Happy Sunday morning. I hope that everyone enjoyed a safe and Happy Independence Day and a nice weekend. I know the girls I really enjoyed it. The extra time off has given me time to relax and refresh and also to think. So today's piece may contain some random thoughts...I apologize in advance if it's all over the place, but some days are just like that!
It also means that there is a great sampling of the diverse group of people who call America home. This year's parade seemed more well-attended than some I've been to in the past and the variety of groups represented along the parade route was amazing. It was truly an American experience. There were the typical police cars, fire trucks, the mayor, politicians running for office, and all of the candy a kid could want. But I was excited to see a group of Sikh Americans who were handing out bananas to the crowd, the Libertarian party handing out copies of the Declaration of Independence, Veterans of all kind who received applause as they walked through the route. There were kids and adults, groups from the LGBTQ community, people from so many different religious beliefs. There was dancing, singing, and all sorts of fun. It was a true representation of all of the people in our nation. And the best part was that we all came together peacefully to celebrate the day.
Peaches and Maddie loved the parade too. They were so excited to be out, although I think they were confused about the number of people at our normally very quiet Capitol. They received so much love and attention and were even lucky enough to get one of the bananas that the Sikh's were handing out. They had a great time and so did I.
After the parade, we spent some time visiting our friend Chastity at work. Peaches and Maddie love to visit Chastity because every visit includes love and snacks! This visit was no different. But they were lucky to spend some extra time helping too. It was a great way to get them some extra exercise and mental stimulation while not dealing with the heat!
After helping Chastity we headed home for a picnic lunch, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and some rest. The rain moved in and slowed down our ability to get out but we did get out for a walk and some more fun before settling in at home for the night.
On Friday, Maddie had a follow-up appointment with the vet to do additional blood work. As I mentioned last week, Maddie had to have bloodwork done in order to figure out what is causing her some health issues. Her exercise intolerance has had me worried and her symptoms were leading me to believe that she may be suffering from Cushing's Disease. Her initial blood work results came back and thankfully, most of her numbers are looking great. However, her thyroid levels are extremely low, leading Dr. Jason to believe that she is suffering from hypothyroidism. This is truly the best case scenario for all of her symptom and I am so relieved to know it is not Cushing's Disease. There are still a couple of other things that could be causing her issues, so Dr. Jason wanted to send in blood for a full thyroid panel at MSU to confirm what we suspect. While we won't know for certain for a couple of weeks, it is a relief to know that she will most likely be able to be treated pretty easily and will be back to her normal self soon!
With all of the heat and humidity we've been dealing with the last couple of weeks, it has been hard to make sure that Peaches is getting enough exercise. I can tell some days that she is extra restless and really just wants to run. But when Maddie jumps up to run to the door every time I move, then I know we aren't getting out enough and need to find a way to keep them happy through the heat.
So Friday night we headed out to the gardens at MSU to get in a walk and do a little geocaching. We went later in the evening when it had cooled down some, but boy was it humid still!
We walked a little over a mile and did find a geocache or two and the girls got to practice their listening skills too. I think that they enjoyed checking out somewhere new!
The girls are always happy when Vanessa joins us and she puts up with their craziness, so it's a win-win. Plus she's helping me learn how to be a better geocacher. I've got a way to go still, but it's been fun adding another reason to get out with the girls.
On our way home from Albion, we made a stop for ice cream in Springport. The girls got to share a vanilla and cheesecake swirl ice cream in a cone. They loved it!
Thursday we celebrated the birth of our Nation; a day that always makes me feel a little more patriotic. This year was no different. And while our country is suffering through some issues now, I believe that these issues are nothing we can't get through. America is a great country and its people are amazing. We may not always see things the same, but when it comes down to it, I believe Americans will always step up to do what's right. I believe the American people can come together in difficult times and find solutions to any problem. We've got a 243 year history of doing just that and I believe in my fellow Americans!
Last year on July 4th, we were packed up in the Jeep and beginning our journey to Alaska so we missed out on all of the things that are typical 4th of July celebrations. This year I wanted to make sure that Peaches got the whole Independence Day experience.
On holidays like the 4th, I love that I live in the Capitol City. Our July 4th parade circles the Capitol Building and there is nothing like watching the parade from the Capitol lawn.
It also means that there is a great sampling of the diverse group of people who call America home. This year's parade seemed more well-attended than some I've been to in the past and the variety of groups represented along the parade route was amazing. It was truly an American experience. There were the typical police cars, fire trucks, the mayor, politicians running for office, and all of the candy a kid could want. But I was excited to see a group of Sikh Americans who were handing out bananas to the crowd, the Libertarian party handing out copies of the Declaration of Independence, Veterans of all kind who received applause as they walked through the route. There were kids and adults, groups from the LGBTQ community, people from so many different religious beliefs. There was dancing, singing, and all sorts of fun. It was a true representation of all of the people in our nation. And the best part was that we all came together peacefully to celebrate the day.
Peaches and Maddie loved the parade too. They were so excited to be out, although I think they were confused about the number of people at our normally very quiet Capitol. They received so much love and attention and were even lucky enough to get one of the bananas that the Sikh's were handing out. They had a great time and so did I.
After the parade, we spent some time visiting our friend Chastity at work. Peaches and Maddie love to visit Chastity because every visit includes love and snacks! This visit was no different. But they were lucky to spend some extra time helping too. It was a great way to get them some extra exercise and mental stimulation while not dealing with the heat!
After helping Chastity we headed home for a picnic lunch, a reading of the Declaration of Independence, and some rest. The rain moved in and slowed down our ability to get out but we did get out for a walk and some more fun before settling in at home for the night.
We ended our July 4th celebrations by continuing a tradition that I began many years ago with Jake and Imke. For several years, we would take Jake and Imke with us to my parents every year on the 4th. They would stay at my parents house while we attended our family reunion. After the reunion, every year we would head to Corunna for the fireworks display there. Jake loved fireworks and would go crazy with excitement. In order to calm him down and to make fireworks a positive experience for Imke, I would buy a faygo pop and cheesy popcorn and we would sit out on our blanket sharing the cheesy popcorn through the whole fireworks display. It worked wonders and they loved it! When Maddie joined the family, she was so afraid of the fireworks, that not even cheesy popcorn could distract her, so we were no longer able to go to see fireworks, but the cheesy popcorn tradition continued. Even last year, when we were on the road, in a hotel in Superior, Wisconsin, we had cheesy popcorn on the 4th of July. I will admit that I got a little emotional this year when I realized that this would be the first 4th of July in many years without Imke, but despite the emotions...we carried on the cheesy popcorn tradition in her memory.
On Friday, Maddie had a follow-up appointment with the vet to do additional blood work. As I mentioned last week, Maddie had to have bloodwork done in order to figure out what is causing her some health issues. Her exercise intolerance has had me worried and her symptoms were leading me to believe that she may be suffering from Cushing's Disease. Her initial blood work results came back and thankfully, most of her numbers are looking great. However, her thyroid levels are extremely low, leading Dr. Jason to believe that she is suffering from hypothyroidism. This is truly the best case scenario for all of her symptom and I am so relieved to know it is not Cushing's Disease. There are still a couple of other things that could be causing her issues, so Dr. Jason wanted to send in blood for a full thyroid panel at MSU to confirm what we suspect. While we won't know for certain for a couple of weeks, it is a relief to know that she will most likely be able to be treated pretty easily and will be back to her normal self soon!
With all of the heat and humidity we've been dealing with the last couple of weeks, it has been hard to make sure that Peaches is getting enough exercise. I can tell some days that she is extra restless and really just wants to run. But when Maddie jumps up to run to the door every time I move, then I know we aren't getting out enough and need to find a way to keep them happy through the heat.
So Friday night we headed out to the gardens at MSU to get in a walk and do a little geocaching. We went later in the evening when it had cooled down some, but boy was it humid still!
We walked a little over a mile and did find a geocache or two and the girls got to practice their listening skills too. I think that they enjoyed checking out somewhere new!
We've also continued to work on our goal of 100 miles on the North Country trail. Last Sunday, we hit the road with Vanessa to visit the trail in Battle Creek and do a little geocaching along the way. We found a new section of the trail along the river and we had a great time.
The girls are always happy when Vanessa joins us and she puts up with their craziness, so it's a win-win. Plus she's helping me learn how to be a better geocacher. I've got a way to go still, but it's been fun adding another reason to get out with the girls.
This week our trail adventure took us to the Albion Riverwalk. Maddie loves this part of the trail because she can actually get into the river and she took full advantage of it yesterday. Even with the heat and humidity and Maddie's issues which slow us down, between the two walks, we were able to add a total of 4.1 miles toward our 100 which keeps us on track for the year. Best of all we had a nice time enjoying some time together.
On our way home from Albion, we made a stop for ice cream in Springport. The girls got to share a vanilla and cheesecake swirl ice cream in a cone. They loved it!
I was excited to help out ISR with a transport in the late afternoon on Saturday. Roseanne came in to rescue from Central Illinois and I helped get her from Kalamazoo to her foster home in the Lansing area. She was an excellent passenger. She was a sweet girl and she love Maddie's bed!
It has been a great week. We just finished watching the US Women's Soccer team win the World Cup, which seems like the perfect end to our Independence day weekend celebrations. We'll be spending a quiet day at home, doing a little work in the garden and getting some stuff checked off my to-do list. I am really enjoying the Summer, despite the humidity, and we are making the most of the warmer and longer days. I am hoping to get out for some bigger adventures in the next few weeks to really take advantage of our beautiful State-we need some time at the lake! There isn't any place quite like Michigan in the Summer, in my opinion, and we plan to take full advantage of it.
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