The newest addition to our menagerie, Seamus, a rat terrier/Corgie mix, adopted yesterday:

I can't even believe I'm thinking seriously about this, but having a second dog around might really help Gryffin to stop chewing up so much stuff and using the kids as chew toys. We organize doggy play dates for him right now, because he NEEDS to be aggressive or he chews on the children. LOL! He is SO much more well-behaved after a doggy playdate, too.
So, we are looking at possibly getting a second dog. Not a lab, but probably a rat terrier.
(Feel free to think I'm crazy. I do. ;) )

Adding to the menagerie, we are now proud owners of Fletcher, a 10-month-old Lionhead Rabbit! He's very, very cute. He's fawn-colored with gray ears.

Apparently he was a rescue bunny -- the breeder (my cousin) was going to feed him to birds of prey, since his ears are gray (which they call "smut") and he wasn't show-quality, so his sister (my cousin Kim) rescued him and took him home for her husband's niece... but the niece's dad said no. So, she kept him until now, and then we (the suckers) said we'd take him.

But he was free, and came with a hutch, a carrying cage, and food/vitamins/litter ... so, what's another animal in our zoo? ;)

Hannah named him Fletcher after Mundungus Fletcher in Harry Potter. (His previous name was Derek or BabyBuns).

Fletcher:

Gryffin tested positive for Parvo this morning -- in spite of having been vaccinated twice against it. (He's been sick since Saturday and we've had him at the Vet twice since then). He has about a 60% chance of pulling through, the vet estimates.

I can't believe this ... but we are the owners of another Yellow Lab!

Since the loss of Grady two days ago, we have been grieving pretty hard. I still see him everywhere. Mark misses him terribly. But we had resolved never to have another dog.

Then, a friend, Loarn, mentioned to Mark that he has a yellow lab puppy he needs to find a home for (AKC-registered, from his controlled-hunting guide dogs). We prayed about it and think it was a God-incidence, so we bit the bullet and picked up a VERY SMELLY puppy. He was born March 8, 2007, so he is 3 months old. We immediately bathed him. He looks very different than Grady, in spite of being the same breed; he's darker, with a longer nose.

We named him Gryffin, Gryff for short; Gryffindor's Magic for his "official" name.

Our 13.5-year-old lab Grady, who was an important member of our family, is gone. :`````( He suffered a stroke on Saturday evening, and this morning had to be put to sleep by the vet. There was nothing more we could do. All of my family is heartbroken, but most especially my son, who is sobbing inconsolably. I'm so grateful for all of your prayers for my family and I know it probably seems ungracious to ask for more, but we need them anyway. Thank you.

Hannah: Where would we be without thumbs?

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Hannah: "Mom, we played Bible Trivia today at school and there was a question about that Asparagus guy. It asked his first name. Do you know what it is?

Me: "Hannah, there is no asparagus in the Bible."

Hannah: "Yes, there is! You know, Judas Asparagus?"

Me, trying hard not to laugh: "You mean, Judas Iscariot?"

Hannah: "Well, whatever."

Me, in church, whispering to Hope: "Oh, rats; we forgot to pick up a missalette."

Hope, confused: "Who is Mrs. Letts?"

"Grady is following me like I'm made of meat!" Hope exclaimed, with our yellow labrador right behind her.

The kids just watched the movie "Sky High" this morning, and were discussing super powers.

"I know what my amazing power is," Hannah said. "I'm Latch-Hook Girl! I have the power to do any latch-hook in three minutes!"

"Sidekick!" Mark said.

"What about the baby?" Hannah said. "Rotten Baby, with the power to be really rotten! Pooper baby, with the power to poop!"

Destined to be sidekicks -- er, hero support.

These are the states I've visited... only 17. I wish we could travel more!

Overheard: Elizabeth, playing with her Noah's Ark playset...

"Cock-a-doodle doo!!!!"

"Shut up, woosters!"

Hope: Hannah, Noah is wearing your bunny slippers.

Hannah: I don't care.

Hope: But you'll get boy germs!

Hannah: TAKE 'EM OFF!

Dad: Don't ever sit on my lap, then.

Hannah: That's all right, Dad... boy germs stop at high school graduation. I still like you.

"Remodeling is my middle name!" Hannah exclaimed.

We're not sure why.

"Hannah, let's take it from the top," Hope said, in all seriousness, as they were "rehearsing" a song they wrote called, "Milk and Cookies For Santa."

Hope: It's so cold in here Hannah has goosebumps!

Noah: Let me see them! Hannah, let me see your goosebumps!

Hannah: Those aren't new; I've had them for two years.

Ummmmm... maybe we need to turn the furnace up a little bit?

Elizabeth: I wish I could have a rocket ship to fly up to the moon and see all the awiens.

Mom: I don't think there are any aliens on the moon, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: I know! I could order a rocket ship for Christmas, one that has fire to blast off. Orange fire, not red fire.

"Hold me... I'm so tired," Elizabeth said to me.

I hugged her tight.

"No, hold me so that my legs are not on the ground," she clarified.

Noah: Give me back my hat!

Elizabeth: SHELLFISH!!!!!!!

(she meant "selfish." We think.)

Noah came in and gave me a very big, very sweet hug.

"Noah, hugging me isn't going to get you out of cleaning your room," I said.

"Oh," he said, frowning.

Hannah: You would have to be pretty smart to outsmart me.

Hope: Lizzie is being a real pain in the thorax.

During kid wrestling practice, an exuberant Noah ran over to me and announced, "Mom! We don't HIT in wrestling!"

After eating most of the piece of cherry pie she requested, Elizabeth said she was finished. I saw on her plate that she had left about six cherries.

"Why aren't you eating the cherries in the pie, Elizabeth?" I asked.

"I don't like cherries," she said.

"Well, you asked for cherry pie," I reminded her. "There are cherries in cherry pie."

"I know, but I don't like cherries," she reasoned.

I guess I can't argue with her logic.

"Dad, do you remember that time you broke a plate?" Noah asked at dinner tonight. "That was a LONG, long time ago... in a galaxy far, far away!"

Elizabeth: Mom, my throat hurts!

Noah: No, it doesn't, Elizabeth.

Elizabeth: Yes it does! You're making me have a headache!

Mark caught Elizabeth sneaking another snack this morning.

"Little girl, you're just one big snack, aren't you?" he said to her.

"Yes, I sneak snacks, every day of America," Elizabeth replied.

Elizabeth: "Noah, will you give me a Super Wedgie?"