Heart Worm Test

My dog Riley recently turned a year old so we thought this would be the perfect time to have his heartworm test done. I found out from a friend at work 2 Mondays ago that Petco has a Vet that comes in a few Monday nights a month to give shots & do blood draws. My friend just happened to have a price listing with her. A heartworm test at my Vet's office is around $50. This price list said $20! I was worried that they wouldn't be able to draw his blood because of how he is with nail cuts but they were great with him. It took 2 of us to hold him & the Vet half holding & half drawing the blood, but she got it. She said no news is good news and that the results would be in by Friday. Apparently they only call if it's positive. Now, that might sit well with most people, but not me! I realize heartworm is not something "normal" around here, but my dog is from Arkansas. Because of this we give preventatives all year round. I was also slightly nervous about the test. So when the following Monday came around, I called the Vet to see if the results were in. They were not!

The day after the blood draw we had a huge snow storm. Apparently the lab got very far behind & was swamped. So, I just received the test results today. NEGATIVE!! I had a message on my cell phone from the Vet that said "The test results are negative. There are no wormies in little Riley's heart." I was so happy when I heard this news! I just giggled at the "wormies" comment! When I got home from work tonight I gave Riley an extra big hug & tons of kisses.

I am so happy that we have provided monthly prevention for our dog. There is only one Riley & I never want to see him go through any unpleasantness. So, I make this promise to my dog...I will always provide you with everything you need to stay healthy. I am so thankful for the massive amounts of unconditional love Riley gives me. So tomorrow, since it is the first of the month, I will provide you with your monthly dose of prevention and in 2 years we will retest. A lot of people don't know that you have to retest every 2 years. Thankfully I have a wonderful Vet that guides me along the way, as I am a first time doggie parent.

Three Years

Last week we celebrated my boyfriend's birthday, but also had a much bigger event to celebrate. Last week marked three years of sobriety for my amazingly strong boyfriend. I consider myself so fortunate, so blessed to be with him everyday. I am so proud of how much he has accomplished, how much he has grown & how far he has come these past three years. I thank God for everyday I have been able to be by his side & I pray for a million more to come. It takes a very special kind of person to be able to turn their life around the way he has. Every day is better than the last & it will only continue to get better while on this path!

So to my amazing boyfriend I want to say (today & every day)...I am so proud of you & so thankful for the person you are. I appreciate you & every moment we share together. I love you with all my heart!

What Did My Puppy Eat??

Remember how the clown at the kids' birthday party would pull the long string of scarves tied together out of his mouth? Well, last night my dog was the clown...

I was about to feed my 11 month old puppy, Riley, his dinner when my daughter screams "Gross! Riley has a HUGE stream of drool hanging out of his mouth!" I look at Riley & see the long string of "drool" hanging about 8 inches out of his mouth. I grab a towel to wipe it off...and then it gets gross...

As the drool continues to flow out of his mouth, I realize it's a thick string of some sort. Slowly, I end up removing about 4 feet of this string from his mouth/belly. I have no idea where this string came from or what it was. I'm just happy it didn't go through his system & wreak havoc on his tummy.

Now, anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a very weak stomach. So, I know that the anyone reading this is probably grossed out, but at least you weren't the one who had to pull this out of him. Yes, I gagged!

Riley had an upset tummy for a few hours afterward, but seems okay now. He is never unsupervised & when left alone he is kenneled so I have no idea what he ate. Puppies are just like kids..."everything goes in the mouth!"

My Puppy = TROUBLEMAKER

I don't know what has gotten into my puppy,Riley, this weekend, but he sure has been naughty. Thursday night he had an accident in the house. Not a big deal, but it all started that night. Every time he goes outside, he doesn't want to come inside. It's great that he loves it outside, but having to take a leash outside to get him to come inside again is tiring. Last night he was scooting his butt on the carpet (GROSS). Today he chewed up my daughter's soccer shin pad. I caught him climbing on top of the organ to get his toy box down twice!

Riley is a very well behaved dog, but this weekend he has definitely been testing Mom & Dad to see what he can get away with. Dad has been working long, late shifts & Mom has been not feeling well the past few days. I am sure he probably just needs a nice long walk. Sometimes having a dog can be frustrating, but the good always out weighs the not so good.

Our Gentle Barn Mission & Goal

Please visit http://ourjourneytothegentlebarn.blogspot.com/ & donate for these animals if you can...every little bit helps! So far $230 has been donated for the animals & our goal is to bring the animals  $2,500. We are planning a trip to the Gentle Barn in July 2011. 

WE ARE SO PROUD TO ANNOUNCE.......!

A group of us ladies are planning a trip to The Gentle Barn in Spring/Summer 2011 and would like to fundraise from now until then so we can arrive with a big surprise check! We need your help!

The 120 farm animals that reside at The Gentle Barn have ALL been rescued from severe abuse, neglect, and loneliness. They have been rehabilitated with deep tissue massage therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, western medicine, herbs, nutritional supplements, top quality feed, and countless hours in the arms of the staff. They have regained their trust in humankind by realizing that they are now loved, and their abuse is over. They have all survived with forgiveness, trust, love, courage, and time. Because of their ongoing physical and psychological needs, most cannot be adopted and are given sanctuary with The Gentle Barn for the rest of their lives.

The Gentle Barn is home to horses, donkeys, cows, pigs, sheep, goats, turkeys, chickens, llamas, dogs, and cats. Everyone deserves a chance at life, regardless if they are blind, crippled, deformed, sick, wounded, or just old. At The Gentle Barn, the animals leave when they are done, not when someone is done with them!

Because The Gentle Barn is home to the abused animals that no one else would take in, their treatment and rehabilitation is extremely expensive. But it is worth it to see them smile again, to hear them purr, to watch their eyes light up, to feel them cuddle in your lap, and to see them play with new life and new hope. Once rehabilitated, the animals become ambassadors, teaching children about magic and grace.

This is why we want to raise money for The Gentle Barn. Not only do they rescue animals and teach them love, they educate adults and children about the importance of being kind to animals and what we can all learn from these amazing creatures.

We are funding our own flights and hotel accommodations. 100% of the money fundraised/donated will be donated directly to The Gentle Barn. Our goal is $2,500. When we fly to California this summer, we will present this wonderful foundation with a large check, and be there to meet, pet, snuggle, and rehabilitate the animals and help out around the farm. We cannot think of a greater reward than to be a part of this. What a learning experience of a lifetime!

Please consider a donation to The Gentle Barn for our trip. THANK YOU.

Family & Holidays

This holiday season I am reminded how wonderful my family is. My Mom & Step Dad drove from Colorado to Wisconsin to visit. I couldn't ask for a better gift. Unfortunately the flu lingered through my household & our visit was cut short because of this. Thankfully we still were able to spend some quality time together. Here are some pictures from our visit & our time together this past week.

 Riley was quite embarrassed by the hat...but so cute!

 Riley loves his Grampa!

 Pictured: My Mom, my son, me, my daughter & my Step Dad.

 The girls making adjustments to the "Naughty & Nice" list.

 Me & Brandee, the best cousin in the world!

I'm so blessed with such an amazing family. I love you all! I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday!

Happy Holidays!

While stopping at a local pet store to pick up a bag of puppy food, Riley got to meet Santa & get his picture taken with him!

Last year I was able to have my cats picture taken with my kids at another local pet store. This year we were unable to do that mainly due to our cat, Sarah, being uncomfortable & ill. I was able to gather my kids & 3 cats at our house for a (somewhat decent) picture.

From my family to yours...have a safe & very happy holiday season!