The Newest (Canine) Addition to the Family

Hello everyone,

I have been home almost 2 weeks now from Laureate and am beginning to adjust. The adjustment has been helped by the addition of Shona (pronounced Shawna) to the Givan household. Shona is a 10 month old puppy from the shelter. We think she is part yellow lab and part corgi or border collie. This assumption is primarily due to her build and the fact she looooovvvveeeesss to herd the feline members of the household. This has already resulted in several claw marks on her little nose. I picked her up yesterday which was a week later than we expected since she managed to catch kennel cough. She is doing well now and is settling in nicely. Connor even kind of likes her which as some of you may know is a minor miracle!

Shona is named after my sophomore college roommate, Verna. Verna is from Zimbabwe and the dialect she speaks is called Shona. Shona (spelled Shawna) in Hebrew also means God is gracious, God is merciful. Verna has been a HUGE support to me while I have been at Laureate and it just made since to me that my dog be named for her in some way. Verna has become my "sister of the heart" and now looking at Shona it's a good reminder that people care about me which gives me motivation to continue to recover. The meaning of the name I felt is also very appropriate since I have really experienced God's mercy and graciousness this past year.

Anyways, Shona is a good start to my new life in recovery. I don't know what life is going to look like exactly but this little girl will be there with me. l will keep you all updated and enjoy the pics of Shona! I'm afraid I don't have many yet. She does not like to sit still long enough to take pictures. :)

Love to all!

-Kate and Shona