We did it!

Well, we did it. Gemma is now a new member of our family, and a very cute puppy she is, too. Very social, very friendly, very people oriented, surprisingly calm (or just exhausted from the exitement, it's hard to tell) and smart. She's already headed to the back door to ask for her own urgent haircut.

At the moment, she's in her crate happily chewing on a chew toy and listening to CNN in the family room. I'll head to bed and check on her in a few hours. So, she'll be fully updated on the Michael Jackson verdict and can answer all my questions.

We probably won't get a ton of sleep over the next few nights, but we're in love. The cats are wary, but staking out their turf.

Nola, the rescuer/foster mom, left the puppy's collar on her when she left. At one point, I took the collar off to let her neck breathe and see her without it...and she picked it up in her mouth and trotted (in that loose-limbed puppy way) around the yard with it, looking extremely proud. I'd forgotten how funny puppies are. And at one point, when I was reaching into the crate to spread out a towel and make things neat, Gemma chose that moment to try to get in too, under my arm, which of course squished us both in there ridiculously and made me laugh out loud.

Ah, for the fun of a warm puppy.