Days Away...and a New Dog

So, there are quite a few exciting things around here. I'm not able to share them all quite yet. But, here are the first three...enough for tonight. :)

1) I am getting the wonderful opportunity to spend this weekend in Atlanta at the Created 4 Care Retreat for adoptive moms.

I don't even think I realize yet how MUCH I need this. It's going to be such a blessing, and I know I will get to sit with so many moms I respect and admire, and I will come back refreshed and encouraged and challenged and hopeful...and READY to have my baby home!!!!

But, sadly, this gift of getting away is not because I signed up in the first 4 minutes, like 400 other moms did. Because I actually didn't. I never even planned on going.

But, my sweet, dear friend, Heather, who DID sign up months ago, found out heartbreaking news right before Christmas....that her mom has cancer. And, she can now not go to the conference she was signed up for.

She has so graciously offered me her place. And, I am so grateful for the opportunity to be there, although I wish she wasn't walking through this, and I wish she was still getting to be at Created 4 Care instead of me.

{Will you PLEASE join me in praying for Heather and her family, and especially her sweet mom? Thank you.}

2) And the very NEXT weekend, I am leaving again {this is not a usual thing for this homebody mommy!} for the second annual Hope Mommies retreat!

You may remember this awesome blessing from last year, where I spent 3 days with other moms who have had to say goodbye to their babies here on earth, and hold on to the hope of seeing them again someday in heaven. So, this year I know that God has big things in store for all of us, as we worship together, talk together, remember together, and hope together. Erin, my friend and hero, and creator and founder of Hope Mommies, has been hard at work putting together an incredible weekend, and I can hardly wait to hug these dear women.

I don't consider it to be a "good thing" to have 3 new mommies who are personal friends or friends from ACU joining me this year. It's not a good thing to have said goodbye to your sweet baby. But, I am feeling blessed that we will have this time to visit, uninterrupted, and just rest and relax and share our hearts in this beautiful, quiet place.

I am leading a breakout group for mommies who have other children at home, and I look so forward to this time together! It is my prayer that from the healing God has given me, I will be able to share with others who are hurting so. Thank you, Lord, that you bring beauty from ashes.

{Please be praying for the Hope Mommies who will be gathered for this time away too!}

3. And....exciting event #3!! WE GOT A NEW DOG!!!

To those who knew our "old Annie girl", as she is now called, you know that she could never ever be replaced. (These pics are from the day we had to say goodbye...)

She was the perfect dog for us, and was loved and adored by her three girls.

Annie took such good care of our kids, and was with us for 10 years. After putting her to sleep in August, we had really decided we were okay with having no dog. {Okay, Mark and I decided that. The girls were never on board.}

But, I had a short lapse in judgment and got on Golden Retriever Rescue's site about a month ago, just to SEE what might be there. And, that's where I saw her.

Annie.

I mean, not only did she look JUST like her. Her name REALLY was Annie.

But, this idea was met with a quick "NO" from the hubby. So, I dropped it and never told the girls.

Fast forward to last week. Kendyll and Carlie are flipping through a big book on animals during our lunch break, and they decide to google pictures of each one. Well, they google "Golden Retrievers", and what do you think comes up?

Golden Retriever Rescue.

And, I'm sure you know what happened next.

Kendyll starts squealing and jumping and yelling "Mommy, mommy, mommy!" To which I calmly and sweetly say "Yes, dear?" Ha ha. Not really. I told her to calm down or I wouldn't listen. :)

She starts telling me about Annie. "She is 8 years old, Mom. She loves kids, she is housetrained, she looks JUST like our old Annie, and she has SEIZURES, MOM!"

Umm, okay.

"Mom, she NEEDS a home. She has SEIZURES! We have to get her!"

We go downstairs to eat lunch and Mark joins us for a bit. They start telling Daddy all about it. And, it quickly goes south. He starts lecturing about the needs of a dog...who will scoop the poop?...do you know how much dog food costs?...we don't need another dog...you know, GUY responses. Just about anything you can think of that totally puts a damper on the whole idea.

And, as you can imagine with three girls who are desperately wanting a new puppy to LOVE...the tears start flowing.

I mean, red streaked faces, puffy eyes, and gasps for breath kind of cries. Kendyll even went and hid in her closet, she was so upset.

So, Mark talked to his almost TEN year old about this response and asked her if she thought this would be the way to get a dog. She realized that this probably wasn't the most effective strategy and she re-grouped---with her sisters---after apologizing to Daddy for being out of control.

They spent the next 3 hours in Kendyll's room. We were told we could not come out of our bedroom until they said so.

And, when we came out, I was just blown away with what I saw. I started laughing hysterically when I saw this hobo village for dogs that had been created, complete with cardboard signs.

"We are so sad. We need homes. We are starving. No one loves us. Please help the puppies. Poor little guys. Have a heart." {my personal favorite}

All the dogs were inside the boxes with wadded up trash, empty water bowls and no food.

Then, the program starts.

Carlie sings "Amazing Grace". Kendyll sings "Jesus is Tenderly Calling". Abby Kate sings "Please oh please can we have Annie". I really can't even express the hilarity of it all. We did video the entire thing, so we'll never forget. :)

Oh, and I didn't mention that they wore prom clothes for the presentation. Complete with tiaras.

Then, Kendyll read the speech written by the three girls, all about what it means for an orphaned dog to find a home. She appealed to her parents' hearts with the whole orphaned and abandoned thing first. Then, she explained why Annie should be our puppy and how they will take care of her, and what an opportunity this is for them to show responsibility. They even offered to buy the dog food.

HILARIOUS! And, there was a poster--that still hangs in our living room---where OLD ANNIE herself endorsed this adoption!

Her paw print and signature was included. :)

I had to rush out to a meeting, but Mark was left with the end of the show, and with the decision of what to do next. He knew what I would say. {YES.}

So, next thing I know, I get a text from Kendyll:

Online adoption application is done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We WANT ANNIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The next day we were contacted by the rescue center, and three days later, we had our adoption appointment.

The Batchelors got to join us for the meeting, and it was love at first sight for EVERYONE.

There were tears of joy from Carlie, as she met her new Annie Girl.

It has been so fun to watch these girls just love on Annie, and become her best friends in just a matter of days.

She looks SO much like our old Annie, that it's almost freaky. And, the whole same name thing is just CRAZY!

But, some things are different. Like the seizures. This is something we didn't expect, since they told us she hadn't had any since the first week the foster family had her (two months ago). So far, she's had one every day she's been at our house.

I have alot more to share about that later...it has been a deeper experience for me than just caring for a dog. But, that is a whole other post.

I have learned alot from this little orphaned dog. It is so obvious she was abandoned and lived on the streets. She is nervous. She is fearful. She likes very small spaces where a Golden Retriever should not fit. And, she is desperate for love. As in, she does not leave my side.

I've really had some amazing realizations in the first 3 days with our little Annie, and I've actually thanked God for this little preparation He has provided for all 5 of us. We know this is "just a dog", but it has truly been deeper lessons than that for us...for what is coming into our lives sometime {hopefully} soon. More to come on that.

For now, I will close. And, go pack. And, go love on the dog who is sitting at my feet even as I type. :)