Meet Blossom!

SO...our July 4th weekend started off like most others. We went to the Montgomery Independence Day parade with friends...

Saw some fun floats and the kids got candy..

BUT THEN...we left a bit early...to go meet a very special...PUPPY! That's right, a dog! We had been thinking for many months now that we would like to get a family dog, and the kids were asking and asking (and asking). During the pandemic and virtual school, it felt like one thing too many, but the summer has been way more relaxed. And we couldn't put the kids off forever!

We submitted applications to multiple rescue organizations--some much stricter than others (e.g., you have to install a fence in your backyard before we'll even consider you)--but didn't hear back from most. One organization, however, had a great website, a clear and simple application and an efficient adoption process. AND...the dogs were so cute (OF COURSE)! We simply had to sit back and wait to see if the right fit was out there for us.

We thought for sure that we'd get a young dog (one to three years old), but then one evening, I saw this adorable face! Precious, right?! And the photo reminded us so much of when Beth adopted Panda as a pup!

And THIS face! I literally could see Sebastian's smile in her smile. 💓 And the description was essentially, "Mandi. Hound/Boxer mix. Four months old. Easy puppy." The post was barely an hour old.

I immediately got heart palpitations and thought, "I can't pass on this precious dog. Maybe she's for us! I have to at least try and see if we have a chance to get her. Surely someone else has already expressed interest!"

But, LUCKY for us, we were the first! And that gave us the right of first refusal. So we drove to meet her a few days later (straight from the parade)!

She was so sweet...

And calm...

And, well, we immediately fell in love. It was so exciting! 

We adopted her immediately. (And then frantically ran through PetSmart buying everything we would need for a puppy in 10 minutes flat!)

We first thought she would ride in the back of the car with the kids, but they were like the four stooges.

So then she moved to the front with Tony. 💙

And we spent the afternoon getting to know each other. So fun...

Getting adopted is exhausting! 

Guess who was the most smitten??

Then we needed to pick a name! Even though she came with "Mandi," which was the foster mom's daughter's nickname, we knew that a name from our family would make her truly ours.

Everyone had suggestions...so many good ones. "Cinnamon," (and "Cinnamon Toast Crunch!"), "Mocha," "Poppy," "Toffee," "Cider," "Liberty," Puzzle" and "Blossom" were among the top contenders. We actually compiled a list of nearly 50 names and then each of us voted for our favorites...and we picked from the most popular. This was not unlike the recent NY Mayoral race, but better organized. 

Two or three names rose to the top and then we discussed those more. The result?? In honor of summer and new beginnings...and the fact that she looks like a cowgirl's dog, we named her Blossom! 

Four out of the five of us had this name in our top five, so to include the last De Falco, we let him choose her middle name. So now our newest family member is Blossom Bee De Falco! Sebastian said this is from Beyblades, but we all know how much bees love blossoms, so it's all good.

She's been pretty chill with the exception of some active puppy playtime here and there, occasional naughtiness and her sharp puppy teeth when she's excited to play. All to be expected. She eats well since she's a De Falco (duh!) and has done really well sleeping in her crate every night. She's practically house-trained, too, which we're grateful for. All in all, she IS a pretty easy puppy.

And it's especially nice to see the kids enjoying all the snuggles and quality time with her.

The big kids, too. 

She's even pretty chill during my work calls. Phew!

You might be wondering, "Did they get to see any fireworks?" Well, we did! We were very fortunate to be invited to a friend's house for the 4th. They have the most amazing view of the Ohio River. We saw fireworks shows all up and down the river...on both the Kentucky and Ohio sides...and the main show in downtown Cincinnati. Really cool! 

But then we were right back to spending time with Blossom the next day. 

Which totally tuckered her out.

Until she woke up for more snuggles...

and playtime!

We still can't believe that Blossom is ours! Can't wait to see her grow and become even more a part of the kids' lives. So happy she has joined our family! 💮

P.S. This was Blossom's foster mom's dog. Isn't he a beauty and so big compared to Blossom??

P.P.S. We even made the rescue organization's Facebook feed. It's official!