Keeping Traditions Alive

This weekend started out like most weekends do with a quiet Friday night at home followed by Dog Walking with the shelter dogs on Saturday morning.  After a cold Saturday morning walk, I came home for a walk with the girls.  It was a beautiful, sunny day, the kind of day that I really look forward to this time of year.  Peaches, Maddie, and Zi were all excited for the chance to get out and explore the world.  After weeks of walking a confused and tangled mess, I think they all finally figured out how to walk nicely together so we had a nice 2 mile walk.

With the nice weather, we spent the day outside.  While I was doing yard work and enjoying the sunshine, the girls were busily exploring and sniffing and looking for  squirrels.  It was nice to be able to get outside for some extra exercise and fresh air.  After spending a couple of hours in the yard, it was time to run a few errands for the day so the girls all jumped in the Jeep and we were off to get things done and then finally head home for a relaxing evening in order to rest up for our busy Sunday.

But before we could relax for the night, we had to celebrate because Sunday morning Zi would be leaving us to meet a new family.  And so, like we have done 38 times before, we had an ice cream party.  The ice cream party started with our very first foster, Vivian, seven years ago and has become an important tradition for us.  In the beginning, I felt like it brought us good luck, but now it is just a way to celebrate a new beginning for our temporary family member as we send them out into the world.  It is a tradition that I love and I think the girls love it too.  I know Zi loved her ice cream!
 

I woke up before the girls on Sunday morning and we spent a little time snuggling before I had to force them out of bed for breakfast and a potty break.  We had places to go today and I didn't want to be late.  Soon the Jeep was packed and we were ready to head to the Michigan/Indiana border to meet with Zi's new family. 

Of course we couldn't drive all that way without stopping for an adventure along the way.  As is tradition with all of the foster dogs we've driven there to meet their new families, we made a stop to get in a quick hike on the North Country Trail at the Historic Bridges Park just outside of Battle Creek.  As you can tell from the picture below, no one wanted to listen to me very well...and Peaches decided to protest while Maddie just ignored me completely.  But we had a brisk walk and got rid of some excess energy before continuing our journey.

As you can tell, the walk was a great success!  

 

Zi and Maddie settled in for a nap for the remainder of the trip, while Peaches sat nicely looking out the window.

We were blessed with beautiful sunny day for our road trip and I was grateful that the weather cooperated to give us such a great travel day.  Traveling along I-94 in SW Michigan this time of year, you never know what you could get, but we got lucky.  In no time at all, we had reached our meeting spot and Zi met her new foster-to-adopt family-Philip and Dani.  

They were so excited to meet her and get her home with them and I think they are great!  They've been waiting a long time to add a GSP to their family and I think that Zi will be very happy with them.  

After a round of hugs from Dani and Philip, I gave Zi a hug and kiss on the head, told her to be a good girl, and then we were off.  Just me and my two girls ready for some more adventures before heading home.  

So off we went to spend some time on the Lake Michigan shore at Warren Dunes State Park, another traditional stop when bringing a foster to meet a new family.  We spent a couple of hours there walking the beach, wading in the lake, and exploring the dunes.  Peaches was in her element and having the best time sniffing and running and splashing in the water.  Maddie moved at a little slower pace, but was happy to be at the beach too.  It was the perfect way to spend our day.

Even though the temperature was barely above freezing, the sun was warm and it was so calm that it felt a lot warmer.  We were met by many people along our walk and Peaches happily greeted each one.  She made friends with an older gentleman who stopped to ask me about them and I enjoyed my chat with him.  I meet so many nice people because of these silly dogs.

Much too soon, it was time to head back to the Jeep so that we could continue our journey home.  With a quick stop to pick up a burrito at Moe's, I was on the road toward home with two snoring girls. 

It was a good day and another foster success, but I couldn't help but notice someone missing on this trip.  It was my first time ever on the North Country Trail without Imke and it was our first trip to a Great Lake without her as well.  But I am thankful for the traditions we built together, the legacy she left, and that I got to share those traditions with Peaches.  Although things have changed, some things never will and those traditions will continue on after Peaches and Maddie leave me too.  And I'll be grateful for them and for the memories we created today because of them. 

Sometimes we just need time

After a long week at work and a stressful weekend, I just didn't have it in me to sit down and write a blog yesterday, but I wanted to share a short story tonight.  Little Miss Zi gave me quite a scare over this weekend.  She started to vomit and then refused food...and was clearly not feeling well.  I was worried sick about her and feared that so many things could be wrong.  Luckily, she just had a little GI upset that cleared up on its own, probably a little virus.  But while I sat here over the weekend, unable to really do anything to help and squirting syringes of Pedialyte into her mouth so she wouldn't become dehydrated, I realized the I am mentally, physically, and emotionally drained.  After caring for my sick, old girl for the last several months and knowing what is coming with Peaches, I think I reached a breaking point.

Over the course of the last week, especially with the events of this weekend added in, I've realized that I am not quite ready to fully take on a new foster.  While I thought bringing Zi into our home would help Maddie feel like things were more normal and would give Peaches a new playmate, I also thought it could help me heal as well.  What I learned is that I had unrealistic expectations and, after all I went through in the end with Imke, I just need a break.  I am not ready to jump back in and just keep going; none of us are. 

Zi is a sweet girl and I certainly don't regret helping her out, but she was more of a challenge than I was prepared to take on...at least mentally.  And I was surprised to see how quickly I felt overwhelmed by the situation.  While she is sweet and loves people, she is also nervous and unsure and has a lot to learn.  She would really benefit from a confident dog, but without Imke here, I have a house of anxious, not-so-confident dogs right now.  I have a house of dogs who are still trying to figure out the hierarchy of our pack.  We are all still learning how to navigate through life without Imke.  Nothing feels quite like it should and I suspect that life will be that way for a while.

But I am not one to give up on a challenge and I knew we had to make the best of the situation so that Zi could learn how to be a well-adjusted, happy girl and find a new home.   With as nervous as she is, I didn't want her to have to move to a new foster home before finding her forever home.  Lucky for me, the family that is interested in adopting her is willing to offer a foster home for her until she is finished with all of her vet work and can officially be adopted.

After speaking with them last week and sharing all about her personality, they were excited to bring her into their home.  They currently have two Shih Tzus and before we could move her, we had to make sure that she would be okay with little dogs.  So on Friday, she came to work with me for the morning and then at lunch time we headed out to the shelter to meet some little dogs.  She did great! So it was decided that this Sunday she will move to her new home in Chicago.

Her new family is so excited to meet her and I am excited for her to meet them.  She deserves a stable, loving home, and I truly believe that they will give her just that.  While she will only have spent three weeks here, she has left an impression and I won't soon forget this sweet girl...my first foster without Imke. 

Now I will be taking a break to focus on the two girls that I have.  Peaches and Maddie have taken a backseat while I cared for Imke and now they are not getting as much attention as they deserve as I help Zi.  It is time to focus on them for now and maybe it's time to focus on me too.  

November 29

It was Saturday, November 29, 2003 when I saw this face for the first time.  My sweet puppy, Imke.  These are the first two pictures I received of that puppy with no name.  We hadn't discussed a name and I didn't even know that someone was going to look at a litter of puppies that day until I got the call..."there is only one female left, do you want her?"  I was an hour away at the Chesaning Music Boosters craft show with Nicol and my mom.   Earlier that day we had visited the Ingham County Animal Shelter and met a beautiful 6 year old male, Jake, who was in need of a home.  When I got the call, I turned to Nicol and asked what she thought.  Did we want this puppy?  I knew I did, but it needed to be a family decision.  And her answer?  "Mom, we can't get a puppy if we don't save Jake." And with that I became a first time GSP mom of two.

Imke became ours that afternoon and I was sent these two tiny pictures via text message.  Soon after, she arrived with John at my parent's house where the discussion of names began.  When Nicol suggested the name Imke, after a German girl she had met earlier that year when she was traveling in Australia, we immediately loved it.  And it was settled.  She became the girl with the name that everyone mispronounced, a one-of-kind name here in the U.S.  A one-of-a-kind name for a one-of-a-kind dog.

The next day, we moved into our new house, and Imke was there with us from the minute we got the keys.  These are two of my favorite pictures from that day.  She was such an adorable little pup!

And then, the day after moving into our house, on Monday, December 1, we brought home our handsome Jake.  

Handsome Jake

And Imke met her first best friend.  Jake taught her all about how to be a good dog.  He was her constant wrestling partner and her favorite pillow.  They would be inseparable until the day he died 8 years and 10 months later.  

And our poor kitty, Spunky, who had been an only pet for 10 years, was not very happy with the new living situation...

Or with the new puppy who regularly stole his bed!

She loved her Jake so much and he tolerated her so well.  They played and they snuggled and they made me laugh regularly.

Just like any good GSP, Imke could make herself comfortable pretty much anywhere.  And she loved to snuggle with anyone who would let her.  She was so tiny!

And then, in the blink of an eye, she wasn't tiny anymore.

I sometimes forget just what a beautiful young lady she was with her solid brown head, before she became my sweet powdered-faced old girl.  I loved that big chocolate head of my new friend...but I loved that sweet gray face of my old friend even more.

She and Jake loved their first trip to the U.P. with us.  

She always loved being outdoors and she always loved sticks!

It took time, but eventually we all adjusted to having two crazy GSPs in the house, even Spunky.

Eventually they could even lie on the floor together.  She really did love that kitty of hers.  Even if he didn't love her back!

Like I said before, she and Jake were really inseparable.  

Wherever he went, she followed.  Wherever he sat...she had to be touching him.

But who wouldn't love this handsome face?

Before we knew it a whole year had gone by, our puppy celebrated her first birthday and her first Halloween.  

Their first big road trip outside of Michigan was our visit to the University of Kentucky.  We made that trip many more times through the years while Nicol was in school there.  It was all of this travel to Kentucky that trained Imke and me to be great road warriors and prepared us for all of our amazing adventures.

I had always hoped we would reach this day together and celebrate one more "gotcha day" but it was not meant to be.  However, it will always be a special day because it is the day that began our journey together.  Those three days November 29-December 1, 2003 will always be special because they changed my life.  They brought me two of the most amazing dogs, a love of GSPs, and a love of rescue.  They were the beginning of the journey that brought me here, to this time and place in my life, and I am so thankful for that.  I couldn't let the day pass without recognizing it's significance and taking a walk down memory lane.  Thanks for walking with me.  Happy Gotcha day, Imke!  I hope you, Jake, and Spunky are celebrating together!

Giving Thanks

I thought this week, in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday, I would share a few things that I am thankful for in my life.  I have so much to be thankful for and, although I try to show gratitude for these things all year long, it is always nice to take time to reflect on all of the good in my life.  I am really very fortunate.  While I am far from wealthy, I have enough.  I have a home, my health, a good job, food, family, and friends.  I know that there are many people who are not nearly as lucky as I am.

I am thankful for my volunteer work and my rescue community.  I have met so many good people, people who care about doing good and helping others, and it has restored my faith in humanity.  I am so thankful that I have the good fortune to be able to help others who are less fortunate.  

While I have only had the opportunity to foster two dogs this year, I am so lucky that I was able to help them both.  I have been blessed with the opportunity to give Peaches a home to live out her life, a home where she is appreciated and loved...some may even say she's a bit spoiled.  And I am glad that I had the opportunity to meet Zi and give her a place to decompress from shelter life while she waits for her permanent home.  

While my ability to foster this year has been limited, I have continued to join our Dog Walking Club at the Shelter on Wednesdays and Saturdays.  These Wednesday night and Saturday morning walks give me the opportunity to spend time with friends and with our amazing shelter dogs.  

Through rain, sun, snow, hot and cold, and anything else any of our seasons throw at us, we are out there walking the shelter dogs and giving them a small break from their time at the shelter.  I'm especially lucky because I get to photograph these beautiful souls and spend a little one on one time loving each and every one of them.  Any bad day can be made better by spending a little time with a shelter dog.  We could all learn a lot from them about love and resilience and gratitude.  I am thankful for all that they have taught me over the years.  

I am so thankful for my ability to travel and all of the things I have seen and experienced.  I am also very thankful for my amazing travel buddies.  We have seen so many amazing things this year.  

I am thankful for my amazing work family without whom I wouldn't have been able to do all that I have this year.  Because of them I was able to take nearly a month off of work to travel to Alaska.  Because of them, I was able to spend more time with Imke in her final months and I was able to be with her at the very end.  I don't know if they will ever understand just how thankful I am for that gift of time.  What a great gift they are.

I am thankful every day for my beautiful daughter who has helped to make me the person I am today.  She is such a good person and she is always there for me.  I just don't know what I would do without her.  I am especially thankful that she got to join us on our trip to Alaska this year.  

Although it may seem silly, I am thankful for Peaches' bucket list.  It has gotten me out on new adventures and it has taken me back to places that I love.  It has given me something positive to focus on instead of always worrying about her cancer.  It also helped me through the days as Imke was nearing the end.  When you focus on adventures and happy times, on making memories and making sure that you are really living life, it is much easier to appreciate all of the good things that you have.  

One of the items on Peaches' bucket list was for the girls to get a picture with Santa..and I am thankful that I stopped in Christmas, MI while we were on our last U.P. trip so I could get this picture of all of the girls with Santa.  

I am thankful for the U.P., the North Country Trail, and all of the people I have met this year, even if only for a brief moment, those meetings were all a part of this great adventure of life.

I am thankful for Maddie who has been there with me for a lot of good and bad times.  I don't feel like I say enough what an amazing girl she is.  I am thankful that she loves me despite my shortcomings.

I am thankful for my quiet Thanksgiving at home this year.  It is the first Thanksgiving meal I've cooked and it turned out pretty good.  It was nice to spend a quiet day at home with my girls.  The girls were thankful to have Nicol home and they made the most of her time here.

I am sure that this list doesn't include everything, but I am really full of gratitude today, and every day.  I've found that living a grateful life is really the best way to live a happy life.  

As we move into the holiday season, I want to wish you all a season of peace, joy, and love.  I hope you all get to spend the holidays focused on the really important things and that you get to spend quality time with those you love.  

From me, Maddie, and Peaches-we thank you for following our adventures this year and wish you the happiest of holidays!