Nola didn’t walk in casually—she marched in and found her way straight to the heart of her family before they even knew that they were hers.

One afternoon, Nola appeared at Josh’s work: she pressed her warm body into his lap as though she had always belonged there and took away Josh's choice to adopt a new friend. It was love at first sniff. By the next day, he was on the phone to Trina: “I’m bringing home a new girl.” The breed didn’t matter. The connection already had a name.

From the moment she arrived, Nola lived with a deep awareness of her people. She was the kind of dog who noticed... the kind who paid attention. Her “super snoot” wasn’t just for sniffing; it was for clearing a path, nudging away obstacles, or finding her way to the one who needed her most. She had no training for it, but when Trina fell in the street after surgery, Nola stayed close, steady and sure, until help came. It was her nature: to protect, to care, to make sure everyone was safe.

Thundar’s name was chosen with pride—after the mighty Bison of NDSU, a symbol of strength and heart. Yet, even the name could only hint at the enormity of his presence. For while Thundar was indeed a big, powerful Labrador Retriever, what made him truly larger-than-life was the quiet grace and gentleness that seemed to move with him like a shadow.

Born with a pedigree of show dogs and hunting champions, Thundar and his brother Gibbs came from Smith Family Farms in southern Minnesota. But titles and ribbons were never the point for Thundar. His stage was the lakeshore, the family home, the warm lap of a recliner where he never once considered that 110 pounds might disqualify him from being a “lap dog.”

Some cats arrive in our lives as quiet companions. Others arrive like a story you didn’t know you were missing. Feanor was the latter—his tale beginning on an ordinary day at a Petco adoption event, where chance and fate shook hands.

I hadn’t gone looking for a cat that day. My dear friend Shanda, like a sister to me, had invited me along while she was seeking a pet to keep her company after her boyfriend returned home from a visit. But then I saw him—or rather, he saw us. Eyes like twin lanterns in a dim harbor locked with ours. There was something there—stillness wrapped around intention. Shanda saw it too. And in that moment, she decided to give me an early birthday gift, one that would become the greatest present of my life.

Born tenth in a line of eleven (nearly all sisters) Cooper stood out from the start. At just nine weeks old, he locked eyes with his future and seemed to already understand what his role would be. Curious, attentive, and unmistakably loyal, he picked his person that day at Kenlyn Kennels in Edgerton, WI, and never let go.

Dexter—Dex, Buddy Bear, Doo Doo, Mr. Bear—came into the world looking like a bear cub, and he grew into a guardian, a companion, and a love that was as fierce as it was loyal. From the moment we chose each other at the pet store, he became a best friend and a protector. In ways only he could, he became the one who shaped his family’s story: our story.