Saturday was my (soon to be our) little sweetie pie’s birthday!! Just one year old (although I guess it’s really 7 in dog years) … Anyway, GOSH I LOVE HER. I’m giving myself permission in this post to gush about my love for Vivian since it’s a post about her + I really try to refrain from posting too many pictures about her on my Facebook page (…now Instagram is a little bit of a different story…)!! Anyway, I love, love this sweet little girl + today I am sharing 10 Endearing Must-Knows about little Miss Vivian!!!

1. She has brought so, so much life to our lives since having her!! Of course, the transition to getting a puppy, potty training in the beginning, taking her out early in the morning, etc., were not very fun, but at the end it all, we are so thankful to have her in our lives! I cannot tell you how many times I just simply look at her + laugh because she is so cute. Also, she has seemed to bring life into the lives of a lot of people around us who adore her just as much as we do! So thankful for friends + family who are more than willing to watch her when we have to shoot a wedding, go out of town for an event, etc.!! May she continue to bring life for many years to come : )
2. We are convinced that Vivian is actually a big dog trapped in a little dogs body–she LOVES to be outside, play with other dogs (she prefers ones that are bigger than her!), chase rabbits/squirrels/birds of any kind, go for walks and/or runs, play an aggressive game of tug of war, etc. Our plan was never for her to be an inside/lapdog + we definitely accomplished our goal!
3. She hates cuddling. What a bummer, right!?! The only time she will snuggle with you is when she is SUPER tired + has to will to fight you on the forced cuddle. This is definitely her worst attribute (in my opinion).
4. Peppers, specifically sweet bell peppers, are her favorite food!! And if she doesn’t like something you feed her, she simply won’t eat it. Picky, picky …
5. When Vivian is sleeping + you sneak in to hug her, she makes the cutest grunting sound–kinda like, “Ughhhh, I’m so tired why are you bothering me”–and this is Caleb’s favorite thing : )
6. She can outrun ANY dog. And almost catch a rabbit. I’m not kidding, she is the fastest little creature I have ever seen!!! People always comment on how fast she is–and her hind leg muscles are the tangible proof of it!! She definitely did not get her speed from her momma …
7. She loves hiding bones/rawhides when you give them to her; it’s actually quite hilarious. She thinks she is SO sneaky hiding them right next to the wall, where the wall meets the carpet, in the middle of the living room ; ) As long as no one’s watching her hide her treasure (which we always are out of our peripherals because it’s SO funny), she thinks she has found the best hiding spot in the world + struts off so happily. VIVIAN: we can see the rawhide laying right there out in the open!! But don’t tell her ; )
8. She gets easily spooked, which has often caused my roommate Brandi + I to be spooked for no reason, too. All of a sudden she will jump up from sleeping + look up at a certain spot on the ceiling … just staring + kind of growling … but nothing is there? Maybe she can see something we can’t …. BOO!
9. She acts like she hates getting her hair brushed (we have to do it every other day since she doesn’t shed) but yet she falls asleep every time while I’m doing it. Can’t be that bad ; )
10. Her favorite spot in the car is the TINY space between the top of the back seat + the back window. She barely fits + has to claustrophobically squeeze herself into the spot, but she loves it + will ride like that for hours in the car!!

Well, now that you’ve seen my passion + love for Vivian, I hope you still think I’m normal ; ) I’ll admit I’m slightly obsessed with her–but I’m a dog person–just give me that!! Hehe : ) Happy, happy 1st Birthday Miss Vivian! I love our mornings snuggles (though few + far between), tug-o-war matches + sunset summer walks. Thank you for being such a great companion to this constantly traveling momma : ) Oh, + in case you were wondering, her birthday gift that is all wrapped up in the photos is an adorable rope frisbee that looks like a piece of watermelon : ) Have a fantastic Monday!!

Some happy birthday face, huh!? Oh well, she’s still cute ; )