Remembering what I can...

Ok, so all this talk of going to class to get guide dogs on my guide dog list is making me remember when I went and got Leah. I remember dog day and how I didn't think it could have come soon enough. Then they wanted to kill us with suspense without telling us anything about the dogs we were getting before we got them. Then I asked "Can you at least tell us the name of our dog before we meet them?" and of course they talked it over and gave us not only the names, buut the sex and breed and color of our dogs. When I heard "Amanda, you will be receiving a yellow female lab named Leah" I couldn't believe it. It all seemed so real. Leah...it was a really normal name, not something really off the wall. I was happy, because that is everything I asked for. Then off to our rooms to wait to be called to the instructors office to meet our dogs or in my case Leah. I was so nervous. I new I had a little while to wait because I was so far down the hall. So I was calling everyone telling them I haven't gotten her yet but here is what I know. I swear I was pacing the floor and probably smoked a half a pack while waiting. Then someone came in and said "Amanda, are you ready to meet Ms. Leah?" I was so excited and was like "Ready as I am ever going to be." Then we walked down the hall way and I sat on the couch and was talking with the instructors all the time looking around for where this pup was that was going to be mine. Until finally they were like "Amanda, meet Leah." and they handed me her leash and I almost started crying right then and there. She was so pretty and she was very friendly. She came up to me butt waggling and nose working. She was very interested in me as a new person, but she was also still attached to the instructors. Finally as we talked about her parents, her birthday, and maybe her grandparents and other quirky things about her, she layed down at my feet and decided it was nap time. I was in love. I got back to my room and was calling everyone again telling them "I got Leah I got Leah. She is so beautiful! She is very friendly too!" then I went on to tell them all about her and gave them the descrip the instructors had given me. "She is about 22 inches tall, a very light yellow but not so much yellow. She has the biggest saddest brown eyes. Those big brown eyesare perfectly lined with black, making look like she has eyeliner on. She is very long and lean. Very athleticly built!" then once all the phone calls were said and done I spent my quality time with Leah. Not sure how to play with her since I had no real toys yet and wasn't sure what she liked, I just layed on the floor with her and cuddled. She was so cute throwing a paw up when I wrapped my arms around her. Then turning her head to me and trying to give me kisses like she was really happy she was mine. It almost made me cry again. Then I found the harness they had given me and just looked it over going "Wow I am going to be holding this harness for Leah to guide me around and through all kinds of stuff" Then I layed on my bed and just thought "This is amazing, never in a million years would I have thought I would be here in Boring, OR after flying here all by myslef blind..man this is awesome." Then I dirfted off to sleep for a quick nap while Leah napped on her matt in the floor.
This is my dog day story and it sticks with me. I love my little furball, she may not be perfect but she is mine. Really thats all I can ask for. Thats the story of my life, "They may not be perfect, but they're mine!"

Happy reading,
Amanda Ellen and Leah "My little Princess"