About Annalisa

https://annalisabrower.org

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Annalisa

Letters to Milo: Taco’s Dinner Dash

Hi Milo!

It was so fun to see you when I was in your area! I can’t believe how big you have gotten. I can tell that you love being happy and active. I bet you will be part of many adventures in the future!

When I got back home, my dog pack was sure happy to see me. Uncle Mike had to let them out one at a time so I wouldn’t get knocked over! To my surprise, the one who wanted me to hold him the longest—and cried because he was so happy to see me—was Taco.

Can you imagine trying to hold a 100-pound dog?

What a big baby.

Taco is an emotional dog. I know that probably sounds funny, but he has some of the same emotions that kids do!

For example, when I’m holding Mello in my lap at the end of the day, Taco will come over and stare at me like, “Mom, it’s my turn now.” If I don’t let him on my lap, he’ll go sit in the corner with his back to me!

He also LOVES his breakfast and dinner. If he’s hungry and I haven’t fed the dogs yet, he comes over to make sure I know.

Just the other day, I had been working a lot in the yard, and it was past their usual dinner time. Taco had come over to me several times, but finally gave up when I didn’t stop working.

When I was finally done, all three dogs were way back in the woods on our property.

I yelled, “WHO WANTS DINNER?!”

I stopped and stared as all three came running toward the house.

And do you know who got there first?

The same dog who refuses to run after a ball—or really anything else—and is perfectly happy living the chill life.

TACO!

I laughed so hard. He was obviously hungry!

I met them inside and gave everyone their dinner. Before Taco started eating, though, he looked at me with a smile on his face and gave me a kiss.

Such a good boy—but oh, so funny!

That little kiss made me think.

Taco was showing me that he was grateful for his food. I didn’t ask him for a kiss. He just gave me one because he was happy and appreciated what I had given him.

It made me wonder: Am I that grateful to God for taking care of me?

Sometimes it’s easy to expect that the things we need will just be there without stopping to think about who provided them.

Taco reminded me that I want to notice those things—and thank God for them. Maybe that’s one reason we stop and pray before our meals. It gives us a moment to remember that even the everyday things are worth being thankful for.

Well, Milo, I am so grateful for you! Thank you for reading my letters.

Keep being happy and active. Your adventures await!

Until next time,

Miss Annie

Annalisa

Letters to Milo: The Smelly Adventure

Hello Milo,

It was so fun to see you yesterday! I have enjoyed my visit to Minnesota, and I especially loved seeing you and your brother. I hope you had a fun time doing all the things you planned for the weekend.

When we were together, I forgot to tell you about an incredibly smelly adventure the dogs had just a little while ago. It was something Uncle Mike and I will never forget!

Early one morning, before the sun was even up, the pack decided they needed to go to the bathroom and asked to be let out. I was barely awake and looking forward to climbing back into bed and going back to sleep. All three of them were bouncing up and down at the door like they just couldn’t wait to get outside!

As soon as I opened the door, they ran full force outside and around the large tree. This isn’t unusual—they love playing outside. But as I went to close the sliding glass door, Roscoe and Taco were already coming back inside.

That’s weird, I thought. They hardly had enough time to go potty. And where was Mello?

Then I started to panic and look for her. This could only mean one thing!

When I spotted Mello, I could see her trying to play with something. My heart sank, and my eyes got as big as baseballs.

I saw it…

and then I SMELLED IT!

Oh my goodness, Milo—she was trying to play with a SKUNK!

The skunk was HUGE, and they were both so close to the house! I yelled for Mello to get inside, but it was too late.

Direct hit. Right to her head.

I didn’t even have to go upstairs and get Uncle Mike. He smelled it and came straight down to help clean her up!

This hilariously smelly moment reminds me that sometimes we can get into things we shouldn’t, too. And sometimes those things can leave us with a stinky heart.

Uncle Mike helped clean Mello up, and Jesus does something even better for us. When we go to Him and tell Him we’re sorry for getting into things we shouldn’t, He forgives us and cleans our hearts. He loves us too much to leave us stinky!

And we can learn from those times, too. Maybe next time we can be a little more like Roscoe and Taco—recognize trouble, turn around, and walk away before we get ourselves into a mess!

Enjoy the rest of your summer, bud! I’m sure Mello and the pack will have many more adventures before school starts. I’ll write again soon.

Love,
Miss Annie

Annalisa

Letters to Milo: Mello and the Mystery Sting

Hello Milo,

I hope you and your family are having an amazing summer full of adventures. Uncle Mike and I have done some fun things, but our biggest adventures have been with Mello, Taco, and Roscoe. I was missing you terribly, so I thought I would write and tell you the latest about our rescue pups!

Since you have never met our rescue pups, I’ll try to explain them to you. Roscoe is 7 years old (he just had his birthday in July!), and he is currently our oldest. He weighs almost 96 pounds! His fur is white with black spots, including two spots over his eyes. Roscoe is my protector, and he loves to play fetch.

Taco is 2½ and is our most emotional dog. He likes to roll his eyes at me. 😂 He weighs about 100 pounds. His fur is brown with a white stripe on his chest.

Mello is our daring little girl who is now 1½ years old. She is all white with a few little brown patches on her ears. She is only about 55 pounds, but she is super curious and gets into trouble sometimes.

Today, as I was getting ready for work, Mello came into my office and put her two front paws on my lap (like she does when she wants a hug). Then I looked at her and—WHOA! Her left eye looked as big as a baseball! She had been outside, and I’m pretty sure she got a little too curious about a bee or something else that stings. I had to run to the store and get her some medicine. I’m attaching a picture so you can see how swollen it was!

Mello could have continued having an allergic reaction and been in pain, and it might have gotten even worse. But she came to me because she knew her “mom” would know what to do.

It made me think about how Jesus is there for us in the same way—and He is way more awesome than me! When we’re hurting or scared or don’t know what to do, we can go to Him. I love how taking care of these special rescue pups can teach us things about Him.

Well, I should probably do some work now that Mello has settled down and is healing. I love you, Milo! Have a great week!

Love,
Miss Annie