We named the dog Indiana...

Internet, I would like to introduce you to the newest member of our family.

Meet Indie.*

She is an 11-week-old chocolate lab.  And she is ours.

I never thought I would have a dog with all three of my children living at home.  Remember this?  Having one and then having to give it back three days later was pretty traumatic on all of us.  I had resigned myself to the fact that I would get a dog as soon as McKay was out of the house on his mission.

Lord knows I'll need something to console myself.  I'm a wreck just thinking about him leaving in two short years.

Hannah and I would frequently spend hours looking at what I've dubbed "puppy porn."  Image after image, we would drool over squishy, wrinkled, silky pups -- dreaming of one day having one of our own.  I had made my peace.

Then, a month or so after Christmas, McKay came to me.  He was discouraged and sad and said, "Mom, I would rather be miserable for two years than miss out on this."

My heart broke for him.  Knowing how alienated it would make him feel, how apart from the experience we were all sharing.  But yet how could I bring a dog into the home again?

Josh and I talked about it for days.  McKay has really seemingly grown out of the worst of the allergy.  He has spent the night at friends' homes who have dogs, and come home fine.  He has hung out with friends and their dogs and had no reaction.  But if we did this thing and he reacted, how would we all survive losing another pet?

Knowing that our home here is wood floor throughout the main level, and vowing to keep the carpeted upstairs dog-free, we felt better about it.  Plus, living in a climate that is mild enough to house the dog outside if need be, we decided to take the plunge.

It is simultaneously the most amazing and annoying thing we've ever had in our lives.  She is adorable, crazy, wild, sweet, and hilarious.  Every single one of us is in love.

And the best part?  McKay has done FINE.  If he plays with her and then touches his eyes, he will react and get red.  But if he washes his hands after playing, there is no reaction.  He has done beautifully.  We are so relieved and thrilled.

In spite of her inability to not chew on every surface (including us), she has quickly become an important part of the family.  

We can hardly remember a life without her in it.

*The name was a bit of a compromise.  Let's just say that finding a name that all five of us agreed on was a tear-inducing, unhappy process (mostly for Hannah).  We wanted a name with meaning to our family, but yet one we could all be happy with.  The boys refused anything remotely girly or "food" related (i.e., Coco, Muffin, etc.).  Sadly, almost all Hannah's picks were food related or girly.

The Husband's top pick was Brown Dog.

Which, coincidentally, was my least favorite name in the history of names of all mankind forever and ever.  And ever.  Amen.

We opted (finally!) for Indie, which is short for Indiana Jones.  One of our favorite family activities is to watch a movie together on the weekends.  We all love the Indiana Jones movies, and have quoted the line for years from the third one where Sean Connery, in his best Connery-intonation, says, "We named the dawg Indiana."  

So.  We named the dog Indiana.

And we will never be the same again.