A Reflection on the New Year

As the new year approaches, I am reminded of a quote from an article in our vet's office...

Live passionately. Appreciate what you have. Get off the beaten path. Don't just smell the roses, smell everything you can and leave your mark along the way. Slobber as you please. As Socrates' dog once said, the unexuberant life is not worth living.

Here's to a happy and healthy 2012!


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The Dogs Were Nestled, Snug on the Bed...

While visions of dog biscuits danced in their heads! :) It's been one week since Andre started his glucosamine pills and I didn't realize besides helping his joints... the pills would help his personality. Although we know our Andre love us, he has always had unique ways of showing it. We could hardly believe our eyes when he cuddled up with Taylor this morning! Such a cute sight!!


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Getting Ready for Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... and we are getting ready! The boys have been busy helping me wrap gifts and even unwrapping a couple. :)

Last week, Andre had an annual check-up. He got a clean bill of health (for him) and even came home with a new pill! This one is good, to help his achy joints Dr. Burns is having him take glucosamine. It already seems to be working! He is jumping on furniture and even cuddling. :) That or he has the Christmas spirit.

With four days to go... the Christmas season continues to be exciting... at least for me... the boys will continue to relax and enjoy the festivities. :)





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I'm Away... The Boys Will Play!

I'm so excited to be home! After a week away for work, we are all able to settle in for the holidays.

While away, the boys played and destroyed! I had spent hours wrapping gifts before I left... and Taylor decided he wanted one of the ornaments for himself! Oh my! Our poor penguin. :( Do not fear! He has been re-stuffed and is on the tree... and we shared the extra and replaced this stollen ornament. :)

Now we are ready for a busy week of work and school ahead!


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Such a Cold Winter Day!!

It's snowing and Andre and Taylor are in disagreement on if this is good or bad. :) Andre can't get out of it fast enough and Taylor won't stop playing (I couldn't even get a good photo)!









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It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!

What a busy week! So much going on - getting ready for the holidays, busy at work and lots of homework. Through it all, we started getting the house ready for Christmas. :)


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Another Holiday Survived

We survived! It was a busy holiday weekend... Starting with getting Andre on antibiotics for a skin infection, then smoking our first turkey, on to a double turkey dinner, holiday shopping, putting up Christmas lights and finally decorating the Christmas tree!

The boys were with us through it all and are now enjoying an evening of rest and relaxation!

The coming weeks are going to be busy... but I look forward to enjoying time with my boys and our little family.

Our thanksgiving day pack...


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My weekend of dogs!

The holiday season is upon us and today I was reminded how lucky we are. It all began with an introduction to a dog named Eddy...

While holiday shopping today, we stopped outside of PetSmart to look at some dogs for adoption from the Animal Rescue of the Rockies. Through all of the chaos and puppies, I saw a cute terrier on a man's lap. Could it possibly be? This dog looked just like our Andre! I couldn't resist and went over to meet this furry cutie. This is when I learned the story of Eddy. Eddy had just been brought to Colorado yesterday, the result of an animal hoarding rescue out of state. As we talked to the man, I couldn't stop looking into the alert, but sad eyes of this ten year old silky terrier. This dog captured my heart in just a minute. He looked just like Andre's scruffy brother. :)

So you are probably thinking I'm going to say we now have three dogs? We we don't. We are still happy with our Andre and Taylor, but today reminded me of how lucky we are to be loved by our boys.

Every dog deserves and safe and happy home... And every person should know the love of a dog. The power of love is an amazing thing! Eddy is not available for adoption yet, and from the look in the man's eyes... I believe he will not be adopted out until the perfect home comes along. Good luck Eddy!

So after coming home and giving my boys a hug (and a kiss on the nose)... I learned about another dog! This one is not furry and does not bark... so what did I eat? I ate my first chili dog! Yes, I ate a chili dog with Jim's homemade turkey chili and I have to admit I enjoyed it. :)

So after a busy day, I'm settling down to finish my laundry and start week five of my marketing management class. With the Thanksgiving season upon us, I take time to be thankful for all three of my amazing boys!








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All We Are, Are Dogs in the Wind

What a fun weekend! I got my team paper done early, so got some much welcomed time with my boys! It has been windy all weekend, but we still got Andre and Taylor out for a rendezvous.

WOW... that took the energy right out of them! Taylor ran and played... and I carried Andre most of the way (the wind and leaves in the face was a bit too much). Must have been a workout, they both spent the evening on the blankets sleeping - what a life. Too cute!! :)


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Quote of the Week

Wow, the weekend flew by! We survived the holiday week and are slowly coming down from our "leftover candy" high. :)

Taylor's leg continues to heal nicely... I'm guessing there will hardly be a scar. He on the other hand thinks its perfect and is jumping and running around. It's so nice to watch!

Earlier in the week, Jim and I were shopping and I saw a sign... My motto for the week: My goal in life is to be the person my dog thinks I am.


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Happy Halloween!

What a day to celebrate! Taylor got his stitches out and it's Halloween. :) Looking forward to a fun night of trick-or-treaters!! We caught the boys off guard and got a photo with Flea 1 and Flea 2... say cheese! And now the costumes are gone.


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We Are Cancer Free!

I wonder... is it appropriate to throw a party for a benign fibroplasia? Taylor's results are in and we continue to be cancer free! Three cheers!! Now we just need to continue the healing so we can get back to the running and playing. :)


Our celebration with vanilla cupcakes! :)


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Our Birthday Celebration!

What a birthday weekend, happy 8th birthday Taylor! :)


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Happy Birthday Taylor!

It's a big day at our house, Taylor turns 8! :) For the big celebration we will be dining on some delicious pulled pork (smoked just for the birthday boy) and Butter Cream cupcakes!

What an exciting day... happy birthday Taylor!!! :)


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A Day of Recovery

Today was a day of rest, rest and more rest! With the exception of trying to move the barricade boxes with this mind, Taylor slept most of the day. Our furry patient has seemed more worried about his mouth than his leg. I guess this a good thing! We have a check up on Thursday. I'm crossing my fingers we will have preliminary lab results by then.

Andre got to visit the eye doctor to measure his eye pressure and check his tear production. Great news on the pressures... Tear production still down. Oh well, life wouldn't be fun without a challenge!

Tonight we are going to kick back. I'm going to wrap up my strategic marketing class and we are all going to get a good nights sleep! :)


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The Healing Continues

It almost feels like a bit of deja vu today! Taylor is now at home recovering from a teeth cleaning and lump removal. he has finally settled down and stopped fighting the painkillers.

Today, Taylor had a minor tooth extraction.. never a dull moment... in addition to his lump surgery. This time his lump removal incision is only a couple of inches, much smaller and easier to handle this time around. It's wrapped up in super cute bandages, in a couple days we'll go for a check-up and eventually a stitch removal. Dr. Burns was encouraged by its size, so I'll keep my hopes high!

Tonight we all hope to get a good night's rest. In the mean time, we will wait for the most test results. Positive thinking!! :)





Somebody enjoyed a quiet day! :)


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Expect the Unexpected

What a weekend! We had lots of fun putting up our Halloween decorations and getting things done around home. It was a perfect weekend and I was reminded often, just how much i love my boys.. all three of them! :)

I needed a relaxing this weekend after our Friday...

Friday, was a tough day... Jim showed me where he had found a lump on Taylor's front right leg. This is exactly why I have been dreading for the last year. Now, we don't know yet is his cancer has returned, but I have spent the weekend preparing for the worst.

So, what is next? Well, he was scheduled to go in for a teeth cleaning next Monday. So, we are just going to have the lump surgically removed while he is already napping from the cleaning. Then they will send the mass for testing and we wait. Arg, the waiting. The one part I'm just not good at. So for the next week, we'll smile, laugh and I'll try not to worry about him... I keep reminding myself how tough our Taylor is and it will all workout... no matter what the future holds.

So today we will enjoy the little things and smile at the memories we create! :) Here's a peek at our fun weekend.

You can't hide from this camera!



Knock, knock... Whose there?






A rainy fall day. :)



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Taylor vs. Iron

I had a surprise waiting for me tonight... I guess Taylor didn't want me to iron anymore this week! :) Oh well, these are the days I just smile. I was reminded lately how lucky we are to have him. He can chew my iron anytime (laughing).


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What a Week

(sigh) What a week! It seemed there was something to do every day this week. In addition to work and school... the boys kept me busy!

Taylor had his cancer check, we go every six months now. He got a clean bill of health from Dr. Burns... three cheers!! Taylor always draws a lot of attention when he is out and about. He is so cute and lovable, everybody wants to meet him. Wednesday, a gentleman asked Taylor if he was a poodle and WOW! Taylor let out a deep bark and turned his head the other way. Everybody in the lobby laughed, guess Taylor told him! The vet tech told the man, "I think he was offended," it was so funny!

Today, Taylor got to take a trip to see Jay and get groomed. He looks so pretty! He enjoyed another day at the spa until I could pick him up. I wish I could have joined him for some R&R too!


To top the day off, Andre went in for an eye check-up. I should have known from the start Andre never has just a check-up. A scheduled half-hour appointment, turned into a two hour adventure. Andre's tear production is decreasing in one eye and the eye pressure in the other is going up. Now, because he is already blind in one eye and mostly blind in the other... our biggest concern is pain management. When all was said and done, we adjusted his medicine (yes, adding more drops) and went on our way. Like I said, what a day!

Thank goodness we have such great people taking care of the boys! Thank goodness it's the weekend and what a pretty end to a long day!! :)


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Everybody Loves Pedicures!

Andre had a great Friday and it ended with a trip to the vet for a nail trim. My only question is why didn't I get a pedicure too!? At least we made a stop at Butter Cream Cupcakery for dessert. :)


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My Study Buddy!

What a week and it's only Wednesday! We have had work, homework and visiting Granny. Tonight i'm left asking one question... Where is my study buddy? Hmm, he isn't going to be much help tonight!

Don't worry, the fun will continue... In the next week we have Taylor's cancer checkup and Andre's nail trim/eye checkup. Ready or not, here we come. :)


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Slumber Party!

I forgot how much fun slumber parties were! The boys and I were lucky and got to enjoy a fun evening with Granny last night. If only they knew good ghost stories. :)





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We are Football Orphans... Again!

Well, it's that time of year again in our house... The boys and I have been abandoned for any random college team who plays football on Saturday (and any other day). We have already begun the countdown for the end of the season. :)

On a good note, fall seems to be approaching and if the weather stays cool the boys will be enjoying lots of walks! Three cheers!

Other updates... Andre's second bump never progressed and it seems we are only going to meet one fly larve this year... thank goodness! Taylor will be going to visit Dr. Burns in the next month to get a cancer checkup... we don't mind these preventative checkups, it reminds us how lucky we are. :)

Well, back to enjoying the holiday weekend, homework and of course football.





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Can I Help?

Arg! It's back to nightly homework at our house. Good thing Andre and Taylor are great at marketing strategy! :)

How lucky I am to have this big nose offering to keep me company while reading tonight!


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Where Did Summer Go?

The end of summer is here and fall is right around the corner. As life is getting busier, I find myself wishing I could relax more with the boys. I find myself asking, where did the summer go?

Taylor celebrated a year cancer free, Andre turned ten, we had great summer vacations and even were surprised with Andre's "little guest."

Now, back in school and busy with work... I'm missing the dog days! Don't worry Taylor, you don't have to get up for me. :)


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Sit and Stay Sunday!

Today is our official Sit and Stay Sunday. The K9 Cancer Walk, by Morris Animal Foundation, is taking place in Denver and we are participating from our backyard. This has become an annual event in our house... and we can't say enough about how wonderful this organization is for their work fighting canine cancer. Find a cure for one... hopefully, find a cure for all!

I took the boys outside this morning for a bit of playing in tribute to the event, but Taylor was taking the "sit and stay" a bit to seriously! :) Oh well, it is a lazy Sunday morning. We'll have to catch a walk later today. In the mean time, the boys will proudly wear their survivor and supporter bandanas around the house.









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The Big 1-0!

Happy Birthday Andre!!!
Tonight we celebrated in style... cupcakes and fries for everybody! After a night of food, gifts and playtime our little the birthday boy is sleeping on his new blanket. What a cute old man. :)


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Snug As A Bug

Ok, so it is kinda cute how he curls up when he sleeps! Here Andre is the day before he turns ten and we are still wondering if is little buddy (yes, the second bot fly) is going to make an appearance. What an adventure this dog has had:

1. Allergies - both food and environment (so much for a little puppy)
2. Dental - two root canals and don't forget the gold crown we had for a year!
3. Eyes - cataract, eye ulcer, no tear production and glaucoma (what a list!)
4. Bot fly bite - this is one we will never forget!

I can only imagine what we will get to face next?! Whatever it is, I know we'll make it through. Andre is one tough dog who knows how to make lemonade out of lemons. For now, we'll focus on tomorrow's birthday party featuring Butter Cream cupcakes and Five Guys fries. Don't worry, there will be dog food mixed in there too! It will be a dinner fit for our little king.


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Shoo Fly Don't 'Bot'er Me

What a morning! We have always known Andre is special. He finds a way to get sick and visit the vet for the most random things. Today was no exception.

Imagine my surprise this morning, when I was checking a red bump I have been watching, gave it a squeeze... and out popped a Bot worm! Yes, Andre had a worm in him! From what we can figure out, he got bit (I guess that is what you can call it) and the fly laid an egg in him. So... One week before his tenth birthday we are starting this new journey.

After making our unexpected visit to the vet this morning, we are home with antibiotics and instructions to keep the site clean. Oh but wait, it gets better... There is a second site we need to watch. It looks like he may have been struck by lightening twice. Oh my, this is going to be a fun week!

What can I say... that's our Andre, he doesn't do anything half way. After a haircut, to prevent bugs from jumping on him from the yard, he is sleeping in his bed. It seems he has little knowledge of how exciting the morning really was. Now, I'm crossing my fingers the days gets better!


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Invasion!

What a day for the boys! There were strange guests in the house... kids! It seems my little monster is worn out. After a day of playing, or hiding, Andre has found a safe spot under the chair. How cute!


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Just Chillin'

It's another Sunday night and what a weekend! I think they are getting shorter and shorter, and there always seems like so much to do. We are still enjoying our heatwave - or at least trying to. Taylor is spending more time in the air-conditioned house than outside in the pool. :)

The excitement of the week? Taylor got groomed on Friday. After enjoying his puppuccino, he discovered the back seat air conditioning. At a stoplight - I turned around - and how cute! Taylor had fallen asleep.


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One Year Cancer Free!

What a day to celebrate! Taylor woke up in the best mood, it's almost like he knew today was an important day.

It is so hard to believe that one year ago today, I was bringing Taylor home from his second cancer surgery at the CSU Cancer Center. Today we celebrate Dr. Clara and all of the staff at the center. Thanks to her, we have our crazy and cuddly Taylor. I can't imagine life without him!

So how are we celebrating? Butter Cream cupcakes of course! They even gave Taylor a free cupcake to celebrate his big day with. I decided to give him his special cupcake before dinner and before I could snap the photo, the WHOLE cupcake was in his mouth! (sigh) I decided he earned it, and it was kinda cute. :)

Today is Taylor's day... as Jim says "Dog Strong!" (Hey Lance, how about some yellow dog collars.)


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Patience is a Virtue...

A virtue I just don't have! :) Getting the mail today was SO exciting. Why you ask? You'll have to wait to see what it was...

I recently signed up the boys for what is now their annual participation in the Morris Animal Foundation K9 Cancer Walk. We did the sit and stay level again this year. How can you not support an event that promotes best friends helping best friends?! This year the walk is on August 21 in Denver and we will not be able to participate in person, but that doesn't stop us from participating in spirit!

So are you wondering what the excitement in the mail was?! Our 2011 bandanas!! Taylor got a yellow survivor bandana and Andre got a blue supporter bandana. Because there is a lack of patience in this house we couldn't hardly wait to put them on, even though the event is weeks away! Thank you Nancy for our bandanas and helping us celebrate the people and dogs fighting this disease... even if from a distance.

This is all perfect timing for our big celebration next week! Now, if the boys would only sit still for a photo... Oh well :) they were just as excited as I was for the bandanas. We'll get a better photo the day of the event. Until then, smile and say puppy treat!

Learn more about this great event at http://www.k9cancerwalk.org/.


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The Grass Isn't Always Greener on the Other Side

So much has been going on with family and friends over the last week that I have neglected my blog... So it's time for a catch-up!

Life has been treating us great! After celebrating the big 85 with Granny this weekend, we are in a party mood.

Taylor is less than a week from celebrating one year cancer free! Three cheers! There will be a big celebration next Tuesday, sound like some Butter Cream cupcakes. :) After meeting my flight attendant friend on out way home from Boston, and hearing his story of losing a dog from cancer, I am feeling so lucky to have the outcome we did. Three cheers to Dr. Burns, Dr. Clara and the teams at South Mesa and the CSU Cancer Center!

Andre is less than a month from turning the big 1-0! Yes, he will be ten in August! So what is the birthday boy requesting... I'm preparing for a feast of French fries and cupcakes. It will be a dinner fit for a king... At least the king of this house. :) Good thing we aren't watching his waistline (or at least not on that day).

So for now, we will continue with our busy summer and start preparing for the fun ahead! On with the DockDog training (if only the rain would stop), summer walks and gardening.

Yes! We continue to grow Taylor's garden... and the grass is really green at our house. :)


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We Love the Rain!

After a long day of bike rides, errand running and patio fixing we all enjoyed a well deserved walk around the block! Even this was an adventure, due to the rain that surprised us all.

I smell wet dog! What cute wet and tired faces...



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