Christmas Photo

This is it! The official Christmas photo taken at the foster/adoptive parents Christmas party given by the Bethel United Methodist Church. William gave Santa a hug for everyday of the year. What a patient Santa! Santa even sat on the floor with William and Pumpkin. It was great to watch all the kids gather 'round Pumpkin, William, and Santa. Pumpkin got lots of hugs during the party, too.

It's amazing the difference Pumpkin has already made in our lives. The stress level is much less since there are an extra set of eyes and paws watching William. And, William does keep track of his girl. One of the many benefits of having a service dog with you is that people will stop and talk with you (Ok, now it takes twice as long to do anything when we go out!) giving William the opportunity to socialize more. Pumpkin is a wonderful ambassador for all service dogs since she is so gentle and kind to everyone especially little kids. We do have to tell people that she loves to give kisses. William truly now has a bff. Thank you 4 Paws!

Lesson We've Learned from William

William is one of our heroes. Here are some of the many things he has taught us:

Kisses still heal.

A "William" hug will bring a smile to anyone's face. He gives the best-est hugs.

As our Canadian friends say: "No worries". William lives in the moment and is not stressed out by the calendar or the clock.

Love is a gift to be shared. And William is the best at sharing his love. Unconditional love is the greatest gift to give.

A good game of peek-a-boo will make you laugh.

If at first you don't succeed, keep trying. William simply signs "again."

Snuggling is great exercise anytime of the day or night.

Blowing bubbles can be done inside and outside. William's prescription to everyone is to do it at least twice a day. It will make you giggle.

Exploring is great exercise. It also keeps your parents on their toes!

Everything has more than one function. Mattresses can become slides. Chairs and blankets can become tents. Stairs are simply ski moguls without the snow. However, going down them in a laundry basket gives you too much speed. And one more stair lesson - doing somersaults down the stairs is best left to professional stunt people.

You have to laugh everyday. It makes everyone feel better.

Books are better when you share them with your friends especially when dad reads them to you.

All play dough should be edible. Ask my mom for her recipe. Mmmmmm.......