Happy New Year!

Happy New Year's Eve morning everyone! Here we are, on this last day of 2023. We are finishing the year with some gloomy weather, which has been with us for the past week. It's been wet, mucky, the grass is squishy, the perfect recipe to keep those little paws clean.  Cooper loves to scratch and kick up mud.....he's had more than a few cleanups last week!

We had a nice Christmas. We started the day with some fun in the basement with Cooper and Spicy. Toys and snuffling mats were awaiting them. It was nice to see both of them having a good time. We created yet more beautiful memories. Christmas dinner was a success. Everybody enjoyed themselves and our turkey was delicious. We toasted the newly engaged couple, our nephew Sean and Julie. The wedding will most likely take place in June 2025.  I wish we had taken photos of everyone, we didn't think about it although Julie took a photo of the four of us in front of the Christmas tree and one of me having a quiet moment with Spicy. 

Our pooches are holding their own. On Boxing Day, we started Spicy on a low dose of dexamethasone, prescribed by the neurologist. It is meant to be used as a palliative treatment and the side effects are minimal given the low dosage....a little more peeing, a bit of panting and an increase in her appetite which is a good thing as it started decreasing on Christmas Eve. Now, our little girl devours her food and wants more. This medication doesn't take away the wobbliness and body tilt but is making Spicy more alert and mobile, which is comforting. 

Mr. Cooper is doing good and his appetite seems a bit better. I suppose seeing his best girl eat with gusto is helping. At the moment, both are eating kibbles which I soak in zero sodium beef broth overnight. Add to that a little topper of cooked ground meat/veggies and we have a recipe for success, for now anyway until they both tell me they want something else.... and Miss Spicy quite likes some scrambled eggs as a topper 😊

Our New Year's celebrations will be quiet, just the four of us. We're keeping the meals simple this year, no big turkey tomorrow.  Russell will watch the many bowl games. I'll find myself something to watch. I've got a good book going but I can't seem to focus long enough to read. Cooper and Spicy will chill and probably enjoy a couple of rounds of snuffling. 

That's my last blog for 2023. As we are about to enter a brand new year, may good health, happiness and love accompany you each and every day. Embrace the present. Happy New Year everyone!

Happy New Year!

A precious family Christmas moment
captured by Julie.

Enjoying some quiet cuddles with the
Spicy girl.

The Christmas morning snuffle zone ready 
for the snufflers.

Spicy and Cooper hard at it...got to find all
the hidden treats.

Cooper found his lamb chop!

Taking a small break from the treat quest.

Spicy in a very reflective moment...
wonder what she is thinking.

Cooper looking regal on his chair.

 

Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noel!

Happy Christmas Eve morning everyone! It's very quiet in our house. Our pooches are snug in their beds, having a little rest before their day starts. Our weather is mild and green.

This past week wasn't much different than our previous couple of weeks. We are navigating through some tough times with Spicy and Cooper. Our little girl is showing small declines but she still has a good life. She sleeps well and her appetite is quite good. She continues to enjoy the snuffling mats and that makes us smile. As for Cooper, no doubt that his lack of appetite is partly due to him sensing that his best girl is not herself. Every now and then, I find myself hand feeding him softened kibbles. He seems to enjoy that....the hand feeding or the kibbles? Maybe both. Whatever it takes, we do. He is doing well otherwise. We are making the most of each day that these two precious souls give us. I want to add that the support system we are getting from Dr. Stiles and her team is wonderful. It's been very comforting.

I have lots to do to get ready for our dinner tomorrow. Our big Butterball is thawing nicely. I will cook all the veggies and make the stuffing later this morning.The more I do today, the less crazy tomorrow will be. Yesterday, I set up Cooper and Spicy's Christmas corner in the basement for their Christmas morning fun. We will make it a memorable one.

Last Sunday, we found out that our nephew Sean got engaged. Julie is a very sweet young woman. We wish them the very best. They will join us tomorrow and we will celebrate this joyful moment.

I leave you with the last three pics of our family photo session of November 11. Cooper and Spicy got to enjoy their very own plate of cookies. How sweet do they look! I suspect Santa will be indulging in a cookie or two throughout his journey tonight.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May it be filled with joy, laughter and peace. 

Much love,

Anne, Russell, Cooper & Spicy

Cooper and Spicy getting ready to dive
in to the plate of cookies.

Spicy is impatient as always and edges closer 
for a sniff.

Time to grab a cookie, Cooper and Spicy
say we've waited long enough...we have to 
eat these before Santa gets here.
Merry Christmas!

Following our heart

Happy Sunday morning! We've been up for a while, seems to be our thing these days. It's a mild morning and we have a rainfall warning in effect. Lots of rain later today and tomorrow. Definitely looks like it will be a green Christmas.

This past week had its highs and lows, and a little bit of everything in between. The highlight of our week was having Pauline and Errol over for lunch on Tuesday. We had such a great time. We chatted around the kitchen table for hours. We shared some good laughs, fun stories and even shed a few tears. It was good for the soul to be able to relax amongst friends. Our pooches were the perfect hosts. We caught Pauline sitting on the floor a few times getting some good doggie snuggles. Errol was in his element sitting on the couch and getting wet willies from the Coop and a big hug from the Spice girl.  

Cooper's appetite is about the same, not the best. We do not know from one meal to the next if he will eat and, most importantly, what he will eat. We have a little smorgasbord going on at the moment...ground chicken, eggs and rice. Whatever tickles his fancy as long as his fragile GI can tolerate it. Cooper seems to be doing fine otherwise, his resting respiratory rate is in a good range.

Our little girl Spicy, on the other hand, is not doing so well. We were able to see a neurologist last week and the news is not good. After a thorough exam, and based on our many observations in the past two weeks, the neurologist strongly suspects a tumor in the area of the brain stem. An MRI would of course confirm it but it is risky given Spicy's heart condition and the outcome would not change our approach in supporting Spicy at this stage in her life.  As my friend Gerda so well said, "quality over quantity is our guiding light".  We are following our heart on this one, which is truly aching.

How is Spicy doing now? Her head and body tilt is more pronounced, we are noticing almost a daily change. She walks like a cute little drunken sailor. Finding her legs is difficult when she gets up after lying down. One of us is always there to help her and once she has her footing, she gets going. Her appetite is good, actually better than Cooper's. She is still on Cerenia which seems to help with whatever nausea she would have from being tilted and wobbly. She doesn't seem to be in any discomfort at the moment. Her eyes don't have much spark in them although I saw a twinkle when I brought up the snuffling mats yesterday. She got right into it. That put a smile on my face.

We are to follow up with the neurologist in two weeks. Until then, we are taking it one day at a time. We are watching Spicy very closely and making notes of any new changes. We are sad beyond words. Writing about this is very difficult but I know that my blog followers would want to know. We love our little girl so deeply. 

I don't have much else to add to this blog. We are one week away from Christmas. Our hearts are not in it but we will make it happen. Russell and I will find the strength to get through this. We are not the only ones going through some tough times. Such is life. 

I leave you with a few more photos from our Christmas shoot. We can't help but notice what a difference a month has made. Have a great week everyone and enjoy all those Christmas preparations. My next blog will be on Christmas Eve 🎄🎅 

Spicy and Cooper revelling in the moment,
they exude Christmas spirit.

Spicy sitting pretty with her dainty smile.

Cooper handsome as ever!

A tender moment captured for ever...Spicy
is such a snuggle bug, she is cherished.

Cooper and his daddy...Cooper is adored.

Errol getting a wet willy from
Cooper.

Spicy loves a good snuggle and Errol
readily obliges.

Yin and yang...peas in a pod
BFF's. 

A rainy December morning

Happy Sunday everyone! It's very quiet in our house at the moment. We've been up for a while, the pooches are having their pre-breakfast nap. It's dark outside and very mild. We are expecting lots of rain today.

This past week was not the best for us. Cooper's appetite has diminished and it is concerning. We now feed him smaller amounts throughout the day. His loss of appetite makes him more picky with food so I've had to become very creative in preparing his meals. The administration of his meds has also become a bit of a challenge but we are managing it. Missing a dose is not an option.

As for our little girl Spicy, she is going through a rough patch. We started noticing some balance issues when walking as well as a distinct tilt of her head and body. Her appetite has also been poor and her spark is just not there. Following a thorough consultation with Dr. Stiles last week, vestibular disease and ear infection were basically ruled out.  We are getting a referral to see a neurologist. We are waiting for an appointment.  Until then, Spicy is on Cerenia, an anti nausea medication which has helped restore her appetite, somewhat.  She also gets small meals throughout the day. We make a point of getting her to walk around in the house to keep those little legs moving. She won't jump up and down on the bed or couch on her own. She also no longer sleeps on her back. We are keeping track of all changes that we are noticing, however small. Needless to say, we are very distraught by this and are taking it one day at a time. Each day with both is a gift 💝

Despite all this, we are trying to get into the holiday spirit. It's hard to believe that Christmas Eve is two weeks away. My brother and nephews will join us for Christmas dinner. I have to start thinking about that. 

Russell had his physical last Monday and all is good. He really likes his new doctor. He is very thorough. It looks like it's time to get the other knee replaced. Russell will get an x-ray today then make an appointment with the surgeon. The wait time is most likely at least one year away. 

Our friends from the park are coming over for lunch on Tuesday. It will be nice to see Pauline and Errol again. Cooper & Spicy will also be happy to see them. Yesterday, I went to the park with the Coop for a stroll. It was our first walk in well over a week. He enjoys his walks no matter what so I plan on walking with him often. The Spicy girl is too wobbly right now for walks. She will stay home with her daddy and snuggle. 

That's my blog for today. Starting Tuesday, we are in for a good stretch of sunshine. That will do us some good. I find there is nothing worse than lack of sunshine in the Winter. I leave you with a few photos of our two little munchkins from our November 11 holiday shoot. I also include a photo of our "doggie tree" with those precious ornaments. Have a great week everyone!

Cooper and Spicy are natural at posing for
photos...happy smiles all around.

Spicy says, is this my best side?
She is such a princess.

Cooper is always ready and alert,
such a handsome fellow.

The Doggie ornament Christmas
Tree...so precious!

A snowy view on the walk with Cooper at
Edgewater Park yesterday.

Welcome December

Happy Sunday everyone! We've been up since 6 am, it's still dark out as I'm writing this blog. Russell and I are having our coffee, Cooper and Spicy are napping.

This past week was good and very quiet. Our weather didn't cooperate too much for walking the pooches so it was a lazy week for them. They don't mind. They are both doing good although Cooper seems a bit fussy with his food at the moment. Not sure if it's a phase or just lack of appetite. We're keeping an eye on it. Spicy seems to have gotten over whatever bug she might have had last week although she is not her perky self. We have an appointment with our vet this week to discuss a few things. Better to err on the side of caution. 

Our house is decorated for Christmas. I put up our tree on Friday. It's looking nice. I will take some photos this week. I also got some baking done and will finish today. I baked a batch of shortbreads and they are nicely tucked away in the freezer. I also made "Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars", a recipe from Rose Reisman, a well known Toronto nutritionist and author of many cookbooks that I follow on Instagram. Russell and I each had one and thought they were delicious. The rest are in the freezer 😊 Today, I will make my hubby's absolute favorite, coconut macarons. 

Russell had his blood work done last week. Tomorrow he will have his physical. He is really pleased with his new clinic so far. He is still sorting out his coin collection. As for me, I'm good although I had to deal with some family drama last week. It put me in a bit of a funk for a few days then I decided that life was too short to lose sleep over things that I can't control.

Our weather has been quite mild. We are expecting our first snowfall tonight. Not much else is going on with us. We are slowly getting into the holiday spirit. 

That's my blog for today. I leave you with a few photos from our family Christmas shoot.  I will post a few in each blog until Christmas.  Every single photo is so very special to us. 

Have a great week everyone!

Cooper is majestic and we adore him...this
special moment tells the entire story of our 
devotion to this fine fellow.

Spicy is our Princess and she is so loving and
a true snuggle bug...we are enraptured with her.

It is a Family affair in every sense of the word.

Annie Viens Photography perfectly captured each 
precious moment.