As M. would put it, we have been waiting 4 years for a dog. Which is actually quite true. Four years ago we started seriously thinking of adopting a dog. One, I just couldn't handle a puppy and two, there are so many sweet dogs who have been abandoned that need a really good home. But as life goes and things only get busier and busier we never quite made the hunt for a dog a top priority. One of the selling points to the kids about moving to Georgia, was that we would finally get a dog. Maybe even 2 dogs. So in August we found a rescue group for labradors, golden retrievers, flat coats and retriever mixes. What a process, fill out an application form, call your references and do a home visit. They approved us, but our first meeting with their dogs at an adoption event was very overwhelming and a bit frustrating. We seemed to think they were actually talking us out of picking a dog (because we do not have a fenced in yard). So we left, with 3 crying kids. One who was just hungry, overwhelmed and tired. The second promising to love whatever dog we picked (she had wanted a different one from the one we were looking at). And the 3rd who had been crabby about needing to eat, negotiating with us that he didn't need to eat, he just wanted a dog and that he'd never eat again. It was a very frustrating day and we all went home sulking. Well, God moves in mysterious ways. John ended up having to travel a bunch for those next 3 months and having a new dog would have put me over the edge, way over. So last Sat. we made our way again to their adoption event. There were even more dogs, but we had viewed them on line the night before and had a list in hand of who we wanted to meet. We had narrowed it down to three. A 2 1/2yr. old choc. lab male named Alex, a 3 year old male white/yellow lab (may have been a mix) named Seger and an 11 month black lab female named Joie (Joy). We agonized between which one, debated having one of each color, visited with them, walked them around, loved them and just watched. Finally after a few hours, yes hours, we decided to do our own version of rho sham bo. Each finger was assigned a dog, we gathered in a crouching pow wow with our hands behind our backs and on the count of 3 you were to show with your fingers which dog you voted for. So Joie won!
We picked her up the next day from the foster family, renamed her Tessa and it has been a doggie good time since. Why Tessa, well no one like my vote for Georgia. But Tessa has a fondness for John and I. When S. was 2 years old and we were expecting baby #2 he would say Tessa all the time, like it was his answer to a question he didn't know. As far as we know he never knew a Tessa, we couldn't find anyone we knew who was a Tessa. It was like Citizen Cane and Rosebud. Who was Tessa? Now 7 years later Tessa is our dog!
