The Journey Home + Our New Furbaby

This week SO MUCH happened! We had our last few days in Texas, traveled to Salt Lake City, and added a new member to our family.

On our last night in Texas, we got ice cream with Jake's grandparents at a place called Beth Marie's. The ice cream was SO good! I got Black Forest Cake and French Toast (which sounds super weird, but is delicious). It was a fun night!

Thursday morning we had breakfast at Old West with Jake's parents, a little breakfast place that reminded me of a Texas version of this little diner in Woodland Hills that my family and I used to go to on special occasions. It was nice feeling like I had a little piece of home in Texas! That afternoon we flew out from Dallas to Salt Lake City, and spent the night at Jake's Uncle David's house. 

Friday we drove back out to Salt Lake City and spent the day with my best friend Carly! It was so great getting to see her again after about three months apart. Seeing her in Utah was also pretty special because she had never spent time with Jake and I together, just separately. So it was AWESOME getting to hang out with two of the people I love most! We spent some time at Temple Square, the mall, and had lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Thank goodness for texting, FaceTime and other social media so we can still stay in touch all the time!

Some of you may know that Jake and I have been hoping to get a dog since the beginning of this year. At our old apartment pets weren't allowed unless there was special permission from a doctor, which we couldn't get. At our new apartment, though, animals are allowed! We've been looking high and low for a dog ever since we moved, but haven't had any luck. There's very slim pickings for small apartment-friendly dogs in Rexburg, since they're in such high demand. So we took the opportunity we had with our trip to Texas to search near Jake's parent's home, as well as in the part of Utah we'd be visiting. And we finally had some luck! 

First family photo!

Friday evening, we went over to look at two dachshunds that a woman was looking to rehome. We instantly fell in love with Zoe, the larger of the two little pups. She's about 2 1/2 so she's already potty-trained and very well-behaved, a HUGE plus for us. Saturday morning before we left to drive back to Rexburg, we picked Zoe up and became a family of three. Jake and I have been having so much fun introducing her to our little home, and getting to know her better and help her to adjust. She is the BIGGEST cuddler I have ever met, and is the perfect lap dog! Snuggling with her is my new favorite hobby. Saturday night was a little rough since she's still adjusting, so Zoe ended up sleeping in our bed with us. I was terrified one of us would roll over and squash her in the middle of the night haha but she was fine! Spoiled little girl. 

This Week's Spiritual Thought

As we've been unpacking from Texas and attempting to get settled in again, I've been thinking a lot about the blessings we've received over the past few weeks. Being able to travel and see family and friends, experience new things, and especially finding a sweet little pup for our family after months of searching. Not only is Zoe a dachshund (a breed that Jake and I both adore), but she was given to us for free because her previous owners just wanted her to go to a good home where she could be loved and receive the attention she deserves. This darling girl has already brought us so much joy and laughter, and we're so blessed to finally be able to have our very own furbaby!