up the first puppy, did all the puppy tests I had been researching for so long and set her down. I then picked up the black puppy, and started to perform my tests. I did finish those tests, which she passed with flying colors; but I didn't really care what the results were as soon as I locked eyes with that precious puppy. 

And that is the story of how the tiny pup with too big ears, became my Penny Sue.

 (she almost became a Cocoa. Can you even image that?)