Cats and dogs: Which make it to heaven?

**Disclaimer: For friends and family of mine who love dogs, I hope we can still be friends.**

 

So, one of the best parts about Sundays is that I get to sit in the back of a large classroom and watch little kids (ages 3-11) in Primary (children's Sunday School) be righteously (ir)reverent. 
It's quite a hoot. 
Oh, and accompany them while they sing all kinds of AWESOME
Primary songs that I absolutely love. 
I pretty much have the best assignment at church. 

And, I love, love, LOVE playing the Primary songs. 

It's like music to my ears.

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Oh, wait, it is music to my ears.
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Well, today the lesson was on the creation.  The teacher had pictures of different animals taped to walls around the classroom.  Each of the kids took a turn selecting their favorite 'creation' from the array of options and placed them on the world that was drawn on the chalkboard.

 

The first volunteer picked a picture of a dog. 

 

Teacher: "Why did God create dogs?"

Super cute little girl: "To keep us warm."

A little boy in the back of the class piped up: "So we can take care of them."

 

Aww.  So sweet. 

 

Me (to myself): "Dogs were created because there must be an opposition in all things. 
They are the bane of my existence."

 

Good thing I didn't raise my hand and I wasn't called on to answer the teacher's question.
My comment would certainly qualify as unrighteously irreverent.

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Fast forward a few hours to this moment:

 

 

Lisa, Sean, and I were Skyping and the first thing Lisa said was something like, "Oh.  Dogs." 

The (admittedly very sweet and lovable) dog that calls this same apartment home, was barking in the background.  That's when I knew I couldn't not blog about how my week started off meeting a very famous cat...

 

 

(yes this is, in fact, HIS throne and Sister Dixon is his new best friend)

 

...and how it ended with a walk with a very (in)famous dog that
I meet every time I walk out of my room:

 

 

I love Katie.  And that's why I'm trying to learn to love Coco, too.

(For those who may be concerned, I did, in fact, walk the dog twice this week, so I'm pretty sure I still have a chance at making it to heaven...at least if I die this week.  For those who are thinking,

'Um, actually we were concerned about Coco. How did she manage being walked by you twice in one week?!', you'll be happy to know that she enjoyed treats at the end of the walks. 
Ok, one of the walks.)

Katie and I took a nice walk this afternoon and...

discovered a small creek that had frozen over.

The Hokkanens invited me to join them on Monday evening for dinner with the sister missionaries. 
I LOVE the Hokkanens.  Ritva is sunshine personified.  Petri is thoughtfulness personified. 
And their son, Teemu, reminds me so much of Ben (my baby brother). 




(Teemu is serving a mission in Romania at the moment.)

We enjoyed a delicious chicken 'soup' (it's divine!!) and real American root beer.  YUM!! 
The very best part of all, though, was spending time with them.

Meeting the famous cat, was pretty sweet, too, because
all cats...
are going to heaven!!