Dear Barb,
I hope this finds you well! I just wanted to share with you some pics of Crosby (Ruby/Captain 11/6/07) and Heatley (Hazel/Champ 7/29/13), as it was the big #10 Birthday for Crosby this week. As you can see from the pictures, even with his whitening face, he remains quite the eye-catcher (as is Heatley, whom I could not leave out!). I was worried that with his large frame, Crosby might start to show signs of aging by now, but thankfully between his amazing genetics (thanks to YOU!) and the energy of his nephew and best buddy, Heatley, he is still a happy puppy on the inside and out! He remains my faithful shadow and looms large as our protector from all things. I am so happy that he shows zero signs of slowing down – he is ridiculously healthy, fit and agile and still often shows a feisty streak when it comes to playing tug or keep away with Heatley. His biggest gift, however, remains to be the adoration and devotion that he gives our boys.
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I honestly believe that Matt (22), Nick (19) and Luke (16) moved smoothly through their teen years only because of the constant grounding attention that he gave to their hearts. Even when I was unaware of a stress or disruption in one of their lives, Crosby was on it and always managed to find a way to let them know life would be OK. Because of that, it should be no surprise that despite living in three states separated by 1000s of miles, we celebrated his birthday as a complete family with Matt and Nick on FaceTime so they could see and talk to their “Big Man”. As you can see in the pics, Crosby was thrilled to “see” them too, and tried to kiss Matt through the screen –
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and there’s nothing like hearing the giggles of a hulking 22-year old over his puppy. The joy Crosby has brought our family for the past ten years is truly immeasurable, and for that I send you a huge, tight hug and much, much gratitude. Much Love, Kristin