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Good Night, Gray (and Jax)

Welcome to the next installment of the Thursday Thrive. Your weekly dose of positive in a sometimes pessimistic world.

Remember: no matter how big, no matter how small. Every thrive, we count them all.

Again, a little late with the entry, but better late than never. Hopefully, with any luck, next week's Thursday Thrive will be at least I posted the Thursday Thrive on time. Fingers crossed, everybody.

How has everyone else's week been? (Please note that even as I ask this question, toothpaste covers the front of my favorite sweater. Apparently I have been walking around like this for three hours. This is why we can't have nice things.)

Mine has been a tad chaotic to say the least. It was our first week back from break. Track season started. Baseball season started. Class and club meetings happened. Plus on Thursday, our school held its annual FFA banquet. I won a hat. Thank you very much.

Bonus, the Dynamic Duo made bedtime Thursday night quite the treat. Pun intended.

New Dog Mom

As I have said in previous posts, I am a new dog mom to the Dynamic Duo. Jax and Gray came into my life when I least expected it. However as is usually the case, it was the exact right time for us. About 2 years ago, I lost my Joey. My Joey came to me as a puppy. In case you're wondering, yes, she was named after Jo from Little Women.

Joey was my dog when my mom received her diagnosis. She sat with me through my mom's illness. She sat with me through breakups, through deaths, and through every tumultuous time in my adulthood. My girl was a survivor and one of the kindest souls I knew. When I lost her, it felt like a huge part of my life left with her.  I never thought I would have another dog. The universe had other plans, and now I have 2.

In December, my sister sent me a text that one of our friends wanted to give away some puppies. I immediately started listing reasons not to get one. Then I saw a picture of the cutest little dog I had seen in almost 16 years.

From the moment I laid eyes on Jackson, I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that he was my dog. He didn't look anything like his brothers or his sister. His look was uniquely his own. We bonded quickly.

Gray is my bonus boy. The first time I held him and looked into his shepherd face, I fell hard. Our eyes locked, and my gut said, "Take him home too."

Naturally, I did.

A lot of people ask me about litter mates. I heard horror stories. Even professionals I spoke with were not exactly keen on the idea. Usually you bring one home. That one gets used to the house. Then after a few years, you bring the other one in. Getting two was the smartest decision for our house. It doesn't hurt that they are incredibly brilliant dogs.

My goal is to not use too many stories about the Dynamic Duo. This week,  however, they are part of my Thursday Thrive.

The Banquet

This week, we all returned from our breaks completely rested, refreshed and ready to go. Everybody had everything they needed for a productive day of learning. We spent the entire week just basking in the glow of learning.

Just kidding. Back to reality. We spent most of the week readjusting to the school schedule. Drama and spring love filled the hallways. Meanwhile, teachers and students alike began the countdown for summer while the FFA prepared for the upcoming banquet.

On Thursday, I ran home. Let the boys out. Fed them dinner. Then went back to the school to attend the banquet.

The banquet was lovely. The food was delicious. The auction proved fruitful. Remember, I won that pretty awesome hat. The students worked hard, and it showed in the final product.

I knew the banquets lasted a little while. Around 8:00 PM, I began worrying about the Dynamic Duo. Ever since they moved in, my boys have had a set bedtime. As bedtime approached, I began to worry.

Fortunately, my worries proved unfounded. My boys went to bed easily that night. I apologize for the graininess of the video. The house was dark. If you listen closely, you'll hear them say, "Good night."

Good night, Gray (and Jax).

What about you? What has been your Thursday Thrive?

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