We took the plunge....

...we got a dog.

Some people that we have met here in Bishop fostered 5 puppies (they got them when they were a day old!) and the mom (instead of them being raised in the animal shelter). So, they asked if we would come over and help "socialize" them by letting Abel play with them. We had talked about getting a dog in the past, but Samuel and I really couldn't agree on what we wanted out of the pet and where the pet would be (inside or out) and other issues, so we had put it aside. However, this "socializing" opened the door again. We went once and neither one of us was really attached and Abel didn't know what to think of them, so we thought we wouldn't get one. However, we went again...that did us in! So, we now have a dog (btw, it is an inside dog...I win! :).

His name is Owen, he is about 9 weeks old. He is really doing very well. Better than I expected. He is pretty much potty trained (a lot faster than Abel...) and it was easy to get him to sleep in a kennel. He has woken up about 4 in the morning the last two mornings...so we will have to work on that.

Abel is slowly getting used to him. He isn't very tolerant of when Owen jumps on him and has come to me crying, "Owen is trying to fight me!" (it was hard not to laugh). I think once Owen calms down a bit then he and Abel will be great pals!


In other news....we have had no heat in our house for the last 2 weeks and will not have any until this coming Tues...usually not so bad in Bishop, but it has turned very cold recently. It has been down in the 40's in the morning (in our house) and gets to maybe 58-60 by the afternoon. We have a space heater in Abel's room and in the living room, which if you sit by those, it is quite pleasant...:) We are going to be getting a new wood stove this next week. The old one was not very efficient and also quite dangerous as it did not have a liner in the chimney or a pipe from the stove to the chimney, so a lot of creosote was building up (which is very flammable). The chimney sweep told us to keep a fire extinguisher by the stove and be ready for a chimney fire...so the church decided to get a new stove.:)

We are also taking a min-vacation soon. We are going to see Samuel's Aunt Margi in S. Cal. She is taking us to Disneyland (mine and Abel's first time!) and also (this is REALLY exciting!!) to Costco!! We will also get to go to a Walmart which is almost just as exciting. I know it sounds silly, but when you have to buy food in Bishop most of the time it is very exciting to go to less expensive places.

Samuel and a member from church cut down one of the big trees in our front yard this week...I am still listening to a chainsaw as I type. It was a fruitless mulberry and it was starting to rot in the middle. Very scary since it is very close to the house and pretty large, so who knew if a good wind would bring it down? Plus, we are getting some good fire wood!

That's it for now...I will take lots of pictures of Costco..I mean Disneyland. :) for you all!