This post is dedicated to Emma, who is officially potty trained. (Somewhere, a chorus of angels is singing, “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” Or maybe that’s just me.) More about that in a little bit!

We’ve had a crazy, busy weekend. We left town after church on Wednesday to drive down to San Antonio, arriving the day after Wes’s great grandmother got into town for her yearly visit. We were able to spend the next two days with his family, including last Friday, which was his twenty-ninth birthday. I made various jokes throughout the weekend about how OLD that is, but I guess those jabs kind of lose their sting when the one delivering them is actually OLDER than the recipient. Hmm.

Wes and I packed up the car on Saturday morning and began the long, long, long drive home. Ana and Emma stayed in San Antonio for “Camp Coach,” a week-long stay at Nana and Coach’s house that’s becoming an annual tradition. I started missing them as soon as we backed out of the driveway, but you probably could have guessed that. Once we arrived back home, it seemed even lonelier than usual since Charlie was still at the dog hotel. No children, no dogs… makes for an eerily quiet house!

Anyway, I picked up Charlie at 8am this morning, after being told that he spent the first day of his stay growling at everyone there. Charlie has never been anything but pleasant around us, so I’m chalking this up to hysterical fright over being in a new place. They said he improved as time went on, and sure enough, when he trotted out to see me this morning, he was his usual, happy self. (He did manage to pee all over me and nearly take off my shorts in his exuberance to be reunited, but I had dressed accordingly for both of those possibilities.) He would probably do well to spend more time around people so that he’s better socialized, as I can imagine how terrifying a scared Charlie is going to be when he comes into his full size. I’ve been exercising him hard this morning, working on all of his commands, and getting him back into our “pack life” here at home. We’re so glad to have him back, but I don’t think we’re half as glad as he is. (Currently, he’s sunning himself on the back deck, tail thumping against the BBQ grill. The picture of contentment!)

Like I mentioned before, we’re also pretty content in the potty training department. YAY! Em has not only been accident-free for a long while now, but she also weathered a nasty little stomach bug without incident over the weekend. I was so shocked that she stayed clean even through that and was so pleased when she actually TOLD me that she needed to go. I’m not sure when it all clicked in her head, but I’m SO glad that it did. She won’t be going to college in training pants after all, y’all!

Hope your week is off to a great start!