AM~Erica is "Dog-Gone" Relieved

So anyway...

My fun & crazy post a couple of days ago pointed to the fact that we had roofers. After the crazy triple hail storm back in September, we needed a new roof...and did not get it until 2 days ago. The team that came out were very courteous & hardworking. They got it done in less than a day & a half! With there feverish banging away, my hubby said he was glad I wasn't having one of my migraines during this...he's right. I'm glad I didn't have one of my headaches either!

Well, when the roofing crew left on Wednesday, I went to let the dog out (FINALLY) when I noticed they left our back gate WIIIIIIIDE open! Good thing I caught it & got it closed before I let our dog out! They knew we had the dog...they watched me walk him with his leash in the backyard so he would leave the guys alone & their stuff.

Then came yesterday: the roofers got here at a decent time & got started, so I made sure the dog was in. The roofers finished around 11:30ish, so I checked the gate, it looked latched, so I let the dog out. I even watched to make sure the dog wasn't pushing the gate open. He tried, but the gate didn't [seem to] move. So I let him frolic in the gorgeous weather. He never asked to come in & I figured he was loving the weather as much as everyone else...

Fast forward to the kids coming home & heading out back to play & kick the soccer ball...
I told the boys to let the dog in but instead got a frantic response that they hoped the dog was already in. The gate was open. We have no idea how long it had been like that, but the roofers did not latch the gate back, so our very large yellow lab was able to nudge it on open at some point.

The older two jumped on their bikes & started scouring the neighborhood, and hubby drove around too. Nothing. The kids (especially the girl) were very upset! I felt bad because it still happened under my watch.

Well, since there's not much food in the house at the moment before we head to the store, we went to pick up some dinner. As we turned the corner, my hubby noticed a makeshift sign by the sidewalk that read "DOG FOUND". We picked up dinner to bring home (YUM! Sonic!) & looked at the sign to find a number to call. But we knew there was the possibility that it might not be ours. As we passed...no number. So I was hoping it would be behind the house where the dog was.

After dinner, I went to put my car back in the driveway, but took the opportunity to track down the sign to see which house it might be. So I started checking houses in the cul-de-sac the sign marked. Even though it was after 9:00 at night, I was ringing doorbells asking if they were the ones that posted the sign. No avail. I was really disheartened. Then I got a text from my hubby (the kids didn't know about the sign & that I had gone looking) bringing up that maybe there was a number on the sign we missed. So, I headed back to the sign...and...as I turned the corner...

...that crazy dog was crossing the street!! He just looked at my car approaching & kept going. I stopped abruptly & jumped out of the car. I started calling his name & he looked at me like I was insane! I told him to sit, so he did...and then layed down. He was a very tired dog & must've had a very long day. I had the leash with me & hooked it onto his harness, helped him into my little car, and then took him home.

Since we left the gate open just in case the dog came back on his own, I walked him back through the gate, into the backyard & back into his room (the storage room). I texted my hubby that I had an extra passenger, so he met me in the basement. The dog was tired & knew that he was in a little bit of trouble for wandering because he went and sulked in his hiding place under the stairs.

We did not let the kids know yet since one of them was in the shower & we wanted to tell them all at once. However, when my daughter was getting her pajamas on, she could hear sniffing in the storage room. The storage room is just on the other side of her room downstairs & there is a crawl-space door in one of her closets that leads to his hiding place. So instead of coming up & asking us what was going on...she investigated herself. *sigh*

Then she came up & let the boys know the dog was in the storage room! After they went & said hi to the dog in relief, we told them about the sign & me going & looking for him while I moved my car.

Now then...do you believe God gives you signs? I do! And I believe in very literal signs sometimes. I believe "DOG FOUND" was God leading us to our dog. And the dog was ready to get home.

What a day!

Stay tuned...

God Bless, AM~Erica