We Bought a Farm: Scrubs

JB's mom sent this picture last night. This is our Scrubby obediently staying out of a room he is not allowed in. Leave it to Scrubs to put his paws as very far into that room as he can so that he is "technically" obeying.

We are so excited to get our Scrubby back into our daily lives. We made the decision to let him join Grampa and Grama ahead of us at the farm for two reasons. Firstly, we knew he loves the farm and loves Grampa and that he'd have a blast. When Grampa is around, he stops following me around and immediately trails Grampa. They are a real pair.

But secondly, our landlord was trying to sell our house here in Spring Hill meaning I had to be prepared for last-minute showings. Having Scrubs here what have been very stressful and difficult for him. I would have to kennel him in the garage while strangers came traipsing through our home. Going to the farm made the most sense.

So in the weeks Scrubs has been gone, I have decided that I have absolutely not missed:

• Dog hair everywhere.
• Putting food away perfectly so as to remove temptation from our "counter surfer".
• Covering all furniture when we go to bed or leave the house.

But I have greatly missed his presence in our home. I miss his excitement and full-body tail wagging the moment we return from anywhere. I miss having him out in the backyard while the kids are playing for an extra level of safety. (Which does work against me when they try to play with a ball and he wants to get in the midst of it and ends up knocking one of them done in his excitement.) I miss his love of walking through my legs anytime he wants attention.

There is no doubt that Scrubs is a bigger-than-life part of our family. He belongs with us. He's been with us longer than any of our children. I have difficulty contemplating the fact that he is entering middle age. (He turned EIGHT this week.) What will we do when this dog is no longer here?

Okay, so that's turning this post into a downer.

For now, we are preparing to pack up our big moving truck so that we can be back together as a family. Imagine my surprise last night when U-haul called and said they don't have the 26-foot truck we reserved a month ago! What is it with moving that lends itself to glitches? So instead we are getting a 20-foot truck and a trailer. Hopefully that will do the trick.

Also, I'd love if you could add my kiddos to your prayer list, specifically Sidge, who seems to really react to any big event in our family. He is exhibiting signs of stress again. We have been equipped and prepared for this during the months of counseling we have done with him. We understand that this behavior is a result of a very smart mind trapped in a very little boy's body, and we feel that we have the tools to help him maneuver this necessary life event and come out glowing on the other side, but we would still appreciate the prayers.

It's amazing how kids feel stress. Isaac's stuttering has picked up as well, and Abigail has seemed much more sensitive and emotional. Moving IS a big deal, and we need to acknowledge that.

Onward!