My speed demons

We took the boys to a baseball field and let them run around like crazy. Against the rules? Yes. Do I care? Nope. Not when it is the only way to get Big Jack some exercise. Below is the fun that followed.

Rejection is hard

We have had 5 applications for Jack.

Every one of them has rejected him. 

Without even meeting him none the less! They hear the words he needs supervision when outside and they immediately say thanks but no thanks. I think he's about to develop a complex. (Who am I kidding? He's so laid back, like he cares.) It's hard on his foster mom, that's for sure. Because I have time to get to know these babies so well and know their personalities, it's hard when they reject him without even getting a chance to meet him. I know if they did he would win them over immediately. I'm just trying to be honest and set real expectations when I tell them about his escapist tendencies. That's what I'm supposed to do as the FM right? What exactly is the balance between honesty and selective information sharing? Each rejection gets harder and harder. Especially when you look into those big liquid brown eyes that just want love and acceptance. That's all he asks, why can't someone overlook his one fault and give him a chance? I'll tell you one thing. Fostering is not easy on the heart. I'll get more pics of the boys tonight, hopefully.

Big Boy Jack

We've got a new man in town. I know that I've said that I will blog about this big hunk like 4 times now. Well here it is. 

Jack is our 3ish years old black lab from IA. Just in case you do live under a rock, IA has had severe flooding the last week or so and over 2000 animals have been abandoned across Eastern IA. Big Jack was a stray in a shelter that was flooded and they were forced to euthanize their animals. So Big Jack got to go for a

 boat ride and car ride and came to hang out with us. (Thanks Kim. C for saving this big lug!) 

He and Cody were at odds for awhile but now they just like to play and wrestle uncontrollably. Of course with my weakness for black labs I wanted to keep him, but DH doesn't share the same sentiment. But in the long ru

n that's probably ok. Big Jack is the sweetest, most cuddliest doof that I have ever met. DH calls him a throw rug because he will just toss all 4 legs out on both sides and pass out in the middle of the floor. He did come with two giant ear i

nfections and two water-born diseases from hanging in the flood waters, but those are about his only faults. Aside from being able to climb my 5 foot chain link fence. That story deserves its own post though. Without further adieu....Big Jack!

So happy to be in a home!

If you look closely you can see Cody's foot on the left...

My Dutchie found a home!

My beautiful Dutchie found her furever home! This is always a happy yet bittersweet time when this happens. 

a. It's happy because she's found a home where she will be loved forever and will never have to know what it is like to be at the end of chain eating off of the ground again.

b. I'm sad because I was beginning to really fall in love with my giant princess. 

One of, if not the only, pitfalls to fostering I suppose. Other than that it is something I don't think I will ever give up. (Although ask me in a couple years when I have a two-legged kid running around...) Seeing the pure, unbridled joy of Dutchess running around with her new fur-brother in her fabulous backyard and giant house (I wanted them to adopt me too) brought tears to my eyes. When we went back to the big green Element, we could hear her whining for us. Needless to say DH had to take a few seconds to console me as I drove home with tears in my eyes. 

But for all the heartache that fostering gives me, nothing can compare to the feeling of helping a scared furry munch-kin to find their new road in life and never have to worry about pain or loneliness again. That is the greatest gift that I can ever ask for. 

Now for the next one....