We got a dog!!!

 One day while we were in Cayucos this summer, Bill and I decided that it was time for us to get a dog.  Luke and Caleb have been scared of dogs since they could walk, and Dylan and Gracie have reached an age where we thought they could handle the bulk of responsibility for him. We spent the next couple of weeks reading up on various breeds, and looking up dogs online from the local shelters.  One Monday morning when Bill was off of work, we saw "lightning" come up on the screen as a perfect match for what type of dog we were looking for.  The kids loved him from the second we saw his picture and off we went to the animal shelter in Ontario. The kids and I had never been to a shelter, and Gracie and I could hardly bear to see all of the animals who needed a good home.  They brought lightning out to us and I liked his manner right away.  I have never had a dog before, but I felt like I could handle this one.  After dealing with the very protective manager of the shelter, we convinced her that we were the best family for him. This is Dylan and Gracie with him on our way home.

 One thing I knew that I didn't like too much was the name lightning.  I spent the next couple of hours trying to talk the kids into picking a new name.  We stopped at Bill's mom's house on our way home to show Diana and Bob the new member of the family.  We talked to them first before we even got the dog to make sure they were willing to watch him whenever we went out of town.  Diana loved him from the first minute she saw him!

 By the time we got home, I had come up with a new name for our dog - Jack.  I was happy to hear that both Dylan and Gracie liked it immediately.  Caleb and Luke didn't like it too much, but they weren't happy about much of anything on that day!  I had a feeling I would be saying his name quite a bit and I wanted something quick and easy to say!

 Here I am the next morning trying to calm a nervous and scared puppy while we were doing school work at the kitchen table.  Seeing how he acts now, I can look back and understand how frightened he was...perhaps as frightened as I was, since I didn't really know what to do with him!  He slept a lot the first few days and then slowly the real Jack began to appear.

 A few days later we were outside playing with Jack when the most beautiful rainbow appeared.  It was a good day...Luke and Caleb were starting to warm up to Jack and the weather was gorgeous.  I was starting to feel like we made the right decision.

 Gracie felt sick one morning and spent most of the day reading with Jack next to her on the couch.  You would think she was raised with animals the way she understood how to handle Jack right away.  She calls him her baby and it is very clear that Jack adores her.

 Life finally seemed to start coming to a new normal after a couple of weeks.  Luke and Caleb started to feel more comfortable around Jack.  Especially Caleb!  He now lets Jack lick him, jumps around with him, plays tug of war, and he even occasionally tries to ride him like a horse.  Here we all are at one of Chaffey's home football games.  We had a big crowd that night and it was a beautiful September night!

 Occasionally, we get to babysit Owen.  We love playing with him. Here you can see Luke and Caleb trying to teach him how to shoot the basketball.  I see many more lessons in his future!

 September also means going to the LA county fair!  They had a superhero exhibit this year and here are Luke and Caleb trying to fly like Superman.

 I really liked this sign in the kids building. They had questions to answer about which literary character you like better.  I knew that it was an easy choice for Delaney to pick Sherlock Holmes!

 Everyone loves to get their favorite foods at the fair.  I have been disappointed the past two years that my favorite gingerbread house is not there anymore.  Here you can see everyone sharing a ten pound bun and crispy chips. Plus, they always love having the cherry lemonade and cheese sticks.

 This year they had a music exhibit in one of the buildings.  I was pleased to see Dylan pick up the guitar.  I miss hearing him play in the house, but he has become a decent piano player now also.  Gracie still loves playing the piano, and I love to hear the sound of them both playing a little each day.

So thankful for these kiddos!

 Here's the whole Brown family together after a Chaffey football game.  Lori reminded me the other night that we have been going to Chaffey football games for over 25 years!  I love this fall tradition, and it never gets old.

 After we got Jack, Dylan started reading Old Yeller for school and then we watched it as a family together when he was done reading it.  I know a lot of people don't like this movie very much, but it had a whole new meaning for us.  Bill and I have been jokingly calling Caleb, "Arliss" lately because he sometimes acts a little like him in this movie!

I'm the first one up most mornings.  The first thing I have been doing lately is letting Jack go outside, fixing myself a cup of coffee, and taking it outside while I read my Bible next to Jack.  It's a lovely new tradition.  Life is good.