Fourth of July and a Missing Dog

Patrick and I took advantage of this long weekend and made it even longer. We both took off for Friday and had Monday off because of the 4th. It was like a mini vacation. Thursday night we headed down to my parents to stay the night and enjoy. It was great to be at home and get a visit without all the craziness that we usually have when we go home (craziness only because there are like 16 of us at home when all of us visit). My Dad has recently bought a jeep and with the nice summer weather we had Thursday and Friday he decided there was no better way to enjoy both of these than by taking his girls out on a drive. Mom and I bundled up and went out on a beautiful drive with Dad. I really wish I had taken my camera. There's something about a cool breeze while the sun is setting and your surrounded by corn and soy beans. mmm the smell of summer!

Friday Patrick and I headed on down to Nashville where we would spend the rest of our weekend. We first went to my sister's house. My parents later met us there and we all went out for some pizza and then coffee.
From there, we went to my aunt and uncle's house to stay the night. They had just gotten back from vacation but generously welcomed us in their home for the next 3 days anyway. The rest of the weekend was filled with soaking up sunshine by the pool. We played corn hole and mexican train. We were crafty and domestic and made corn hole bags and homemade pizza. Saw fireworks and took pictures. Played with cousins and nephews. It was a good time.Monday I turned 22. When we were about to leave for dinner with my sister and bro in law, we got a call from Patrick's parents. They were keeping Kirby for the weekend and informed us that they were driving around the neighborhood looking for Kirby because he had been missing for almost an hour. Of course being the hormonal pregnant person I am, this news made me really sad. I got all stressed and cried. We were 3 hrs away and our dog was missing. We couldn't do anything to help look for him. Just pray and hope they'd find him.

My mind started going a million miles a sec. Kirby was wandering around, lost and lonely and didn't know his way home. Kirby was stuck inside of someone's home who didn't know his name (because we didn't put his name tag back on him..we are bad owners, we know) and would never know his name. Kirby would get called "Spot" or something awful like that for the rest of his life. Kirby was now being loved on by some kid who is not supposed to be Kirby's friend.... OUR kid is supposed to be Kirby's friend. Kirby was taken to the pound where we may never find him. Kirby was possibly hit by a car. You get the idea. Well we finally got a call back from Patrick's parents who told us they had found him!!! After driving and biking around their neighborhood for hours and putting up flyers and talking to neighbors and policmen, they got a call saying Kirby was alive and actually just across the street. It turns out, Kirby wandered off from them while they were all outside. He walked across the street and somehow made it into the neighbors backyard (mind you, this yard is fenced in by a 6ft tall fence). These neighbors weren't home at the time. But came home to find flyers and a strange dog in their back yard. We are so happy Kirby is okay and home with us now! I actually let him lick me as I rubbed his belly and he laid in my lap. Although he sheds like a banchee, I love him.