Ender's first birthday is the day before Thanksgiving, so we thought we'd throw him a party a little early and avoid the holiday craziness in everyone's schedules. We joke that we didn't have any friends in Charlotte until we got a dog, and even though it sounds ridiculous, it's actually true--so it was fitting that our Charlotte best friends and their pups all came over for an afternoon of treats and celebration.

We decided on a circus theme, so I ordered some decorations from this suite on Minted--I dreamed that the dogs would wear the paper crowns but kept realistically low expectations, and I was totally surprised by how easily they wore them. Like me, they'll do almost anything for popcorn.

It was so funny and cute and everything worked out exactly the way I hoped it would. I'm about to share a ton of photos with you, so before I get into that I thought I'd list the party details, because I'm still giggling about all of them:

• Puppy Party invitations that I addressed to each dog.
• Decorations from the suite I linked to above: Bunting Banner, Circle Garlands, Table Signs, Cupcake Toppers, Party Crowns, and Mini Notecard Favors.
• Dog birthday cake from Canine Cafe in Charotte. We got the peanut butter banana flavor because the woman who runs the place said it was "paws down the favorite." I also grabbed a few freshly baked dog biscuits while I was picking up the cake and put them in little cellophane bags with blue ribbon as party favors.
• Champagne cocktails with cotton candy.
• Circus-themed snacks included hot dogs, popcorn, salted peanuts in the shell, and cupcakes.
• The other drinks I got were chosen strictly based on how much their labels made me feel like I was at the circus: Not Your Father's Root Beer in bottles and a bunch of PBR in cans.

This post is brought to you in partnership with Minted.

Photos by Rémy Thurston for Freckled Italian.

Ender's first birthday is coming up at the end of this month (we're celebrating it with a puppy party this weekend), and I'm finding it hard to believe that he's been a part of our lives for nine whole months. We've really got a routine down, and I feel like I know his little quirks so well, which brings me so much joy.

• Weighs 50 pounds.
• Dressed up as Dobby the house-elf for his first Halloween.
• Gets really itchy paws and ears whenever it rains for more than a few days.
• Absolutely loves pulling the cushions off of our couch and trying to dig. It drives me insane.
• Ran his first race last month--we did a 5K together and walked about a mile of it. We were a little worried that he'd be super distracted by all the people and other dogs, but he had so much fun running and was adorably focused.
• Barks at people when they walk by without greeting him or are carrying large objects, like a gym bag or a case of water. Our poor down-the-hall neighbor who always brings a ton of stuff to work is a little scared of him, I think.
• Gets so excited when Rob comes home and runs to our bedroom, sitting on our bed very politely and eagerly as Rob changes into "comfies" and then comes over to cuddle with him.
• Sleeps in his crate every night and gets in bed with us every morning when I let him out. He snuggles up to one of our legs and falls back asleep.

I'm so excited about the party we're throwing this weekend! I can't wait to share photos with you. Think puppy cake and party crowns (and four dogs running around our apartment--wish me luck)!

Photo by Sarah Gatrell. 

By now, Ender's personality is pretty apparent and he isn't doing too many new hilarious things (just the same old hilarious things). He is ten months old and weighs in at a whopping almost-50 pounds (although I think he may be done growing...but then again who knows). 

A couple of weeks ago Rob and I were talking about how we give in certain aspects--travel is harder and sleeping in is more or less a thing of the past; but we also get so much from this little ball of energy and unconditional love. It feels a lot like growing up.

I grew up with the sweetest, most amazing dog and sometimes I actually feel guilty about how much I love Ender--but I have learned over the years that our hearts are full of unlimited room for love, and no one could ever replace Rocky. 

So here are seven things I've learned from Ender:

• Everyone deserves a fighting chance. I don't know where he was before the rescue found him but I'm so glad they did, and that we were able to adopt him and give him a forever home. 
• A little patience goes a very long way. I knew that training a puppy would be a challenge, but I had no idea how incredibly frustrating it can be at times. Ender still has a long way to go, but he does so much better when we take a deep breath and try again instead of getting upset about anything--dog related or not.
• It feels good to take care of someone. Rob and I take care of each other in many ways, but we don't need one another to eat, drink water, or make sure we're getting enough exercise and have a safe place to sleep every night. Being Ender's provider and caretaker has brought so much joy and purpose to my life--it's incredible.
• You don't matter that much anymore. Is it raining? Your dog still needs to go on a walk or play. I can't even tell you how many fun things we missed every week for two months during his PetSmart puppy training classes. Suddenly you have a priority that isn't yourself, and it's actually kind of awesome.
• Laziness is for the birds. Ender takes up so much of our time and energy that when something needs to get done (dishes, laundry, work, etc.), it needs to get done! Every minute matters. We've become so much better at managing our time since this pup entered our lives. If he's napping, we're probably folding clothes.
• True, unadulterated down time is a dream come true. Some of my favorite moments have been the simplest ones--when the chores of daily life are done and we have nowhere to be but on the couch, cuddling our tired pup and watching Parks & Recreation. Bonus points if there's Thai takeout involved.
• A dog can turn a couple into a family. Even after six and a half years together, something about referring to Rob and myself as "a family" felt a little off. But for the past seven months, it's just rolled right off the tongue. Our little family of three. And right now, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Photo by V.A. Photography from our family session in March.