Foster Family Once Again

So back in the young days of our marriage we adopted a puppy. We then wanted to adopt another puppy but weren't sure we were ready for that so we opened our home to foster through the organization  we rescued our puppy Layla from. We had 3 fosters through this organization and then ultimately decided on adopting a 3rd permament member when we met our Bentley.

After Bentley passed and we moved into our new home (post to come soon about our new home, it's been a whirlwind of God opening doors for us the past 2 months) we decided we could probably foster again because we have more room and we don't want a 3rd permament doggy friend but we knew we wanted to help again.

So in comes facebook and Aly if you know her from the blogsphere she loves her labs that she rescued through Love of Labs Indiana. I became friends with them on facebook and they had a request for foster homes for 3 dogs that were coming from a puppy mill in Illinois. 2 males, one was 5 years old and one was 2 years old and a female who was 7. We emailed offering to be a foster home for one of these babies and sure enough the next day I got an email asking us if we were in.

So I went to pick up our foster 2 Sundays ago at a gas station off the interstate not far from our house. These sweet dogs were so smelly and so scared. We took in the 5 year old male pure bred yellow lab. You could tell he had not ever been in a house because our house scared him, he would barely walk on a leash he kept freezing up, he wasn't sure about the grass and he had an obvious ear infection going on.



He has now been with us for 2 weeks and he is making strides! He comes into our home every night for a few hours to learn what it's like to be in a family home environment (we have to help him with the stairs which is why we only do this one time a day) and he stays in his crate in our walk out basement during the day because he will walk in and out that way. He walks ok on a leash but still freezes up at times. However he walks right beside us out to the pen every day to go outside. He loves our daughter and wags his tail when he hears her voice, he lets her hug him and yesterday she piled a jean jacket, a cell phone and a baby toy on his back and he did nothing, she used him as a tunnel and he stood there basking in the attention.

We are waiting to find out the treatment plan for his ear infection next week and then he will most likely be listed for adoption after that. I know he will make someone a fantastic family member if they give him the chance to warm up. He is so sweet and happy when he is with us and so calm and loving with the kids.

I hope by us welcoming these broken animals into our home and watching them recover and learn to trust humans and be a happy member of the family we are starting to plant that seed in our kids hearts to help others to love the broken and scared. A lot that we learn from our pets and our animals can be carried out into how we treat others. These innocent dogs didn't asked to be kept in a pen and bread litter after litter of puppies and have their health ignored but they were stuck and we can only love them and hope they learn to trust again.

By the way his name is Lloyd, isn't that a fantastic name :) Lydia calles him Woyd!

Easter Came, it Went and We Celebrated

Remember that time that Jesus rose after 3 days as he promised and rocked all our faces off for all eternity?? Well we did celebrate that this year we just were super busy moving into our new house the week before that I am finally putting everything back together. Including unloading my camera and processing our little guys first Easter.

It was a great day, so fantastic and spent at Church and breakfast with my family then in Brownsburg with Matt's family. We are so lucky that most of our family is so close to us, only a quick drive away.

Lydia loves Duke's house (that is one of Matt's Aunt and Uncle's dogs) she does not know it as anyone elses home but Duke's.

Our little guy enjoyed his first bite of real greenbeans, not the mushy babyfood kind and LOVED them. He was fantastic in church and I swear the kid gets something from it already he's such an angel there. My sister-in-law says she thinks he might be a priest one day. Which I would be ok with, I would mourn grandkids but love him no matter what.

Lydia had a small Easter Egg hunt and I can't wait until there is some "friendly" competition between Garrett and Lydia over the eggs.

I hope you all had such a blessed Easter as we did. 

8 Months

Garrett,

You are a BIG 8 months old now, sometimes I have to pinch myself that you are my son, that God blessed us with you. You have the most fantastic smile, you smile with your whole face and make everyone around you smile the minute you flash us those dimples and the eyebrow raise?? Where did you learn that and how have you already managed to turn ladies of all ages into mush when you give us that look.

You now have 3 1/2 teeth, I say that because right now you kind of have this cute hillbilly look going on because when you smile you only see one full tooth on the top, the other has broken through it's just not moved all the way down yet, don't worry you can pull it off!

Having teeth has lead to new and fun food choices... you recently had a pancake, mac and cheese, bananas, green beans, tortillas at our favorite Friday night Mexican Place and potatoes. You love love love real food and your baby food, it's getting hard to make you focus for your bottle unless it's night time and you are ready for bed then you let me rock you and give you your last bottle of the day. I love that time we get together.

You can now imitate us when we clap and you get so excited trying to clap your little hands together, you are pretty good at it! You now wave (it's kind of a sideways backwards mix of a wave) but it's stinkin adorable.

You love it when I stand you up on the back of the couch, the ottamans or the pews at church but you have yet to actually move to get anywhere and do it yourself. I'm trying not to compare you so I'm going to enjoy you not being mobile and I'm going to trust that when you are good and ready you will start moving. You do practically leap out of arms when there is something you want so your will to move is in there somewhere.

Little guy you make me so happy, I wish I could spend more days and hours with you but know how much I love you and how much I think of you and your sister when I am working.

You my little one are sweet and precious and happy and the most fantastic little boy I have ever met. I love you to the moon and back again.

Love,
Mommy