Together Again

Granny was not the only visitor we had this weekend. JC came to town, too!! Miss Laurie so graciously shared our favorite furry buddy with us and allowed us to also surprise mom with a weekend visit with an old friend.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with JC or who know him, but have wondered what he has been up to over the last couple of years, here is a recap:

JC was our first born...a Jack Russell terrier who Eric and I adopted from a rescue shelter over seven years ago while we were dating and right before I moved to Iowa. JC remained with Eric until we were married and then the boys moved to Iowa. Those of you who knew us then know how nutso we were over JC. He was truly our baby...until the other babies came along. When Caleb was born, JC did really well with him until he began walking and then the territorial terrier nature prevailed and he tried to eat Caleb on a few occasions. Okay, I guess it wasn't quite that vicious; it was more liked he "nipped him good" about four times. But when it is your baby your dog is nipping, it looks pretty vicious. In JC's defense, I think only one of those instances actually resulted in a scratch or bleeding. But one time is enough...or more than enough for a protective momma bear. Anyway, Eric and I had to come to terms with the fact that it just wasn't working and that as much as we wanted him to be, JC was not the best suited dog for a home with a toddler. Actually, Eric's arm had to be twisted really hard behind his back until he finally gave in.




Luckily, mom was waiting with open arms to take JC in. What a blessing for us! He got to stay in the family, we would still get to visit him, and we knew that he would be loved and cared for. So, in April of 2006, JC took up residence at Granny's house. The same Granny who, on one of our first visits home from Iowa after we got married, flew right past us at the front door and went straight to JC to give him a hug before acknowledging us. This is also the same Granny who, when JC got lost (without his collar) while we were visiting Aunt B on Father's Day in 2005, combed the countryside, going door to door trying to find him. She didn't give up until she found him leisurely riding on a tractor with a farmer about five miles down the road and brought him back home. So, needless to say, Granny loves JC.



The living arrangement worked out well for over a year, but with mom commuting 45 minutes to work and JC left at home alone all day, it became apparent that another option would need to be explored. Granny loved having JC with her, but she felt so bad that JC was alone for so long during the day and it seemed to her that the arrangement was taking a toll on both of them. Eric just happened to mention this to his co-workers one day at the League. Soon after that conversation, our dear friend and Eric's co-worker, Laurie, approached Eric about possibly taking in JC. Laurie has a sweet, energetic dog named Hopper and at that time, she was toying with the idea of finding a playmate for him. Enter JC. Since she knew JC and his temperament, she was more than willing to take JC on a trial basis and see if it was a match. And it was, Praise the Lord! So, this past January, JC moved into his new and, hopefully final, home with Laurie and Hopper. I don't think he could be happier. He and Hopper are buddies and love playing together. Miss Laurie loves him, cares for him, and does a much better job than we ever did with having him groomed. It is a near perfect, God-sent living situation for our ever adaptable Jack Russell. He is still close enough to visit, and since our home is no longer his territory, there is no fear of him trying to eat the kids anymore. It's a win-win!


The boys (all three of them) could not have been happier to have JC for the weekend. Eric just loved having his former running buddy and best friend close enough to pet. Caleb enjoyed trying to get JC to chase him and Seth just couldn't keep his lips off of JC. It was really sweet. And close to the amount of leverage the boys needed in their quest to have another dog in our home. But not enough...yet. My rule is that we will not consider another dog until Seth is potty-trained, so that buys mommy at least another year. Although the rule is clear, it doesn't stop the boys from trying to change my mind.

Granny was very surprised to be greeted at the door by JC, and I think she was pleased that he opted to sleep right next to her each night. I very much enjoyed cuddling with my old friend and seeing the joy that he still brings to our family. My fondest memories of JC are when we were together in 2004 after Eric had already moved to Tennessee and I was still in Iowa finishing clinic at Palmer. I was pregnant then and every night I would read a psalm to JC and baby (we didn't know at that time if baby was a Caleb or an Emily) and JC would curl up next to my belly and fall asleep. He slept right next to my belly throughout my entire first pregnancy and when Caleb was a tiny baby, he was the first one on the scene if even so much of a whimper came from him.




And those are some of the reasons why it took us four "nips" to say goodbye to our furry first born.