Blue Clear Sky

I've had this George Strait song in my head for the past few days and it seems pretty fitting...

I woke up late one morning in a rush for work. I grabbed the first items I could get my hands on (aka I looked frumpy) and I didn't do my hair. I didn't really care though, I was at a point in life where I was over dating and really just wanted to make it through my internship. I walked in to work only to be told that my desk was being moved...next to my crush! UGH and double ugh! Now I cared. I was thanking God that "he" took the day off when "he" walked in late to find the fiasco in his cubicle AND we were moving my stuff in.

It was the start of something wonderful, though. I was walking, talking true love - out of the Blue Clear Sky. Here are some pictures of our kids and the amazing family we have.

Champ clobbers us all, Butch mostly though

Aspen is such a daddy's girl
Champ waits everyday for Levi to take him to work, this was when Levi left without him :(

We are rocking the side of our house and the "kids" were helping

Aspen wanted so bad for me to cuddle her, she climbed on my back and wouldn't get off

Levi just home from work saying hi to the boys

Champ and Aspen hanging out officially after we first got Champ - November 18, 2006

Super Champ - this is from when we first had Champ, September 2006

Champ and Butch keeping me company one night

Silence

The slumber party is over and our family is back to five. We managed to have only a few dramatic moments over the week. The most significant was with Butch; he became more edgey as the days went by and on the last day there was a scuffle. When Levi and I got into the back yard to break it up Butch had Champ locked down at the neck. Luckily Champ was fine and just shook it off. Butch was in trouble and separated from the group. It was meant to be punishment but I think he was actually relieved. : /

The puppy, Baker, was curious about everything. In fact she was so curious she chased after Aspen one night only to be met with a vicious hiss and claws. Baker never went near Aspen again. She tucked her tail and went back to the other dogs when every she saw Aspen after that.

Gracie was a sweet heart, only a spaz when you stopped petting her...but what dog isn't? And our Champers, well he was patient. Gracie would growl at him and get teritorrial, but he just looked at us like are we done yet? Baker would chase after him, jump on him and bite at his neck (sometimes actually hanging from him while he walked) but he just moved along as though it was nothing.

It was a definite adjustment getting used to taking care of four dogs, each with their special needs and different personalities. I have to be honest and say it is nice to have our home back to normal with the silence that ensues from only having our two dogs. With that said, I would do it again in a heart beat. I loved having our little pack of dogs. But silence is golden. :)

The Price of Victory

Last night was the second night of a two-night tournament for my women's volleyball league.  (We won on the first night and advanced to the second round last night.)  Last night we won the first of our matches (VB is played in matches with the best 2 out 3 games) which advanced us to the championship match.  All the ladies on my team were awesome - diving, falling and just plain hustling around the court so that in the end we won!

This morning I woke up to an injury.  Somehow during one or both of the matches I did something to my knee.  It was a crazy pain I have never felt before...what a nice reminder that I am no longer 18 and invincible.  I can walk with a slight limp but bending my knee is not something that is getting done today.  What a bummer.  I am hoping that it is just a strained tendon :| Levi and I are both a little nervous that I could have torn something.  If that's the case this will put my VB days away, for a little while at least.  It was worth it! :D Those games were so much fun and the team we played in the championship match was a group of younglings.  They were easily 18-20 year olds that did not give up or quite.  It was a great win and my injury is simply the price of victory!  I'd do it again in a heartbeat. ;)


A quick update...
I know some of you have been wondering about our Champers and I am so sorry that I have neglected to update you.  He is doing so much better and in fact is back to his old self.  He jumps like crazy when he thinks that we are forgetting him, his tail goes a million miles a minute when he sees Levi and he is very quick to let us know when he is hungry - which is always.  The whole ordeal with him being sick was so hard because he is our "kid" and we could not imagine our family as complete without him.  Thank you all for your loving words and your prayers. 

Poor Champ...Again

What a rough couple of weeks. Champ really is a fitting name for our boy because he has been such a trooper. Monday night I came home from my volleyball game to find our Champers lethargic, unresponsive (compared to his normal giddiness), and down right sad. It was late, he was not interested in eating - which anyone who knows Champ knows that is highly suspicious - and to say the least I broke down. I have never seen our pup act this way. It scared me. To top it off, Levi went to workout - unbeknownst to me - and I was freaking out: something was terribly wrong with our dog and at 9:30 at night Levi could not be found.

Champ's behavior improved Tuesday only to take a dramatic and horrible turn for the worse yesterday. He wouldn't eat, was throwing up blood and let's just say that wasn't the only end blood was coming out of. Levi and I did not sleep last night. Every two hours we were up with Champ taking him outside so he could vacate what ever was left in him. We got up this morning and took him in to the vet right away...

Here's the current theory.
After checking a stool sample they said it is a bacterial infection. Champ was on antibiotics after his surgery earlier this month. The vet said that sometimes when you put them on these meds their natural bacteria - the good bacteria - is wiped out and thus allows the bad bacterial to set up shop. Needless to say Champ is back on medications. He is on a special food diet that should settle his tummy to allow him to eat.

Man, I cannot imagine the worry, the angst, the helplessness those of you out there that are parents feel when your little ones are sick. I know Champy is a dog and will not have the lifespan that humans do, but I cannot imagine our life without him. He is our little buddy, he is Aspen's foe (really they love to play with/tease one another) and Butch's best friend.

We are praying that these meds work for Champ and he can be back to his goofy, fun loving self soon.

Poor Champ

Last week we took Champ into the vet for surgery. He had a fatty tumor that was nothing serious but did continue to grow. The vet told us that we didn't have to get it removed but it was a good idea since it kept getting bigger...so we had it removed. The tumor was in his belly and if dogs had belly buttons they made an incision from his navel to pelvis with an incision that was a good five-inches long. :( Poor buddy. When we got him home he was still groggy from the meds and could barely move from what we could only assume was the pain. On top of that they had to pull two of his small incisors from the top of his mouth. (Champ grinds his teeth and had ground down those two teeth until they were cracked in the root with the chance of further cracking and infection.)

Ugh! What a stressful week. We have to continue to keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't pull out the stitches and when we can't be with him to actually monitor this, yes he does have his lamp shade. Poor Champ has had to wear the lamp shade twice within a matter of a year and a half.

He has gotten pretty good about letting us put this on him. Although, Levi is the one who always has to put it on and I am the one always taking it off. I think it is fair to say I am Champs favorite right now. ;) Just kidding my love.

Unexpected

Last night I was in bed thinking about the day when I heard some strange noises outside. I was scared someone was trying to break in or steal Levi's truck. So, I crept from my bed careful not to disturb my family (all four of them) sleeping in the same room. I tiptoed toward the door, the floor creaked, I winched looking back to Levi hoping I'm not waking him. He has to be up in five hours. Whew! He is dead to the world with his sleep apnea mask on, I breath a sigh of relief. I hear the pups move and I scurry without a backward glance out of the room. I made it! I'm in the front room and peek out the front window to see my neighbors moving cars, opening and shutting doors as if they are preparing to move in the middle of the night. Ah, it was nothing. OK, back to bed, I don't have to confront an intruder. I sneak back toward the room, round the corner and find this, my 120 pound pup squished up against the bed. There is another two feet to his left for him to sprawl out. I couldn't help but laugh, the picture doesn't do it justice! I cracked up and grabbed my phone to take this pic before he moved.

Earlier that night I was reading a book and I turned to make sure Champ hadn't wondered off into our room. If I am too quite in the house he thinks no one is home and takes a little nap on our bed. He is not allowed on the bed so it is funny that he decides he can sleep there when he thinks we aren't around. I turned and found him instead on watch with his sister. This was too cute for words and again the picture does not do them justice. Aspen never hangs out that close to the boys, not that they would mind, but it makes her nervous. Last night they were right there next to each other scooping out the neighborhood. I grabbed my phone before they moved and snapped this. Just love those kiddos! [I think Butch was taking the reprieve from these two not bothering him to hide and sleep. :) ]