Happy 2012!

Well, this is it!

The Christmas gifts have been opened. The ball in Times Square has dropped. And here we are... holidays have come to an end, and normalcy is on its way to returning... whatever THAT means!

As for my family, we have much to celebrate! It has been a great time, appreciating family, making memories, etc. :) And on New Year's Eve, we welcomed a new addition into our home! :)

Introducing, our sweet Frankie:

It's funny how God works things out... and I believe He's behind all things... including the care of His tinier earthly creatures.  :)  His eye is on the sparrow, after all.

I had toyed with the idea of adopting another dog for a little while now, but hadn't "seriously" considered it.  I mean, really?  3 little boys... AND 3 dogs???  How much can one mommy handle???  

I had even come really close the week before Christmas, when KS1 and I had gone to the pet store to buy dogfood (for our 2 current mutts :).  There, we met an adorable puppy named Joy.  She was there with an organization called "Mostly Mutts."  They take in pregnant mommy-dogs, care for them, and find homes for the puppies.  Oh, I SO wanted to take her home with me!  I still have their business card in the cupholder in my van.  :)  But my logic outweighed my heart... which is good... or I may have ended up with FOUR dogs when all was said and done!

Because there was NO way I could say "no" to this sweet baby:

My husband sent me that pic in a text last week.  A friend of his from highschool is now a vet, and posted this picture on Facebook, looking for a home for this precious puppy.  It was love at first sight.

We scheduled to meet her, and the wonderful vet came in to meet us on her day off and introduced us to "Bailey."  She told us the story of how the family who owned her, brought her in with a crushed elbow and serious nerve damage throughout her leg (along with suspicious stories as to "how" it actually happened)...   The family didn't want to pay for her care.  They were going to put her to sleep, but our vet/friend rescued her, cared for her, and set out to find her a family.  About 30 minutes into our visit, we were driving home with our new family member.

It took her no time at all to fall in love with her new family.  :)  She just loves to be snuggled and loved.  And she LOVES our big back yard.  She also loves her new sisters, although our sweet Ellie is taking her time to adjust (which is definitely what we expected, considering her protective, jealous nature... but she has come a LONG way in a very short time).  They are ALL doing a great job!  My boys are making sure to pay lots of attention to ALL of their doggies, showing extra care and love every time they have the opportunity.  I'm really proud of them.

Oh... and we changed her name, in case you didn't catch that.  :)  We went through lists and lists of ideas before we had even met her.  Upon our introduction, they told us they'd been calling her Bailey, which I LOVED (it was even on my list)... but it sounded a little too close to Ellie, AND we needed a different first initial, so the search continued.  My sister met her, and came up with Frankie... because with all of her stitches, she's our little Franken-puppy.  :)  We all fell in love with it, except for KS3... but it grew on him.  :)  "Frankie" totally fits her fun-loving, bouncy, sassy personality.  It reminds me of the old Elvis movie, "Frankie and Johnny."  Hahaaa!  :)  Anyway, "Frankie" has stuck.

So, here we are... the beginning of 2012, and a new adventure for our family.  Who needs quiet and boring, right?... not THIS crew!  :)