12 Thanks: V. 4

I am writing this post with a very heavy heart, and continually crying as I do so. This month I am thankful for the best dog in the entire world. Unfortunately, we had to put her to sleep yesterday. She was only 7 years old.

We do not know what entirely happened with her. She had been acting really strange this month. She would get into moods and just sit and stare. She wouldn’t respond and she didn’t have the excitement and energy she once had. Last Tuesday morning I had to stop by my house (I was pet sitting next door) to get something before I went to sub. I looked all over the house for Macy because usually I give her a hug and a kiss in the morning. I couldn’t find her then I happened to look by out garage door and she was just laying there. She didn’t wag her tail or anything. It was really strange because she NEVER lays there. I wanted to get her up and get her to my parent’s room. She got up and took a few steps then collapsed on the floor. I rushed to my mom’s room and woke her up and told her what happened. We tried to get her up again but then she collapsed before getting to my parents room. Eventually she made it and we let her be.

After subbing I went back home. She seemed to be slightly better, but her back legs were still giving out. We were so confused because she was so young and nothing out of the ordinary had happened. My mom tried to bring her to the emergency vet, but they were closed. We decided to just see if it would just wear off and she would be fine in a few days. The next few days she appeared to be getting better. She was still collapsing when she would try to walk up stairs, but she gave no other indication she was sick because she was still eating and drinking. She just seemed to have less energy and didn’t have the same excitement when she saw new people.

This will haunt me forever, but on Saturday evening I was sitting on my neighbor’s back porch with their dog and Macy was on the leash next door. Macy was whining and staring at us because she wanted to join. I wasn’t wearing shoes, so I didn’t want to go across the yard to get her. It kills me that I didn’t. I just thought, “I’ll be home tomorrow then I can spend time with her.” As I walked inside Macy was looking our direction until she was sure we weren’t coming back. Then she went around the corner and towards our back door.

Yesterday, I went back home to bring my stuff back and change for work. Again, I looked for Macy. She was down in our family room. My mom tried to help her up the two stairs onto the main level and it was so hard to watch because she could barely do it. A little bit later Macy was laying down in front of her water bowl, which was weird. I realized she didn’t have a lot of water so I got her some more. She started drinking it while she was laying down. She couldn’t even stand up. When she was done she just laid there. It was an effort to get her to get up and go in my parents room. Then I left for work.

My mom decided that it was time to bring her to the emergency vet. I was at work when my mom told me she brought her. She texted me that Macy was very anemic and they think she was bleeding internally, but she was still waiting on the test results. I didn’t hear anything else. Right before I got off I got a text from my next door neighbor saying she was really sorry about Macy. I knew that my mom had Macy put to sleep and I started crying right there. When I came home I ran straight to my mom and asked and she said she had to be put down. I was devastated.

We don’t know what really happened to her. She was filled with so much fluid that the vets couldn’t even do an ultrasound. She would have needed surgery just to figure out what was wrong, which could have shown she had a tumor or something anyways. It is terrible, but it’s for the best. She was suffering so much. I just can’t believe she is gone.

I could barely get out of bed this morning because I knew when I opened the door she wouldn’t be there. Every morning I gave her a hug and kiss and this would be the first I wouldn’t. This is also going to be my last post labeled “dog.”

I am so thankful for her. She was my best friend when I didn’t have many friends. She went on so many car rides and photo adventures with me. I couldn’t wait for the weather to get better because I wanted her to take her on so many walks this summer. I lost one of my best friends. She was a great dog and will be missed so much by my family. I’ll definitely miss her Macy-isms and her patience when she would let me take pictures.

RIP Macy 4.28.13

12 Thanks: V.3

March snuck up on me and went by so quickly. I don't know what happened. Maybe it's because I've had slightly more of a social life. Who knows. But what I did know was that I only had three more days to do my 12 months of thanks challenge.

For March I am thankful for my grandma. This woman is seriously the best! She has done so much for me. I don't even have the time or amount of space to name it all. She hates having her picture taken so instead I took pictures while she was baking cookies. I managed to sneak one in of her, but don't tell her!

My grandma is great because she lets me stay at her house for days on end. In high school and college when I'd be home I'd always find my way over to her house just to hang out. In fact I would even bring my friends over to hang out because she's just that awesome. My cousin makes fun of me saying that my grandma is my best friend. But so what?

My grandma can make anyone feel at home. She doesn't mind getting up to make you a pot of coffee. She even has the best sayings. She can never get phrases or names right. One of her most famous ones is "World Book of Guiness" instead of Guiness Book of World Records. Just today my cousin called to tell her the gender of the baby and the name. My grandma said to me when I walked downstairs, "She's having a girl. I think she's naming it Pepper!" I replied, "Pepper?! Do you mean Piper?" She has our family in stitches all the time.

She is one of the greatest women I know and most liberal old people I have ever met.

12 Thanks: V.2

In February I am thankful for my mom and dad's house. As much as get annoyed with my dad and would rather have my own place I cannot act like living with my parents is the end of the world. I am very blessed to be allowed to stay here for free. Free food, electricity, heat, internet, and cable. My parents know I don't want to be here but have graciously welcomed me back home.

As you can see I desperately need to clean my craft closet. And living with my dog isn't so bad! :)

12 Thanks: V.1

This year I wanted to do a 365 challenge. If you are unfamiliar with the concept it's one where you take 365 photos, one for each day of the year. However, I work entirely too much and three days a week I work doubles, so there is little time to take pictures, let alone upload and blog about them in a timely fashion. It lasted about two days and then it ended. Then I was going to do a 52 week photo challenge and by the time Saturday of the first week came around I hadn't done it yet, then I had to go to urgent care, and dropped my phone in soup. So, I scratched that idea. I decided I'd do a monthly project. I can do 12... I hope!

This year I am going to do 12 Months of Thanks. Every month I will take pictures of something of I am thankful for. I didn't come up with this idea until January 26. Oops. But as I was editing pictures from my grandma's house it came to me. Plus, being depressed makes me lose sight of what I should be thankful for.

For January I am thankful for dinner dates. If you think about it dinner is the perfect time to meet up with family and friends. So much can happen over dinner. Good conversation, good company, and good food. On the 12th I went over my grandma's house just to hang out. When I would come back from school I would always go visit my grandma, but now that I'm living back home I rarely make it out to see her. It's mostly because Saturday is my only day off, and by the time Saturday roles around I'm either cleaning or running errands.

I went to visit my grandma and ended up staying for dinner. We threw together a quick dinner of salad, tilapia, and potatoes. My grandma is the best, and she is always trying to make everyone comfortable. You can be certain to be offered coffee or tea when you visit. I respected her wishes and didn't take any pictures of her.

What are you thankful for this month?