The good, the bad, and the exhausting

Happy Sunday and Happy St. Patrick's Day!  We have had a pretty up and down week, but we just keep plugging along as best as we can.  The girls are doing well.  I've done my best to keep them happy, and they are doing their best to take care of me too.

On Monday, along with a busy day of work, I spent a lot of time on the phone back and forth with my mom and the case worker at the hospital as we worked through the final details for my dad to get to go home from the hospital.  So many moving parts.  It was exhausting! 

After work, I decided that we'd go to Soldan Dog Park for a nice walk/run through the woods.  The girls had a great time.  Honestly, I even felt better after some fresh air and time in the woods.  Plus these happy faces always make me happy.

Tuesday came, and with it, the possibility that my dad would finally leave the hospital 10 weeks after initially being admitted.  When I hadn't heard from my mom by mid-day, I reached out for an update, only to find that she was already on her way home with my dad.  He didn't sound too thrilled to be going home when I talked to them, but I assumed that it was just the uncertainty of how things would go with his care over the initial few days at home.  Unfortunately, I quickly learned that he was feeling very weak and tired, and my mom was struggling to help him. He had no strength to get around, and I felt pretty useless an hour a way, but she got some help from my Uncle Charles to get my dad settled into bed where he proceeded to spend most of the rest of the day sleeping.  A home health nurse stopped late in the afternoon to help my mom get set up with all of the information she would need to be successful in helping my dad.  The nurse was there for a few hours.  

I decided that my original plan to visit them at home after work didn't make much sense.  My mom was getting lots of help from the nurse, and I had had a pretty emotionally exhausting day myself.  I figured it would be better if I waited until another day to visit, maybe a day that the nurse wouldn't be at the house and mom would need more help.  So, even though I felt completely exhausted, I decided I would take the girls to Soldan Dog Park again because they needed a good run.  I was glad that we made this trip, and for the first time since we started going to this park, we saw two other GSPs.  I spent a large chunk of my time talking to the owner of one of them while the girls played.  She was also a long-time GSP owner and her dog, Duna, is her seventh GSP.  We were at the park a lot longer than I had planned, but I was glad for the distraction.  I hope we run into them again.

Wednesday arrived, and my mom was expecting another visit from a home health nurse along with the physical therapist who will be working with my dad for the next several weeks.  Unfortunately, he was still feeling very weak and unable to get out of bed.  Both the nurse and physical therapist told my mom that they suspected my dad might have an infection and told her that he needed to go back to the hospital, although the nurse thought it might be a good idea to send him to the hospital in Owosso for a new set of eyes on his case. 

Since I couldn't really help with anything, I made the decision to stay in town for our Wednesday night shelter dog walk.  It was a beautiful, warm sunny day-perfect for walking dogs.  Afterward, I went to Los Tres Amigos with Katelyn for a margarita and some tacos.  I was so glad for this break from life. My brother, who had been in Arizona over the weekend, flew home that afternoon, so he headed straight to the hospital on his way home to be with my mom. 
 

Ultimately, the staff in Owosso said that they would need to transfer my dad to another hospital, so we had him transferred back to Grand Blanc where there is a whole team of people who are familiar with all that he's been through over the past 2 1/2 months.  He moved by ambulance late that evening and my brother stayed with him until he was admitted after midnight.

I had a busy day at work on Thursday, but I planned to head to the hospital that afternoon for a visit with my dad.  I left home late that afternoon with my laptop so I could work from the hospital, and the girls came along for the ride too.  My mom was still at the hospital when I arrived, but left shortly after, and I stayed for a couple of hours to keep dad company.  Thankfully, he was in good spirits, even though he wasn't feeling that great.   I spoke with the Physician Assistant from the Infectious Disease team who we've spent a lot of time with over dad's stay at the hospital and she told me their plan for him.  Meanwhile, a staff member came to take him for a CT scan, so I walked to the elevator with him and then headed home.  It was a rainy day and the girls weren't going to get out for much of a walk, so we made a stop at Magoo's Pet Outlet to give them a chance to sniff around and to pick up a few goodies for them.  Then we had a quiet drive home.

Friday was a beautiful sunny day.  Peaches really enjoys this sunny spot in the doorway on days like that.  Both girls spent a lot of time outside throughout the day.  My mom called a couple of times with updates, and since both my brother and my mom had planned visits to my dad, she suggested I stay home instead of making my planned visit after work.  I was able to have a really productive day at work, and when it was over, I was excited for the opportunity to get the girls out for some fun.

We headed out to Dewitt because I had to make a stop in town to pick something up for Nicol, and then I got the girls out for a walk.  While we walked around town, we discovered Riverside Park and decided to check it out.

Both girls were pretty happy to be out exploring somewhere new.  This trail was nice and there were plenty of great spots for sniffing. It was so nice to be out enjoying the sun.  I ended my Friday with a Friday Fish Fry and then had a quiet night at home.

Saturday I would be visiting my dad at the hospital to give my mom the day off.  I did a few things around the house in the morning before loading the girls into the car to make the drive East.  I had decided that I was going to get the girls out for a short walk before heading to the hospital and that I would make sure to get them out for a little adventure after my visit too.

We made a couple of quick stops on the drive toward Grand Blanc, and I even made a quick visit to the Genesee County Animal Shelter.  I have wanted to visit this shelter for a long time so I couldn't resist stopping.  I was really lucky that when one of the staff members learned that I was a long-time volunteer in Ingham county, she decided to give me a special tour of the shelter and I got to meet several of their dogs.  It is always interesting to see how different shelters are set-up and how they run things.  I met a couple of volunteers, petted some dogs, and really enjoyed my visit.  They are always so full of dogs and I really appreciate how much the staff and volunteers give back to the animals in their care.  

After my stop at the shelter, I headed to the hospital for a visit with my dad.  To my disappointment, he wasn't having a very good day and, with the exception of a couple of short conversations, he slept almost the entire time I was there.  I left earlier than I had initially planned because there was really no point in me staying there since he clearly needed the rest. 

Before leaving the Flint area, I wanted to get the girls out for a walk.  I had seen the Genesee Valley Trail on my geocaching map, so I decided that we'd check it out.  It is an urban trail, but it was a lot more wooded than I had expected.  We had a two mile walk along the trail and did a little geocaching along the way.  We did a little more geocaching in the area before picking up a quick dinner.  The girls slept soundly the whole drive home.

I was determined to have a relaxing Sunday after another exhausting week.  While I knew that girls would love a little fun today, I was glad that I  was able to get them out for some fun throughout the week because I knew that today, I needed a day of rest.  I also knew  that I would have to find things that could keep them busy right here at home.  We were able to sleep in a bit and then had a slow morning.  The girls spent time outside playing while I made breakfast and prepped Kongs for the week.  They had a great hour outside and then came in and were treated with the empty peanut butter jars.  They always love cleaning them out.

There were rounds of napping, snuggling, playing, wrestling, and time outside.  Then we made a quick trip to the store and had lunch when we got home.  Afterward, the girls went outside for another round of play before coming in to enjoy a Kong.  

I made some mid-afternoon popcorn and had an audience while I ate it.  Of course I shared with them.  

It's been cold and dreary most of the day, but we've had some peeks of sunshine in between the snow showers.  I thought I was going to make a lasagna for dinner, but I have decided that I'm just going to have a completely lazy day.  Maybe we'll just order a pizza or make something quick and easy.  I'm just really grateful that the girls have been really good all day and are giving me that chance to rest.  

We haven't been very festive for St. Patrick's day, but I am wearing my green.  Nicol, on the other hand, made sure that both Fiona and Picasso are dressed for the day.  

I'm really hoping that we get some answers about my dad this week and maybe we can get him to a point that he can really get home.  In the meantime, I'll just keep plugging along at life and hoping for better days.  We are entering the last few days of Winter, and by the end of the week, Spring will arrive.  That gives me hope.  

Better days ahead

After the stressful week I had last week and some uncertainty about ehat was coming next in regards to my dad's care, I started this week ready for another long week full of decisions and fighting for the best care for dad.  While it started out crazy, it ended well and honestly, I felt a lot of relief on where things stand.  

I spent Monday morning at home and had a productive start to my work week.  While I had a few calls regarding dad, mostly those didn't interrupt my day.   I worked from the hospital Monday afternoon

The girls spent a lot of time outside that morning and Peaches was happy to be able to soak in some sun inside too.  

Tuesday was a great day.  I had a good day at work and was finally able to start catching up on a few things.  The girls were so good all day.  Peaches kept busy making sure I was working hard.  After work, I was able to get the girls out for a nice walk.

After walking the dogs, I fed them dinner and then got them settled in for the night so that I could head to the hospital.  My nephew Mason was playing in the high school basketball Regionals, and I wanted to make sure that my dad got to see the game.  So I set my computer up for us to watch the game together online at the hospital.  I picked up my dinner at the deli at the hospital and settled in for the game.   We had such a fun time watching the game together.  Unfortunately they didn't win, but I was so glad that I gave my dad the opportunity to see Mason play in his final High school basketball game.   It really meant a lot.

Wednesday was a long rainy day and the girls didn't get to have a lot of fun during the day, although i did get them out for a quick lunchtime walk

Between work and some desicions that needed to be made for dad, I had a very busy day, but at the end of the day I finally felt like we had made some progress and were headed in the right direction.

I was happy for my Wednesday night dog walk at the shelter, and even though I didn't get to walk a dog myself, all 6 dogs that were available to walk with us got to go, and I got to give them all a little love.  Kaboom is probably my favorite of the dogs currently at the shelter.   He's got a great personality. 

After getting home from my shelter dog walk, I took the girls for another walk in the rain before we all had a late dinner.  I thought they'd happily settle in for the night, but I was wrong!  They both insisted on some attention and a few trips outside before they finally relaxed.

Thursday was another very productive day at work, and the girls spent lots of time outside.  I took a late lunch because Peaches had her annual check-up at Patterson Veterinary Hospital.  She got to see Cassidy, her favorite vet tech, and she had a great appointment.   She's 12 and going strong!

After her appointment, we headed home and I finished my work day while the girls napped.  After work, we were back in the car so we could make a trip to Soldan Dog Park so the girls could really stretch their legs and have some fun.  It wasn't busy, which is always the best time to be there in my opinion.   They briefly had a friend who decided to join our picture.   They had a great night at the park and it was a very quiet night at my house.

Friday brought the end of my work week and it was another really productive day.  On my lunch, I drove to the hospital to finish my work day from my dad's room.  The girls got to come along for the  rainy day drive.  

On the drive home, we took advantage of the fact that we had to drive right past Durand and made a stop for the Durand Eagles fish fry.  I made my order to go so I could sit in the car with the girls while I ate.  Of course, I ordered an extra piece of fish to share...but I didn't need it.  The portion size was amazing and the Walleye was delicious!  The girls definitely agreed. 

Saturday we had a slow morning around the house, but I really wanted to take advantage of the weather and the day off to get the girls out for some fun.  We had had a lot of rainy days during the week, so I knew that they'd appreciate the opportunity to do something fun.

We ended up in Chelsea and our first stop was at the local dog park.  I didnt know until we arrived that this park should have been locked with access by key fob only, but lucky for us the gate was wide open when we arrived.  We took full advantage of this huge, empty fenced in area to get the girls a good run and some fun playtime.  We had such a fun time!

Afterward, we were able to do some geocaching and exploring of some of the interesting spots in town.

We had a great walk around town learning some of the history of the area. After we finished exploring,  the girls each got a trip into the Farmer's Supply Market to explore, make some friends, and get a special treat.  Such a cute little store.

I grabbed a quick bite to eat and then headed home to watch the Big 10 Women's Basketball tournament.   It had been a great afternoon. 

We sprung forward into Daylight Savings Time overnight and I gave us a little leeway to have a slow morning.   We left home around 11am, made a quick stop for some dog treats at a fun little pop up event at Lansing Brewing Company, and then continued on to the hospital to visit dad.  

We had a nice visit and I was glad to be there when the physical therapist visited him so I could see first hand some of the progress he made.  He was having a good day, but didn't seem very talkative.   My mom showed up a bit later and I visited with them both for awhile.  

The girls waited patiently in the car during my visit, and I was so glad that the sun decided to come out so that I could get them out for a little fun.  We did a little geocaching and found some interesting spots relating to the automotive history in Flint and ended our trip with a visit to the area around the Flint Cultural Center.  We had a great walk and saw some interesting sights. 

We had such a nice walk here and the girls slept all the way home.  It was a good end to our weekend.

This little one continues to grow and change.  While I haven't been able to see her in a few weeks because of everything that's going on in life, I'm grateful that I get to talk to her and her mom most days.  She is such a bright spot in all of the craziness.   

So I'll close by saying that we finally have a solid plan for dad to move forward.  While we were all hoping to find a new and better rehab facility for him to move to for a week or two before going home, the reality is that no one who's any good is willing to take him into their care.  So when he's ready to be discharged from the hospital, he'll finally be going home.  He was probably most disappointed of us all that he won't get more rehab, but I think he's starting to worry less about being a burden and beginning to get a little excited about the prospect of getting home again.  If all goes as it should, he should be home this week.  He still has lots to do to continue to heal and get stronger, but I am hopeful that doing that in the comfort of his own home will make it a better experience for him.  Wish us luck!

Sometimes you just need a break

It has been a long and exhausting week here.  Dealing with a sick parent and a broken healthcare system really has taken it's toll on me.  While I have tried to maintain some normalcy for the girls, it has been difficult.  But they have been great.  Weeks like these I appreciate even more than normal that I have them in my life.  They keep me sane and give me a reason to stay active, even when I don't really feel like it.

After seeing my dad last Sunday and seeing that he wasn't doing well, I made a point of checking in on him Monday morning.  While I was working, Nicol called him and alerted me to the fact that he seemed to have gone downhill since I had seen him the day before.  Not feeling confident that anyone at the Rehab facility would even notice, I made the decision to hop in the car and drive there. Luckily, his physical therapy team had alerted the healthcare staff that something wasn't right.  Why his nurses didn't notice is beyond me, but I was thankful that someone in that place cared enough to see he wasn't well and told someone.

I'll just say that my visit ended with me having some very strong words with the Nurse Practioner who was "caring" for him.  I don't normally yell at people, but I had plenty to say on Monday about the lack of care and compassion at this facility.  He seemed to be improving a bit by the time I left, so we made the decision to wait until Tuesday to see if he was continuing to improve or if we might need to send him back to the hospital. 

When I got home, the sun was shining and the temperatures were mild, and while I didn't feel like leaving the house, I knew that the girls and I could both use some fresh air and exercise, so we headed out for a nice trip to Soldan Dog Park.  Both girls ran and sniffed and played with friends.  Mina even did a little swimming after tennis balls in the water.  Afterward, we took a short walk around Hawk Island Park before heading home.  It was a good end to a very stressful day.

Tuesday was another beautiful day.  The girls spent the morning outside while I was busy at work.  My dad seemed to be doing better when my mom visited him that morning, so we thought we'd made it through the rough patch.  My mom had a meeting with the staff at the facility about some of our concerns, but I wasn't convinced anything was going to change.  After spending the morning working my normal job, and I spent the afternoon and evening working the Primary Elections.  In between I had several conversations with my mom and Nicol about dad's situation.   It was another really long day.

Wednesday, I had a full day of work followed by dog walking at the shelter.  The temperatures were frigid, so we took a shorter walk with the group and afterward, Vanessa and I were able to get out the two dogs who didn't join us during the first walk so that they could get some time outside too.  These two boys were my walking buddies for the evening, and I'm happy to report they were both adopted this week.  While I didn't visit my dad, I did talk to him and there was plenty going on with us dealing with ensuring he was getting the care he needed. Dog walking always makes me feel better, but I was still pretty exhausted at the end of the day.

On Thursday morning, my mom was supposed to take my dad to his weekly appointment with his surgeon.  On the way to get him, she received a call from my dad that he had a fever of 100.5 and that he couldn't leave the facility for his appointment.  This was the third day he'd had a fever this week and while Tylenol helped bring it down each time, clearly something else was going on and we needed to find out what.  When my mom called the surgeon's office to let them know he wouldn't be able to make the appointment, his surgeon was furious that the facility had not called her office to tell her that he was having issues, so her office called and told the facility to send him to the emergency room.  Honestly, if she hadn't done that, I'm pretty sure we would have made the same decision.

Now that he had left the facility, we just had to hope that he would be gone for 24 hours or be admitted to the hospital so that we could work to find a better place for him to complete his rehab.  I spent the day working from his emergency room and waiting for answers on what might be going on with him.  Finally, around 5pm, the decision was made to move him to an observation room on the second floor.  From here, all of the doctors who had been seeing him previously could monitor his case and make a decision on admitting him to the hospital.  We were told in general most patients spend 23 hours in observation.  He's still there today.

My mom left before he'd moved to his observation room, but I stayed with him.  He moved to his room around 6:30pm, and not long after, his surgeon stopped for a visit as did the infectious disease team who monitored him for any infections through his previous stay.  I got clarity on the plan for the night and felt relieved to have him back where I knew he'd receive really good care.  I finally left the hospital around 8pm to make the drive home and give updates to my mom, brother, and daughter.  I made it home shortly after 9pm, and Peaches and Mina were both very happy to see me.  I sat down for a minute, and immediately had Peaches in my lap.  I had left her for far too long, and she wasn't about to let me escape again.  It felt great to be so missed and so loved.  We played a few rounds of fetch in the dark before heading back inside to snuggle for the night.

I had to make sure that I got a Leap Day picture of the girls, too.  Nothing too exciting, but an important memory for me.  I also had a late night call with my good friend Emmalee who is a doctor doing her residency at Northwestern University hospital in Chicago.  Part of her job is dealing with subacute rehab for her patients, and she was able to give me a lot of information and guidance on how to move forward and deal with my dad's eventual move back to rehab.  I'm really lucky to have friends who have been supportive through this whole ordeal, and I've also found some really phenomenal people that work in healthcare that are selfless and willing to give guidance too.  It certainly has helped my confidence in being able to be a voice for my dad and it is always nice to know that there are others willing to stand up for him too.

Friday I knew that I'd be heading back to the hospital to spend the afternoon, but I also had some things I needed to take care of, including my own doctor's appointment first thing in the morning.  I got home from my appointment and spent the next couple of hours doing some work.  Then I had to get the girls our for at least a short walk before I headed back to the hospital.  It was a beautiful, sunny March 1 and it was great to have time to get out for a nice walk with the girls.  

The rest of the day was long and stressful because sometimes that's just how things are when you are trying to do everything you can to advocate for someone who really needs you.  But by the time I left the hospital, I felt like things were moving in the right direction. I had a really nice conversation with my dad after my mom had left for the day, and I even made him laugh.  While I wish he weren't going through everything that he's been dealing with, I am so grateful for all of the time I've gotten to spend with him over the last two months.  I promised him I'll do everything I can to make sure he gets the best care and that we can get him home.  I don't know how soon that will be, and I know he feels frustrated by this step backward, but I am hopeful that he'll get better, get stronger, and get home soon.

I had a peaceful Saturday morning and I was thankful for a day that I didn't have to juggle work, the dogs, and a trip to the hospital.  I talked to my dad in the morning and let him know I had some errands to run, but that I'd be there for a visit later in the day.  Then I got ready and headed out for the Winter Artisan Market held by our South Lansing Farmer's market.  I was able to see some of my favorite vendors and pick up a few goodies for me and the girls in my quick visit.  Then we headed down the road for a walk at Benjamin Davis Park.  The girls were in heaven and their noses were working overtime sniffing everywhere.  Next, I made a trip to get an oil change.  With all of the driving of the past two months, I was overdue.  Then I finished a couple of other quick errands, before heading home.  The girls had lunch, went outside for a bit as I did a few things around the house, and then they were back inside and I was leaving for the hospital.

I made a visit to a potential new rehab facility to check it out and talk with the admissions director.  Wow was it a night and day difference from the previous place.  I am hopeful when my dad leaves that hospital, he'll be able to go to this facility.  If not, we have some other options, and I will not feel rushed to make a decision.  I think both he and my mom are feeling a little less stress now that I've insisted on being part of the decision making process and his hospital case worker has been told to work with me directly.  I think I'm relieved too.  I had a quiet Saturday visit with my dad and was able to leave feeling unstressed and  unfrustrated.  It was really the first time all week I felt that way.  

Here is a picture of Fiona at her gymnastics class this week.  It was her first class and Nicol said it went well.  I really need to visit this little one soon, I haven't seen her in a month.   That's far too long!

Today, I am staying home.  I just need a break.  While I thought I might find something fun to do with the dogs or that I might do a bunch of cleaning, I've decided I need a day of rest.  What would be ideal is a cold, snowy day that would force me to stay inside and take full advantage of a rest day, but it's going to be a beautiful day outside and I certainly won't complain about it.  The girls are already making the most of the day.  

Now off I go to spend my day doing mostly nothing.  I'm thinking I'll throw something in the crockpot for dinner, do one small errand that I have to get done today, take the girls for a run at the dog park, and maybe make a stop for ice cream later since I feel like we all deserve a treat.  Then I'll watch some basketball later today and prepare for another week of whatever may come my way.    

Hug your loved ones and take care of yourselves.  Life is precious and way too short...go make the most of it.

Making time for adventures

We started this week with our final day in Dayton.  We'd had a great weekend of hiking along the North Country, and I wanted to get in a few more miles before leaving town to head home.  The girls watched me like a hawk as I packed because you know they are always afraid of being left behind.

After checking out of our room, we headed to Island Park to start our hike.  It was a little brisk to start our walk, but we enjoyed the sunshine and the views of the Great Miami River and the Dayton skyline.

Peaches and Mina were pretty excited about all of the geese and ducks we saw along the river.

We hiked from Island Park to Deeds Point before turning to head back toward the car.  

We then walked across the bridge in Island Park into Triangle Park.  The short walk we took in Triangle Park was really nice. 

By the time we finally got back to the car to continue our journey North, the temperatures were warming up nicely.  While this had been very much an urban hike, we really enjoyed our 3.2 miles on the trail.  

Before we left Ohio, I wanted to get the girls out for one more walk along the trail and had decided the small town of Piqua would be a great stopping point.

We parked in town at Fountain Park and made the walk over to the trail.  This is another portion of the trail in Ohio that follows the towpath of the Miami and Erie Canal.  It was nicely paved and flat with a view of the canal.

While I hadn't planned on doing much distance here, we ended our time on this portion of the trail with another 1.7 miles for a total of 4.9 miles for the day, and a total of 13.6 miles for the weekend.  Combined with the 3.1 miles we hiked in January, this trip put us perfectly on track with our need to average 8.33 miles per month on the trail in order to reach our 100 mile goal for the year.  Plus it had felt really nice to get away and enjoy some time hiking with the girls.

On our way home, we made a stop at the Rehab facility for a visit with my dad.  He was in good spirits and I had a really nice visit with him.  Although the drive to visit him takes a lot out of me, I really appreciate all of the time we've spent together over the past 8 weeks. We finally got home after dark, but it had been a good day.  

Tuesday was an exhausting day at work.  By the time my day ended, I really didn't feel like taking the girls out for a walk, but I knew we all needed some fresh air and exercise.  I decided to take them to the Soldan Dog Park for a nice run.  Now that it is staying light later with the sunset after 6:15pm, I can get them out for some after work time here.  It's especially nice on days when I know that they could use a good run.  Mina had the best time playing fetch and even Peaches was zooming around through the woods.  We finished our visit with a short walk at Hawk Island Park before heading home for dinner and a quiet night.

Wednesday was another long and exhausting day.  Work has been so tiring lately, and with everything else going on in life right now, I just feel tired all of the time.  But I can't let that stop me from doing the import things, so of course Wednesday I headed out to the shelter for our Wednesday night dog walk.  We walked five really nice dogs.  My walking pal was Cookie Crisp.  She's a sweet little girl.

The girls got no fun with me on Wednesday, but thankfully the weather had been nice and they spent a lot of time outside throughout the day.  When I got home from dog walking, they ate dinner and then happily settled in for the night.  

Thursday my dad escaped the rehab for a facility for a trip to see his surgeon in Grand Blanc.  Since I had some questions and concerns that I wanted to discuss with the doctor, I met my mom and dad at his appointment.  It was so nice to see dad outside of the hospital and wearing something other than a hospital gown.   It was also really nice to see him up and walking...even if he needs a walker to get around.  He's getting stronger, and I'm really hoping he continues to progress well so that we can get him home.  This trip made for another long day and, while the girls didn't get out for much of a walk, they had been happy to join me for the drive and to get out for a short walk on the way home.  After two pretty boring days, I was really proud of them for being such good girls.  

Friday wasn't much better than Wednesday and Thursday.  Work was busy again, and the girls spent a lot of time outside throughout the day.  At the end of my workday, I loaded the girls into the car and made the drive to visit my dad at rehab.  I thought it would be nice to pick up some food and join him for his dinner.  We had a wonderful 90 minute visit.  It's a long drive home and we got back around 9pm.  It had been a really long day, but luckily we had no plans for Saturday.  

I had been looking forward to Saturday all week long.  I had so much I wanted to get done, but I was also looking forward to some down time to relax. 

We started the morning slowly and I enjoyed a little fun time playing with the girls.  Then I headed out for a late breakfast and to run some errands.  We added a trip to Soldan Dog Park to our outing so the girls could get in a good run.  

We had a great time at the park and the girls ran and sniffed and played to their heart's content.  Afterward, I finished running my errands before heading home.  I did a few things around the house and then sat down to transfer my data from my old phone to my new phone.  It hadn't quite been the Saturday that I had planned, but it had been a good day.  

Sunday we had plans for a little hiking and geocaching adventure with Vanessa.  We met at her house and then made the drive to the Pinkney area for a hike along the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail.  We had a nice 5 mile hike and picked up several geocaches along the way.  It was such a nice day to be out and we had a lot of fun.  The girls were so excited to be somewhere new.  They really needed the adventure.

After our hike, I made the drive to visit my dad.  He wasn't feeling as well today as he had been, so my visit was shorter than I had planned, but I was glad I went.  I have lots of thoughts about the state of rehab and nursing home care that I'll share some day, I just don't have the energy for it now.  I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day for him and that he's strong enough to go home soon.  While he's got a long road of recovery ahead of him still, getting him home when he is able will be a relief.  

And to end on a happy note, here is a cute picture of Fiona.  With everything going on in the world and in my life, she and Nicol give me a reason to smile every single day.