They steal our hearts as puppies and then become one of the family. Ellie was with us during transitions; moving into the city (Chicago), kids in college, grandchildren, and moving to the beach (Pismo). She had a great life and made ours feel a little more normal. From following Grandma around ’cause she knew she…

Ellie and I made a trip to the vet yesterday. In her long life, we’ve not made that trip too many times. Sad to say, she won’t be making many more. The large welt on her forehead is a tumor. Pain medication will take the assumed headache away and the lovely vet that we saw,…

On my last trip to Denver, Emery informed me of this fact several times. “You can’t be bigger than me,” Liam would say, confirming his place in the world. “I’m the oldest.” On the same visit, Austyn slapped a stack of bills on the table, “Just under $10,000 left of Emery’s medical bills and we’ll…

As I opened the patio door for Ellie, I grabbed my cup of tea and headed back to bed. I never sleep in, but once in a while the thought of getting back into bed and turning on a favorite episode of Dr. Who is very tempting. As I pulled the covers up and reached…

I arrived in Denver at 8:30 PM and by the time we got to Brian and Austyn’s home, the two little ones were asleep. I began rehydrating myself (I’ve been here before, the altitude sucks all moisture out of me) and tried to follow the instructions for the following day. Austyn wrote the them on…

The first night of our road trip was quite eventful. About an hour after falling asleep I was awakened by Emery’s cough as she slept next to me. I said her name and Austyn bolted over to our bed. For the next few minutes I took the supporting role as Austyn instructed me what to…