Double Birthday

Molly and I shared a birthday party this year, since my mom was in town...

even Shadow had a good time!!

Christmas 2011

Natalie left the gingerbread house she decorated at school for Santa with a note: for Saint Nick, from Nat

 and Santa came soon after the kids fell asleep...

everyone got what they wanted and had a great holiday!

27 Weeks!

Carrying Lydia is a LOT like it was with Natalie...she's very strong and active, and my cravings are more of a week-long fest of that food/drink rather than a sudden burst of desire for anything in particular (with Drake it was midnight Whopper runs from Burger King!).

Shadow

Visit With Santa 2011

We went to Boulevard Home Furnishings yesterday to look at couches. We bought one. Then we came back today to see Santa and take some photos...

 Kelt visiting our new couch before it gets delivered on Monday...

Something Sweet

First of all, isn't this the cutest dog ever?

 he loves to sleep on his back like this...

 second, we made some cookies together the other day, and I had to snap a few photos...

the kids had a blast cutting and decorating these!  They used a TON of sprinkles, but the cookies were way good anyway!  The only thing sweeter was spending quality time with my munchkins...

Tree Hunt 2011

We went tree hunting on the Arizona Strip this year with Allie, Jon, and Molly...

 Kelt and Shadow

  We had the only suitable vehicle for transporting trees, so we decided to tie both of them on top of the 4runner. This is how we started off...

And this is how we ended up...

 It looks like we were toting one giant tree!

Maybe we'll get a hold of a truck next year before we try that again!

For 8

As many of you know, we adopted this little guy a little over a week ago...

(his adoption photo)

(hanging out with Kelt)

he was a really sweet pup who knew how to sit and play fetch. He loved pig ears, his angry birds toy, and napping... 

on Friday the 11th, he started getting sick. He was throwing up, had diarrhea, and was somewhat lethargic...

he seemed to be doing better on Saturday, so we thought his tummy was just adjusting to his new kibble.  By Sunday we knew something was not right.  He was acting exhausted and wouldn't eat or drink anything.  We took  him to the vet, where he tested positive for parvo.  He was given a 50/50 shot of surviving the virus.  We chose to take him home and care for him because in addition to being very expensive, we didn't want to leave him alone at the vet where he would be kenneled and left alone at night.

I contacted the woman from the HART organization where we adopted him to let her know about his diagnosis.  Parvo is extremely contagious and her other dogs might have been exposed.  She asked if she could come over with some additional medication.  We said yes, and she brought over penicillin injections to be given twice a day and a bag of intravenous fluids to be given at least every four hours as his body would absorb it.  We immediately began treatment and that night he was sitting up when I would get up to check on him.  We had really high hopes he was going to be just fine.

Monday was, again, worse.  He was extremely lethargic, wouldn't eat, wouldn't drink, and seemed to be having difficulty swallowing the dog food I was trying to give him through a syringe.  He spent most of the day wrapped up in a blanket or towel on my lap...

Kelt got home and we had dinner.  8 wandered over to his bed, which was in an open kennel.  About an hour later, I went to check on him and give him more fluid and to try to give him some more food in the syringe.  I found him collapsed half way out of his kennel.  I knew there was something wrong immediately by the way he was lying.  I picked him up, and he was completely limp, but still breathing.  I called for Kelt and we sat together, holding him.  About half an hour later he gave two small jerks, and then he was gone.

I cried all night and most of the next day.  I wish I could go back and take his pain away.  I wish I had held him all night on Sunday.  I wish I could have done more for him.  He was a great dog and even though he was only with us for one week, he made a permanent home in our hearts.  We will miss him so much, but we try to remember that he's happy where he is now and that we'll see him again someday...

Begas Vacation!

We took a little vacation to Vegas (which the kids have been calling Begas) to celebrate Kelton's return home...

we went to the aquarium at Mandalay Bay

parenting tip: your kids will act great ANYWHERE you go, as long as you take bubbles...

they loved the escalators, asking specifically to ride them for no reason whatsoever

we also saw the lions at MGM Grand

we pet the stingrays...some of us were a little skiddish (see below)

we came home today and welcomed the newest member of our family, Eight! He's a lab/shepherd mix we adopted from the HART foundation, and he's awesome!

last but not least, a snapshot of Drill Sergeant Hansen!