June 16

This little stuffed puppy sat beside the window in my grandma's bedroom for 30 years. During a brief trip to Maryland two years ago, she surprised me by asking Brady if he'd like to take him home, and that's how Little Beggar came to live with us.

BearBear is, of course, Brady's best buddy, but Beggar (he dropped the "Little" part quite a while ago) is definitely his number two. He sleeps in the bed with BearBear and Froggy (and Brady, of course) and occasionally accompanies us on outings, like he did during our shopping trip this morning.

When I see them together, it serves as a reminder that good friends --even the fuzzy stuffed ones with fabric noses-- are priceless blessings.