A tribute to a lost dog now found

I've heard it said that couples need a third thing: a baby, a dog, a garden, a poem.. something they face, not facing each other but facing side by side. I do not know if it is true that couples need a third thing, but I will say the more precious things Aaron and I hold in folded hands - together - the more we learn about each other and how we grow. Aaron and I each have pieces of our individual lives that we enjoy continually working on - working with our hands and tucking away little moments to make it happen. For me, it is often writing. For him, it is often working on his motorcycle. But what we love to work on together, among other things, is taking care of our sweet pup, Zoey. We enjoy walking her together to catch up or day dream; we love pointing out beautiful houses that we would or would not live in. We love taking her to the dog park and watching her run in a pack. Correct me if I'm wrong fellow dog lovers, but watching dogs running as a pack in their element is an extremely fascinating and wonderful experience (call us weird, but we like it). The hair on her back stands up smoothly in a way that only her oil coat could do, and she tackles the lab puppy that is her own age because she somehow always knows her puppy-energy match. They simultaneously run the perimeter of the park and bite each other on the necks, only stopping to pin the other in the mud and roll around. We love taking Zoey to the dog park, and we love training her because she is a wild thing and truthfully does not care if you have a treat if there is another dog competing for her attention. But she loves us - oh does she love us! Her whole body seems to wag along with her tail, her skinny shoulder blades rocking back and forth like an boat without anchor, her long back swaying as she circles our legs. We have many "third things" or parts of this life that we share and enjoy, but when we look at our hound, curled up at night, we remind each other how worth it it has all been. 

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Zoey was missing for three days, and in that time, we realized just how much we loved her and love the dog life. When we found her, we were overjoyed with the blessings that God lavishes upon us! During the waiting period, we realized more than ever a little dream we had that contributes to the dog life and community. And now, friends, it is added to my life list: Create/own/start a dog park for our community. 

What are some "third things" that you and your family share? What are some interests or hobbies that you and a family member have, and how can you incorporate it into your life list?