2016 was a bumpy year for Nick and me. It started out great; Nick and I got healthy and lost some weight, and I finally had a job with some vacation time so we visited my best friend for a week in Los Angeles. Then we experienced a heartbreak we never knew was possible when we suddenly lost our little Chihuahua and the love of our lives, Chico, to complications from adrenal cancer. It happened so quickly that I’m still recovering from the trauma but my therapist has helped a lot. On the flip side, the year ended with a very much-wanted and planned pregnancy and the thrill of waiting to welcome our baby boy in the spring. My Instagrams (from my personal account) are a reflection of the year, with a focus on the positive so I’d like to share my favorite ones with you.

Spending a freezing winter morning in February with a cup of coffee and a book.

Chico is taking a rest in the fresh spring grass. We would soon learn that he had developed arthritis in his hips.

Spring in my neighborhood. This beautiful tree is in my neighbor’s yard and the color of the flowers against the color of the sky is stunning!

2016 was the year we got healthy and spent a lot of time eating better and working out at the gym.

Toes in the sand during a girls’ weekend at the beach.

My sweet, silly Chico with his eyes closed. I miss him more than anything.

Summer date night with sushi and beer. This was taken at the bottle shop.

Homemade churro cupcake for brunch club, courtesy of Nick. Yum!

NCsquared travels to Los Angeles, CA.

NCsquared in California. That’s the Santa Monica Pier behind us.

My sweet Mia. If ever there was a daddy’s girl dog, she is it.

Mia is getting a little brother in March!

This photo warms my heart. Mia has never been much for burrowing or being covered up (that was Chico’s expertise) but when I brought this blanket home, she fell in love with it and claimed it as her own. She even laid in it like this for a while.

24 weeks pregnant.

NCsquared at the Durham Holiday Parade.

Christmas dog. Mia waiting patiently until she can open her presents. She got a new squeaky toy and plenty of treats for Christmas.

Hello Monday Linkup | Confident Twosday

Mia Sophia and Chico Antonio – our two little furbabies.

These are my babies. They make the world a little brighter, even on days when they don’t feel like behaving and I get really frustrated with them.  One thing that I will always look forward to is coming home from work each day to frantic, eager, wet and happy puppy kisses.  Nothing beats a puppy kiss, that’s for sure.

Mia has been here for almost a month now and she seems to be settling in fairly well. I think she’s still getting used to the schedule and Chico is still getting used to her. Just about every evening now they’ll play-fight on the couch, even though we keep telling them to do that in the floor and not on us. But at least they play well together.

Tonight I think they were feeling a little more lovey than usual. They sat with me until Nick got home and then they took their turns jumping up into his arms to be held and petted by him. Now they’re cuddling with us on the couch. Adorable!

So I just want to say that I truly believe if you don’t know the unconditional love of a dog, then you’re really missing out on something incredibly amazing.