November 29

It was Saturday, November 29, 2003 when I saw this face for the first time.  My sweet puppy, Imke.  These are the first two pictures I received of that puppy with no name.  We hadn't discussed a name and I didn't even know that someone was going to look at a litter of puppies that day until I got the call..."there is only one female left, do you want her?"  I was an hour away at the Chesaning Music Boosters craft show with Nicol and my mom.   Earlier that day we had visited the Ingham County Animal Shelter and met a beautiful 6 year old male, Jake, who was in need of a home.  When I got the call, I turned to Nicol and asked what she thought.  Did we want this puppy?  I knew I did, but it needed to be a family decision.  And her answer?  "Mom, we can't get a puppy if we don't save Jake." And with that I became a first time GSP mom of two.

Imke became ours that afternoon and I was sent these two tiny pictures via text message.  Soon after, she arrived with John at my parent's house where the discussion of names began.  When Nicol suggested the name Imke, after a German girl she had met earlier that year when she was traveling in Australia, we immediately loved it.  And it was settled.  She became the girl with the name that everyone mispronounced, a one-of-kind name here in the U.S.  A one-of-a-kind name for a one-of-a-kind dog.

The next day, we moved into our new house, and Imke was there with us from the minute we got the keys.  These are two of my favorite pictures from that day.  She was such an adorable little pup!

And then, the day after moving into our house, on Monday, December 1, we brought home our handsome Jake.  

Handsome Jake

And Imke met her first best friend.  Jake taught her all about how to be a good dog.  He was her constant wrestling partner and her favorite pillow.  They would be inseparable until the day he died 8 years and 10 months later.  

And our poor kitty, Spunky, who had been an only pet for 10 years, was not very happy with the new living situation...

Or with the new puppy who regularly stole his bed!

She loved her Jake so much and he tolerated her so well.  They played and they snuggled and they made me laugh regularly.

Just like any good GSP, Imke could make herself comfortable pretty much anywhere.  And she loved to snuggle with anyone who would let her.  She was so tiny!

And then, in the blink of an eye, she wasn't tiny anymore.

I sometimes forget just what a beautiful young lady she was with her solid brown head, before she became my sweet powdered-faced old girl.  I loved that big chocolate head of my new friend...but I loved that sweet gray face of my old friend even more.

She and Jake loved their first trip to the U.P. with us.  

She always loved being outdoors and she always loved sticks!

It took time, but eventually we all adjusted to having two crazy GSPs in the house, even Spunky.

Eventually they could even lie on the floor together.  She really did love that kitty of hers.  Even if he didn't love her back!

Like I said before, she and Jake were really inseparable.  

Wherever he went, she followed.  Wherever he sat...she had to be touching him.

But who wouldn't love this handsome face?

Before we knew it a whole year had gone by, our puppy celebrated her first birthday and her first Halloween.  

Their first big road trip outside of Michigan was our visit to the University of Kentucky.  We made that trip many more times through the years while Nicol was in school there.  It was all of this travel to Kentucky that trained Imke and me to be great road warriors and prepared us for all of our amazing adventures.

I had always hoped we would reach this day together and celebrate one more "gotcha day" but it was not meant to be.  However, it will always be a special day because it is the day that began our journey together.  Those three days November 29-December 1, 2003 will always be special because they changed my life.  They brought me two of the most amazing dogs, a love of GSPs, and a love of rescue.  They were the beginning of the journey that brought me here, to this time and place in my life, and I am so thankful for that.  I couldn't let the day pass without recognizing it's significance and taking a walk down memory lane.  Thanks for walking with me.  Happy Gotcha day, Imke!  I hope you, Jake, and Spunky are celebrating together!