With Love Chartreuse Christmas 5x7 folded card
Personalize your Christmas photo cards at Shutterfly.
View the entire collection of cards.
16 ounces of freedom and other assorted nonsense
14 years ago
June 7, 2008
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Sunday, February 14, 2010
We are having a....
Friday we went to the doctor for our 20 week ultrasound to check for all the vital organs and bones. The technician started by showing us how the baby was sitting and we all watched and giggled as the baby started rolling and flipping in all kinds of new positions, making the technician's job a bit more difficult as she had to play hide and go seek.
She was able to measure the skull and brain, find and get pictures of the heart, kidneys, and bladder, and measure the arm and leg bones. She said everything looked right on track and normal. The baby is still measuring about 6 days large. At one point the technician stopped to change the film for print outs and asked if we would like to know the gender of the baby. We quickly said YES!! She put the ultrasound wand back on my belly and said, "there it is...that is your little boy!" Mike and I just sat there in awe looking at the screen. We were both so shocked because most of the people we asked thought we were having a girl. We even walked into that appointment thinking that we would find out we were having a girl. Finding out that we were having a boy was surprising, but so amazing!!
I guess having a boy would explain all the violent dreams I have been having lately. One of the recent ones was about a man with a shotgun shooting me in the shoulder (was aiming for my heart but had bad aim) before shooting and killing my dog, Tessa. I have always had odd dreams, but whew, these are crazy! :-)
After the ultrasound appointment we had another OB appointment. While there we got to listen to the heartbeat again, which is still an amazing feeling. (We got a little doppler for at home, but haven't tried it yet because I always seem to have food in my belly digesting, which will make it harder to hear.) Right before the doctor put the wand on my belly, she looked at Mike and said, "Dad, have you had a chance to do this yet?" He was a bit taken back and said no. She had him stand up and showed him where to put the wand so he could find our baby's heartbeat. It was a strong and healthy sounding 144. It was too cute seeing Mike being in charge of finding the heartbeat. :-)
After the appointments we ran to Target to get something to share the news with our parents at dinner. We bought a book for the baby and "It's a boy" cards for the grandparents. We made copies of the ultrasound pics and then met Mike's mom, dad, and sister Mary, and my mom at Dontinos in the Falls. We ordered food then had everyone guess if they thought we were having a boy or girl. My mom- girl, Mike's mom- girl, Mike's dad- boy, Mary- boy. We then gave the grandparents their cards and they were able to open the card and see "It's a boy!" right on the front. Everyone was very happy and surprised.
After dinner we started calling siblings and friends to share the news. My phone started having issues earlier as I was turning it off in the hospital so I didn't get to text or call quite as efficiently as normal. Luckily Mike's phone was doing ok so we were able to tag team and get the word out before posting it on facebook.
It was an amazing day!!! Next on the list is deciding on a name...
She was able to measure the skull and brain, find and get pictures of the heart, kidneys, and bladder, and measure the arm and leg bones. She said everything looked right on track and normal. The baby is still measuring about 6 days large. At one point the technician stopped to change the film for print outs and asked if we would like to know the gender of the baby. We quickly said YES!! She put the ultrasound wand back on my belly and said, "there it is...that is your little boy!" Mike and I just sat there in awe looking at the screen. We were both so shocked because most of the people we asked thought we were having a girl. We even walked into that appointment thinking that we would find out we were having a girl. Finding out that we were having a boy was surprising, but so amazing!!
I guess having a boy would explain all the violent dreams I have been having lately. One of the recent ones was about a man with a shotgun shooting me in the shoulder (was aiming for my heart but had bad aim) before shooting and killing my dog, Tessa. I have always had odd dreams, but whew, these are crazy! :-)
After the ultrasound appointment we had another OB appointment. While there we got to listen to the heartbeat again, which is still an amazing feeling. (We got a little doppler for at home, but haven't tried it yet because I always seem to have food in my belly digesting, which will make it harder to hear.) Right before the doctor put the wand on my belly, she looked at Mike and said, "Dad, have you had a chance to do this yet?" He was a bit taken back and said no. She had him stand up and showed him where to put the wand so he could find our baby's heartbeat. It was a strong and healthy sounding 144. It was too cute seeing Mike being in charge of finding the heartbeat. :-)
After the appointments we ran to Target to get something to share the news with our parents at dinner. We bought a book for the baby and "It's a boy" cards for the grandparents. We made copies of the ultrasound pics and then met Mike's mom, dad, and sister Mary, and my mom at Dontinos in the Falls. We ordered food then had everyone guess if they thought we were having a boy or girl. My mom- girl, Mike's mom- girl, Mike's dad- boy, Mary- boy. We then gave the grandparents their cards and they were able to open the card and see "It's a boy!" right on the front. Everyone was very happy and surprised.
After dinner we started calling siblings and friends to share the news. My phone started having issues earlier as I was turning it off in the hospital so I didn't get to text or call quite as efficiently as normal. Luckily Mike's phone was doing ok so we were able to tag team and get the word out before posting it on facebook.
It was an amazing day!!! Next on the list is deciding on a name...
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Tomorrow is the big day!!
Tomorrow is our big day for doctor appointments! Fingers crossed that baby cooperates and lets the drs see all the right places so we can find out if we are having a girl or boy. :-) So very excited!!
After we find out we have another appointment, then dinner with our parents to tell them the gender of the baby. After we tell them we will make phone calls to some friends and family before posting the info on facebook. YAY!!!
After we find out we have another appointment, then dinner with our parents to tell them the gender of the baby. After we tell them we will make phone calls to some friends and family before posting the info on facebook. YAY!!!
Thursday, February 4, 2010
The BIG news
Everyone who reads this already knows our big news...but it is still fun to shout it from the rooftops, or in this case, from a blog. WE ARE HAVING A BABY!!!
I got my first big positive test on October 22, 2009. I had taken tests previously but due to my naps, lol, I wasn't 100% sure that the line I was seeing was a "baby" line or an evaporation line. I had suspected that I might have been pregnant due to the pain and soreness in my chest (kitties should never be allowed to walk on pregnant lady's chests) and morning sickness from the very beginning. I took pregnancy tests over and over again before telling our families a couple days later.
To tell my mom I bought a little halloween onsie that says, "Baby's first Halloween", with a little pumpkin on it. After church, while my mom and Chuck were in the kitchen, I took the onsie out and came around the corner in the kitchen yelling, "Hey mom, I went shopping the other day and bought something really cute, but I'm not sure it will fit. What do you think?" Well apparently she didn't hear most of what I said, but saw the onsie and did a double take before asking if I was pregnant. I nodded yes and she just about jumped out of her skin with excitement. She hugged me and started to cry.
Then we went to Mike's house where all his siblings had gathered. Mike told his mom, "I am not sure we will be able to go the cottage for the 4th of July." She resonded with, "Why? Is everything ok?" Mike said, "How do you feel about being a grandma again?" And her jaw dropped as she nearly fell out of her chair. All of his siblings were excited and everyone was hugging and crying.
Our first ultrasound was December 15 and we got some great pictures of our little one.
Our next appointment is February 12. We are hoping the baby is cooperating and allows the ultrasound to show all the "right" places so we can find out if we are having a girl or a boy. YAY!!!
I got my first big positive test on October 22, 2009. I had taken tests previously but due to my naps, lol, I wasn't 100% sure that the line I was seeing was a "baby" line or an evaporation line. I had suspected that I might have been pregnant due to the pain and soreness in my chest (kitties should never be allowed to walk on pregnant lady's chests) and morning sickness from the very beginning. I took pregnancy tests over and over again before telling our families a couple days later.
To tell my mom I bought a little halloween onsie that says, "Baby's first Halloween", with a little pumpkin on it. After church, while my mom and Chuck were in the kitchen, I took the onsie out and came around the corner in the kitchen yelling, "Hey mom, I went shopping the other day and bought something really cute, but I'm not sure it will fit. What do you think?" Well apparently she didn't hear most of what I said, but saw the onsie and did a double take before asking if I was pregnant. I nodded yes and she just about jumped out of her skin with excitement. She hugged me and started to cry.
Then we went to Mike's house where all his siblings had gathered. Mike told his mom, "I am not sure we will be able to go the cottage for the 4th of July." She resonded with, "Why? Is everything ok?" Mike said, "How do you feel about being a grandma again?" And her jaw dropped as she nearly fell out of her chair. All of his siblings were excited and everyone was hugging and crying.
Our first ultrasound was December 15 and we got some great pictures of our little one.
Our next appointment is February 12. We are hoping the baby is cooperating and allows the ultrasound to show all the "right" places so we can find out if we are having a girl or a boy. YAY!!!
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Ugh...I suck....
So my last blog, over a month ago...nearly two months ago, I made a list of things to write about so I wouldn't have the excuse to not write. Then what do I do? I sit around and NEVER write. Why? Because I suck. Plain and simple. So let's give this a shot...
There is a ton I could be writing about today, but I have to save some things for later. I am going to try to put as much into this one blog as possible from my list of things I said I would write about, but neglected since I suck...lol.
1. Dorothy (foster dog)/Paws and Prayers- Dorothy is a one year old lab/shepherd mix that we took in late in August or early September. We were told she had heartworm, would go through a couple rounds of treatment, then be a dog that would quickly find a home. Months later, we are still working with Dorothy to make her more adoptable. Apparently people don't like energetic dogs that want to play 24/7. Bummer.
2. New kitties- After the loss of Casper we were all pretty lonely around the house. Within a two day window, we somehow ended up with two new cats. Adam's in laws had a black cat that had lost its mate and needed a new house with people who would love on it, and Mike's coworker's mother needed to get rid of a kitty since she had too many. We ended up with the smallest little black kitty that we have renamed Minnie (partly because she is soooo small and partly because her huge ears and long mouse-like tail remind us of a mouse), and the chunkiest tabby cat named Mister. We like to call him Blue once in a while so we can say, "You're my boy Blue. You're my boy."
3. Adam's wedding- Let's talk about the most awkward wedding in the history of weddings!! We were given rules before the wedding about not hugging Jenna (bride) or touching her son (Christian), and not to expect to be in any family pictures (even though my mom got the photographer for them). The Shaffer side of the family showed up...I haven't really seen most of them in 10 years since my fall out with my father. Mike got to meet my father and quickly got the "don't piss off vibes" and also was able to start putting some of the pieces of my more than disfunctional family together. One of the highlights would have to be sharing a LARGE bottle of wine with Mike, Katie, and Marla. Fun times...fun times. I could go on and own about this day for hours, but I will spare you.
4. My fall down the stairs- Have I mentioned I'm a dork and a clutz? Apparently walking down stairs is a hard thing to do. I slipped a fell very hard on my steps causing massive bruising across my back and butt. In the process I managed to mess up the tendons in my foot or cause a stress fracture. Thanks to this fall I spent close to two months in a boot up to my knee.
5. New cars- After several days of uncertainty as to whether or not Mike's car would start every day, we decided it was time to start looking for a new car. In the process we decided to suck it up and get two new cars so that we were guaranteed a reliable car for the winter. I'm not sure how much longer each car would have actually had, but between the two cars we were sitting on at least $1000 in needed repairs before winter. Putting that money towards two new cars with warranties made much more sense. While we hate these car payments (my old car was completely paid off), we know this was the right move. We now have two brand new 2009 Kia Rios. It is the first time for both of us to have a brand new car.
6. School year- Busy busy. Same as usual. More co-teaching. Less time to sit= less time to email my friends....ick!!
7. To have a Halloween party or not?- We choose not. Couldn't afford it, didn't have the energy. Had friends Nate and Liz over for a scary movie marathon instead. Worked out well. :-)
8. Why my hubby is the best thing since sliced bread- he just is. That may have to be another blog because it would be sooooooo long and make you all gag.
9. The spider at school- I am TERRIFIED of spiders. This fear comes from being raised with a mother who is afraid of them, as well as being bit and becoming very sick at the age of 6. So my roommate at school (Jen) knows this about me and likes to give me a hard time when I find a little spider and ask her to kill it for me. Early in the school year I bent down to pick up my computer bag so I could start packing up for home, when I noticed a HUGE black spider by my bag. I quickly dropped the bag and stood there for a minute trying to convince myself that it was fake. I realized it was not fake and looked for a way to get around the spider. The way my desk and filing cabinets are set up at work, I would have had to jump over the spider to get away. In my irrational mind, that would mean the spider would have the opportunity to jump onto my leg. Since I couldn't let that happen, I ended up with my back up against the wall, practically trying to push a hole through the cement so I could get away. Jen looks over and sees me, arms spread out, up against a wall, looking like I would push myself through the wall and into the next classroom if possible. I mumble "Help" before she starts to giggle and ask me what I am doing. I mumble, "Spider, please help me." She assumes I am overreacting and comes over to see. She sees the size of this spider and gets a piece of paper to fling it away so I can escape, since by this point I am nearly in tears. She flings it and it comes closer to me somehow so I scream a very girly scream and she flings it again, this time freeing me. I run to the other side of the classroom as she uses the paper and a plastic cup to scoop it up and run outside to set it free. She comes back inside and screams, "HOLY COW!!! That was one giant spider! I really wanted to freak out but I knew I needed to keep calm for you so you didn't panic." LOL
10. I am apparently allergic to bees now- First teacher day this school year and I put my hand through my hair at the convocation meeting with ALL district teachers, and realize there is now a bee stuck in my hand. My hand swells to the size of a softball and my wrist isn't able to move. Before the end of the day, I have had massive doses of Benadryl, probably gone through 10 pounds of ice, and called the school nurse and my doctor 5 times. I now have an Epi pen and Benadryl in my purse.
11. Being horse-less for the first time in 10 years- This sucks. Hopefully some day soon I can get a new horse. Maybe next year or the year after. Until then, I have to find someone with ponies so I can play and get my horse fix every once in a while.
12. My love of apple cider- Need I say more?
Well, if you made it this far, bravo!! Hopefully I will not be such a lazy bum, but you know me....it may be another two months before you get to read all about the wonderful world of Amanda, haha. Actually, I hope to blog again mid December..just for you, Lynsey... :-)
There is a ton I could be writing about today, but I have to save some things for later. I am going to try to put as much into this one blog as possible from my list of things I said I would write about, but neglected since I suck...lol.
1. Dorothy (foster dog)/Paws and Prayers- Dorothy is a one year old lab/shepherd mix that we took in late in August or early September. We were told she had heartworm, would go through a couple rounds of treatment, then be a dog that would quickly find a home. Months later, we are still working with Dorothy to make her more adoptable. Apparently people don't like energetic dogs that want to play 24/7. Bummer.
2. New kitties- After the loss of Casper we were all pretty lonely around the house. Within a two day window, we somehow ended up with two new cats. Adam's in laws had a black cat that had lost its mate and needed a new house with people who would love on it, and Mike's coworker's mother needed to get rid of a kitty since she had too many. We ended up with the smallest little black kitty that we have renamed Minnie (partly because she is soooo small and partly because her huge ears and long mouse-like tail remind us of a mouse), and the chunkiest tabby cat named Mister. We like to call him Blue once in a while so we can say, "You're my boy Blue. You're my boy."
3. Adam's wedding- Let's talk about the most awkward wedding in the history of weddings!! We were given rules before the wedding about not hugging Jenna (bride) or touching her son (Christian), and not to expect to be in any family pictures (even though my mom got the photographer for them). The Shaffer side of the family showed up...I haven't really seen most of them in 10 years since my fall out with my father. Mike got to meet my father and quickly got the "don't piss off vibes" and also was able to start putting some of the pieces of my more than disfunctional family together. One of the highlights would have to be sharing a LARGE bottle of wine with Mike, Katie, and Marla. Fun times...fun times. I could go on and own about this day for hours, but I will spare you.
4. My fall down the stairs- Have I mentioned I'm a dork and a clutz? Apparently walking down stairs is a hard thing to do. I slipped a fell very hard on my steps causing massive bruising across my back and butt. In the process I managed to mess up the tendons in my foot or cause a stress fracture. Thanks to this fall I spent close to two months in a boot up to my knee.
5. New cars- After several days of uncertainty as to whether or not Mike's car would start every day, we decided it was time to start looking for a new car. In the process we decided to suck it up and get two new cars so that we were guaranteed a reliable car for the winter. I'm not sure how much longer each car would have actually had, but between the two cars we were sitting on at least $1000 in needed repairs before winter. Putting that money towards two new cars with warranties made much more sense. While we hate these car payments (my old car was completely paid off), we know this was the right move. We now have two brand new 2009 Kia Rios. It is the first time for both of us to have a brand new car.
6. School year- Busy busy. Same as usual. More co-teaching. Less time to sit= less time to email my friends....ick!!
7. To have a Halloween party or not?- We choose not. Couldn't afford it, didn't have the energy. Had friends Nate and Liz over for a scary movie marathon instead. Worked out well. :-)
8. Why my hubby is the best thing since sliced bread- he just is. That may have to be another blog because it would be sooooooo long and make you all gag.
9. The spider at school- I am TERRIFIED of spiders. This fear comes from being raised with a mother who is afraid of them, as well as being bit and becoming very sick at the age of 6. So my roommate at school (Jen) knows this about me and likes to give me a hard time when I find a little spider and ask her to kill it for me. Early in the school year I bent down to pick up my computer bag so I could start packing up for home, when I noticed a HUGE black spider by my bag. I quickly dropped the bag and stood there for a minute trying to convince myself that it was fake. I realized it was not fake and looked for a way to get around the spider. The way my desk and filing cabinets are set up at work, I would have had to jump over the spider to get away. In my irrational mind, that would mean the spider would have the opportunity to jump onto my leg. Since I couldn't let that happen, I ended up with my back up against the wall, practically trying to push a hole through the cement so I could get away. Jen looks over and sees me, arms spread out, up against a wall, looking like I would push myself through the wall and into the next classroom if possible. I mumble "Help" before she starts to giggle and ask me what I am doing. I mumble, "Spider, please help me." She assumes I am overreacting and comes over to see. She sees the size of this spider and gets a piece of paper to fling it away so I can escape, since by this point I am nearly in tears. She flings it and it comes closer to me somehow so I scream a very girly scream and she flings it again, this time freeing me. I run to the other side of the classroom as she uses the paper and a plastic cup to scoop it up and run outside to set it free. She comes back inside and screams, "HOLY COW!!! That was one giant spider! I really wanted to freak out but I knew I needed to keep calm for you so you didn't panic." LOL
10. I am apparently allergic to bees now- First teacher day this school year and I put my hand through my hair at the convocation meeting with ALL district teachers, and realize there is now a bee stuck in my hand. My hand swells to the size of a softball and my wrist isn't able to move. Before the end of the day, I have had massive doses of Benadryl, probably gone through 10 pounds of ice, and called the school nurse and my doctor 5 times. I now have an Epi pen and Benadryl in my purse.
11. Being horse-less for the first time in 10 years- This sucks. Hopefully some day soon I can get a new horse. Maybe next year or the year after. Until then, I have to find someone with ponies so I can play and get my horse fix every once in a while.
12. My love of apple cider- Need I say more?
Well, if you made it this far, bravo!! Hopefully I will not be such a lazy bum, but you know me....it may be another two months before you get to read all about the wonderful world of Amanda, haha. Actually, I hope to blog again mid December..just for you, Lynsey... :-)
Monday, October 19, 2009
What to write...what to write....
It was brought to my attention that I really am a horrible blogger. I say that I will blog more and then months go by without anything from me. Oh well. I have decided to start a list of things I could write about so I don't have any excuses. Please feel free to add suggestions or vote on what you want me to write about, lol.
1. Dorothy (foster dog)/Paws and Prayers
2. New kitties
3. Adam's wedding
4. My fall down the stairs
5. New cars
6. School year
7. To have a Halloween party or not?
8. Why my hubby is the best thing since sliced bread
9. The spider at school
10. I am apparently allergic to bees now
11. Being horse-less for the first time in 10 years
12. My love of apple cider
1. Dorothy (foster dog)/Paws and Prayers
2. New kitties
3. Adam's wedding
4. My fall down the stairs
5. New cars
6. School year
7. To have a Halloween party or not?
8. Why my hubby is the best thing since sliced bread
9. The spider at school
10. I am apparently allergic to bees now
11. Being horse-less for the first time in 10 years
12. My love of apple cider
Friday, July 24, 2009
I have been slacking
So after reading Nate's 27 new blogs and seeing that new mommy Lynsey has posted 14 times, I have come to the conclusion that I am a major slacker. Ok, so maybe they haven't posted that much...but what is my excuse? I am on summer vacation and spend 95% of my time sitting on the couch watching TV with the computer in my lap. I should be posting just about every day, lol.
Things that have happened...
1. I finished the school year and didn't have to pull out any hair. Two of my students came to help me clean up on the last teacher work day. Totally made me smile and feel like a good teacher!
2. Mike and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. We went to the Cleveland Zoo and the Melting Pot for dinner. :-)
3. Sean and Lynsey welcomed baby Connor to this world 5 weeks early. He is the cutest little guy ever! I love holding him and can't get enough.
4. Nate, Liz, Mike, Tessa and I went to Hocking Hills for a weekend and had a blast! Unfortunately, the weather stunk so we didn't get to go horseback riding or canoeing and we all nearly died by sitting in the hot tub during a storm. At least we used that time to play games and hang out. Tessa was one of the most surprising parts of the trip. We hiked probably at least 3 or 4 miles in hot weather, up and down stairs, sides of hills, through creeks and all over the Hocking Hills area. I can't believe how amazing she did.
5. Right before we left for Hocking Hills, we had to put Casper down. Earlier that week, the tumor on her belly ruptured and began to bleed. I realized how much pain she was in and tried to comfort her. After sobbing for a couple days, Mike and I (with my friend Nikki coming along for support) took her to the vet. It was horribly hard, but we knew it was the right thing to do. I am comforted in the vet's words to us before we put her down. He checked her out and did a quick exam, and not only did she have the one large tumor we knew of, but she had them all up and down her chest and belly. He guaranteed us that she was in pain and wouldn't get better. We miss her every day but know she is no longer in pain and playing with all her buddies.
6. We spent the 4th of July at the Stanley family cottage. Watching fireworks on the boat was a completely new and fun experience. When we got off the boat, the neighbors by the dock set off a ton more fireworks that startled us all. Tessa took off and wouldn't stop no matter how much we yelled. Mike was carrying one of his nephews so I took off running after her, worrying a car would find her before I did. Somehow Tessa remembered the way back to the cottage and ran down the street, up the flight of stairs, watched for me as I turned to start up the stairs, then she took off and ran the rest of the way to the cottage and was waiting there for me at the front door when I got there.
7. Last Sunday we put Smokey Bear down. She was going on 16 years old and was in a lot of pain. She had been sick for quite some time and we were all watching her go downhill lately. Her cancer had been spreading and Saturday, after Kevin and Julie's wedding, I got a call from my mom saying that Smokey was laying in the front yard and asked if I could come over and help her. I quickly left where I was and raced to my mom's house. I scooped Smokey up and we got her back inside and on a blanket in the living room. Earlier that day my mom had found Smokey sprawled out on the kitchen floor. We hoped that by Sunday she would have rested enough to walk better and not have the sway she did the night before. Unfortunately, it was clear to us that Smokey was tired and didn't want to fight anymore. We all wanted to be selfish and continue to pump her with more morphine, but we all knew she was in pain and we didn't want her to continue to fight to stay around only to please us. It was another horribly hard thing to do, but she is now happy and running and cancer free. Not a day will go by when I won't think of that little ball of fur that was found in the dumpster and full or worms and fleas.
8. Kevin and Julie got married! A fun reception followed a beautiful ceremony.
9. Nikki was in town for a while. We got to hang out and play Wii a couple times. The Friday before she left she spent the night and we looked through a bunch of notes she found from middle and high school. It was pretty comical seeing the things that we felt were important enough to write about in school. It was nice talking about our lives and funny stories from those times.
10. General is not doing so well. I gave him an ultimatum. Either he comes out of his stall, or I will put him down by the end of the month. It has now been over a month since he has come out of his stall. Last week he bumped his head on the wall and had an eye-ball-rolling-seizure. Tomorrow I will call the barn owner to notify him of my plan and ensure there is a place next to Dee Dee ready for him. I really don't want to put him down, but at this point it is all about quality of life. Is it fair for me to allow an ex racer to live out the remainder of his life in a 12 X 12 box where he is afraid to turn around to get food and water? He should be out running in the pastures and giving us all a hard time...not flinching when I touch him. Sigh...July sucks for animals.
Well, if you made it this far, I applaud you. Hopefully I will get back into a habit of blogging more often so that I don't have these 54 page blogs anymore, haha.
Things that have happened...
1. I finished the school year and didn't have to pull out any hair. Two of my students came to help me clean up on the last teacher work day. Totally made me smile and feel like a good teacher!
2. Mike and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. We went to the Cleveland Zoo and the Melting Pot for dinner. :-)
3. Sean and Lynsey welcomed baby Connor to this world 5 weeks early. He is the cutest little guy ever! I love holding him and can't get enough.
4. Nate, Liz, Mike, Tessa and I went to Hocking Hills for a weekend and had a blast! Unfortunately, the weather stunk so we didn't get to go horseback riding or canoeing and we all nearly died by sitting in the hot tub during a storm. At least we used that time to play games and hang out. Tessa was one of the most surprising parts of the trip. We hiked probably at least 3 or 4 miles in hot weather, up and down stairs, sides of hills, through creeks and all over the Hocking Hills area. I can't believe how amazing she did.
5. Right before we left for Hocking Hills, we had to put Casper down. Earlier that week, the tumor on her belly ruptured and began to bleed. I realized how much pain she was in and tried to comfort her. After sobbing for a couple days, Mike and I (with my friend Nikki coming along for support) took her to the vet. It was horribly hard, but we knew it was the right thing to do. I am comforted in the vet's words to us before we put her down. He checked her out and did a quick exam, and not only did she have the one large tumor we knew of, but she had them all up and down her chest and belly. He guaranteed us that she was in pain and wouldn't get better. We miss her every day but know she is no longer in pain and playing with all her buddies.
6. We spent the 4th of July at the Stanley family cottage. Watching fireworks on the boat was a completely new and fun experience. When we got off the boat, the neighbors by the dock set off a ton more fireworks that startled us all. Tessa took off and wouldn't stop no matter how much we yelled. Mike was carrying one of his nephews so I took off running after her, worrying a car would find her before I did. Somehow Tessa remembered the way back to the cottage and ran down the street, up the flight of stairs, watched for me as I turned to start up the stairs, then she took off and ran the rest of the way to the cottage and was waiting there for me at the front door when I got there.
7. Last Sunday we put Smokey Bear down. She was going on 16 years old and was in a lot of pain. She had been sick for quite some time and we were all watching her go downhill lately. Her cancer had been spreading and Saturday, after Kevin and Julie's wedding, I got a call from my mom saying that Smokey was laying in the front yard and asked if I could come over and help her. I quickly left where I was and raced to my mom's house. I scooped Smokey up and we got her back inside and on a blanket in the living room. Earlier that day my mom had found Smokey sprawled out on the kitchen floor. We hoped that by Sunday she would have rested enough to walk better and not have the sway she did the night before. Unfortunately, it was clear to us that Smokey was tired and didn't want to fight anymore. We all wanted to be selfish and continue to pump her with more morphine, but we all knew she was in pain and we didn't want her to continue to fight to stay around only to please us. It was another horribly hard thing to do, but she is now happy and running and cancer free. Not a day will go by when I won't think of that little ball of fur that was found in the dumpster and full or worms and fleas.
8. Kevin and Julie got married! A fun reception followed a beautiful ceremony.
9. Nikki was in town for a while. We got to hang out and play Wii a couple times. The Friday before she left she spent the night and we looked through a bunch of notes she found from middle and high school. It was pretty comical seeing the things that we felt were important enough to write about in school. It was nice talking about our lives and funny stories from those times.
10. General is not doing so well. I gave him an ultimatum. Either he comes out of his stall, or I will put him down by the end of the month. It has now been over a month since he has come out of his stall. Last week he bumped his head on the wall and had an eye-ball-rolling-seizure. Tomorrow I will call the barn owner to notify him of my plan and ensure there is a place next to Dee Dee ready for him. I really don't want to put him down, but at this point it is all about quality of life. Is it fair for me to allow an ex racer to live out the remainder of his life in a 12 X 12 box where he is afraid to turn around to get food and water? He should be out running in the pastures and giving us all a hard time...not flinching when I touch him. Sigh...July sucks for animals.
Well, if you made it this far, I applaud you. Hopefully I will get back into a habit of blogging more often so that I don't have these 54 page blogs anymore, haha.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
