Have I mentioned SAM?

Sam is our extremely friendly 4 year old Labrador Retriever. I decided that I needed a puppy when I was on maternity leave after having Garrett (I was sleep deprived when I made this decision). Our family found Sam when Garrett was four weeks old. When I was researching about Labradors, I learned that they were family friendly pets who are loyal and great with kids. I thought sign me up. Sam is all of the above and oh so much more. The first week he ate a hole in my laundry room, chewed up a fountain in my backyard (hard to believe, huh), and ate an entire tree. In the four years that we have had Sam, I have probably vacuumed enough dog hair to fill a dozen garbage bags, replaced several flower beds and shrubs (one shrub was dug up with roots and all on my back porch), and failed dog training a Petsmart. Now that Sam is 4, he has become the best dog. He absolutely adores our family. He watches out the window as Cole walks to school and does not leave the window until Cole is out of sight. He lets Garrett jump on him, pull his mouth open and occasionally ride his back (this is only for a very short ride!). Jason is quick to complain about the dog hair and often informs me that we will never have a dog again after Sam, but I know that deep down he loves Sam just as much as the rest of us.