Frankie

Finding our Bulldog may have taken a back seat to our 

beautiful long neck girl, Gwin, when I came across the random 

"horse" ad under "dogs" on the pet finder 

while searching out your Dad's dream dog in March.

Although he has wanted a bulldog for... ever, 

he has most adamantly insisted on it during the past 6-8 months. 

And although we had decided never to have three dogs 

at the same time again, he uses his cuteness and reasoning 

to smooth over my ridges and convince me it would be for the best. 

"We have such a large house now, and so very few of us to occupy it. 

Look at all the land we own. 

We're so much smarter about dogs than we were 10 yrs ago. 

We always have Jeff to help. 

We love dogs so very much. 

Think of all the joy we get from the two we have? 

They're perfect and they would LOVE a new brother..." 

Oh yeah. It's like that. Over time, it wears your Mom down. :) 

It's October. And it was my heart, after God lead us to Gwin 

instead of a "Frank" in March, 

to have this dog thing nailed down for your Dad 

-for our family, by his Birthday. 

In the past month, I had gotten a surprising agreement that 

a Chihuahua (hardly a full dog) would satisfy in place of 

the bulldog that we both determined would be far too expensive 

and could be too risky, health wise.

Although I never really stopped looking periodically for our boy, 

I was on an avid hunt for the much less expensive, 

much teeny tinnier, Chihuahua. 

I dug and I searched, and I prayed for God's hand. 

For His provision, open and closed doors, confirmation. The usual. 

Only a couple of weeks in and I had found 

plenty of what I was looking for. 

But nothing that was ours. 

And then, yesterday I found Frankie. 

He is 7 weeks 5 days old, today. 

He is an English Bulldog x Boston Terrier. 

The hybrid we had looked for months ago and couldn't find much of, 

not to mention those prices! 

In the way that our dream Pug, Yuki, is mixed with Boston Terrier, 

breeding out the health issues that come with all that inherent pudge, 

Frankie is safe in the same taught genetic make up 

of a much less wrinkly mess of a guy. 

He will also be quite a bit smaller 

- which was the original hope, but mini-bulldogs double 

the already astronomical price of an English Bully. 

Which was not happening.

Though, Frank has an adorable squishy face, 

is as young as you can get a pup, 

and is priced at half what a normal English Bulldog costs, 

it was actually the name that sealed the deal for me. 

It has always been known that if a French or English Bulldog 

came into our home, he would be Frank or she would be Frankie. 

What were the odds that this perfect pup was already 

fittingly named just for us? :)

When I called Sue, the breeder, she got back to me within the hour. 

She not only answered well the usual questions, but she is GOOD. 

I loved her story, her breeding situation, 

how she spoke of her family, her pets...

While located quite a distance from us, as most of our pets have been, 

Frankie is the second farthest, being all the way in Dubuque, Illinois. 

But we have a plan set in motion. 

Sue, is graciously meeting us in Madison 

(where we will of course sneak in a visit with the S family) 

on Monday, the 8th. 

That is in FIVE DAYS!!!

I'm amazed at the other small but impossible 

confirmations I have received. 

We won't be able to surprise your Dad 

the way we'd hoped, for his birthday. 

This was too big of a decision not to include him in it. 

There's no point in getting him his dream dog if it's not. 

Hearing the whole story and taking one look at Frankie, 

your Dad was so in love he started doing that overly rational 

saving-his-heart-for-the-very-moment-he-holds-his-new-bundle-in-his-arms

thing he did when he found out that you were coming. 

It looks something like tear brimmed denial.

And since everything fell into place so easily and beautifully, 

I'm awake at 4:30a and can not fall back to sleep. 

The excitement of a new baby in the air is far too much for slumber! 

I can not wait for you and I to bring our little one home! 

"Frankie"

SO SWEET

Here is a pic of Frank's Mama

(a stunning resemblance to our Melvin)

And here is Frankie's gorgeous Champion Bread Papa

 This is what a grown English Bulldog/Boston Terrier 

(with a lot more facial markings than Frankie) looks like.