Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Meet Chica: 3 Life Lessons We Learned Getting Our New Love


It's not often that I hijack this blog for purely selfish reasons but I must do it tonight to introduce the newest member of the Barreto Family, Chica, the Dachshund.

It's funny this journey to a dog that I (and Mr. Barreto) have resisted for years ends with the sweet face you see here. We learned a few things a long the way that you can apply to all areas of life.

Preparation Is Key.

Since last fall, we committed to looking for a family pet and began the journey with a local shelter, Animal House Shelter in Huntley. We volunteered to walk and play (and pick up the poop) of animals in need of a home. We fell in love several times but never jumped on any of the many dogs we loved because we were not ready. Even on the short notice of our decision to take Chica, the 5 days before she arrived was filled with reading about Dachshunds, getting the right gear and mentally preparing for a new member of the house. Preparation made her homecoming easy.

Know What You Want.

We got Chica because of a casual conversation last December about our desire for a dog with a very specific list of attributes. Needed to be under 25 lbs due to the fact that both adults in this household have trouble with their right arm. Wanted a dog who loved to be with kids and had a chill disposition. Knowing we are travelers and keep a pretty hectic lifestyle - we wanted a pooch who could just jump right in, not disrupt the flow of this house. Do you get where I'm going? Knowing what you want is really the first part of getting it. Articulating is is even better.

Involve Others.

Did I mention that Chica came from a friend of a friend? Yeah, that casual conversation was just that -  an articulation of our desire for a pet with some folks who were visiting us. They immediately mentioned that they knew of some dogs who needed a home early in the new year due to a family friend moving... and the rest in history. To take that a step further... the crate in the basement that she most likely will never use was loaned to me because I put out an emergency plea to my friends that I needed help. When we involve others, it gets us closer to what we want. Even the most resourceful of people (me) need other people.

So, I'm going to go enjoy my new sweetie....You think about how these lessons can get you closer to what you want in your life.

14 comments:

  1. Aww Chica is so adorable! I really want a dog but we're waiting until after we move out of our tiny apartment. Clever Girl Edita Rodriguez has two dachshunds, Pickle and Maya. Dachshunds are such sweet doggies.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so happy you love her! I waited a year and a half to find the right family for. I feel blessed. Thank you

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for commenting both of you... feel like I had a new baby over here so sorry for the whole week delay... things are going super fine... God has a really funny sense of humor - I am the most practical, non-girlie, non-lovey girl and first, he sent me a super emotionally in touch man with whom I've been building a life after a whirlwind, super romantic (and frankly - sappy) story. Now Chica - the dog who loves to be loved and sits on me and licks me and just seems so delighted to be in my life. it is awesome.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wonderful post however I was wanting to know if you could
    write a litte more on this topic? I'd be very grateful if you could elaborate a little bit further. Bless you!
    Feel free to surf my web-site ... free teen porn

    ReplyDelete
  5. We are a group of volunteers and starting a new scheme in our community.
    Your web site provided us with valuable info to work on.
    You've done a formidable job and our entire community will be thankful to you.
    Have a look at my blog naked teens

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi! I could have sworn I've visited this website before but after going through a few of the posts I realized it's new to me.

    Regardless, I'm certainly pleased I came across it and I'll be bookmarking it and checking back frequently!
    My webpage :: hard fucking

    ReplyDelete
  7. I take pleasure in, result in I found just what I
    was looking for. You have ended my four day lengthy hunt!

    God Bless you man. Have a nice day. Bye
    Feel free to visit my website ... hookah lounge in Orlando

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hey there would you mind sharing which blog platform you're using? I'm
    looking to start my own blog in the near future but I'm having a tough time making a decision between BlogEngine/Wordpress/B2evolution and Drupal. The reason I ask is because your design and style seems different then most blogs and I'm looking for something completely unique.
    P.S My apologies for getting off-topic but I had to ask!
    Feel free to surf my blog - neucopia compensation plan

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm gone to tell my little brother, that he should also pay a quick visit this weblog on regular basis to obtain updated from latest gossip.

    My web-site: Fingerprint Building in Thailand

    ReplyDelete
  10. My partner and I stumbled over here coming from a
    different page and thought I might as well check things out.
    I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to going over your web page yet again.



    Also visit my web page :: increase twitter followers

    ReplyDelete
  11. I constantly spent my half an hour to read
    this website's content everyday along with a cup of coffee.

    Also visit my page ... real party sex

    ReplyDelete
  12. You could definitely see your skills in the work you write.
    The world hopes for more passionate writers like you who are not afraid to mention how they believe.
    All the time follow your heart.

    Look at my web-site: zorporno.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  14. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete