Franklin Digory

Oh my! He's fantastic.

He has SO much character!

He's full of so much personality, 
gumption, fearless-caution, sweet cuddly lovingness, 
spurts of high energy countered with hours of log-like sleeping...

He is SO sweet. 

He lays on the wood floor instead of on rugs, blankets or dog beds 

(like he knows he'll be big one day). 

He loves EVERYONE. The dogs, the cat and the people.

He is not particularly careful in his surrounding, 
but very careful with hearts.

He's quite smart for his age.

He's very good about going potty outside. 
He already whines at the door! 
He's only whined to go outside and when left alone... 
and that actually sounds more like a velociraptor. :)

He shines for the camera, 

follows everyone's footsteps, 

and does NOT like being left completely alone, yet. 

Not to worry. No one cares to leave him alone.

He doesn't like his sling. 
He's warm, and he knows what will be cool and 
what it going to be stuffy and hot.

He loves Apple, who thinks he's her baby. 

He and Yuki are... taking their time. 
Yuki plays when he asks, but runs away when he wants to cuddle. 

They are both successfully sleeping in our bed.

Frank's first night, he slept halfway before he had to go potty outside. 
Then he slept until morning again. 
Last night, he slept THROUGH the night! :) 

We're having tons of fun enjoying the new "baby" of the house. 

The cuteness never ends.

(ps: this was on the ride home. 

otherwise he has never been closed into his kennel) 

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.

Seven!!!

On Saturday morning you and your Dad

went for your traditional breakfast 

followed by some fun at Sir Bounce A lots. 

I was grateful to have you out of the house

so I could get your Birthday Cookies made

in time for your party the next day.

It took a long time but it was so much fun!

And of course, you loved the Bouncy Houses.

_____________________________________________________

On Sunday morning, you and I 

went to A. Erika's and U. Robert's.

You and U. Robert fixed the squeak in the 

screen door on the porch, 

and then the two of you went fishing.

You caught a tree.

A. Erika and I drank our coffee on the porch 

listening to you and U. Robert yelling and laughing.

I'm so glad you have him -both of them- 

in your life. 

Once we were home, Jay showed up to 

play with you before the party.

You're Dad and I got the yard and deck ready

for the big birthday bash! 

We set up the long folding table with 10 places

for you and all your guests. 

We put out buckets and jars of fun:

cowboy hats, bandanas, sherif stars, mustaches,

and candy, candy, CANDY!!! 

We hoped to have everything set up so 

the "no-parents" party would run smoothly

with just he and I and Auntie Pam.

We had the cookies finished, 

the ice cream balled, sprinkled and 

frozen in cup cake papers,

and we had all the glass bottled sodas

on ice in the giant wheel barrow.

Everything was so cute and ready to go!

All of your friends arrived between 2:00 and 2:05.

They put mounds of wrapped presents and cards

on the gift table, and headed out to the woods to play.

A. Pam, Miss Kelly, Miss Teri, your Dad and I

all stood on the deck with no idea what to do. :)

So we decided to break out the treats, first!

What better way to get you all running back to the deck

than to yell "cookies and ice cream!" 

Everyone sang Happy Birthday to you, 

and you blew out your candle...

a few times. :)

Everyone loved their Birthday treats.

Even the Daddy. 

After the first sugar injection

we went to the side yard for

Sac Races.

Everyone had a blast racing.

All the kids won a prize for 

1st, 2nd, and 3rd places.

After the Sac Races, we all played

Catch the Flag.

This was a game that you played 

and LOVED at Summer School this year. 

You couldn't wait to get your own friends together

to enjoy a game of it in your yard.

It was very very fun!

After the games we opened gifts.

 It was great to watch all these special friends,

most of whom you've known for so long,

gather around you to see what you got 

and to share their gifts with you.

The girls were enjoying having some fun with you...

and of course, they were loving

to dress you up in your new black cat costume.

Next, everyone got their hats, bandanas, 

stars and mustaches on for pictures.

The group photos were fun,

funny,

crazy,

and

plentiful!

You sure have one zany group of pals!

Finally, it was time for the pinatas!

First, the horse...

and then the Lightening McQueen Car.

Everyone made a haul.

And those cowboy hats came in extra handy for scooping,

carrying, and storing all those goods!

The parents each picked their kids up

between 5:00 and 5:10

(some prompt folks we know).

 But we didn't want things to end quite so abruptly for you.

We knew you would enjoy playing 

with some of your gifts with a friend after the dust settled... 

so we arranged for your favorite girl,

Jaymee Glynn, to stay late.

It was such a great, crazy, and fun party!

I'm glad it's over. :) 

Another World

When I was a kid your Uncle Tony and I played outside a lot. 

We would imagine and create homes and worlds together. 

When we first moved to the country we would play in the front and side yards.

We'd gather "food and supplies" of all the discoveries 

we made on our adventures through the fields. 

We would sort and delegate our things. 

I would make meals and Uncle Tony would hunt and build.

When we got older we played more adventurously. 

With pretend weapons and our horse, in the fields, 

on the hill, through the water... 

We created dimensions, portals, good guys and bad guys.

When we got even older we set up the loft in our barn like a "hide out". 

We would sit up there and plan for the day when one of the 

boys would escape the boys ranch in our area. 

We were sure he would come to our house 

and we could stow him away in the loft. 

We could bring him food and whatever he needed. :)

I've been looking for new ways to play with you. 

There are things that would be the unspoken responsibilities of your sibling/s, 

if you had any, that I don't want you to miss out on. 

Like playing warriors in the woods, finding portals and escaping to new lands,

hunting and gathering and sorting all in make believe.

This week we started playing outside together 

like I did with your Uncle Tony.

(this was our new home before we "fixed it up")

I really believed it would be all for you.

I'm so amazed at how long Gra can play with you when she comes. I feel like I can only do 20-30 minutes of playing before I need to be an adult again.

But not in the woods!

I felt like a kid again.

We played for hours. I lost track of time.

We're creating an entire life and world.

We've made up all the plans and rules.

You think up different creatures and tell me which ones 

are safe and which ones you have to protect me from.

We've made weapons, started making our house, 

put up a shelf in the kitchen, gathered "healing plants" and "food".

You recently learned that if you had been a girl or ever had a sister, 

her name would have been Aeralon. 

I thought it was interesting and sweet that you chose the names 

Tony and Aeralon for our play names. 

The names of my brother and your would-be-sister. :)

Even Apple (Pixie the Shetland Unicorn) plays with us in our other world.

Each day, we check the weather and moan that it might rain.

We can't wait to get done with school so we can get

outside and play in our new world.

I love playing with you!!!