On this day in history

Thomas Jefferson was elected to the continental congress in 1775

President Lincoln met with Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman at City Point, Virginia, to plot the last stages of the Civil war in 1865

Fingerprint evidence was used to solve a British murder case in 1905

March Madness was born in 1939

An 8.4 earthquake rocks Alaska in 1964

And one of the most monumental events happened in 2009…. 

Rocky was born!!!

Sweet little Rocky asleep on his bed at 9 weeks

Rocky loved the snow!

Hard to believe it was just two short years ago that the Rock Star started making his mark on the world! It was only a few days later that I got the news that I was to raise one of the sweetest yellow labs ever! 

My party boys. Ely and Rocky loved wearing their party hats celebrating Ely’s birthday

It seems like it has been years since I have seen Rocky. Really it has only been 351 days since I said my goodbyes and told Rocky to go make me proud. He did and found the perfect job for himself (with the help of his trainers and all the wonderful staff at SEGD) - being a spoiled rotten pet. 

Rocky always knew he was a king!

I still secretly wish that Rocky was here, however my belief that Rocky was meant for someone else is still just as strong as when I said sent him off to college and when I made the difficult decision to have Rocky placed in Southeastern’s public adoption program instead of coming home. Rocky was always mine to love, but never mine to keep and I knew that from the very beginning. I know that he was always meant for his person and I know that Rocky is making a difference and using his talents to make a mark on the world. 

Brotherly love! Rocky and Spike during their last play date as puppies in training

Rocky has had quite an adventure this past year from my time with him, to heading back to SEGD, to making it in class as a guide dog, to being reassigned as a pet and finally to meeting his new family. It was probably the most eventful year of his life (and one of the more nerve-racking year’s in this raisers life; yes I am an overprotective and a worrying puppy raiser!) 

Happy birthday to my sweet little Rocky! You were a joy to raise and have a part of my life! Hope you have another great year filled with lots of fun adventures with your family (though not as many life changing adventures as last year!)

A happy birthday to Rocky’s siblings as well - Spike, Duchess, Cassidy and Toby!

Love that smile! 

Today also marks exactly one more month before the 90 days are up of no contact with Rocky’s family!