I shouldn't have.

Greg is out of town. It's been a busy week and I haven't been home with my kids at bedtime for three days in a row.

So, tonight, I decided to forgo "me" time and stopped at the redbox after a lovely 1.5 hour adventure with Kenzie and Brynnley at Walmart.

Time for a chick flick. I invited Addysen and Cannon to watch with me if they wanted.

Granted, I'm way behind the times. "Marley & Me" came out quite a while ago (was it one year or two?) But, in my defense, I was warned that I shouldn't see it. You see, our yellow lab, Kerrdog, looked an awful lot like Marley. We got him as a puppy - from a farm -- probably to fill some void when having children wasn't happening on our timetable.

It was a love/hate relationship from the beginning. Mostly love...but there were moments...
Sadly, I distinctly remember attempting to take him for a walk one day -- only to end up giving him a kick. He was so excited about the walk, I couldn't get the leash on, he jumped up and scratched me -- and in the process knocked over and broke a planter on the front porch. So what did I do in my frustration? I gave him a little kick. I then bawled my eyes out wondering, "What kind of mom will I ever be if I can't even control a dog? If I get this mad at a dog...how will I ever make it as a mom?" It was a sobering thought.

Oh...the memories.

I'll spare you... most of them.

It's not like the movie is even THAT great. But it sure seemed to parallel my life in many ways. The job changes, the moves, the miscarriage (***IF you haven't seen the movie and don't want it spoiled - stop reading NOW.), the love of journalism and writing, the snowball fights, the "clean-up," chasing the dog down the street (in my case, I was 8 months pregnant when he escaped the fence and roamed the neighborhood--oh the name-calling.) the highs and lows of marriage and parenting...all with the beloved, obnoxious dog along the way.

So much like my life.

And even the death. Kerrdog died a traumatic death -- his stomach flipped and there was nothing to be done. Even if we'd caught it earlier - he was too old for surgery. He died in the car on the way to the hospital.

Sigh...

I don't even consider myself an animal lover. An animal-liker, maybe...but I'm not extreme.

I haven't bawled during a movie for a really, long time. But bawl I did tonight. As did Addysen and Cannon. (Addysen's friends that are spending the night got a little choked up as well - but they likely thought we had lost it altogether.) I quickly shooed the girls downstairs after the movie as I could tell Cannon was really struggling to keep his composure.

Whew -- that movie hit a little too close too home. I should have heeded the warning of our friend...but I certainly didn't expect that much emotion after 2.5 years.

I guess life's just like that...suprises all along the way.