The Perfect Compromise

Grant and the girls have wanted a dog for sometime. My answer has always been the same, "NO WAY!" I am not a real animal person to begin with. In addition to that, I have 5 young kids! And I know I would end up taking care of the animal. Plus, we are gone so much that it would be unfair to the animal. We ended getting 5 fish about a year ago. I refuse to touch the tank at all, except to feed them every once in a while.

Anyway, our friend Eileen ended up needing a babysitter for her dog, so she could go home for 5 weeks during Christmas (her husband is in Iraq.) I thought, what a perfect opportunity to try it out. The first week, everyone was so excited about the dog, including me-- I must admit. I thought, this isn't as bad as I thought. After the 5 weeks were over, I was done. Grant and Riana did a good job taking care of things but Grant and I both decided we are not ready for a dog. I did talk to Eileen and let her know that anytime she needs a dog-sitter again, to give us a call. She was happy to hear that. So the perfect compromise is that we can have a dog for a few days a year, that way the girls can have a bit of that experience but when we are tired we can give her back. I highly recommend dog-sitting to anyone who is thinking about getting a dog.

PS- I have to say that "Sally" was a really good dog! Here are some pictures of the fun we had with her. Riana loved Sally and missed her when she left, more then anyone. Sariah enjoyed her too. Tierra and Karina went from being terrified to loving her a little too much. The dog was even good with Aurora. We sure had fun! Riana calls the last picture "Elvis Dog."