GRADUATION

So, not to toot my own horn or anything, but I (finally) graduated from college yesterday. (I say finally because the last 4 1/2 years have seemed like TWENTY.)
I earned my bachelor degree in health care systems administration, and I was SO excited to be done! We had a small get-together at the apartment afterwards... I forgot to get the camera out until after Uncle Rod & Aunt Joy left, but here are some pictures.

(The baby was definitely the center of attention for a lot of the time!)

(Nate & Kyle were teaching Jonah how to play Little Big Planet...)

(It is extremely hard to get both kids to look @ the camera!!)
(Now Kate is learning!)

GEORGIE!

If you weren't aware, I am graduating next week. (Which, if you've talked to me recently, would be hard not to be aware of, since it's one of the only things I can talk about lately.)
If you weren't aware, Christmas is in two weeks. (... I don't know how this could come as a surprise, given the stores have been advertising it for two months, and the fact that us Michiganders just got a couple truckloads of snow dumped on every square foot of the state.)

Due to these fantastic events, my husband decided I could have a dog for Christmas/graduation. (Seriously, isn't he the best husband EVER?)

I have been oogling over puppies/dogs on the shelter website for a few weeks, changing my mind every day or so on what adorable, sad-looking puppy I wanted. (Note that all dogs were being called puppies at this point.)

I convinced Nate last week that we should go to the shelter TODAY, the 11th, to get the puppy. We were originally thinking tomorrow (Saturday), but I want to go visit my parents Sunday, so we decided to give the dog time to get used to us and the house before took a road trip.


Last night, once last time, I checked out the shelter website. There were two VERY cute coonhounds there--a red, and a brown/black. The red was older (a few years?) and the black/brown was 4 months. A little younger than we wanted, but he just looked so SAD. I promised Nate I would consider all the puppies though!


When we got there, we saw the black/brown coonhound first. It was basically love at first sight! I wanted to take him home right away! He was super adorable, and so sweet! I checked out the other dogs (the red coonhound was gone), and I was slightly tempted by an adorable spaniel mix. He was very sweet too, but I had to take the hound. :)

His name is George, and he is the sweetest dog I've ever met. He is pretty shy, and was scared at first. He's quickly getting used to his new home though!

(Although he seems to be afraid of heights... won't go up or down our stairs, I've had to carry him every time. He's 40+ pounds, and just shakes in my arms. Tomorrow I'm going to try the trip w/ treats, and see how well that goes.)


And we are discovering he kinda snores... which actually just increases his adorable-ness right now!