"Hi! I'm Julia...

...I am nine years old and I want to volunteer here."

Our oldest Grandlittle shyly uttered these words at a little pet store earlier this week.

We had been at Build-a-Bear and afterwards had become enchanted with a little beagle puppy that tipped his head very beguilingly at us.

After we played with the beagle puppy for a long time, Julia said, "I wish I could volunteer here. Nobody will ever let me volunteer because they say I'm too young BUT I'm nine now Grandma! And Grandma! If I can't volunteer I really, really need you and Grandpa to get a puppy. Or maybe two puppies." Hmmm....ummmm...yeah...no.

(Over the past several years we've tried shelters, vet offices, and other pet stores to no avail)

I told her to ask. "You never know unless you try, Jules. If you want something you have to go for it!"

"But Grandma. I'm shy. You ask."

Firmly I told her, "I know you're only nine but you need to be able to ask for what you want, Julia, and stand up for what you don't. If you want to see if they'll let you help with the puppies, YOU have to ask!"

"They'll just say no," she said, defeated before she even started.

"Well, maybe they will," I encouraged her, "But you won't know until you ask."

So she did.

In a sweet little voice.

And she about fell over when the clerk told her that as long as she brought an adult in she could come in and help play with the puppies.

And she's been doing it now almost all week.

There was a huskie and a pug and a maltese and something else and a little bug-eyed terrier.

Julia has been so sweet about it. She excitedly calls it 'going to work' each day. "I think I need to get to work," she says, and then scrambles around helping with whatever needs done.

It's really neat to see her so excited.

She favors her broken arm, just a tiny bit and only seems uncomfortable when she hits her elbow where the metal rods from the repair protrude a bit.

Here's a few pics so you can tag along with us.





I love that the store is letting her do this!

And I love laughing at the antics of all the sweet puppies.

I think the thing I might love the most, though, has been watching one of her dreams come true.

Without actually having to buy a puppy! or two!