Meet Francine Sparkles Halsted

I love dogs.  Specifically BIG dogs.  Ross and I told Amelia long ago that when she was seven she could have a puppy.  She never asked again.  Talked about it often- almost every day; but, she never asked us to change the age.  Never had to be reminded of the age.  Just always talked about that magical day when she turned seven and would get a dog.  That is the back story.  So, if everything is going great, buck the system, right?

For some reason, I just felt like she was ready and that we as a family were ready for a puppy.  I researched and researched.  Ross and I made lists and talked the issue to death.  We finally realized that although both of us love larger breeds, it wouldn't be a good choice for the girls, given their ages.  SO, we had to decide if we could handle a little dog.  We found the breed we thought was our answer and began looking.  I found a Havanese breeder right away and we just had to wait for our puppy to come home!

We surprised the girls and said we had an early Valentine's Day gift.  They were shocked.  Totally.  And I bawled.  It was just perfect and everyone was so happy and the girls were so surprised.  BEST DAY EVER!  They named her Francine Sparkles and this had Ross and I in stitches. But we had agreed that we would let them pick the name on their own and so we stuck with it.  As of today we have had her six days and Francine seems like a perfectly normal puppy name, haha.

We didn't need this dog to be happier.  She hasn't taken away me needing to discipline the girls or show more grace to Ross.  Francine Sparkles isn't a magical tool, nor is she a necessity.  However, she already has a special place in our hearts.  She is teaching the girls more about love.  She is showing us even more what a softie Ross is.  She is allowing me to loosen up my reigns a bit.  She is infusing smiles and laughter in every crevice of our day.  She is a blessing to us and we are delighted she joined our family.

Oh, and I am exhausted.   :)