Up on the Rooftop

Ryan spent a couple of hours this Thanksgiving weekend putting up Christmas lights on the house. This is the first year where we have really put up lights. In the past we have put a few strings up on the bushes and stuff but this is the first time we have had enough to really put them on the house.

I thought that this picture turned out awesome. Catching him in the middle of a jump.
We were climbing onto the roof through the bedroom window and the kids sat there for a bit watching and talking to us. I was standing on the bottom roofline helping to hand things to Ryan up on the top of the roof. While I was standing there Yoda (our dog) was at the window with the kids and he jumped through the window and landed onto the roof where he started to skid and slide down. Luckily I was right there and was able to grab him and throw him back into the house and shut the window. It could have been a really bad afternoon. Either we would have had to tell the kids the dog died or I would have fallen off the roof trying to save the stupid thing. But it all worked out and I the dog hater saved the little thing. Ryan is showing where Yoda jumped out.
Here is the finished project!! Yeah!

Aye Chee Wah Wah

Meet the newest member of the Ball household. His name is Yoda. We were told that he is (most likely) part chihuahua and part jack russell terrior. Some friends found this dog in the middle of a busy road one night and rescued him before he got hit from all of the cars. They brought him home and tried to find his owners but with no success. The pound said that because of the economy a lot of people are abandoning their pets because they can't afford to feed them anymore. Our friends weren't able to keep him and so they convinced us that we need to.
So now in the space of less than 6 months this no pet household/family now has 2 cats and a dog. I think I am wearing down and getting soft in my old age.
Despite the MANY accidents that he has been having (we are trying to work on that problem) the kids are having a lot of fun with him. The one really good thing that I think helped convince me of this craziness is that the doesn't bark, jump on the kids, or lick their faces. I have a really hard time with dogs that jump up on people and go for the face when you are on the ground. I didn't want my kids to have to worry about having a dog in their face. Luckily he is really really good with kids. Ryan thinks that all kids need to have pets growing up. He claims that they grow up more responible and well rounded and have great memories as well.