A couple of days ago Jonas and I were in the kitchen talking when this giant 120lb, white pure-bred boy Labrador walked into our house and plopped down on the cool tile floor.

 
We didn't exactly know if he was gonna eat us or our new puppy CuBone but the just acted like he belonged here so much that we didn't feel like arguing with him.

 
Turns out our new friend Brutus is a kind, gentle and very protective BIG dog that the kids immediately started treating like he has been here all his life.  After just a few hours of him being here they proclaimed that Brutus was our newest family member.  Period.  No discussion requires, that's just how it is.

Our puppy dog CuBone also decided that this giant was obviously not going to eat him and he was therefore going to play (i.e. annoy the dog snot out of him) with him non-stop and chase empty water bottles around the yard and bark at the cars driving by.

 
Well, I've been calling the vet, and just about everyone I know to locate the owner of this dog but nobody knew of the owner, including the only vet on the island.

 
So night came and Brutus and CuBone slept cuddled up in the living room and outside on the porch.  And the kids couldn't/wouldn't sleep 'cause they were afraid Brutus would leave while they were in bed.  Logan went out on the porch several times during the night to make sure Brutus was still here and he always was.

 
So day two and I finally think I have a lead, the Government tells me it's the dog of the Chairman of a prominent Bank here.  So I call, and leave a message.  I call the vet again, nothing. Night two and the kids are starting to relax, Brutus has obviously no intentions to return to wherever he came from, which, quite frankly sort of bothers me.

 
Then this morning, 730am and my cell phone rings.  I knew who that was before I picked it up and sure enough, the vet found Brutus' owner and they were on their way over.  So I alert the troops and they all gather on the porch, smothering this giant white dog and he just wags his tail and licks them back.

The owner shows up, Brutus doesn't run up to him when he hears him, he actually stays inside at first, then comes out and unenthusiastically wags his tail.  The owner tells us Brutus' name is really Arthello and the kids give that pronunciation a shot.

 
Then they leave.

Just like that, he puts the collar on Brutus and they walk down the street and out of our lives.

CuBone is confused, his big brother is leaving.... surely it's to go chase some cars of bark at tourist, so he runs along.  Until they turn the corner onto the big street, at which point poor little CuBone is lost and confused.

 
After a few seconds of listening to CuBone cry the kids start running out to fetch him.  Little tiny Lola, with her white fluffy hair and school uniform runs down the street after CuBone.  She's closely followed by Logan (hero in disguise) on his bike.  Together they manage to convince CuBone to come home and when they return, I noticed that all the little, as well as the big people on our porch had tears in their eyes, even Jonas.

How amazing is it that this family, these kids have so much unconditional love to give to anything and anyone who decides to wander into their lives? How awesome it is to be loved like that and accepted, regardless of your slobbery mouth or your handicaps.  No judgments, no preconceived notions, color blindness and ignorant to any physical attributes.  All they know is to listen with their hearts and give.

The entire time Brutus was here our gate was wide open but he never tried to leave, never went farther than a couple of hundred yards from the house.  I guess he, like all of us, felt like the newest part of our family too.