Puppy Summer

It has not yet been a year since I went back to America for a visit. A few weeks ago, however, I started to get really homesick. Sterling was getting homesick too (but not as homesick as I).

We can't afford to go back to America. Getting to America won't cost much but flying to get to our family would cost a lot! And to eat and spend money there.

Next year if we PSC (move) in the summer we will get a good visit home with our families.
There is a possibility of staying here 6 extra months by extending Sterling's enlistment in order to cross train (if cross training doesn't work out this summer).

Sterling and I are not dog people. We never have been. But a few weeks ago we went on a hike and were joined by a friendly, smart little dog who kept us company the whole time. The boys loved him and obeyed us not to touch him. It sparked something in both Ster and I. We had already planned to get a dog when we retire from the military and have our own land. But on this particular hike we started entertaining the idea of getting a dog when we are done traveling and move back to America.
The idea of a dog for our little boys was so fun that it kept coming back into our minds.

On a walk on day I saw a dog I thought was kind of cute. So we went home and looked up different breeds of dog and I decided that Beagles are the cutest in the world. I want a small dog, Ster wants a big dog. We decided that a big dog is good for when we retire.

All of a sudden we wanted a dog, a beagle! Sterling downloaded a book Beagles For Dummies. We are learning about how to take care of them and what we will have to go through with a dog.
We took the boys to a pet store a few days ago. We saw a few cute puppies. We found out how much it would cost and how long it would take to get a beagle puppy in. Two weeks it would take. We have a family vacation schedule in just over that amount of time. So we asked the pet people if they would get us the puppy in time to get it after our vacation. They said they'd order it and take care of it until we could pick it up.

We made the decision. We put a down payment on a puppy.

We are so excited to add a new member to our family! So excited that we've lost all our homesickness. God works in mysterious ways.
I am so thankful He is watching out for us. Who knew that a puppy would fix our homesickness? Who knew Sterling and I would out of the blue decide to get and love a dog !

Our lifestyle is perfect for a little dog right now. We go out and walk the neighborhood often (and will be happy to walk it more often when we have a dog). We hike often (and will more often once we have a dog). I am home all day every day while Ster is at work, so the dog won't get lonely. And our two little boys, we believe, will be great with a puppy/dog.

Our friends the Mangles recently got a puppy. They didn't have it for long. Their little girls were loving it to death. The puppy would hide from them and resented them. They had to sell the puppy.

Sterling and I believe our boys won't cuddle and squeeze the puppy too much. They will like to pet it and run by it. We've seen them with dogs and they are boys so they don't do the squish cuddle as much as girls.

It is perfect because I was wishing I could borrow someone's dog for a few hours on Ty's birthday (August 19th) because I knew he would have most fun with a puppy. Ty is turning 2 years old so his interests are limited. He likes Classical Baby Music dvds, his binky and blanky, playing with his brother, the tv show Yo Gabba Gabba, real cars and dogs.  When Luke was a baby and a toddler he was obsessed with lights. He had to point out all the lights he noticed. Even at age 2 and into the beginning of his 3rd year he annoyed us with his constant pointing out lights and saying "light!"
Well, Tiberias likes to point out cars. Granted, he does it nowhere near as often as Luke did with lights. Oh, and he loves motorcycles. He wants a motorcycle...at age 1!

Our vacation...we are going for a few days to stay on the beach. For our 5th anniversary Sterling got us a motor-home on the beach. It is going to be awesome! A fun family vacation. Then we'll come back and get our puppy.

The puppy is our anniversary gift to each other. Luke didn't get a lot of gifts from us for his birthday and Ty won't either. Christmas this year will be small. All so we can have this puppy.
The truth is that our boys are so young we don't spend much money on them for their birthdays because they get gifts from friends and are too young to realize they might only be getting a few things. They don't ask for more or wish they got more. So we give them less. Plus, their toys room is full and have extra toys upstairs (and that's not even "spoiled" these days). 

Sterling and I are happier than ever. Our marriage is strong. He is my best friend and I am his. How did I get so lucky?!