Mocha lives!

This is a love story.

We bought our house from some friends, a married couple of Army doctors, the husband of which I served with in Honduras. They were relocating to Hawaii and were looking for some cash to fund their adoption of a little boy. We were looking for a house, so we made a good match. When we came to look at the house, we loved it, but what added to the appeal was their big-screen TV and a cute brown lab-mix named Mocha. So, when negotiating the price, we joked that they could throw in the TV and the dog.

Well, they did leave the TV, but wouldn't leave Mocha.

Since then, I've been pretty resistant to the idea of having a dog in this house. It's a four-level town-home, and though there are plenty of trails nearby, we have a postage-stamp yard and it's really no place a big dog would like to live in. We both work, really busy, love to travel, love our independence, etc., etc., plus all the work it takes to walk, train, clean up after, the medical and food expenses, blah blah blah.

But, I love my husband.

And he really wanted a dog. A chocolate lab to be exact.

So, sometime last year, I deigned in all my awesome-wifeliness to allow him to start looking at dogs. I was very firm on this point--that we would get a dog. Not a puppy. A girl has to have her boundaries. Chewed-up things and poop stains are not visions of joy for me at this point! Other requirements for me were that the dog be house trained, well-behaved, good with babies and children and able to stay alone for the day (when we're both working). And, if we were going to get a dog, we might as well get one that could run with me and even protect me if needed.

Not exactly the perfect example of "selfless love," but it was a step.

Thankfully, God loves my husband even more than I do.

So He brought us in touch with a friend of John's sister, Kim, who just so happened to be looking for a new, loving home for her four-year-old chocolate lab. The reason? She had her hands full with a 2 AND 1-yr-old, and just didn't have the time to give this high-energy dog the love she needed. It also just so worked out that we would be driving across the country and would be able to stop by and pick her up.

We brought her home on Jan 1, a fitting way to start a new year.

She meets all my requirements and is a full-blood, AKC certified, micro-chipped sweetheart. She came complete with all the supplies we need and a great disposition. She's really more than we ever expected and is a true gift.

There was only one "problem."

Her name was Hannah. Cute name, but it's just a little too close to mine. There's only so many times a day I want to run up and down the stairs when John calls! So, we've been trying out different names for her. And you probably guessed it by the name of this blog, that the current favorite is Mocha. It suits her, and this house just feels right with a Mocha curled up in front of our big-screen TV.

PS. You can be sure to expect more blogs about all the meaningful life lessons I'm learning from being a dog-owner. Right now, I'm just learning to shut doors more consistently!

Think you can find a better name than Mocha? Suggest away! Or, leave a comment with any dog-training tips we need to know! Remember, if you're reading this on Facebook, be sure to click the "View Original" link below and comment on the actual blog page, since I'm signed out of FB for a few weeks.