Happy 1st Birthday to Sir Charles Lavern Barkley...Our Merle Great Dane!!

So this is a little late, but better late than never, right? (Just agree with me and we'll get along just fine!)

Yesterday, February 16th, our Merle Great Dane, Sir Charles Lavern Barkley (better known as Charlie), turned 1!!

We've only had him since October 31st of last year, but in that short period of time, he has managed to fit in with our little family very well!  He's also found a special place in both my heart and Brett's too.

The other night, I was having a pretty crappy night, and was crying.  Charlie came right over to me and proceeded to lick my tears away.  To some of you, that might sound gross, but to me, it was so sweet and it instantly made me feel better! 

Just how did we come up with his name?  Glad you asked!! When we got him, he already had the name, Charlie, which was fine with us.  We just added the other names.  Lavern was my grandpa's middle name, and he loved animals.  I'm willing to bet that if he were alive today, he'd really love Charlie, so that's where Lavern comes from.  As for the "Sir" and "Barkley", Brett gave him those names.  You see, Charlie went through a phase where he barked at almost everything.  Therefore, Brett would call him "Sir Barks-A-Lot" or "Sir Charles Barkley".  Now you know where his full name comes from!


For his birthday, we got Charlie a new squeaky toy. He has one that's a raccoon that we got for him shortly after he joined our family...."Mr. Squeakers".  He also has a Webkins Orangutan that he "adopted" from my stash of stuffed animals.  His name is "O.J.".  Charlie loves and plays with both of these stuffed critters, but "Mr. Squeakers" is kind of showing how much Charlie loves on him....he's starting to fall apart.  This is why we decided to get him another squeaky toy...a lion named "Leo". 

Below are pictures of Charlie and "Leo".

A New Baby...For ME?!?!?

He Smells Okay!!

Mmm...Tastes Okay Too!!

I Give Him Ride For Camera?  Are You Getting This, Mom?

Hold On Tight, Leo!!!  No, Silly!!! You're On Backwards!!! I Help You Get Turned Around!!!

I think that Charlie had a good first birthday!! He's now snoozing in his crate on his nice, comfy bed. 

He's such a good dog!!!  Brett and I love having him share his life with us, and although he probably would never admit to it, I think Jake likes having him around too!!

And That's What Sarah Says!!!