Summer is here! Thank-you!

Summer is here. Yay! It's so nice to have BOTH my kids home all day long. I missed my boy so much sending him to school daily. I'm still praying and hoping that I can bring him home for the 2016-2017 school year and that my daughter will never have to go.

My daughter has expressed that she wants to be homeschooled so we will see what hubby has to say.  -- we are going to address and talk it over in the next up coming weeks.

In, the mean time summer is here and the kids are home.  Our days have been spend playing Catan, riding bikes -- Puggy has really been enjoying the bike rides. Our start to summer didn't start well.



First, we had to give up our dog Onyx. He was a good lovable dog and we miss him, but he had social and other traits we could no longer ignore and didn't have the resources to properly deal with -- so we had to give him back to the shelter.  We however got good news, from following the shelters FB page: We learned Onyx was adopted. So his stay at the shelter was very short lived. one week. We hope and pray daily that his new mom and dad were told about the struggles we had with him and will have the resources or skills to deal with it.  What he needs is training, social training, that we were not able to provide for him.

Second, our car broke down. It's always something. We have struggled this last 1.5 years with transportation issues.  -- I would be thankful once that is all behind us -- and it scary because the boy is months -- scratch that it's already June -- days away from being eligible to get his permit. YACK!!! That just hit me was I was typing this! I don't realize until this very moment we were so close. Wholly Smokes!!!!! That's unreal.

Now that it's summer the river market is open! Yay! Our local town has a river market every Wednesday all summer long.  It's in the park adjacent to the river --hence the name.  The market is a mix of ready to eat foods: ice cream, coffees, pizza, humburgers, donuts, etc, fresh produce, bake goods, and other goods like home made doggy treats. Besides the vendors there is live music. various local bands play.  It's all free (unless you buy food, drinks, goods) and you are welcome to bring your own drinks. We don't always buy things, mostly don't -- but we always go, bring our chairs, water, and enjoy the music.  The boy was disappointed because his favorite band from last year is playing the week he's at BSA summer camp.

This last Wednesday was the first market of the year -- We decided even though the car was still broken down, at that point, we were going to go. We were all set to walk the 2 miles to the park, but hubby showed up last minute at home (got off early); so we took his car.  We don't like to drive his car, unless it's to work and back.  His car is having issues to and we are trying to get by with just him driving it back and forth to work -- no extra driving around.

I have been reading Trim Healthy Mama this week too.  I have been curious about it for a long while now. Quietly stalking, lurking, in the various facebook groups, their official facebook page, blog, etc. I decided to go ahead and get the book and see. The book I'm reading is the new book that just recently came out. I guess from what I'm reading they updated the book with newer information and made 2 books. The plan book the explains how it works and the cookbook that just has various recipes.  I have not looked at or have seen the cookbook so I have no opinion on it. I don't even have an opinion on THM right now -- but check back later.



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Saying Goodbye, Onyx

Today is a very sad day for us. We had to say goodbye to our dog, Onyx.  Onyx is a 2 year old black puggle. (beagle/pug mix).  He over all is a good dog, but had behavioral issues that were beyond our control. Mainly, getting out of the yard. No matter what we did, we have tried several things for the 1.5 years we have had him, we just could not get  him to stay in the yard.

We were tried and overwhelmed and knew it was time to give him to back to the shelter we got him at so that they could find a better suited home from him. A home that would love and care for him just as much as we do, but a home that could curb him of his behavior and give him the proper environment and training. More then we can provide for him really.  We love you, Onyx truly we do. We wish you the best -- honest!

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Summer Days

Hopefully your summer is going well.  Here it's been a cooler then normal and wetter then usual summer.  It's already after the 4th of July and we haven't done things like the pool, local lake/beach or even just some backyard water play. We even bought our dogs, Puggy and Onyx, a pool and have had it out only a handful of times because it just hasn't really been hot enough for it.

Saturday at the local fireworks displayed I wore a sweatshirt and pants and today we went out to the park, with friends, hoping to stay long enough to wade in the river some -- but it was cut short because of the rain. So we never made it to the river. Did get to chat with friends for about an hour before the weather got nasty.

Superstar is getting ready to leave for Summer Camp this weekend. He will be gone for a week. This is his 4th summer in a row doing Summer Camp.

Now with it already after the 4th of July I should start making plans for the fall.....

Things To Do:

• Give Superstar a standardized test
• Register Superstar for high school (we have decided not to homeschool him)
• Decided what I need/want to use for Web-princess for school
• Start making a plan

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We are walking now!

"This must be like life was like for Laurawhen she walked 3 miles for school". That is what my daughter told me earlier this week when we had no choice, but to walk home from the store because our one and only running vehicle broke down.

What a week it has been. Need to go to the store: walk. Need to go to the library so my son can do his volunteer hours: walk. Need.... well be prepared to walk!

Thankfully, my kids even though we had to cancel chorus, cancel meeting ups with homeschool friends, cancel seeing A Midsummer Night's Dream, have been very helpful and understanding. They even willing and cheerfully walked to the store with me so we could carry more groceries home then I would have if I went alone.

My daughter, who is nearly 13 now, warmed my heart and helped me stay positive this whole week. She told me "We are lucky God blessed us with a good weather day for walking".   Yes, my dear, we were. We have been blessed that this whole week has been nice. Today, I was out and and about in just a heavy sweater.  Being in Northern Illinois the weather can be a hit or a miss.  The other plus I guess to the all the walking is I actually hit 10,000 steps per day! I have been using an iFitto track my walking, eating, etc.  So it was nice to see me actually hit that mark. Most days I get around 3,000 steps in and there have been some days where is a shameful 500!

Besides walking everywhere this week, often for at least 2 miles one way, we celebrated one of our puppy's first birthday.  Puggy, our fawn color puggle, turned 1 on Wednesday.  It won't be long until our black puggle, Onyx, will be one too.  Puggy and Onyx like to share there day to day activities on their facebook page: Unofficial Puggy.  --- the page was started when we only have Puggy.  Maybe we should change the name? Maybe not! Anyway you can check out their page.

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Enjoying a Fall Day

It's a beautiful fall day here in Northern Illinois. The sun is shining, kids go their book work done, and are enjoying some fall weather by running around the yard with our 7th month old puggle.

I think it's great that even at 12/13 they still enjoy playing games. They were playing tag with Puggy.  Do your older children still enjoy playing games? Do they still enjoy running around the yard?

Mine also enjoy the computer and tablets and other things, but it does my heart good to see them outside just playing and enjoying life and each other company.



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Saying Good-Bye

This past Friday we had to say good-bye to our beloved dog, Gravy!  Gravy was a part of our family for 9.5 years. He would have been 10 in April and would have celebrated 10 years with us in June.

He was an awesome dog and the kids' best friend. He loved the kids, loved walks, and in his younger years playing chase.  Over all he was a good dog and loyal to his family.  Sure, I hated the fact he would get into the trash (if we didn't lock it up) or food from the counter/table when we were gone! He never did this while we were home.  Sure, I hated the fact that he would break the window and bust out if we walked down to our neighbor's house WITHOUT him!  He never did this if we drove! Just if we walked anywhere. So if we went walking and didn't want him to come with we would have to put on a lead in the backyard. Of course he would then bark the whole time.

Despite these flaws over all he was a good dog and actually stayed in our yard as long as WE didn't leave the property ON foot! Our backyard is completely fenced, but we always leave the gate to the front yard open. So he could have left the property, but didn't. He stayed in the backyard unless someone pulled in our drive or we were out front.  He had to be with us or go greet the person that pulled in.

Seeing he was lab/collie mix his size would scare delivery people when they would come by, especially if he greeted them at the driveway before we could get outside. We would tell people all the time he's just a noise maker. That's the truth really, he was just a noise maker and would keep on being a noise maker until you acknowledge him. Once you acknowledge him he would lick you to death!

Gravy's passing was sudden and unexpected. Friday I took him to the vet because for a week he wasn't eating properly and that day I noticed he was bloated. I called the vet Friday morning and at first agreed to bring him in Monday, but after I hung up the phone I realized he was bloated so I called back and asked them to please squeeze him in Friday. They agreed to see him Friday.

The vet looked him over: gums looked good, temp normal, heart rate a little high, but sometimes when they come in they are are little high so that didn't worry her. She feeling on the tummy area could tell it was fluid. She then did a rectal exam and from what she could feel on that end things like the prostate and anal glads were normal.  It was at that point we discussed how to find out what the possible fluid was in the abdomen area.  We decided that she would shave his belly and would stick a sterile needle in to see if she could draw out any of the fluid. She did this and drew out blood. It was very easy for her to do this. His belly was full of blood!

She did some blood work and from the blood work it was clear that there was some kind of liver and spleen issues.  WITHOUT doing more testing she figured he had a tumor on his spleen or liver that rupture. She came to this conclusion because of how fast his symptoms developed and the fact we found tumors on his body at his annual exam in September.  The tumors on his body, age, arthritis, and the fact he had not fully recovered from a broken leg that took at the beginning of summer did NOT make him a candidate for surgery.  So that left us with the option to let him die on his own or end it for him. We opted to end it for him.
Friday night when my hubby got home for work we took him to the animal clinic and said our good-byes.

This has been very hard on the family, especially the kids. This is their first time dealing with the death of a love one that was so close to them. We have had close love ones die, but the kid were real little at the time so they don't really remember my dad and their cousin deaths.

Gravy 2003-2012

Thank-You Vets

Last Sunday coming home from church Superstar, my son, seen a sign that said "Thank-You Vets". In response to the sign he asked us "On what day do we honor veterinarians?". That made us chuckle. We explained to him that's NOT the type of VET the sign was talking about.  We explained who the vets are and shared with him that Daddy, my husband, is a vet.

In honor of my husband we did not have school work today.  Speaking of my husband my daughter, Web-princess, has a bit of my hubby's humor. Before leaving the house my hubby always tells the DOG to be good, no parties, don't eat the garbage, no girls can be over, etc. Well he does this only if everyone is leaving.

So this week while hubby was at work the kids and I were setting off to leave. My daughter told the DOG to be good, no parties, and no girls can be over especially POODLES!! I had the biggest belly laugh when she said that. I asked her why especially poodles. Her response was that they are especially "dangerous" with their fancy hair cuts, and "poofy" ankles.  I guess they are a temptation that male dog can't resist?

Happy Veteran's Day!