Dear Santa,
About this time last year I wrote to you in hopes that you would find a new home for me with a
little boy to play with and a little girl that I could protect. Thanks for answering my prayers
Santa. I love living with the Joys now. Let me tell you all about them.
The youngest is my girl, Denai. She is ten now and in fifth grade. She loves to read and most
nights she is awake under the cover reading with a flashlight. I always hope that she won't get
in trouble and that she won't forget to get up and walk me in the morning. She is pretty good at
remembering to take care of me. Denai loves playing the guitar and swimming at Foster Park.
She also loves dancing with the kids in Youth.Org at the Lighthouse Church. And boy can she bake! She makes the best cupcakes and she is pretty good at making dinner
too! One day she is going to be a real pastry chef like the ones we watch on Cupcake Wars. I
love that show. When are they going to challenge the bakers to create doggie treats? I've been
waiting for that my whole life.
Although my boy AJ is a great swimmer too, his true love is basketball. He plays on the team at
Scottsdale Park. I hear they are pretty good but I don't get to go to the games. They're always
afraid that I am going to bite somebody on the ankle, so they tend to keep me in the house. I
don't know where they get an idea like that. I'm a good puppy as long as no one messes with
my kids. AJ and Nai both sing in ChoZen Youth Choir, too. AJ is hoping to go to Lindblom for 7th grade next year. We've been studying for the
admissions test and I think he's going to be ready. When he gets tired of studying I take him
outside to play for a while. I hope he learns a new game soon. Every time I bring him the ball
he just throws it back in the yard. Oh, well, what's a puppy to do?
Dilane, she's the oldest girl, is now officially a college graduate, a Howard University alumna.
I'm so proud of her. She is still working for Forbes and NASA, both part time. We are believing
and trusting that God is going to use her to do great things, real soon. Hopefully, she'll be
home next fall to attend grad school at DePaul and we will have lots of quality time together,
walking around the park and getting caught up on Facebook. She's a media specialist; you
know? Check out her blog sometime at http://madejournalist.blogspot.com/. Writing has
always been her gift. Maybe I'll get her to write a story about a dog who saved the world. You'd
read that, wouldn't you, Santa?
Mom and Dad are doing just fine too, Santa. Mom is working part time for Kaplan now, helping kids prepare for the ACT. She has her own tutoring business and it is really growing. I know God is going to bless her because she just wants to give kids a chance to make it in life. Dad is still working like a Jamaican, keeping the city streets safe in the 8th District at night and protecting the kids at Marconi School during the day. We ought to get him a red cape for Christmas because he's just super!
So Santa, I can't say that there is anything that I want for Christmas this year. Just let me stay with this family. Let them continue to be blessed. And this year, leave a little something in my stocking for me to chew. Pot roast bones are my favorite!
With Love,
Oreo
The youngest is my girl, Denai. She is ten now and in fifth grade. She loves to read and most
nights she is awake under the cover reading with a flashlight. I always hope that she won't get
in trouble and that she won't forget to get up and walk me in the morning. She is pretty good at
remembering to take care of me. Denai loves playing the guitar and swimming at Foster Park.
She also loves dancing with the kids in Youth.Org at the Lighthouse Church. And boy can she bake! She makes the best cupcakes and she is pretty good at making dinner
too! One day she is going to be a real pastry chef like the ones we watch on Cupcake Wars. I
love that show. When are they going to challenge the bakers to create doggie treats? I've been
waiting for that my whole life. Although my boy AJ is a great swimmer too, his true love is basketball. He plays on the team at
Scottsdale Park. I hear they are pretty good but I don't get to go to the games. They're always
afraid that I am going to bite somebody on the ankle, so they tend to keep me in the house. I
don't know where they get an idea like that. I'm a good puppy as long as no one messes with
my kids. AJ and Nai both sing in ChoZen Youth Choir, too. AJ is hoping to go to Lindblom for 7th grade next year. We've been studying for the
admissions test and I think he's going to be ready. When he gets tired of studying I take him
outside to play for a while. I hope he learns a new game soon. Every time I bring him the ball
he just throws it back in the yard. Oh, well, what's a puppy to do? 
Dilane, she's the oldest girl, is now officially a college graduate, a Howard University alumna.
I'm so proud of her. She is still working for Forbes and NASA, both part time. We are believing
and trusting that God is going to use her to do great things, real soon. Hopefully, she'll be
home next fall to attend grad school at DePaul and we will have lots of quality time together,
walking around the park and getting caught up on Facebook. She's a media specialist; you
know? Check out her blog sometime at http://madejournalist.blogspot.com/. Writing has
always been her gift. Maybe I'll get her to write a story about a dog who saved the world. You'd
read that, wouldn't you, Santa? Mom and Dad are doing just fine too, Santa. Mom is working part time for Kaplan now, helping kids prepare for the ACT. She has her own tutoring business and it is really growing. I know God is going to bless her because she just wants to give kids a chance to make it in life. Dad is still working like a Jamaican, keeping the city streets safe in the 8th District at night and protecting the kids at Marconi School during the day. We ought to get him a red cape for Christmas because he's just super!
So Santa, I can't say that there is anything that I want for Christmas this year. Just let me stay with this family. Let them continue to be blessed. And this year, leave a little something in my stocking for me to chew. Pot roast bones are my favorite!
With Love,
Oreo
