Update on Life

Wes got home from work around 3:00 this morning.  (I think.  I don't really remember because I was so tired.)  We had our ritual of Sammich Time.  Every morning when Wes gets home from work, we eat our dinner.  Wes walks through the door and says, "It's Sammich Time!"  Call us stupid, but we really look forward to this time together every morning.  We usually buy fancy rolls from the bakery at Quantico Commissary, get honey ham and Cajun chicken sliced fresh from the deli, and get low-fat/low sodium cheese.  We use red wine vinegar, submarine oil/spices, lettuce, tomato and make the best sandwiches.  We eat them with baby carrots or sometimes pita chips.  Sometimes we'll drink a Diet Pepsi.  We generally have fruit for dessert, and then a glass of milk before bed.  This is our little ritual and it happens every night that Wes works.  Surprisingly, I do not have a picture of this.  Odd, I know, since I take pictures of everything.  

This is what we look like, except we eat sandwiches instead of pizza.

Bella and Shiloh had to be picked up at 7:00 this morning from the Neuter Commuter.  We didn't have time to sleep when Wes got home, so we showered, gave Tanker his medicine, and headed to Manassas.  We were there a little early, and Wes was able to get a little shut-eye before the puppies arrived.

We are used to sleeping in the car.  Wes, many of times, will sleep in his car at work if he  has to work over,  or I'll sleep in the car while I am waiting for him to get out of work to go to an appointment.  This is just a reflection of our crazy lives and inconsistent schedules.  It works for us.

Finally, The Neuter Commuter arrived and we were so excited to see out little girls!

While waiting in line to pick up Bella and Shiloh, we noticed a bunch of buzzards in a dead tree behind the animal shelter.  It was really creepy and it made me feel like we were on the scene of a Supernatural episode.  

Finally, we made it to the front of the line and I found our little girls.  They were in their crates.  They were not barking or making any noise.  They were just observing what was going on outside.  They were just as excited to see me as I was them.

Bella and Shiloh did really well in surgery.  We had to pay a little extra for Shiloh Bug because she weighed over 50 pounds.  Shiloh is a whopping 53 pounds at six months old.  Bella is 49 pounds.  They were only about 20 pounds when we first got them.  Bella and Shiloh are growing up to be big girls!

This was no BS Adventure.  This adventure was total BS.

Once we got home, they settled in fine.  They slept most of the day.  I haven't had any problems with them licking their incisions.  Topher seems to know they don't feel good and he hasn't been playing too rough with them until this evening.  I have had to really watch them all because Bella and Shiloh are wanting to do too much playing.  I am afraid it's too early for them to run and rough house a lot.

 They did the same thing to you that they did to me?

 Poor Shiloh Bug didn't feel well at all.

 Waiting for our dad to fix up our new crates upstairs so that we can go to sleep.

 I'm glad I didn't go on the Neuter Commuter.

Wes signed up for his last class to get his CCAF Degree.  The Air Force requires a degree from the Community College of the Air Force in order to move up into higher ranks and positions.  He will graduate with a degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology.  He has been focusing on a major in Emergency Management for his Bachelor's Degree and he is not too far from it.  He originally was going for Accounting, but this is more up his alley.  We really enjoy helping others.  He and I both enjoyed organizing the clothing drive for victims of the tornadoes in Alabama and delivering supplies to them earlier this year.  We both love doing therapy dog work.  Once we get the puppies certified as therapy dogs, we want to work on the Red Cross Crisis Dog certification for all four of them.  With our background in EMS, Search and Rescue, the FEMA certifications we already hold, and our therapy dog work, a Bachelor's Degree in Emergency Management really sparks Wes' interest.  Since we plan on staying in the area where we live once Wes retires from the Air Force, there are several job opportunities for him with that degree.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is located right here in Washington, DC.  If all goes to plan, we will be set for Wes to start a second career in a field he really enjoys and has worked hard for.  If all goes to plan.  The last four years have really taught us that life is not what we plan.  Our lives are controlled by a bigger force.  

My dad was discharged from rehab today.  He is doing well.  My mom and dad have the best neighbors ever and I thank God everyday that they are there to help when I cannot.  They have been taking care of my parents' house while my dad's been in the hospital.  Mom and Dad's next door neighbor is retired and will be checking on my dad throughout the day while my mom is at work.  That takes a lot of stress off my mom and off of me.  It is hard for me to leave my life here in Virginia and travel to Georgia at the moment.  Wes and I are involved in too much.  The only way I could go down there is if I took all the animals with me.  Tanker gets medication four times a day and Wes is rarely home to be able to give it to him.  As much as I would like to be able to go down and take care of my dad, it's just very impractical right now.

We are picking up our new foster dog tomorrow morning.  I know a lot of people think we are crazy for the vast number of animals we rescue and train, but this is what we enjoy in life.  Our new foster dog's name is June Bug.  She is an 8-month old Pit Bull Terrier.  We are fostering her through Bully Paws, the rescue that we fostered Boomer through.  We are really excited about little June Bug.  My Bully Paws friends call her an Itty Pitty because she is so small.  She is only 35 pounds and they don't think she will get much bigger.  We have a passion for pit bulls and pit bull mixes because society labels them as such bad dogs.  We have friends with pit bull therapy dogs.  Boomer would have made a great therapy dog because he was so sweet, gentle, and smart.  We have never met a bad Pit Bull.  I, personally, am a herding dog person.  I love Australian Cattle Dogs, Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, etc.  Wes and I love rescue and Pit Bulls are in dire need of being rescued.  With Breed Specific Legislation, too many great dogs are being put down.  If we can save just one, we know we have made a difference.

 June Bug has a heart shaped nose.  So cute!

June Bug has a cherry eye that needs to be surgically fixed.  Once Bully Paws raises the money for the surgery, it will be fixed before she is adopted out.  June Bug is good with kids, cats, and other dogs.  He current foster mom described her as a little love bug.  We are excited to foster her!