Doing ok

My parents just left my house. I invited them up for dinner. I thought it would be nice to spend time with them and talk about Maggie.
I went and had prints made of pictures we took of Maggie and the family. They came out really nice. I bought a frame with two 4 x 6 openings and a nice matting. I put in a picture of my Dad with Magnus and the other of his paw print.
A dog like Maggie comes along once in a great while. He was born on a turkey farm in Montreal, Canada. He was fat (from a diet of rice, hamburger and oil) and had a boisterous personality. I can remember him running back and forth across the yard with an enormous stick in his mouth and having the best time. I took him for walks to the water falls behind my house and numerous runs. Being an only child I spent a lot of time with him. I don't want to forget all my special memories of him.
I told E when the weather gets cool we'll look in the attic for pictures of Magnus. She's putting together a scrapbook about him.



Life goes on. This I know. It will be different. But for right now I'm doing ok. I appreciate all your kinds word.

















Yes, Magnus is really at the kitchen table. He truly was part of our family. This is one of my favorite pictures of him. My sweet Maggie.

So sad

I talked with my Mom yesterday and it was decided that Maggie (Magnus) will be put to sleep on Saturday. His quality of life is so little. He eats, sleeps and goes to the bathroom. Maggie's sense of smell is still good but that's about it. I haven't heard him bark in such a long time and his nubbin tail no longer wags when he sees me.
It is such a difficult decision to make. I believe we are kinder to our animals than people. My grandfather spent many years in a nursing home with the same quality of life as Maggie. It would be kinder if we could do the same for our human loved ones.
You love them so much because they become your family. You love them enough to let them go. It still breaks my heart that my best friend of almost 13 years will be not be here with me. We've been through so much together. So much joy and sadness. Just life. He is my best friend and he loved me so much--I loved him dearly too. I like to think that if I was the one in his place and he were in mine he would love me and make the same decision.
He will soon be with my cat Marnie (she was 20 years old when she was put to sleep this past fall) and I know she will welcome him with open arms.
It's just hard to believe that this time has come. It's the end of an era of a my best friend, my buddy.



Logan and Magnus
















Maggie going for a ride with me











Maggie and me

Here

The summer is crazy! The beach was great ;-) We had such a good time with my Dad and aunt and uncle. Ocean City, NJ is clean and there's lots to do. We went to the ocean (I sat underneath a beach umbrella and read), walked on the boardwalk, painted ceramics, went shopping and had some really yummy steamed clams. E got a hermit crab named Gary. He got a new friend Patrick about two weeks later. Apparently they do better with a friend. I never thought I would ever own a hermit crab but I really enjoy them! At the end of the week I was ready to come home-there's no place like home!
Now we're staying out at my friend's cottage for two weeks. E does their bible camp and I read and relax. We only came home tonight because tomorrow morning she has a birthday party.
I'm still hanging in there. The babies are doing fine. I had an appt Aug 2 and all is well. Our high risk appt is Aug 18. I went through E's old blankets and clothes I kept to put things aside for the babies and I found my belly cast I made with E 10 days before she was born. I am the same size now as I was at the end of my pregnancy with her! Amazing. I'm tossing and turning at night trying to find a comfortable sleep position. Thank goodness for my new fluffy body pillow. Sitting is a new challenge also. I can sit straight up or fully reclined but I can't slouch. I know slouching isn't good for your back anyway. My allergies are acting up again. But that's all ok--just keep the babies growing and healthy. That's all I want and pray for.
What's new with you?