{Cooper}

As much as Jeff cursed and grumbled about Jack, his stubborness, his inexplicable ability to find what made Jeff tick, He really did love that little bag of fur. When we knew we had to give him away, I chickened out and hid behind work, leaving Jeff to shoulder the awful task of physically handling the transfer from one owner to the other. Those who don't know Jeff on a personal level see a big boistrous and charismatic man's man. The rest of us who know him a little better know him to be a deceptively big teddy bear. While he'll fiercly deny it to keep whatever reputation he thinks he has, he likes romance, tender moments, and is deeply sensitive. On our wedding day, HE cried first. While I was sad to let Jack go, I knew he'd be fine, and we'd move on. Jeff handled it a lot harder.

I started itching for a new furry friend soon after we got back into Kentucky. I missed Jack, and missed having canine devotion in our lives. Jeff shot the idea down. Several times. Emphatically. He gave me every reason under the sun, but mostly, he wasn't ready to have another dog after giving away one so soon.

Still, I'm persistent. Eventually, asking enough, geting the right timing, and have a husband as awesome as mine,  I managed to get him to agree to looking for a new dog.  There was online browsing, and some visits to the humane society. On a particularly bad day at work, Jeff kidnapped me for the afternoon, and we spent it petting kittens and puppies (smart husband, right? ).  That afternoon we found one dog that caught our eye. Bonnie was a sweeheart, and smart. We left, excited to think about whether or not we wanted to adopt her. Things didn't quite line up, and we didn't go back. We were disappointed.

A couple of weeks ago we went through another transition. Jeff was working two jobs, working 70 hours a week, and exhausting himself. After a turn of events, discussion, and contemplation, He took a new job. He's is going to be gone, a lot, for the next year. It's not our favorite decision, but will be something that will help us now and for the long run. Still, as I told a friend, marriage has somehow made me into a more codependent person than I remember myself being, and the thought of Jeff being gone three weeks at a time has been somewhat difficult to process. The day we made the decision, we had lunch with my dad to talk it over. Jeff went back to work. I went to pet puppies.

Initially, I walked passed Cooper. I had a concept of what I was looking for my mind and was seeking out specific breeds. I stopped at one dog who looked perfect. I walked him and took him into a quiet room to try to get to know him. He wanted nothing to do with me. NOTHING. His temperment was all wrong, and he was far to interested in what all the other dogs were doing to give any attention to me. I roamed through the place, made the ritual stop in the puppy room, and then had the inkling to circle back to Cooper. For some reason, he was the ONLY dog that I had taken a picture of to send Jeff ( for approval), and seemed to warrant a second look. He gave the impression that he was a little coy, but interested. He patiently waited for me to open his gate, quite unlike his cell mate, and attentively walked with me to the meet and greet room. In the first five minutes together, he was on his back, in my lap, doling out kisses. An hour later, I was sold, smitten, and determined to bring him home. Jeff somewhat begrudgingly came over to the shelter to give his seal of approval, and agreed he was a pretty fantastic pup.

We charged to the desk to fill out papers, grins on our faces, only to be told that we couldn't take him because of some confusion over our residence. I left frustrated, peeved, brokenhearted. From what I've been told, I was apparently short tempered, and pouty the rest of the night. The following day was meant to be spent getting things in order for Jeff to head out of town for training the following week. I went to work to get a few things done, and to wait for Jeff to bring some things to fax. Hours later, and annoyed that he was taking hours longer than he said he would, I was out of patience when he walked in. Which is probably why it took me a solid 30 seconds to process that he had a dog, Cooper, with him... in my office.

Apparently he had spent the entire morning arguing with the girl at the humane society, her boss, and her boss's boss until they let him leave with Cooper. How could I stay frustrated with a man that shows up with a dog when he's late? I spent the rest of the day off kilter and completely thrown off schedule.

And so here I am, with a long legged pile of fur who insists on being involved with everything, is eager to please, with a stubborn streak a mile long when it comes to doing something that isn't what he wants. He's affectionate, patient, and protective. He makes Jeff's absense a little easier, and gives me something to focus on so that I don't over think the more stressful things going on right now.

I'm glad I took my time finding him, and even more so that he's here with me. While I'm happy with my life, this next stretch isn't going to be the easiest, and I look forward to having the unconditional comfort he offers with me on a daily basis when Jeff can't be. Goodness knows I'm going to need it.

-Ashley

{Little Miss Sunshine*}

I am in a GREAT mood today.

For all you nay sayers of this progressively cooler weather, I am simply happy to be so far removed from the China summer. My arms and legs are bite free, I'm not currently driven crazy with the unceasing urge to itch or take a shower and I will gladly put on an extra layer, scarf and mittens to not go through that for a LONG time.

I am currently working TWO jobs. One is at the testing center I worked at a couple of years ago. I know the people well, we get along great, it's a mindless and conducive job for multitasking errands and to do lists that have been piling up on me as we work on getting re-established. For example, while doing my job (which I happen to be pretty great at) I also managed to research, call, apply, and get some really fantastic health insurance for Jeff and I - Something that has been a major stressor since before we got back from China.

The second job is what I'm even more excited about. Before we left for China I was working as a companion for an awesome woman who had Down Syndrome. During that time I fell in love with the area of work, and got to know the case managers and what they do. When I got back, I looked up some of those connections, had an interview and am currently working on getting established with a case load of my own. In the mean time, they are also letting me make money helping with billing and expenses, something I had already had experience with while working with them in the past. This is something I have been looking forward to, and honestly what I was really planning on doing when I got back. Everyone has been asking me if I plan on teaching again, and while I still love being in a classroom and working with children, I honestly am so burnt out ( or bitter , as Jeff puts it) with the education system. This new direction I'm taking will allow me to work with the same people that I wanted to work with as a teacher, but with less  different obstacles.  I'm very, very excited about this change.

While I'm not loving having less days off, I am loving being able to come up with enough time to run errands, unpack things around the house, and have dinner cooked before Jeff gets home. Almost every day this week we've been able to enjoy a home cooked dinner together, in our kitchen sitting at our dining table.

Finally, I'm SO relieved to finally have a place of our own that we see ourselves sticking to for a while. I hate moving OH.SO.MUCH. While our apartment still looks a little chaotic with boxes still threatening a hostile takeover, we get a little more done each day, and each day it looks a little more like home. Eventually, when I'm satisfied that it looks worth sharing, I'll give you a tour.

For right now though, I'm satisfied for the daily progress and the little things that keep me upbeat. Tonight, Spiral ham, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, parsley potatoes, and banana pudding.

-Ashley

*Also the name of my lemon of a car.