It's A BOY!!!!!

Nope... I did not have a baby!!! But we did adopt a family dog over the weekend and I kind of feel like there is a new baby in the house. We all want to know what he is doing, where he is, if he is ok, like 24/7. I am exhausted but so far so good! My kiddoes have been begging for a furry friend for months if not years and I have not had a dog since I lived with my parents. I have put it off and put it off as long as I could. I was thinking this would be their big Christmas gift this year but I guess Christmas comes a little early from time to time!

So as we were out and about this weekend we came across 2 local humane society shelters with dogs for adoption in a tent at our local PetSmart. We stopped... first mistake. I had 4 girls in tow... 2 were mine and they each had a friend... second mistake... I was seriously outnumbered. I don't really know what came over me but I started looking at the dogs and melting... third mistake... never show the enemy your weakness.

As a lot of divorced parents do I have guilt. Guilt that I couldn't keep my home intact for my children. Guilt that I wanted a different kind of life for me and that kind of messed theirs up. Guilt that there Dad is such a mess and sometimes I feel like they wonder if it is my fault or worse yet, theirs. Guilt that our lives are turning out so different than the way we thought they would be, all of us together forever, one big happy family. So you might be thinking that my decision to get a dog is to alleviate my guilt for all of these things that are  not so picture perfect. But that's not it. My thinking behind some of the decisions I have made lately is that in spite of all of these things, we are still a happy family. We may not all reside in the same house anymore but we... my kids and I do and we are a happy family. And families have dogs. I had one growing up and I want my kids to have that experience too. I am scared that I can't handle another mouth, more responsibility... but so what??? I just will that's all. And if not now when? So it's done. We have a dog. We are a dog family.

After we saw a dog that we really liked on Saturday,  I we went home to agonize over think about it some more. When we went back later that afternoon she was adopted and the kids were I was devastated. I felt horrible so I promised we would go back on Sunday and look at the next group of dogs coming in and there we found our forever friend. He is sweet and loving, full of energy yet able to chill out and be cool. He will lick your face off and then fall asleep with his head in your lap while you rub his ears. We have had him for 3 days and he has yet to bark at anything. He's still learning where to go potty but we will be patient with him. I don't know why now or why this dog but something in me just knew this was the time and this was our pet.

So errrbody meet Winston!!!!

He's a Plott Hound, Lab/Retriever mix and he does actually do more than sleep  and watch ESPN in my spot on the couch. But... If he starts watching Bravo he and I's gonna have problems!