Our "Baby"

We got a dog!!

She's a six-month old 

German Shepherd/Black Lab mix

This is something I have been eagerly anticipating for so long! I had a family dog when I was at home with my parents, and I always felt like something was missing at our house now. Don't get me wrong! I was perfectly satisfied with just Seth and our little family, but I was growing tired of lonely days and nights at home when Seth had work stuff to do, and I really wanted a companion. Seth definitely understood this, but he just didn't see a dog in our budget. So, I was patient (or tried to be :) ) And we finally got one!!

The story goes like this: Seth and I hadn't brought up the topic of a dog in a while, so I wasn't expecting anything. Then, on Thursday a few weeks ago, Seth called me from work and told me he had received a call from some friends of ours. They recently got a puppy, but decided they couldn't handle training or taking care of it since they also had a baby! So, they wanted to know if we could take it :) I was so excited!! We talked about this for a few days, and when Seth finally told me he thought it could work, I cried :) So, we got her that Friday, named her Riley and bought her a cute dog bed and dog bowls (Seth didn't understand why everything had to be cute :) )

This has been a roller coaster of a few weeks. The first week, it was like we had a newborn! She woke up every couple of hours, barked at us because she didn't understand why we were sleeping and not playing, jumped up on the bed to lay down with us and crawled under the bed only to get stuck. She barks at us during meals (loudly), chews up Seth's flip flops (she must wonder why he's wearing them in the middle of winter!) and jumps up on the kitchen counter to see what we're doing (and where the yummy smells are coming from). 

But, she is such a sweet girl!! My days at home have never been sweeter :) She already has her little quirks that show her personality:

     -Whenever I sit on the floor with her, she sits in my lap like a little kid.

     -She loves to jump up and look out the windows. Her favorite activity is to sit in her chair and watch the buses go by before and after school!

     -She's terrified of the vacuum, but since she's "tough" she follows me around, alternating between barking and pouncing on the monster or running away.

     -She loves people!  So far, everyone she's met has been her best friend.

     -Any amount of snow is a giant playground for her! On walks, we have to stop by every drift so she can run through it and throw it in the air.

     -Thankfully, she loves the car! I like to take her on quick errands, and she just sits, looks around, sticks her head out the window or gives me kisses :)

I am so thankful to Seth for making this sacrifice. I know he frets over how we'll afford her, but I love him for taking on that burden!!