Friday, Brad had the day off and so we embarked on a family adventure. We drove to Oklahoma to pick up our new puppy from her breeder. Meet Snickers (see below).
The drive to the Panhandle of Oklahoma took around 8 hours with stops. It was kind of fun making that drive, since we left early and the terrain was interesting (at least for me and Brad. The boys had their eyes glued to the movie screen or their DS screens the entire way.)
When we arrived, we met the breeder in the tiny town of Hardesty, picked out our puppy, then headed East another 2+ hours to Fairview, where we spent the night with Brad’s Uncle & Aunt. That drive was not nearly as fun with a crying puppy in the car. The next morning, we met another of Brad’s aunts for breakfast, then cruised around town for about an hour so Brad could see how much everything has changed since we were last there. We also wanted to show the kids where their Grandpa & Grandma grew up. After that, we drove another 6 hours (with many stops for puppies and boys) to get home on Saturday afternoon around 4pm.
That, folks, is the sum total of 17+ hours in the car in 2 days. With a crying puppy. And tired, fussy boys.
On top of that, the puppy howled all night the first night (I was up with her from 2:45am to sometime after 3), then last night, I lost count of how many times I took her out in the night.
So, the question I keep asking myself (and asked myself over & over again last night) is whether or not she is worth all this trouble. Because she is really a lot of trouble.
But here’s the thing. This year, my baby is heading off to Kindergarten. And if previous milestones are any indication, Momma’s gonna cry. Not just cry, but come home and ugly cry. And if, when I get home, I have my faithful companion waiting for me, it will help ease the pain. And if she is here to keep me company while I embark on a new phase of life, then the answer is yes. And if this puppy helps the boys learn that they are not the center of my universe, and maybe even a little responsibility along the way, then so much the better.
So bottom line is that yes, she’s worth it.
At least today, she’s worth it. But you might want to check back in tomorrow to see if I still feel the same way. 🙂
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