Professor

Not a day I particularly want to remember.  So so sad.  A couple of weeks ago, Professor hurt his back.  Leah brought him up and we took him to the chiropractor.  It was so sad to see him try to walk. His back legs were all wobbly and he was in pain.  Leah's vet had said they could do surgery for $2000 and a 50. % chance it would work.  So we hoped for the chiropractor.  He showed a tiny bit of improvement.  Leah held him at our house for 4 days so he wouldn't reinjure it.  We went back a second time and hoped again.  She took him home and held him there.  He had a couple of good days, she said.  Then his back legs stopped working altogether.  She took him to the vet there yesterday and called crying.  Little to no chance of surgery working.  And he couldn't poop.  So we made an appointment for him here to be euthanized.

Leah and David came with he little guy this afternoon and we held him and cried, all of us, Scott, Joel, Dave, Leah, me.  Hannah was with us on the phone and in spirit.  

We all wrote our memories of Professor for Leah.  We went to the vet and waited for all the people to leave, sitting in the car crying.  We all went back I to the room and cried while the vet gave him his shot and he got floppy.  We wrapped him in a blanket and carried him home.  We put him in a special box and read our memories and put copies of the memories in the box.  The. We put him in the hole Scott and Joel had dug in the backyard.  More tears and hugs.

We all loved him so very much.  What a great little dog.  I didn't want to tell Leah this, but I'm sure she knows, you really only get one dog you feel that way about in a lifetime. 

Here are our memories:

Leah:

Me:

Scott:

Joel:

Hannah:

Some favorite photos of Professor:

Christmas 2015

Christmas snuck up on me again and I put little effort into it yet it was amazing,as always.  I did even less this year in terms of gifts and decorations and preparations. School is so stressful the weeks leading up.  And there are so many parties, this year, 4 in one weekend.  But they were fun.  We had a girl's get together at a coworker's house, then Lake Christmas, then a work dinner, then a TRU party, all in one weekend.  I consumed much food and alcohol and had many laughs.  

Lake Christmas is always special and fun.

Julie came to see us a couple times over break which I always enjoy.

And we had a relaxing time with Dave and Leah and a few extra days with Leah home.  It's fun watching her tummy grow.  

Love having Joel home for such a long visit.  I told him last night it's like having him live here again.  

We missed the hell out of Hannah.  

I had my coworkers, the social workers, over for a little gathering.  This is Molly, my honorary grand baby. 

Christmas Eve morning Scott and I hiked the Konza just the two of us, 6 miles!  

Then Christmas morning, Joel, Scott and I hiked it again, 4.7 miles.

Julie came over along with my Mom and Dave.  And my friend, Christana.  I made a yummy dinner of spiral ham, cheesy potatoes, spinach salad, rolls, and cherry crunch dessert.  Christana said, "you nailed it!" And I have to agree:).  It was a nice time.

We played a lot of cards.  The next evening, Jon came over and we played spades and watched a movie.  Fun.

Scott got me a garmin vivosmart that tracks my activity, heart rate, and sleep.  It's a fun toy.

I need to read this again when I stress out over Christmas next year.  I never enjoy the trivial things that are Christmas. Not just the materialism that bothers a lot of people or the busyness.  I'm talking about the actual Christmas stuff like carols.  I feel like my relationship with Christ is so much deeper than all that.  I guess that makes me a Christmas snob.  It goes back to the whole religion thing that I struggle with more and more.  To me, Christmas is exactly what this one was for me, a time of relaxation and family and close friends and joy.