Puppy Love

Aaron and I are trying to decide when to buy a dog. Its not a matter of IF-we know its going to happen. But when is a good time for it? For those who still read this blog (not sure how many of you are out there still) I would like for you to comment and tell us what you think. We both are split on it. Here's some info to help you vote:

-We want to adopt a mid-size dog (25-35 lbs) that is already housebroken (about a year old) from a reputable adoption agency
-We have been wanting a dog since before we got married. Aaron has never had I pet, I have and love it!
-We can take our dog with us when we move to Colombia for a little $ but not too much extra hastle
-We can buy a dog in Colombia but its harder to find a reputable adoption agency as most dogs for sale are pure-bred
-We are hoping for an early 2011 move to South America (but we know it may be later) which would give us plenty of time to bond with a dog before a major lifestyle change

We have a going Pro's and Con's list which include the following items:

PRO'S/Reasons to buy now-
1. Give us yet another reason to spend time together outside and going to parks etc. with our four-legged family member
2. We have been wanting one for a while and will help ease any baby fever that might be setting in :)
3. We are at the point where we would like to take something on that will give us some responsibility but isn't quite as expensive or serious as having a baby
4. A running buddy for me which I'm dying to have!

CONS/Reasons to wait-
1. It is an added expense every month that, while we can afford it, will dip into the amt. we are saving every month
2. We both are gone every day from 8 am to 6ish pm. I work close to home and can go home during my lunch to take care of it, but its still a long time to leave him alone
3. There may be some time when we first move to Colombia that our housing will be unsure. The dog would probably have to stay with somebody Stateside for a few months and then be shipped down to us once we had a permanent home

So, if you can think of any more pro's and con's to add, let us know in a comment as well as any other thoughts that will help us decide. Thanks for your help everybody!!!

We are booked!

I recently received my new passport as a Das which is going to come in very handy for our Colombia trip we scheduled for May! Woohoo! We are so excited to have concrete plans to check out Medellin, Colombia and a ministry opportunity there. With less than 2 months to go, we are trying to finalize our plans for the week there as there are tons of things we need to get done...

-meet with the board of directors for the ministry
-check out apartments to get an estimate of cost of living
-check out language schools for Aaron
-go to a soccer match for the ministry
-visit some UCU friends/attend an UCU Bible study
-take a tour of the city to get a good feel for it

Our desire is for this to be the "make or break it" trip as a last step before we can start support raising and finalizing plans for a 2011 move. Aaron and I would greatly appreciate your prayers as we seek His will for our future in missions.

Below are some pictures from Aaron's birthday dinner/trip to FL and a little zoe-home-maker-pie I made. :) Happy Spring y'all!