Goodbye Wilson - best dog ever (2000-2013)

Unfortunately, we said goodbye to our beloved Wilson this morning.  He has been my buddy for 13 years, and I will miss him tremendously.  He was a great dog who gracefully accepted his decline in the priority order, first when Bill came into my life (and he was no longer permitted to sleep on my pillow), and then when the kids came and he was sometimes the last one greeted or given attention.  He made his presence known with his excited barks when someone walked in, yelps and dance/beg move under the table, and knowing when the perfect time was to jump on the couch and park himself on my lap for some snuggles.  He adapted really well to his new life in Colorado, loving the fact that we never even unpacked his leash.  He had free reign of the whole 10 acres, chasing rabbits, sniffing cows, and he even wandered far into our neighbor's yard to meet their dogs once.  Although he was getting noticeably shorter on energy lately, he ran his "puppy laps" around the yard as recently as Sunday afternoon.  He didn't appear to be in any pain, and just followed me into the bathroom and laid down outside the shower this morning and went to sleep.  We will all miss him lots (especially at meal times when we actually have to clean up all the food dropped by the kids!).

Wilson standing guard over Isaac the week we brought him home from the hospital

I don't have access to all of our old pictures - but these are a few to show what a big presence he was in our lives.  

Isaac and Wilson watching the snow in NJ

Caitlin loved helping me feed Wilson - although it was usually in his bowl, on this day she was determined to hand-feed him.  Keeping a safe distance in case she dared pet him (she's not so gentle), he allowed her to, which made her day. 

One of the highlights of Wilson's and the kids' day is the long walk to the mailbox after I get home - on this day the cows across the street were exchanging moo's with the kids

Wilson loved playing in the snow, but got cold so easily we got him a jacket so he could stay outside longer

Wilson adopted Caitlin's "sophie" toy as his own - in his defense, it was a squeaky toy!

Wilson checking out the view from the Vail house 

The kids and me saying goodbye to Wilson this morning.  They were both sad, but - ever the pragmatist - Isaac paused for a second before asking if this means we can buy a new dog this weekend :)

Cousins weekends

Bill and I spent Memorial Day weekend in Sedona, which was AMAZING.

One of the reasons we were able to relax and enjoy our trip was knowing the kids were having a blast and getting spoiled rotten by Grandma and Aunt Jen.  They went to the zoo one of the days, and the rest of the time the kids entertained each other riding bikes, eating ice cream and hanging out.  They were so comfortable and happy, that they didn't even want to stop playing long enough to talk when we called to check in on them :)

The next weekend, Jen and Max went to NY for a wedding, so we repayed the favor by taking Talia and Arielle for the weekend.  I was a little hesitant to have all 4 kids, but for the most part having the girls around makes life easier because the kids all entertain each other and have so much fun.  I only say for the most part, because it felt like I was a short-order cook and had to prepare and clean up 10 meals a day!! It was worth it though - we all had fun and it was great to have some QT with the girls.  Here are some pics from our adventures swimming, eating, chilling on the couch, at the playground and having fun at the Louisville Farmer's Market opening day festival (where Caitlin and Isaac rode their first pony!).

The next weekend we hosted a goodbye party for the Schrutt family before they headed to Israel for the summer.  It was great to get in so much time with them before they left - including an apple cider toast for all the cousins (even Sebastian!).  

In memoriam.

My amazing grandmother passed away this morning. She worked into her 80s, setting a great example of what women can do from as early as I can remember.  She made family a huge priority and managed to make it to every one of our milestones, even when she had to travel from NJ, but ultimately convincing my grandfather that they had to move to Florida to be closer to us all.  I have countless memories of her spoiling us, taking us on trips, and hunting down the latest beauty products upon hearing our interest in them.  Her 2 children, 6 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren will miss her terribly, but we all hope to leave such a legacy, including 67 years of happy marriage. We were blessed to have spent so much time with her over this past year since she has been in Colorado, including mother's day, and I couldn't be more grateful that  Isaac and Caitlin knew "grandma woda" and sing "I love you a bushel and a peck" regularly because she taught it to them. 

These are some pictures from Grandpa's party, before her health declined.

Our last visit to Florida before moving to Colorado (she moved to Colorado soon after)

she let Caitlin put stickers all over her while singing "bushel and a peck"

A bunch of pictures of our visits to see Grandma at the nursing home over the past few months

We brought cupcakes and sang happy birthday in December

Mom organized a music therapist and we all played instruments and sang along with Gram

Finally, on Mother's Day we brought all the kids to celebrate with Grandma.

We will miss Grandma a LOT, but we are very grateful to have had so much time with her in our lives.