Twelve!!!!

Today is Wilson's 12th birthday! Here he is at the start of the day. I'll update with more details later!

We started the day with gifts and the embarrassing birthday hat......

As with Jimmy's birthday a couple weeks back, we promised Wilson a day of swimming to celebrate his big day. Luckily, it was an absolutely gorgeous blue sky day! For me it would have been a bit too chilly to swim, but Wilson didn't seem to mind!

I had threatened to leave Jimmy home so Wilson could enjoy the fetch all to himself. Instead we just made Jimmy take turns by holding his collar while Wilson swam. He was very vocal about his disapproval, but it worked pretty well.

After swimming long enough to need a break, we headed over for a visit with Wilson's life-long buddy, Mousse, the chocolate Lab. Wilson met Mousse on a walk when Wilson was still a pup less than one year. Mousse at the time was almost three. So if you do the math, sweet old Mousse is a very ancient boy now. These boys have loved each other many years now.

Of course, there was cake! With Wilson's b-day landing on the rather early Memorial Day weekend, we mixed the themes in the cake. I wonder what he wished for? I know I wished for many more birthdays with Wilson!

I'm pretty sure Wilson enjoyed his special status as the birthday boy! That tall chair gave him the privacy to enjoy that cake all to himself!

After a bit it was time to head for home. We walked back along the lake again so the boys enjoyed a few more tosses of the stick into the lake. Wilson rolled with abandon after getting out of the water.

And finally, back home in his yard (we won't dwell on the bath that happened there), exhausted and satisfied, he enjoyed a nap in the warm spring sun. I'm pretty sure this day qualified as a good birthday!