Back to the Swing of Things

There are piles of dirty dishes in the sink, laundry waiting to be washed, a kitchen floor that needs to be mopped, bathrooms that need to be scrubbed, carpet that needs to be vacuumed and a blog that I'm very behind on. That must mean my parents have left after a wonderful visit together and now it's back to reality. That also means I need to catch you up on the past few weeks of our life. So much excitement- mostly good and one bump in the road (literally and figuratively!).



Fetcha Dog
I'll start out with the bump in the road so we can end on a positive note. The stray dog who adopted us a month or so ago has 2 terrible habits.....wandering off for hours and chasing cars. Neither has really concerned me much until Ruby wandered off and ended up dying because of it. Well, last Sunday we had taken P to the first night of VBS and were back home, getting things done around the house. All of a sudden my dad came rushing in the house to tell me that Fetcha had been hit by a car, a cop nonetheless. When Rob and I got to her she was unconscious, with her tongue hanging out. I thought she was dead. Thankfully she came to but couldn't walk. My mom and I took her to the emergency vet while Rob and my dad dealt with the heartless, jerk of a cop who hit her (Don't get me started on him!!). The vet checked her over while I held her. Well, I held her until I almost passed out (how embarrassing!) and then my mom took over so I could sit with my head between my legs (how embarrassing!). He gave us all our options...and an estimated $900 vet bill if we went with his advice. Rob, my mom and I talked and decided that we should just put her down. Luckily, the vet assistant kept coming out and telling us cheaper options. By the time it was all said and done, she was given a shot of pain meds and we took her home, praying that she'd make it through the night. Rob and I took turns getting up with her, causing us a sleepless night. The next morning my dad and I took her to a different vet that had been recommended. For a tenth of the vet bill estimate we were given the night before, we were told she'd be okay with only 6 weeks of crate living!!! We were thrilled!! P was especially thrilled as Rob had told him the night before that Fetcha had died and was up in heaven with Ruby, Holly and Roxy. Our resurrected dog is quite a strong, feisty thing. She's not supposed to put weight on her hip or back legs other than to go to the bathroom but she's already escaped the backyard twice. Now she has to go out on a leash, which she hates. She's supposed to be on pain meds for 2 weeks but she's already ok enough to go without them. (The vet said to wean her as soon as possible because she's supposed to feel a little pain to remind her to stay off her legs/hips.) We are thankful that the outcome was a happy one as we couldn't imagine losing another dog!

After we got the good news that she'd be fine in 6 weeks

P's Birthday Festivities
This goes down in the books as the best birthday we've had in our immediate family....ever. With my parents in town, I already knew it'd be fun but all the extras were the icing on the cake. On his actual birthday, we decided to splurge and take him, my parents and his best friend on a safari tour. We were not disappointed! Everyone enjoyed the close encounters with various animals, feeding them out of cups and our hands. The next time I go back I'm going to be less of a photographer and more of a participant because I felt like I missed out in that respect. After lunch at Chick Fil A and an afternoon of resting, P had his last T-ball game of the season. His team ended the season undefeated and P earned the "Most Improved Player of the Season" title! On Friday we went to the LSU campus to see Mike the Tiger (one of my parents' favorite activities) and enjoyed the 4th of July by relaxing and watching fireworks. Saturday morning was his birthday party...and what a party it was! My brother in law graciously rented a HUGE water slide, which was a big hit! Between that, the piñata, animal activities and beautiful weather everyone really seemed to enjoy themselves. It was nice spending time with both sides of the family and our friends. I know P had the time of his life and agreed with me that it was his best birthday yet!!

Beautiful Young Lady
I have had the honor and privilege of doing multiple photo shoots for a sweet, fun loving family. When Leann called and asked me to do a photo shoot of her sweet, beautiful daughter as a birthday present for her I was thrilled! We scouted out gorgeous, historical St. Francisville and spent the morning having all kinds of fun. I am behind on editing the pictures because of all that has gone on the past week or two but here are a few that I've done already. More to come later (especially if I can get a gymnastics composite done that I'm dying to try).....



This is her mom, who graciously helped me with a glitter shot.