Lila and "my dog-dog"

The puppy is hard, friends...this momma hates to be cold so going out a billion times a day to stand out in the shivering cold, sub- arctic cold is not my idea of fun....he chews on everything, and suddenly we have gates everywhere to keep him contained in one area while he gets this potty training thing down.  The trouble is, that yes, the gates keep him in one area but the girls can't get over the gate either...so I have added, "Momma, help me in....and Momma help me out!" to the list of things I hear over and over all day long.  Currently it is right under..."can you get me some tea?" in the rankings. I am not sure what we were thinking...Jeremy came up and told me one night it was time.....and he was talking about getting a dog...and now here we are with Jack and it is so hard...way harder than what I ever dreamed it would be.  Wait for it......wait for it...BUT......we love him and he is part of the family.  I left him today to run some errands really for the first time and came home to find he had peed in his crate...it was the straw that broke the Camels back and the tears came down hot and fast on my cheeks. I had a small window of time to do 100 things in that moment...and suddenly I had to fit in cleaning the crate, bathing the puppy, and washing all his toys as well. I sucked it up and did it...cleaned every urine soaked item from the crate to the dog! And after it was over, my cold shivering puppy and I sat on the couch until he stopped shaking...and he fell asleep...he is part of the family...he is a Hardy...and although we all love him...the connection Jack and Lila have is precious and just like I thought it would be. She, at the core of her heart, is an animal lover...it is undeniable and I am so glad we could give her this gift. In the end...I know Jack will give so much more to us...and offer so much more to our family...than we can ever give to him. I know this in my heart...so it makes these hard days a little more bearable...that thought and images like these...really?  Could Lila and her dog-dog be more precious? I love watching them connect and get to know each other. It's true, innocent, i am here for you  and you are here for me love.