Last week Asya turned 16. She has wanted to have a dog for a long time, and she knew that was the plan for this birthday. She had been saving her money, we had been researching what kind and where to get it, and we consulted with our neighbors about if they would be able to live with a dog back in our shared house in Kherson. But we were still able to surprise her. I found toy poodles online. Will started calling back and forth with the lady selling them, but Asya didn't know anything about what we were doing. This breeder had available an older puppy and one that was almost two months old. We knew Asya wanted a baby, so we choose the little one. A week before her birthday, the lady brought him into Ivano-Frankivsk on a long bus ride. We met her, talked for a while, and got the puppy. Asya was still asleep when we brought him back, so we just put him in bed with her. I think it was love at first sight.
After that excitement earlier, her actual birthday was mostly a quiet day: church, coffee with her best friend, and a nice dinner. The puppy, Leo, is exactly what she wanted. We're all enjoying him.
This was her second wartime birthday. We were talking about how we celebrated last year, and she couldn't even remember. Looking back at photos, we remembered that Will grilled meat, and we ate in our yard. She said that's exactly what she would have chosen this year, too, if we had been at home. But this year she has her best friend nearby... and now a puppy.
