Christmas Surprise

Hard to top last year's Christmas:  Leaving Hong Kong on Christmas Eve to fly home, getting stuck in a blizzard and circling over Peoria's airport only to be told we might have to GO BACK to Detroit?, miraculous landing by a pilot who looked young enough to be my son, arriving home Christmas Eve to a very white Christmas, waking up IN. MY. OWN. BED. on Christmas morning, all 5 children at home for the first time ever.  Fabulous!
So, we decided to go for something pretty special this year:
  

And she is pretty special, too.  She's a black English labrador retriever born on November 9, and she's just adorable.     
The plan was to surprise the kids on Christmas morning.  But when we got home with her Saturday afternoon and started to set her up in the basement, she started making noise and we didn't think we would be able to pull it off.  We decided to call all of the kids in by the tree right then and there before she barked any louder and blew our cover.  Steven brought her in with her big bow on.

(Please excuse the terrible video work)




I think everyone was surprised.  Saidie did pretty well at first and even tried to pet her while Steven held her.  Later, well, not so much. By this evening Saidie had warmed up quite a bit, though.

  

The older kids seem to really like her and have had her out of her kennel almost nonstop.  Maimie has to be all up in poor puppy's business even when someone else is trying to hold her or play with her.  She just can't get enough. 
Now if we can just agree on a name...