So we got a puppy.

This is the long, drawn out, and uneventful story of how we decided to get a dog:

Dave and I had been married for a few years and were pretty content with the way our life was unfolding.

One day, Dave said, “I think dog people are good people, I want to be like that. There’s something about a home where dogs live that is very inviting.” Well, he said something to that effect at least. He probably also said, “Jen you look amazing. I love it when you wear pajamas for two solid days.” Anyway. In my family, almost everyone has a dog. Only myself and my oldest sister were without canines. However, oldest sister has two kids under three, so she is exempt. My other older sister is the Mother Teresa of dogs–I would definitely want to be her dog. My baby sister has the cutest dog in the world, Walter. My younger sister has the sweetest Great Dane. And my parents have filled their empty nest with multiple dogs.

Funny story: We were taking a family picture a summer or two ago. All the new brother-in-laws and babies added to our family needed to be documented. After the picture, my Dad goes, “Okay! Now just the Barlean family.” I think to myself, “Oh, he wants one of Mom, Dad, and the five girls.” He sits down on the bench with my Mom and then says, “Alright Dave, take the picture.”

Nice. Anyway, I digress.

So then for the next year or so we started talking about dogs. We talked about breeds, we’d watch Dogs 101 on Animal Planet, and the National Dog Show became an annual Thanksgiving tradition ’round these parts. We thought about getting a Whippet, but that got nixed once we found out about the whole 0-35 mph in 6 seconds trait.

Cut to the chase: We settled on a Boston Terrier and we named her Stella. Dave agreed to get a puppy Christmas 2009, and we finally made the leap February 2011. We’re learning that we’re not necessarily puppy people…but we’re definitely dog people. Stella has challenged us every day and we’re finding that we’re more active in some areas, more laid back in others, and we work even better as a team than we did before. She is absolutely preparing us for parenting–mostly because she involves various noxious smells and bodily functions.

So anyway, that’s the story. I told you it was pretty uneventful. No helicopter crashes, trips to the hospital, or tense moments involving a computer screen (side note: one of my pet peeves is when the most dramatic moment in a movie is involves a person typing on a computer. Ugh!).

Next up, baby stuff. I promise. And a picture of Stella. Dave took a great one yesterday, but this post is so lame that it didn’t do it justice.