GooberVersary: 1 Year Later

One year ago today the Republic of GooberStan was established when my hooman girl and I met for the first time. We decided on a mutual adoption ~ I needed a home and my girl needed a good goober in her life. Plus, once she saw this kind of gooberocity, she couldn't resist. Could you?

Would you like to take a peek at the little goober I was BEFORE my girl met me?

Get closer.

A little closer...

Ok. Here are a few of my puppy photos from my first home (which my first family made available to my girl).

That last puppy photo pretty much sums up my feelings about life with my first sister. She was an Airedale who was about 5 years older than I am, and she was NOT happy when I came into the house. In fact, she dogged me, literally, everyday of my life and tried to beat me up. I took it all in stride until I was bigger than she was. When my family realized I was no longer going to put up with it, they decided to put me up for adoption (after much agonizing). Their loss was my girl's gain.

This is me, GooberStan, as my girl first saw me. (The groomer for Airedale Rescue had a personal emergency come up right after she groomed my head, and couldn't finish my Airecut. So, I looked like I was wearing a thick turtle neck sweater.) We had our historic first meeting in the parking lot of a Marriott Hotel in Galesburg, Illinois when I was still a wee pup of 11 months.

My original name is not Stanley. I had a different name that didn't really fit my personality, and my girl knew that she would have to discover my true name. She came to get me armed with a list of old fart names to try out on me, but was partial to Stanley after hearing my bio. She thought that underneath all that fur beat the heart of a Stanley, and within the first minute of meeting me knew it was true.

As soon as I got home, I ran into this guy, Merv. My girl told me that I not only belonged to her, but that I belonged to him too. (She said she promised Merv he could have a pet dog once he got settled into the house).

Little did I know then just how much trouble we'd get into together. He's also a very talented artist & photographer. Here's a few of his fave shots he took of me.

A lot has happened in the last year. I've grown very protective of all of my balls, after losing 2 of which I had been particularly fond.

I found love (Asta, Ruby, and Suki, my lovepups, have been very patient with me) and made a ton of new friends on & offline...

Lady Bug

ZZ

Pink Flamingo

and Hercules.

I did a LOT of ROACHIN'...

and WRASSLIN'!

I learned about loss when friends I love like Dovah Doo and Oscar went to the Rainbow Bridge. (Miss you guys!)

I even learned to swim.

But, my biggest challenge by far, was becoming a big brother to my sissy, Stella. (You see, I had never seen what a good older sibling should be like, and I wanted to be the best big brother I could be.) It's hard to imagine life in GooberStan without her.

This goober has MANY faces, and here are just 2 of mine from this morning as my Gooberversary began!

Let the celebration BEGIN!!!!

Running like the wind and loving life in GooberStan,
Stanley