Avery

Avery has finally arrived!  After more than a week of waiting and being put off and almost "releasing" her, only to decide we really wanted her (as long as she wasn't sick)...we finally have her!!!  Dave and the boys picked her up yesterday and we're settling in as you read this.

As promised here, I am delivering the story behind why we chose to get a dog in the first place.

Ok, so Avery's arrival isn't all that spectacular of a story, in and of itself.  However, if you know me, you know I'm not a huge fan of dogs.  So this was a huge decision for me/us!  Don't get me wrong...I like dogs...Just so long as they're other people's dogs, generally.

My vague disagree-ability towards dogs is completely justified, if you ask me.  Albeit requiring significant (more) therapy, apparently, but that's neither here nor there.

See, long story short...I was scratched by a dog when I was little.  Requiring some numerous amount of stitches (double digits is all I remember - 20?  40?  Who knows...but when you're 4-years-old that's a LOT of stitches).  Now the dog wasn't trying to be mean (as some are in similar unfortunate situations), but I was definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He was trying to play, as dogs do, so he jumped up on me and when he came down, well...you get the picture.  Add to this ugly scene the trauma of kids at my pre-school being afraid of me and calling me "Frankenstein", and scars you can still see (if you're looking for them) almost *cough* 30 years later and, well, it's just not a fun experience.

I've grown up with dogs my whole life.  Good dogs.  Well-trained dogs.  Search dogs trained to find missing people, even.  Heck, I even owned one once.  He was a good dog.  A needy, high maintenance dog, maybe, but Frodo was great.  Until, that is, he tried to eat my child.

What is that you say?

Eat your child?

Why, yes.  He did - try, that is.  When Nathaniel came home from the hospital, our dog snapped at Nate's skull like he was a squirrel to be munched on.  The quick reflexes of my mother saved his precious newborn head from damage (Thank, God!), but the scene still haunts me!

So why would an accused "dogist" get a dog, you ask?

Well, have you seen this face?!?!

Besides that, have you seen these faces?

She is just about the cutest thing I've ever seen and they simply adore her.

(It's a little Elmyra-ish if you ask me, but she'll learn.)

As I told my husband, I know she will be a lot of work for us.  But she will be SO good for them!  There are lessons in life that I firmly believe only pets can teach you.  I want that for my boys.

I'll admit it.  I wasn't a big fan of getting a dog...but I was a fan of getting her.  She's so sweet and she totally won me over with her gentle spirit and sloppy wet kisses.

I can't really explain it, but for whatever reason, I am super excited to integrate her into our family.