Our kids & furkids

Will and Abby have a different idea of what a "big" dog and a "small" dog are. To them, a small dog is one that only weighs 30 lbs. more than you do. A large one outweighs you by 100 lbs. or so.

The England clan loves big dogs for some reason. My theory is that since they are Texans, they have an innate need for livestock, or at least animals as large as livestock. Heath's sister Audra and her husband have an adorable Great Dane named Moxie, who is a leaner, like every good Dane I've ever met. Heath's mom, Vikki, recently took in a 150 lb. Bull Mastiff named Tucker, whose overactive tail knocked a hole in her drywall. (He's got an appointment to get that tail bobbed, btw.)

But ask Abby if she would have it any other way. Every morning she can't wait to go out and hug Mesha (our Great Pyrenees) around the middle and bury her face in that snowy fur. And, as a mommy, it's comforting to know that my children's backyard is guarded by the most loving and loyal pups (ok, so Chloe, our Basset does more snoozing than guarding).