My Jasper.

Guess what?!!!

I got an early Christmas present.

It is EXACTLY what I wanted.

You must meet Jasper.

Oh, Jasper, you sweet sweet boy.

Just look at that little lovey face.

Now some of you are sighing and saying to yourselves,

"Oh Shelli.  Didn't you try this once before?

What happened to poor Pepper, she didn't last long. . . "

Well, I did love Pepper. 

But Pepper was given to us because nobody would buy her,

and though she was cute and fun, she was HYPER

and didn't train as well as I had hoped.  She also jumped all over

poor Cotton, and he wasn't too happy about it.

And she had a LOUD bark that none of us could control.

You will be happy (as I am) to know that she is in the loving household

of one of Trevor's patients, and they adore her.

Okay, onto JASPER.

I asked for Jasper.

Actually, this is what I said to my sweet darling husband.

"I know what I want for Christmas.  A sweet little Yorkie that will love ME

and will curl up right next to me when I am resting.  

Oh, but it would have to be house trained too."

And I said all this in a dreamy, wishful way, not even intending for him

to take me seriously.

I should have known better.

Trevor is a sucker for a sweet dog.

Or two.

You already know this guy.

Cotton is our wonder dog.

Everyone who knows him wants him, it is true.

The only problem I have with Cotton is this:

He plays favorites...and I am not one of them.

Trevor, yes.  Firstborn daughter, yes.

Everyone else?

Picture Cotton shrugging.

I don't know how Trev managed it, but Jasper is what I asked for.

He is sweet.  So sweet that I keep wondering

when he is going to do something mischievous.

He loves ME!  How did that happen?  I don't know!

He follows me everywhere, puts his paws up for me to hold him,

and when I walk in the room, he lifts his head and watches me!

Now I know how Trevor feels with Cotton.

It's kinda nice to be adored.  Smiley face.

He is also trained.

This is huge.

He is 5 years old actually, a year older than Cotton.

His previous owner used him for breeding, and they were done with him.

How they could not want him as a pet baffles me, but I guess that is the business of it.

We are the lucky ones now.

Love you Jasper!