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When our kids were ages 8, 5 and 3, we got our first family dog. We found him at the Mower County Humane Society where all of our dogs have come from.

Hyland was a spaniel mix. His coat was a beautiful dark brown. He had a white tummy, white paws and a little streak of gold on the top of his head. The best thing about him was how gentle he was. He was great with our kids, and he loved all visitors. Hyland lived a long life. When Hyland passed away we adopted Gideon and Dodger.

Gideon was a husky lab mix. He was a big dog. I took him for walks after supper. I loved being outside and having thinking time. He was my buddy, and I still miss him. Dodger is a jack russell terrier mix. He is full of mischief, but we love him anyway. When Gideon passed away I focused on Dodger more than I ever had. Every morning I made two eggs, one for me and one for Dodger. About a year later we adopted Benji.

Benji is a lab cattle dog mix, and he is famous for his funny, almost human facial expressions.

Eventually Dodger went to live with my son, and Benji went to live with my daughter. I still see them, but I missed having a dog of my own. With my ALS diagnosis, my husband and I wanted a calm dog. Our coonhound mix Festus, joined our family about a year ago. He never jumps up on me, and he likes to sit near me on the porch. Sometimes he lays on my feet when I am watching TV. or reading.

Our newest family member is an eight month old black lab mix named Flora, but I will tell you about her next week.