It is Time. Day 89.

There’s never the perfect time to have a baby, just like there’s never a good time to add any member to the family, including the non-human kind.

Our pups are all pushing ten years old, which means they are a little slower than they used to be. It takes nothing away from their majestic spirits, but I’d love to add a new member to the pack while the ones who live here now are spry enough to show them the ropes.

Yankee, our old man who passed many years ago, trained Gisele and kept Zoeeee in her place. She was a late rescue of ten months, so she needed extra time to relearn. We used to joke about her because I would say, “Where’s Zoeeee?” and Sammy would always reply with, “She’s right next to you.”

She was always so close to me while we walked the property in Massachusetts that I never saw her in my peripheral. What a loyal friend she was. I miss my girl. Although she passed three years ago, I still cannot look at video of her.

We have opened our minds to adopting a pup. We talked as a family and all agree to put in the effort it will take to integrate a dog with our others and our cats. There’s always someone home during the day and we have the perfect property for it. We also have vowed to employ our patience because adding a new member to the family takes quite a lot.

We’re excited and nervous to take this next step. We are familiar with German shepherds and know their quirks and needs. They are unlike other breeds of dogs, requiring more attention and sometimes more vet visits. They’re stubborn, even more than I am, but once they latch on, they are forever friends who offer devotion and so much love. It’s what we know, though, so we are opening our minds, and our hearts, to adopting. Although it will be a gift to us as a family, we also know it will be a true blessing to her, and for that we are grateful.