We're Home!!!! :D

I've been MIA for a couple days, as still trying to get back into the swing of things and being at home again, as well as everyone adjusting to the new routine/livelihood with a dog in the house. :)

We had a super busy morning on Friday morning, going over contracts, getting food, equipment, heartworm meds, frontline and all ready to go and packed. With the contracts they told me her birthday is March 22nd, 2006! So she'll be 2 in March. :) Then we went over everything else and found out I need to do my in home training the week of Feb. 11th, not the 4th as I'd gotten set up. ugh. So need to call everyone back I had set up for the week of the 11th and see if they can still do those dates. :P Several of the trainers made a point to come say bye and give both Destiny's handler and me a hug. :) I was sad to leave! I really enjoyed everyone there! Then Jodie, the apprentice and I took off for the airport.

We arrived and breaked Honey in the parking lot, and headed on in to the U.S. Airways counter. They were awesome and a ticket agent came and took us over at the side, straight up to the counter and went ahead and checked me in and all. They also gave Jodie a "boarding pass" to get through security so that she could go back with me to the gate. Darn good thing, I would have been screwed with all the stuff I had and the strip search they basically do! We stopped at a bench and I ate my lunch that David had packed for me to take with, since I wouldnt be getting lunch on the plane but was going to be missing lunch there at GDF. So a sandwich and some Chocolate chip cookies it was, with a juice box. :)

We got to security and had to take the laptop out of the laptop bag and take our jackets and shoes off to be scanned. Then I had my backpack full of all of Honey's stuff since I didnt have room in the suitcase for it. Then to go through security, I had to have Honey sit and stay, I walked through then brought her through. Then they patted her down, and then I had the fun of putting everything back on. LOL! We go on back to the gate and Jodie went up and talked with the gate agent, and they came and got me to board on the plane first, so I could get settled in. Honey did great and followed like she was supposed to. It was a little tight getting on the plane with my two bags and the dog, but we made it. LOL!

We had a good flight home. I slept most of the flight home and Honey did too. She curled up under my feet and didn't hear another peep from her until we were landed and I had her get up. The flight attendant asked if I could wait until most everyone was off the plane, and so he could help me get my stuff and get off the plane, it was more so he could get to me since people were up and trying to get out the door almost as soon as the plane stopped. It was pretty funny hearing people gasp as most didn't realize she was even there! I got off and got situated and headed on down to baggage claim, doing down the escalator. Yet again, almost giggling at the people commenting they were amazed at her being on the escalator and doing it like a pro. :)

Sue picked me up at baggage claims, which my suitcase came super fast! We went out to the garage and found a place to break her and we then came on home. Honey checked everythng out in the house, though for the first half hour she probably brought me 8-9 stuffed animals that the kids had laying about in the house. LOL! I had quite a pile going on the island. LOL!

We got settled a bit before Mike and the kids came home. Once they did, Alex and Katie LOVED Honey, but Meaghan was scared of her. Honey was good and laid down as the kids were bouncing around, excited and all. Alex was bouncing off the walls yelling MOMMY!!!! HONEY!!!!! After everyone got in and settled down a bit, I took Honey out for her break and at the snow she was all excited and wanting to run around, so after she did her business I took her out the the back yard and let her loose. Oh man, the dog ran like a maniac for a good 5 minutes. ! Then she found one of the toys we'd had for Lisa and Yogi, two smaller tennis balls attached together with webbing loops between them. She grabbed it and was running back and forth tossing it up in the air, throwing it around and such. She was having a blast playing. I let her play for a good 15 minutes or so and then came back in.

We did pizza for dinner and Honey did great, had her lay down and stay to keep her from trying to get the food. After dinner, the kids played and eventually settled down and pet her and stuff. Meaghan pretty much stayed on the couch with me wanting to be close. She seems to have warmed up to Honey quite a bit, but is still was still pretty reserved about her. We got the kids ready for bed and then went in the living room and Mike and I talked and caught up on things. Honey was good and just sprawled out on the floor and snoozed. I took her out for her last break at 8:30 which she's done awesome and there's not been any change in her breaking habits, and she came back in and we were good for the night. We headed to bed about 10, as both of us were wiped and tired. We folded up the old quilt we had used on our bed, which she immediately curled up on it. She did jump up on the bed once during the night, but I told her OFF, and made her get down, so she went and laid back down on the blanket peacefully. Mike set the alarm for 6am, which is what our (Honey and I) routine had been, and when it and the tv came on, Honey hopped up and came up to me and was nudging me needing to go out and knowing it was time to get up as per routine.

So I got up and got dressed and took her out, which she quickly did her business, even in the snow we got last night and we came back in. The girls were then up and I made some breakfast. After breakfast, we got the kids changed and dressed to get ready for me to go to the Disabilities Support group meeting yesterday morning.

We took off for there and quickly realized we really need to clean the van out! LOL! Honey was doing a pretty good job of it for us, getting little peices of old french fries, peices of food and so forth. Oops, didnt even think about it. LOL! But she laid down in front of the second row seat and had her head between Mike and my seats.

We got to the church and she was under my feet for the whole meeting. Took her harness off to meet friends and she liked that. Then we rode the disabilities van home about 12:30.

Got home and took her out for break since it was late for her. Gave her some water and she conked out and snoozed as I ate lunch and watched some TV with Mike while the kids were napping. Honey found one of the kids microfiber blankets and curled up on that. :) The kids one by one got up and with the first one, she came to me, so I knew one was up. :) Praised her big for that. :)

Then we got the kids some snacks and got ready to go to church. Again, loaded up in the van and kept a hold of Honey's leash this time to keep her from roving the van liek she did before. LOL! We got there and I took Katie's hand and we walked in. Got a lot of wide eyes from the kids in the nursery area but parents kept a hold of them. Got the kids checked in and I headed up towards the I center to get my large print bulletin, but only got about half way before running into someone I knew well. I had her sit and took her harness off so they could pet her and another one of the ministers came up and gave her lots of loving too. :) Then another lady and her daughter came up as well as another older kid came up and asked if she could pet her as well. Since she asked I let her and then after a couple of minutes, I told her ok, I need to get on into the service, so I need to put her harness back on and she needs to work. And thanked her for asking first. :)

So we went on our way and headed on in, and WOW, I could go on in and get a seat, as I normally have to have Mike help me get to a seat, since I can't see the greatest with the change of lighting that there is. It's much more dimly lit in the sanctuary area as to the lobby area that has LOTS of windows and naturally lit. So I landed on an aisle seat and had her lay down and stay. I just simply dropped the leash and put my foot on it when we stood up to during singing. She was a perfect angel, actually laid down and snoozed. :)

Then after the sermon, Mike was a server for communion and the offering, so he ducked out of the row and she didnt move. Then after it's all been passed out, one of the elders of the church will come up front and everyone partakes of the communion in unison. It happened to be Wilbur, whom I'd gone to KY with this last year on a mission trip. He's been following everything about getting Honey and asking a lot, and had commented that I'd probably have more of a problem keeping HIM off the dog when it got here. LOL! But he scanned the seats and as soon as he saw her laying there, he got the biggest grin on his face from ear to ear. :) Then after service let out, he was at my side before I even had the chance to stand up. LOL! He said he was so happy for me and congrats. :)

Honey was good as people walked past and we talked with several others who have been following and praying for us too, so took her harness off again for her to meet them. Which she LOVED of course. :) Then we headed out and to the fellowship hall to see another friend who was working the small group booth for our group. Said HI there and then took off for home. Honey did well, as I had Meaghan's hand as we walked out and it was indeed fully dark by this point. We followed Mike for the most part and then when we went to cross the island/sidewalk to get to the parking lot, Honey was pretty adament about following the sidewalk down instead of going into the street. So I let her take the lead there, as it was in the right direction, and then when we stepped off the curb, I told her to "Find the van!" and she took off in a B-line straight for the van and Mike, who had just got there. Which surprised me because other than the two rides in it, I'd not really taught her the van yet. :)

So we head on home and grabbed taco bell on the way home since we didn't have any thing planned or out and ready. Ate dinner and got the kids to bed. Honey just lounged around enjoying herself being a snooze hound. :)