Our newest family member

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our family! Her name (for now) is Tippi, which is a Scandinavian endearment meaning sweetheart -- or so I read online. The family who gave her to us had already named her Tippy (I changed the spelling) but I feel funny having a pet I haven't personally named, so we are working on a new name.

She is so, so sweet. And yes, she looks a lot like Terra. In actuality, if our first dog, Madison, had had a puppy with Terra, this is what that pup would have looked like. Tippi's mom is a border collie and her dad is a black lab. We met both and they're great dogs. Tippi just had her six-month birthday -- and she's already 50 pounds! The vet says she won't get any taller but she will fill out and likely gain another 10 pounds or so. Big girl!

You may wonder if it's a bit odd to have a dog in the house again and, yes, there are some adjustments. It's been almost eight months since the tragic loss of Terra and not a day goes by that I don't miss her. We weren't actively looking for another dog and as it happened, we didn't have to go looking. Along came Tippi. A notice and a photo on the bulletin board where the captain works and, well, that was that. Funny how life works.

This is one great dog. She's friendly and affectionate and smart and we love that she's now part of our family!