JOY, second chances and winning the lottery

This week's post has nothing to do with food, clean eating or flexibility. But it does have everything to do with something else that brings me great JOY.

My husband and I adopted a silly little mutt two years ago. And as our 2 year adoption anniversary approaches (Aug 25th) I have become very nostalgic about the whole thing.

Yesterday as Stella and I ran a few miles on the trail, I reflected back to where she was in the summer of 2012... found homeless as a stray on the streets of Louisianna, then moved to a high kill shelter with dozens of other poor souls. As cute and sweet as she is, her chances were slim to none at that shelter.

Then one day a volunteer from Bonnie Blue Rescue came to the shelter and had the task of carefully choosing a few dogs that he or she could put into foster care. Stella got a second chance! I wish I had the opportunity to find that rescue worker who saved my precious girl that day. After that, Stella got moved into a foster home in Louisiana and she was taken to a few adoption events. Again, as cute and sweet as she was with her purple "adopt me" vest on, she never got picked.

While Stella was waiting for her forever home, my husband and I had summer travels, and even though we had an amazing time mentoring at Knights of Heroes camp in Colorado and then to the London Olympics to cheer on my friend and client Suzanne Stettinius, I was so excited to get home and adopt a puppy. In fact, I had spotted Stella (her name was Missy at the time) a week or so before we left for London and I was hoping she'd still be available when we got back. And as luck would have it, she was!

Next, Stella (along with 5 - 6 other dogs) made the the 20 hour 3 day journey from Louisiana to Maryland! Many volunteer drivers and over night foster homes made that long trip possible. Again, if I could thank each and every one of them I would. So many caring, giving people work so hard to save these dogs and make adoption possible.

I had never had a blind date before and adopting a rescue dog from Louisiana that I had never met seemed a little risky. But I had a vibe about Stella. And I prayed about it and meditated on it and decided to go for it.

And ironically that year, I had chosen the word "JOY" as my "One Word" (with some help from my friend Jimmy Page). And do you know what? I got a puppy that is pure joy. I didn't know it until a few weeks after we had re-named her when her true personality came out and she was no longer so skinny and scared. "Joy" should have been her name.

These days Stella is living the life that she deserves... She wears her Ravens jersey for game days, runs on the trail with me, is invited to friends parties and Thanksgiving dinner with the family, catches frisbees like an super star, and even eats the best doggy food (no fillers and crap or course).

Prior to adopting Stella, my husband and I would look at Petfinder for hours and would joke that ..."one of these lucky pups is gonna win the lottery". And now the joke is that is wasn't Stella that won the lottery, it was US!

Happy Anniversary Stella!!!