Woo-hoo! Our dog is FINALLY home! She's been away for five weeks at obedience school. Carl's parents sent River to a cop in Georgetown to be trained for his Christmas present. We hated not having her around, but she learned some good stuff.

I have to admit, I was a little apprehensive about sending her to obedience school. She has such a great spirit, and I was a little concerned that obedience training would make her into a solemn, not very playful dog. I'm not sure why I expected that, but I guess it was because I've never had any experience with dog obedience training.

But thank the Lord, I was wrong. She's still the same ol' river, and we love her to death. The trainer said we're not supposed to love on her as much as we do, but I don't think that's gonna happen. I mean, what's the point of having a dog if you can't give it love and affection? She's way too beautiful to just look at and give orders to.

Carl is super excited to have her back. He could hardly stand it any longer. I don't know how he ever survived without her.