Our Life in the L.C.: Saying good-bye to an old friend, but welcoming a new one...

While we did eventually have to say good-bye to our old friend (and, possibly, my best friend), MiMi, she actually did stick around for longer than expected. It started with my birthday (which is clearly MiMi justified). We had a nice day – took Avery to gymnastics that morning and then we all went to my friend’s son’s 3rd birthday party. Both Avery and Alex had a great time.

Here she is about to swing at her first pinata. She was supposed to have a blindfold on, but was totally freaked out by it, so she was allowed to do it without one...

And, here is Alex sitting. Not crawling, not walking. Sitting. Someday....hopefully.

That night, Josh and I went out to dinner at the place that we went the night that he proposed, which was really nice. It was nice getting out just the two of us – we don’t do that nearly enough. Here we are all ready to go out on our big date...

That following Wednesday, I left for DC for a conference. It was a nice little getaway, but it was also nice getting back and seeing the kids. And this my friends is where MiMi and I said our goodbyes. From what I understand, she is having a wonderful time sightseeing in DC - maybe she'll come back someday soon...

This last weekend was Memorial Day weekend and the weekend that we got our new dog!!!!!!! We picked up Deacon in Putnam, Connecticut on Saturday afternoon.

This is me with him right after getting him off of the truck in CT

Here he is on his first walk on a New England beach. It is going to take some getting used to - he wasn't a huge fan of the rocks or the water, but he'll get there....

This organization that transports the dogs up here from the south is amazing. These guys start in Ohio, drive down and along the south coast picking up dogs and then drive up to New England to drop them off with their new adopted families. The trip takes them three days. I can’t even imagine having to deal with that many dogs – feeding, watering, walking, etc. for that long on the road. It really takes a special person. ANYWAY- he arrived safe and sound and has been awesome. He licked Alex’s toes the entire way home and sniffed Avery. The kids love him and he is great with him. He does still have a bit of puppy in him, which is evident given his totally spaz moments of sprinting through the house with a toy in his mouth playing tug a war with no one but himself. Avery has now been trained to just get up on one of the kitchen chairs when he starts this so that she isn’t trampled. It’s kind of comical, a pain in the ass, and scary all at the same time. Other than that, he’s great. Oh – except for the Barbie that he decided was his chew toy this morning- that wasn’t good. Avery doesn’t know about that one yet and I am not sure she will.

Sunday, we went to a fair at Avery and Alex’s future grammar school with Lindsey and her kids – Avery and Asher had a blast. Avery thought she died and went to heaven when she saw the big blow up slide (which, as it turns out, she was too short to go on, so we settled for the one where you ride on a burlap sack, which was equally as fun). That night, Lindsey and the kids came over for dinner and Josh played golf (see – I’m not the ONLY one with ME time).

Monday, we went to this great little zoo close to our house. It is small enough that you can get through the entire thing in about an hour. Perfect for kids.

Here is Alex on his first train (aka, a tiny little train with wheels that is driven around the zoo by this old lady who, by the way, insisted on spraying tick repelant all over her prior to the drive. One would think we were going into the woods? Nope. Pavement the entire way. Maybe they have different types of ticks who only live on cement in New Bedford, Ma? Odd) ride.