We spent 15-20 min with Vladimir outside. He was very calm, but we had intentionally decided before going we’d check him out but not do anything until we’d ‘slept on it’ & my dad came home on Sat afternoon & could give us his opinion. It was very hard to leave him. We went to Anchorage to pick up something for Matt, went to Bear’s Tooth to watch Night at the Museum, Battle of the Smithsonian movie, then to Barnes & Noble for an hour to read all we could on Husky’s. We did buy a collar & leash, to make it seem more real. When we got home I was checking different listings again & found a another dog – a light colored sheperd/lab/husky mix…but it was female & a 5 month old puppy! I called on it, but someone else was set up to look at her, I gave my name & number – they’d call if the others didn’t take the puppy.

So, we set up to meet dad at the pound on his way home from the airport – 6pm. Vince had decided he didn’t really want Vladimir, but wanted to show Bumpa what a nice dog he was. He was leaning towards holding out for a Golden Retriever & being able to name it himself, but not sure he wanted to wait that long either. Vince was getting concerned that I’d change my mind or we ‘just wouldn’t get around to it’ – ‘it’ being, getting him a dog. He had to come to grips with the fact he had no reason to not trust me for my word & sometimes it’s hard to wait for God’s best, not what we think is best. We had discussion on how I’ve been praying about this & I knew without a doubt God had the perfect dog waiting for him. How we’d have to not jump & grab just any dog out of fear of the idea going away, but to really be deliberate about what we really wanted for life. When we got to the pound, Dad had gotten there a couple minutes before us. (Now, if you know my dad at all you’ll know why we responded the way we did. If you don’t know my dad, just know we have a lifetime of good reason.) The first thing he said was “Why didn’t you tell me about the Golden back there?” I answered with, “because there isn’t one”. He said “no, seriously there is a 1 yr old, male, white Golden back there, I was just there & saw it.” I thought – yeah, right a ‘white’ golden?! come on, I’m not going to fall for that! Well, after a bit of convincing on my dad’s side & me deciding it must be because he must not be available for adoption (I’d checked the system again to see if there was anything just before leaving to go to the pound) – he took us to the white Golden Retriever…. A 1 yr old, male, not named, Golden Retriever…oh, how I wish I’d had my camera. I have a mental photo, but couldn’t ever begin to describe the look on my boy’s face. I should have known…my dad has gone to the pound 3 times to get a Golden Retreiver & there’s been one each time! The story on this dog – someone had come & dropped him off in the pound’s night drop box. They’d called & asked why it wasn’t listed on the system & the pound was saying they didn’t have him. Finally, the original owners said “we put him in the green night drop shed, behind your building”, but that isn’t the night drop anymore so no one had gotten him out, so this puppy was without food or water for 3 days. They’d just gotten him on Friday & we have to wait 5 days before he becomes available for adoption (why he wasn’t in the system yet), but we were able to put a deposit on him & tomorrow we’ll go pay the rest. Since it was the owners that brought him in & called to get him found, we’re figuring they won’t come claim him… Thursday he’ll go to be neutered & we can pick Hickory up Thursday afternoon. Dad & Vince have started working on where the kennel will be and know where they’ll be putting the run. This is real – in just 48 short hours, Vince will have his own dog. I’m sure this a process he will remember for the rest of his life & he will always know and be convinced – God is in the details of our lives, big & small.

I have come a long ways, there was a day I wouldn’t have let this go. It was truly ugly, in a cute kind of way…I loved Mary’s explanation – it’s a stone washed, well-worn label! Once I had that in mind it was OK. I am blessed, I feel younger now than when he was born. Life is good & my boy has successfully turned 12!