Why We Left Florida

March 31, 2014April 6, 2014 rdominico3 Comments

I’m sure many of you have wondered why Josh and I moved back to North Carolina after only living in Florida for 7 months. The answer is simple: We just weren’t happy.

Josh was offered his job in Florida in September and was given two weeks to accept or decline. Two weeks to decide to accept a really good job offer, guaranteeing him a full-time job after graduation; or, two weeks to decide to decline a really good job offer and pray another one would come around before he graduated in December. With today’s job market, what would you do?

Josh asked, even begged for my opinion in helping him decide what to do. I wanted Josh to make this decision alone—it was his job and the future of his career at stake. So, I made the decision to keep what my heart was telling me from Josh. I did not want to move to Florida, but I knew that this job would be good for his career and the future of our family.

I got a job at Florida Institute of Technology and HATED IT. Let me repeat, I HATED IT. It was seriously the worst job I could ever imagine doing. Clearly, this did not make living 10 hours away from my friends and family any easier. I was frustrated with my job, worried about money, trying to be the wife I wanted to be and the wife Josh deserved, and I was unbearably lonely. I missed college, I missed my family, and I missed feeling like I was home.

I was depressed and not even being married to my best friend could make me feel better for more than a few hours at a time. I tried my best for the first couple of months to grin and bear it, but as hard as I tried to ignore my happiness I just couldn’t.

I thought that if I could find a new job that I liked, my whole outlook would change. When I got the job at the zoo in September, I thought I would start to feel different. For a few weeks I did feel better and felt like I had a purpose. That was short lived.

As I’ve stated before I’m very Type A, so when even the slightest thing went wrong I would become explosive and moody. I resented him for bringing us to Florida, for my terrible job, and my general unhappiness. I stopped communicating my wants and needs to Josh. I stopped talking to him about how I left. We stopped arguing about what we both wanted, and so we started fighting.

After one particular argument escalated into a full blown fight, I finally really let him know how I felt. Turns out Josh wasn’t exactly blind to how I felt and wasn’t thrilled about his job situation either. So Josh started to look for a new job in North Carolina.

A week before Thanksgiving, Josh interviewed for and was offered a job in Clemmons, NC which would bring us back to our hometown. Once again Josh had a decision to make. I still wanted Josh to make the decision about his career on his own, but after putting him through months of hell after keeping my mouth shut, I decided I would give Josh some help this time.

We made a list of pros and cons about moving back home, and it was clear that moving back to Winston was what we both wanted. So Josh accepted the job and we prepared to move. On January 14^th, the movers came to pack our stuff and take it away. On January 15th, 7 months after getting married, we moved back home.

The moment the plane landed in NC, I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders. Moving home was easily the second best decision we’ve made as a married couple, the first being adopting Simon and Eloise. We are both so much happier to be home than we ever were in Florida. Seriously, there’s just no place like home.

–Mrs. Dominico

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High Five for Friday

High Five for Friday 3.28

March 28, 2014April 6, 2014 rdominico2 Comments

Praise Jesus that it is once again Friday! I have been so incredibly busy at work that I haven’t even had the energy to come home and blog for the next day. I promise I’m trying to be better about regular posting. Really it’s pretty good therapy, so I’ve been missing out.

Once again I’m teaming up with a couple of other blogs for High Five for Friday. And after the week I’ve had, I’m glad to be ending on a high note.

I worked so many hours this week, so I have today off! While working almost 40 hours in 4 days is not my favorite thing to do, having a day off to catch my breath and do some backlogged chores—and hopefully draft a few posts for next week, is pretty nice. And I get to spend the day with my furry little babies, Simon and Eloise.

Josh took a business trip to Long Island this week and he was supposed to be gone Monday through Friday. Fortunately for me (unfortunately for his project) the part he was testing broke on Wednesday, so he came home early!

My sweet friend Sharon Bui, co-owner and creator of Frill, featured my blog post from Monday- 7 Tips for Wedding Guests, on Frill’s Facebook page! Frill makes the cutest sorority recruitment dresses and bridesmaids’ dresses!!

I have run another 10 miles this week! Yes, I’ve returned to the gym twice this week to run 5 miles. I’m really proud of my progress so far and I’m hoping to pick up my pace and increase my distance.

The weather looks like it’s finally warming up! While it looks like it’s going to rain this weekend, at lease there’s no chance of it freezing!

I hope you’ve had a wonderful week and are looking forward to the weekend and warmer weather!

For more Five for Friday check out The Small Things Blog, Lauren Elizabeth and The Good Life blog!

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Wedding and Marriage

7 Tips for Wedding Guests From a Recent Bride

March 24, 2014April 6, 2014 rdominico1 Comment

Josh and I already have 5 weddings on the calendar for 2014. Now that we’ve graduated and all our friends are settling down, we’re entering a phase in our lives where everyone is getting married (Yay!!!!).

We have our first wedding in mid-April, so I thought I’d share some tips for wedding guests from a recent bride.

-If there’s an open bar, pace yourself.

I attended a wedding where one of the guests would order a second drink before he had even finished the first, drank all through dinner, and entered the dance floor with a glass of red wine—which he spilt all over a bridesmaid while dancing. I heard another story of a bridesmaid who continuously tipped drinks back and ended up getting into the wedding cake pre-cutting ceremony and began opening the gifts. DON’T BE THAT GUEST! The bride and groom want you to have a good time, but make sure you monitor your “fun” level and quit while you’re ahead.

-Be the first to hit the dance floor.

There is nothing more awkward than getting a party started, please don’t make the bride have to do it. After all the “First Dances” when the DJ or band invites guests to dance, get out there! You won’t be alone for long and it really helps the bride feel at ease about how her guests are enjoying the party.

-It’s ok to give gifts that aren’t on the registry.

Some of the best wedding gifts we got weren’t on our registry. One sorority sister had our wedding invitation professionally mounted in a gorgeous frame. One friend gave me a coffee mug that was engraved with our names and our wedding date. It’s ok to get creative with gifts, especially at bridal showers, as long as it’s something unique or classic that the bride won’t have thought of or would love. That being said…

-When in doubt, stick to the registry.

Ok, I know I just said it’s ok to give gifts that are on the registry and it is, but if you aren’t 100% sure the bride is going to tear up at your gift or won’t need it, stick to the registry! The bride (and sometimes the groom) spend countless hours wondering the aisles of Target and Bed, Bath & Beyond picking out guaranteed items that they would like to receive. So buying from the registry is a definite way to get the couple something they want. And be sure that when you buy something off the registry to make sure it comes off the registry so they don’t end up with two toaster ovens and two ice cream makers (like we did).

-Don’t be afraid to approach the bride and groom at the reception.

At our reception, Josh and I sat at a table at the very front of the hall where everyone present could stare at us. It was nice to finally sit down and be alone together, but it was also super awkward to try and relax and have a drink while 200 people were watching you eat. Give the couple some breathing room once they sit down and give them some time to eat, but don’t be afraid to talk to them. It takes the edge off of being the center of attention when they can focus on a few guests at a time. Plus, they wanted you to be there to celebrate their day and they want to see you.

-Don’t be afraid to ask the couple to take a picture.

They’ve just taken pictures with Grandma and Grandpa, Great Aunt Louise and every member of their blood relations, but the bride and groom don’t normally take professional pictures with other guests outside of the bridal party and family. I loved taking pictures with all of my sorority sisters and friends from home! If my sisters hadn’t asked to take a picture with me, then I might not have had a group shot with all the women I had spent the last 4 years of my life with. Getting a group of friends together to take a picture with the bride is ok and sometimes appreciated. Plus, the bride picked her bridesmaids to help protect her from other guests, so she is not in the mood to take pictures one of her bridesmaids will probably drop you a hint.

-Finally, it really means a lot when you tell the couple how happy you are for them or what a great time you had.

When Josh and I got back to our room after the wedding and all through the next day, our phones blew up with people texting us how happy they were for us, pics from the wedding, videos of their after parties, and sweet comments about the cake, my dress, the decorations or the entire evening. We definitely felt the love of each guest every time our phones went off. You might not want to bother the couple, but there is a power button on their phones they can hit if they don’t want to be disturbed. Let them know you had a great time or how happy you are that they’ve finally tied the knot—the screen shots and saved photos will continuously remind them of their special day.

When in doubt at a wedding, just remember who you’re there to celebrate and think of what you’d want (or wouldn’t want) at your own wedding!

–Mrs. Dominico

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High Five for Friday

March 21, 2014April 6, 2014 rdominicoLeave a comment

To end this incredibly long (semi-crappy) week, I thought I’d go out on my top 5 moments of the week–High Five for Friday.

1. Yesterday was the first day of spring. Coming back to NC after living in Florida for 8 months, the winter weather was definitely a system shock—it does not take long for to adjust to Florida’s 70 degree-everyday weather. I’ve enjoyed my snow days, but spring could not come at a better time. We may have another snow, or two, left but for now I’m drinking in all the warm, sunny weather.

2. Josh was set to go on a business trip to Long Island, NY today through Wednesday, but there was a delay so his trip got pushed to Monday. Now he doesn’t have to spend the weekend alone in Long Island!

3. Josh and I joined the Y at the beginning of this month and yesterday I ran 5 miles. It may not seem much, but I come from a philosophical background where running is meant only to flee for one’s life so I was really proud of myself. I may end up regretting pushing myself so far since I’m not nor have I ever been a runner, but I’m looking forward to my next run.

4. This weekend I am going to be reunited with many of my sweet friends as we celebrate one of our sisters at her bridal shower. I haven’t seen many of these women since my wedding, so I can’t wait to see everyone and to wish Taylor a wonderful wedding!

5. In the two weeks of The Unfinished Mrs. the blog has had over 1200 views which is much more than I ever expected. I really appreciate you stopping by and I’m hoping to get into a routine of more regular posting as we move forward. Thank you so much for delving into newlywed life with me.

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the spring weather while it lasts!

For more Five for Friday check out The Small Things Blog, Lauren Elizabeth and The Merry Mrs. Mobley

–Mrs. Dominico

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Wedding and Marriage

From Ms. to Mrs.

March 19, 2014April 6, 2014 rdominico2 Comments

I have always dreamed about being a Mrs. Most little girls dream of being Mrs. Teen Heartthrob or will doodle in their notebooks about being Mrs. Whoever-They-Have-a-Crush-On or Mrs. What’s-His-Name-They’re-Dating. When you’re in college (especially in a sorority) you start to consider what your monogram will look like as you decide whether you’re going to get serious with a boy (just kidding…ish).

And when Josh and I started dating, it was no different. I dreamed about being Mrs. Josh Dominico. I practiced my signature, perused various monogram scripts to find the perfect one to highlight my initials, and I practiced introducing myself as Rachel Dominico.

When we got engaged, I had no hesitations as I began to transition to being Rachel Dominico. When I thought about changing my name all I felt was thrilled that I was finally going to be Mrs. Dominico. I even created a new Gmail account with my new name and began using that full time.

Before we got married, I started a job and I had to fill out all the legal paperwork as Rachel Ward. When I inquired about how to change my name once we were married, a mere 2 weeks later, I found that the process was pretty complicated. Not only would I have to complete several pages of paperwork and trek all over campus for the proper signatures, but they would have to alter my work email address which, apparently, took several weeks. So after talking with Josh, I just decided that at work I would stay Rachel Ward.

We got married and then I started looking into changing my name. First we had to wait for our marriage license to be mailed to us. Then I needed to go to the Social Security Office to apply for a new Social Security Card to change my name. Then I would have to wait another 3 weeks for that to be mailed to me. Then I would need to go to the DMV to get my license changed. Once all that was done, I then needed to change my name on all other important things, such as bank accounts, insurance, and my passport. All that just so I could have the pleasure of legally signing my name as Rachel Dominico.

Well my job was a strict 8am-5pm job that I had to be at every single day and there was very little room to take time off during the day to go to the Social Security Office and the DMV. I tried 2 or 3 times to go during my lunch break, but I never could get seen. Months went by and I was offered a new job at the end of September and decided I would give myself time between quitting my old job and starting my new job.

So finally during the first week of October, I went to change my name. After waiting for hours in government buildings surrounded by the most interesting characters, I was legally Rachel Ward Dominico. And it felt really weird.

During my months of trying to change my name, I found myself less and less determined to do so. I was thrilled to be Mrs. Dominico and thrilled to be Josh’s wife, but the idea of casting aside the name that had carried me through since birth seemed really sad.

I had been Rachel Lauren Ward my entire life. It felt like giving up my identity, like I was becoming someone else. And when you get married you do, in a sense, become someone new. But I didn’t feel like I could just abandon Rachel Ward—she was someone I was really proud to be. It seems so strange to me even now that after years of wanting to be a Mrs., I was reluctant to let go of the Ms.

Eventually I realized that my name has nothing to do with who I am. My identity is my own regardless of what people call me. But I did have the opportunity to recreate myself with my new name, so I made some goals for my “new” identity that I’m working to keep them. And I dropped my middle name and kept my maiden name to become Rachel Ward Dominico. I can still be Rachel Ward while I’m Mrs. Dominico and I’m determined to make her someone I can be proud of.

–Mrs. Rachel Ward Dominico

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Wedding and Marriage

Arguing for a Healthy Relationship

March 17, 2014April 6, 2014 rdominico1 Comment

Josh and I rarely fight. The last thing we fought about was living in Florida and the reason we got into the fight in the first place was because I stopped being honest with him.

So we don’t often fight, but we do argue almost every day and I think that’s a good thing.

I know many young women who claim to never fight or argue with their partner. In my opinion, they’re either lying or their relationship is in trouble.

Now don’t misunderstand me, I think “fighting” and “arguing” are two different things with very important differences.

Fighting is the result of two partners being dishonest with or disrespectful of one another. Arguing is acknowledging that you are two separate people trying to sort through those differences by being honest. Arguing can become fighting when one or both partners becomes disrespectful of the other or when they let their differences come between them.

Josh and I argue because we’re different. We think about things differently and we have different opinions about things.

Example: We argue about how to prepare meals. I am a super control freak when it comes to cooking and I like things done in a very particular way. If I want Josh to help me cook, I have to get over the fact that Josh is going to do things differently. Sometimes I can handle it and he does it his way. Sometimes I can’t and he gets out of the kitchen. We don’t fight, I just compromise my expectations. Either I get help and he cooks his way, or I get no help and get to do everything my way.

It’s not about being right or winning; it’s about honestly communicating our wants and needs and trying to make those compatible with the others’ wants and needs. It’s about compromising on the things that don’t really matter and sticking to our guns about the things that do.

Couples who don’t argue aren’t being honest with each other. If you’re in a relationship with someone, you have things in common but you won’t have everything in common. You won’t like every movie that your partner does. You won’t have the same holiday traditions as your partner. You won’t like all the same foods, all the same bands, all the same everything.

Some things won’t matter to you—like what movie to watch or where to eat dinner. But some things will and if you don’t communicate those things to your partner, you’re not being honest. And the more you compromise those important things, the more you will grow to resent your partner. In comes the fighting.

When we stop arguing, when we stop vocalizing our differing wants and needs, we are being dishonest with our partner and the resentment we feel about having to compromise ourselves can cause us to be disrespectful to our partner. We shout, we call each other names, we lose that connection that brought us together in the first place.

Honesty and open communication are two of the most important things to a healthy and happy relationship, so don’t be afraid to argue. It’s ok to have different opinions and it’s important to work through those, even if it means agreeing to disagree. Just keep in mind that the differences between you and your partner are just as important as those similarities.

–Mrs. Dominico

Obviously I’m not a relationship expert, these are just my opinions. If you are looking for more information on arguing in relationships, see the links below:

Psychology Today, Huffington Post, The Today Show

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New Adventures

What Could Go Wrong?

March 12, 2014April 6, 2014 rdominico2 Comments

We thought staying on a sweet little farm with lovely farm animals would be pretty easy after our trial run. I think we jinxed ourselves.

If you live in the Piedmont Triad of North Carolina, you are aware of the winter weather we experienced this past Thursday night and Friday. Our area got about an inch to 1 and ½ inches of ice and slush.

Shortly after Josh left for work on Friday, I lost power at the farmhouse and while attempting to flee to more inviting conditions was stopped by a large tree in the middle of the road. So much for my escape. I turned back, crawled into bed with a good book and read for the next two and a half hours until the power came back on. At that point one of the neighbors had sawed and removed the fallen tree, so I could leave.

When Josh and I returned to the house that night, Josh went down to the barn to close the chickens in while I started dinner. He called me shortly after to let me know that a tree had fallen next to the barn and was trapping the chickens.

I ran down to the barn to see this tree literally inches from the side of the barn. Just a hair to the right and the tree would have crashed into the roof of the barn. Most of the chickens had returned to the coop for the night, but two of the hens had gotten trapped on the other side of the tree. Josh had found an axe and was chopping the larger branches off the tree. It was cold, dark and I was starving, so I convinced Josh to save the bulk of the woodwork until morning. We cornered the two nervous hens, scooped them up and placed them into the coop.

Don't tell the chickens about this... — Don’t tell the chickens about this…

The next morning, I had a greater appreciation for the grace of God who had spared the barn and the chicken coop from harm and spared us from having to deal with it. Josh took off most of the branches and cleared an area for the chickens to get to the yard.

Despite the weather induced anxiety attack, our stay at the farm has been fantastic so far! We’ve enjoyed some time alone since we’ve been staying with my parents while we search for a house. And we’ve gotten to try farm fresh eggs and milk from a farm right up the road. Plus, we’ve been able to try deer sausage and other forest delicacies since the family is full of avid hunters.

Nothing like farm fresh eggs and deer sausage to start your morning

Monday morning, when Josh went to the hayloft to feed the horses, he found the remains of a chicken at the top of the stairs. Apparently, one of the chickens decided to roost in the hayloft instead of returning to the coop the night before. And something found it…

I didn’t take any pictures, but suffice it to say we only found the wings.

Despite the weather and having to mourn the loss of a chicken, we’ve enjoyed our little adventure so much, in fact, that we’re going to be sitting for them two more times in the coming weeks. And with views like these, who wouldn’t come back?

Pasture

View from Hayloft

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New Adventures

They Said They Needed Some Help on the Farm

March 11, 2014April 6, 2014 rdominico4 Comments

For the past five days Josh and I have been farm-sitting. Yes, a farm with animals for you out there who are laughing at the idea of me being on a farm.

We were approached by a family at our church to house-sit for a week while they were out of town. The house just happens to be on about 30 acres and comes with several animals. There are two horses, more than a dozen chickens, three barn cats, three dogs, three rabbits and a hamster.

I love animals and always “wanted” a farm. We were a little nervous about all the chores we would have to do, but after a trial run with the family still present we were really excited!

Every morning around sun up, we wake up and get the animals ready for the day. First, we feed the three dogs-Comet, Stormy, and Lightning. Each dog eats in his own little area, so we go to their designated area, wait for them to sit patiently and then we give them their breakfast.

Lightning

Stormy

Comet

Next we head down to the barn to handle the farm animals. I let the chickens out of the coop, shoo them out into the yard and collect the eggs. We check their food and water and refill as needed.

We then enter the barn to feed the three barn cats-Ranger, Wrenley and Peaches. The cats, surprisingly, seem to leave the chickens to their own devices and the chickens, to their credit, show no fear around the cats.

Peaches

Wrenley

Ranger

Then it’s up to the hay loft to toss down some hay for the two horses, Glaze and Thunderbolt.

Thunderbolt and Glaze

Pasture Time

Glaze wasn’t thrilled about having her picture taken

Finally, it’s back up to the house to feed the three rabbits, Thumper, Pippin, and Sophia, and to wash the collected eggs. The only thing we do at night is close the chickens into their coop to prevent any unwanted nighttime visitors.

Pippin

Sophia

Thumper

It only takes us about 20 minutes to feed everyone, including time to dawdle and admire the animals. It’s been a lot of fun so far, with the exception of a few minor problems that I’ll get into tomorrow.

Wish us luck for the remainder of our stay!

–Mrs. Dominico

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Cats

Simon and Eloise

March 10, 2014April 6, 2014 rdominico1 Comment

After our eye opening experience with Charlie, Josh and I adopted Simon and Eloise. When we went to the shelter, I planned on bringing home two cats while Josh had decided on one. We looked at some of the single cats and they were wonderful, but seemed very disinterested in us (how little we knew about cats).

After spending about half an hour touring the cats and kittens, the shelter manager pointed out a pair of kittens sharing the same cage. Both kittens were curled up together napping, but as we approached and the manager opened the cage, the skinny white kitten perked up immediately. He boldly stretched and moved toward the open cage door. I reached in, plucked him out and he immediately started purring. The smaller fluff-ball was much more hesitant to leave the safety of her cage. She was very shy and preferred to observe things on her own.

We took to the white kitten very quickly and Josh was set on bringing him home alone. Then we heard from the shelter manager that the two kittens had arrived at the shelter within the same week in May and had been sheltered together for the last 3 months. Like I was going to let us be the reason they were torn apart. So we brought both of them home. We named the bold white kitten Simon and the tailless puff ball Eloise.

After a very tricky bath, the kittens were clean and content to explore the apartment. The first week or so was very unique as the kittens navigated their new territory and all the fun things to play with, such as the houseplants, our iPhone chargers, the TV, and the depths of the cabinets and fridge.

Josh prepping for the kittens first bath — Josh prepping for the kittens’ first bath

Almost immediately we were in love with our sweet kittens and the cute things that they did. They loved to sit on the windowsills and gaze out at their kingdom.

They, strangely, loved to get into the shower and Eloise made it a habit to sit outside of the shower door waiting for us to emerge.

They waited by the front door for us to come home after work. They played with each other and with us every moment they weren’t eating or napping.

They even loved to ride in the car and made trips home to Winston with us whenever we went.

I credit the kittens with rescuing me from the sadness that living in Florida brought me. They made my day so much brighter every time they crawled into my lap for a nap or as they learned to meow, finding their own voices.

Simon's version of helping — Simon’s version of helping

Less than a week after adopting them, Josh and I became cat people. We are seriously obsessed with these magnificent creatures. Just look at them. Who wouldn’t be?

–Mrs. Dominico

For more pictures visit my Cats page. Remember to like The Unfinished Mrs on Facebook, follow on Twitter and on Bloglovin

Cats

Charlie

March 6, 2014April 6, 2014 rdominico1 Comment

Over my 22 years on this earth, I’ve had 6 dogs. Sydney, Bart, Bandit, Buck, Chloe and Jackson. I have no memories of not having a dog and have always considered myself to be a dog person. Dogs make wonderful companions who will love you unconditionally for the duration of their lives—there is no irony in the saying that a dog is man’s best friend.

When Josh and I started dating, right from the get go, I begged for a puppy. I wanted a puppy so badly, that I would drag him into pet stores on adoption day only to be dragged out crying when he (rightfully) said that at 16, 17, 18, etc., we were not ready or able to care for a dog.

When we got married and had our own apartment, I giggled with glee as I thought “There’s no way he can say no now!” We were capable of buying food, providing shelter and love, buying all the necessary “dog equipment”, as well as being able to afford vet bills. We were going to get a dog.

In Florida, I researched several local shelters in the area and finally found a shelter that had adoption fairs right up road from where we lived. Daily I would send Josh pictures of the puppies that were up for adoption. And daily he would say “We’ll see.” Finally on June 29^th I convinced him to visit an adoption fair with me. There we met Charlie.

Hesitantly, Josh let me take Charlie on a walk around the store and outside. He was so excited to be out of his cage and he immediately took to Josh. While our walk had melted Josh a little, he was still nervous about bringing home a puppy. The nice lady from the shelter suggested we foster Charlie for a week, after which we could decide on whether or not we would adopt him. Before Josh even really knew what we were doing, we were hauling Charlie, his crate, some toys and food to our car.

The first night with Charlie was great! He had a little trouble not jumping on the couch (mostly because I let him get on the couch), but he didn’t have any accidents and slept for most of the night.

It was all going so well... — It was all going so well…

The following day we needed to go grocery shopping, so we put Charlie in his crate and proceeded out the door. Charlie exploded with anxiety and began barking hysterically. We rushed back in to calm him down and to shut him up before the neighbors could complain. He settled down, we gave him a Kong toy full of peanut butter to distract him and we left. This should have been a warning.

Waiting for Josh to come home — Please come home right now

That night was hell. Charlie would not stay in his bed, would not stop whining, would not stop tossing his toys around, and would not leave us alone. At 5am, we woke up to whining so Josh and I both got up to see if he needed to go out. He did, but before we could get him harnessed up he began to “Go Outside” all over the floor. When Josh yelled at him to stop, Charlie panicked and began to run around the living while continuing to “Go Outside”. The joys of puppy-parenthood.

Charlie and his blanket — I’m so tired after staying up all night

The rest of the week went by with good days and bad days. When it was time to make our decision about whether or not we would keep him, we were so torn. We fell in love with him despite the destruction to our personal property, but was that enough? We didn’t have space for him to run around. We were gone all day at work and when we got home, we were exhausted and didn’t really feel much like playing. We needed to keep him crated so he wouldn’t destroy everything, but he hated it. While we could technically give him everything he needed, we couldn’t give him everything he deserved.

At the end of our trial period, we despondently brought Charlie back to the shelter, said our goodbyes, cried, and left. We were torn apart by having to give him up, but we knew as we drove back home that we had made the right decision.

He was adopted that very day by a family who had plenty of room for him to run around and a little boy to call his own.

After our time with Charlie, we knew that we were nowhere near ready for a puppy. But I have never been one to handle defeat well, so the next weekend we went back to the shelter to look at cats—the very opposite of the dog.

We came home with these two-Simon and Eloise- and have never been happier.

So much for being a dog person.

–Mrs. Dominico

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The Unfinished Mrs.

A work in progress

Month: March 2014

Why We Left Florida

High Five for Friday 3.28

7 Tips for Wedding Guests From a Recent Bride

High Five for Friday

From Ms. to Mrs.

Arguing for a Healthy Relationship

What Could Go Wrong?

They Said They Needed Some Help on the Farm

Simon and Eloise

Charlie

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