In Memory of Bootsie

I found out this morning that my Mom and Dad are taking my sweet cat of 13 years, Bootsie (aka: Bootsie Tootsie), to the vet this morning to be put down. She had such a good life and became more sweet and loving as the years went by. It's a very sad morning for my family...I had to dedicate a post just to her!

Bad things happen in 3's

May definitely hasn't been a good month for me... my bad luck just keeps on going. After the bridge incident and the fire ants, you would think I had had enough... but apparently, that is not the case. Friday night, while hanging out with the neighbors, I got the bright idea to fix our landscaping lights. I went down the line, fixing one after the other, and when I got to the last one, I had trouble getting it back into the ground. I kept messing with it and finally got it fixed when I felt, what seemed like, a thousand needles in my hand. I quickly pulled my arm away and brushed it off but it was too late. The rest of the night my hand got bigger and bigger and by Saturday morning, I could not move my fingers. My hand was so swollen, I couldn't even open a water bottle. I was scheduled to work, so I headed in and made an appointment with an emergency clinic first thing. I told my manager I would be right back (thinking I would just need a shot and everything would be back to normal), but unfortunately, that didn't happen.

As soon as the doctor walked in to see me, he looked very worried. He said "you know this is just a clinic, right"?! So I said yes and just assumed I would need a shot or something. Little did I know, the allergic reaction had spread to my lymphatic system and was moving up my arm. The doctor told me I would need multiple shots in my hip, antibiotics for morning and evening and pain pills, just to knock it out. He also drew on my hand and arm and told me if the swelling went past those markings, that I would need to go to the Emergency Room. At that point, I was a little worried myself. The rest of the day I spent in bed with my hand elevated and covered in benedryl. Josh even went to get me my favorite comfort food!!

Sunday morning, I was eager to wake up and see how my hand was looking. The swelling had gone down, but when I looked at my wrist, the red had spread past the lines on my arm that the doctor had drawn. I immediately made another appointment and went in for more shots. Thankfully, the doctor said that things were still ok and my hand should be much better after the second round of meds. Sure enough, this morning when I woke up, it looked (almost) back to normal. And in case you were wondering... the insects that got me, were a bunch of black ants. Apparently I am now allergic to them!! Who would have thought??!!

The bad luck continues

So, after the whole bridge fiasco last week, I figured, I would be done with my bad luck for a while... but boy, was I wrong...

On Sunday, Josh, the puppies and I were hanging out at the house... just like any other Sunday afternoon. We had let the dogs outside for about 10 minutes or so when they started scratching on the door. Josh got up, let them in and watched Max run over and jump in my lamp. He immediatly then leaped over to the couch and got in his normal spot above Josh's head. Two seconds later, I felt a horrible sting!! An ant had just bit my wrist in two places. I looked around to figure out how the ant got on me, when I saw more on the recliner where I was sitting. I quickly jumped up, looked over at Max and saw that he was covered with ants, all in his tail!! I grabbed him, handed him to Josh and we threw him in the bath. While Max was getting cleaned up, I tried to kill all of the ants still running around in the house, on the couch and recliner. I thought I had gotten them all, when I leaned over and felt another terrible bite!! Ant #2 had found it's way to my hip and felt the need to also "attack", but this one was much much worse. A couple of hours later, the spot had grown to the size of a softball and had a tiny black hole where the ant got me!! Unbelievable!! Wonder if I'm allergic? Or if it was even an ant?! Who knows!??! Two days later, I'm still just as swollen on my hip. The swelling in my wrist has gone down some, but I still took a picture of it to show the damage.

This week with the Shaw's

Wow, what a crazy week!!!

Last weekend, Josh and I decided to celebrate our upcoming anniversary by purchasing a Wii!! What fun!? Who knew a child's toy could provide so much entertainment... but I guess it could be for both kids and adults, especially when you purchase Wii Fit! (which of course, I had to have)

Then Tuesday, I was off, so I cleaned house, got my hair highlighted (VERY BLONDE) and got ready for an anniversary date with my husband! We ended up going out with friends to celebrate and what a great time we had. It was also Cinco De Mayo, so that made the night even more lively!!

Wednesday, is when the real fun began... (sarcasm)... I decided for lunch that day, I would have a Quizno's salad, which I haven't had in ages! I was sooo excited about my chipotle chicken salad, until it happened. The one thing I have dreaded since high school when I found out I would have to have a bridge. OUCH!!! My tooth completely cracked right in the front of my mouth. Thankfully, the bridge was still attached to another tooth so it wasn't too noticeable, and I was able to get into the dentist quickly.

Then the shocker came when I went to the dentist on Thursday. You would not BELIEVE how much a procedure like this costs and the time it takes to fix it!! Just today, I had to have 3-4 shots in my gum, my existing bridge removed, and multiple impressions taken of my mouth. Now I have a temporary bridge and have to go back in a week for custom color and go back in 2 weeks to get the actual replacement!! Who would have thought so much would be involved!??! The dentist also informed me that the average life of a bridge is 12 years, so you can see what I have to look foward to in upcoming years!! UGH!!

All I know is I will be stearing clear of Quizno's in the near future. (I know it wasn't the restaurant's fault, exactly, but it's not an experience I care to repeat) Let's just hope the rest of our week ends on a better note!!

To Love A Dog...

My whole life, I've been surrounded by pets. Growing up, my brother and I had dogs, rabbits, pigeons, cats, hamsters, fish, etc. You name it, and we probably had one, at least for a short amount of time. My family quickly discovered, our love for dogs and had a few breeds over the years, including; a couple of mix breeds, two dalmations, and a yorkie. In 2005 though, I discovered my love for Shi Tzu puppies and just HAD to get one! I begged and pleaded but it never got me anywhere due to the fact I was back in my parents home after a move to Little Rock. And then, one Sunday, I had the best surprise!

My husband, whom I was dating at the time, and I were headed to make an offer on a home in Sherwood, and we caught sight of the cutest, sweetest Shi Tzu puppy I had ever seen, lost in the middle of the street. Of course, I had to pull over, and when I did, the puppy ran over and jumped in my car!! (Josh argues with this point, but I beg to differ. Putting his paws up on the frame of the car, for a puppy, is the same as jumping in, as far as I am concerned!) I asked around, but no one knew who he belonged to, and therefore, he joined us at the realtor's office. The next two days, I attempted to find an owner, and finally got a call that Tuesday. After returning him to his rightful owner, Josh offered to purchase the puppy from them, and well, the rest is history!!

Max instantly took over our lives and our hearts!! His unique little features and ecstatic personality made us love him even more, and even today, I don't know how we got so lucky to find such a wonderful dog!! Everyday we spend with him is a joy, and we can't imagine our lives without him!

For those of you , non-dog lovers... I understand this may be a little over the top, but to love a dog is so much more than I ever expected. I've always had a liking to my dogs in the past, but it's something different. They were always the family dog, the outside dog, or most recently mom's dog. This time, Max was MY dog. I had the responsibility to pay for him, care for him, and ensure he had all that he needed. It's definitely been worth every minute. I wouldn't give up a moment I've had with him and hope for many more happy memories with my dog, my Max!!!

The faces he makes...

I've never seen anything so cute!! I just love the way Matthew looks around the room like he owns it... (which he does)!! He was so alert and wide eyed Sunday morning, I just had to get a few pictures and share.

Proud Aunt!!!

How could I be any more proud?! I can't believe how sweet and wonderful my new nephew Matthew is, and how much I love him already!!! My time at home was busy and went by way too fast.... but thankfully I got to hold "my friend" (as I called him) for most of the weekend!! Matthew (and mom, of course) even picked me up at the airport on Friday night with my parents, and I was hooked, instantly!! I can't believe how someone so little, could steal my heart so quickly!!

The weekend was fabulous, even with the full house and sleeping on a sofa bed. On Saturday, my sister-in-law and I found some time to get out of the house for pedicures and haircuts... we also got to see the new house where my brother and her will be living in the next week or two. Sunday was great as well. Mom and I headed out to shop around noon and had a relaxing lunch after. Then it was off to the airport to head back to Texas... and that's another story in itself. I've never had as much trouble with an airline carrier than I did this weekend. But we won't get into that!!