The Rainbow Bridge

Tonight I had a singular experience. I witnessed as the Anderson's family dog was euthanised. He was incredibly listless today and hadn't been eating much at all. Finally he got the shivers and refused to get up. It was decided that he should be taken to the Animal Emergency Center in Reno. The staff were incredible. They took Dank right in for an exam. They determined that x-rays would be needed for further diagnostics and the okay was given. The x-ray results were back in about a half hour. All the while they were very calm and incredibly courteous. Seriously, I cannot say enough nice things about them. Unfortunately, they found some nodules in Dank the most sever being in his lungs. From the x-ray they could not technically call it cancer but it was clear that there was little else that it could be. They said that the best that we could realistically hope for would be to determine the type of cancer and begin chemotherapy treatments which might buy him a few more months. My mother-in-law was forced to make the difficult decision to have him put to sleep. They brought him into our room and allowed us to visit. He gave mom one final lick on the hands and the doctor came in to administer the anesthesia which would stop his heart.

I was glad that I could be there for it and glad to discover that I did feel grief as we watched him pass. This experience truly deepened the love that I have for animals but more particularly for dogs. I have never been able to own a dog as a result of my circumstances but hope to one day be able to provide a home for one. I am glad to know that animals our one of the creations of our Heavenly Father and although I do not know what the circumstances will be after this life for them, I trust that He does not take his creations lightly and that there is a place for them somewhere in his plan.

He Guarantees It!

We were slammed the other morning at work. In anticipation of a really busy night we were staffed really light in the morning. Unfortunately our customers didn't realize that they were not supposed to be there yet so me and another associate were just running our behinds off. At some point amidst all this commotion I looked up to see an eerily familiar bearded man walk right by me, after I completed the double take it was confirmed, George Zimmer (the founder, CEO, and spokesman for the Men's Wearhouse) had walked into our store. He took one look at the chaos and without hesitation began measuring and helping customers. It was amazing. Once the business died down he congratulated the both of us for how hard we were working and left for a meeting that he had in town. Definitely not an every day experience.

Bailey's Awesome Hangout

Do you ever wish that you could just get away from it all? Would you like just a small corner of the world that is yours and yours alone? Of course, we all do. Well, Bailey has found hers. The funny thing is she knows how cute it is too. Now when she crawls in she starts saying, "Mama camera." Where better to grab a snack and unwind from the stress of toddlerhood?

An "A-ha" Moment

About a week after school let out I found myself struggling with some feelings that I hadn't expected, I missed school. It felt like I was spinning my tires again and I just wanted to go back. You have to understand that this was more than just a minor thing I actually felt myself starting to get depressed. I racked my brain trying to come up with projects or activities that might help me to get out of this funk.

Then the answer came. One morning Bailey woke up and I decided to let Jennifer sleep in as Bailey and I went downstairs. That morning I played with my daughter for almost two hours straight. As I watched her smile and heard her laughter it struck me that this was what I should be doing. This is what the time was for. I appreciate that moment of clarity so much and hope that I will treasure up some great memories with my daughter this summer.

New Words

Bailey busted out some new words today.

#1 Okay

In context: She came up to Jennifer, put her hand on her back, looked into Jenn's eyes and said "Mama okay?" She was just checking up on her then she did it to me.

#2 Too

In context: I was in bed and she crawled up next to me and said "Baby hide too". Meaning she wanted to get in the blankets and pull them over her head.

It seems like she has a new word or two everyday. It is amazing not just that she can say them, but that she gets the context correct too. Children are amazing (especially Bailey :D).

Train Tracks

Bailey got really excited about her train table for the first time tonight (a stall tactic but still). She was interlocking those tracks like a champ. She was so cute and proud. I just had to get a picture.

Happy Birthday Bailey

Thank you everyone for making Bailey's day so fun and special. I didn't get as many pictures as I would have liked but hey, I was hostessing right? (aka visiting) Anyway here are some pics of the party as promised. I love that little girl!



My parents yard is full of toys for Bailey so there was already entertainment for the kids. We also had an egg hunt which I think went over very well. And just to make sure we kept everyone happy we fed them. I should have gotten a picture of my hubby grill master but I already covered that.
Bailey got a lot of great gifts and I think we have already played with, used or eaten most of them. Thanks again everyone.


Oh and did anyone's child get a nap that day because mine sure didn't.