Scott and I got Bo before we even got engaged. I guess, technically, he was Scott's dog...but I was his Mommy from Day 1. :) It's hard to believe it was 9 years ago that we brought our tiny, 4 pound puppy home! I've put several pictures throughout this post, and they are just randomly placed, and not in any order.

Bo experienced a lot with us. He knew about our engagement before I did, he moved into our first house with us, he kept me company when Scott was in Iraq, and then again when I was stuck in bed while pregnant with Addison and Fischer. Bo was also the first to know I was going into labor - looking back, he was so clearly trying to clue me in. Through all of our family changes, he was always one of our babies!

Saying goodbye to Bo was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Everything happened so fast, so I definitely wasn't mentally or emotionally prepared.

So here's the story. For awhile, Bo had a "growth" above one of his hind legs. We actually asked a couple of different vets about it. Both said it was nothing we should worry about at that time because it wasn't bothering him, and was most likely just a fat deposit. This was a couple of years ago, and the growth would shrink, then grow, shrink, grow, etc... but it never seemed to bother him.

Towards the end of April, we noticed that the area was starting to bother him. If we pet him there, he would growl a little bit, and he was having a harder time going up and down stairs. Scott took him to the vet after it was clear that he was in some pain. The vet decided it would probably be best to do surgery to remove it. When he did remove it, it was a different type of growth than he thought (I'm not sure of all the actual names). We opted at the time not to have anything sent off for testing... a decision I think we are both regretting, although the vet assures us it wouldn't have changed the outcome.

So, Bo was supposed to come home that same day of his surgery but ended up staying at the vet for almost 4 extra days because he was bleeding around his incision. When he finally came home, his incision wasn't pretty, but it finally started healing.

Things were great and he was obviously feeling so much better. He had more energy and was moving around much better.

Then, about a month ago, we noticed that the area under the incision was growing again. We knew the growth was coming back. Bo was due to get his nails trimmed anyway (something he had to go to the vet for) so the vet checked him out. He knew right away it was a tumor, and because of the bleeding from his surgery, he was worried it was serious. So, we scheduled a biopsy, and in the mean time, gave Bo some steroids to try and help with the pain/itching.

He went for his biopsy on Thursday, July 19. He came home that day but was bleeding everywhere...not a good sign. :( He went back to the vet for the weekend because we had already planned to go to Charleston and we didn't want him home alone. We were told to expect biopsy results in 5-7 business days. The vet had already said he was 99% sure it was cancer, and that it was too late for treatment. At this point, we were waiting to see how advanced it was.

Scott and I were sort of shocked by how fast all of this happened. We questioned if we should have had  a biopsy done during his original surgery in May, but the vet told us it would have already been too late.

So on Tuesday, July 24, we got Bo's results. And, they weren't good at all. He had a very aggressive form of cancer. The vet gave him about 90 days to live. 90 days?! We could not believe it.  We were both extremely upset, which is a challenge with 2 3 year olds around... they were confused.

I was so stressed about Bo's quality of life during those 90 days. How would I know when it was "time?" What if I came home and he didn't greet me at the door? I wasn't sure what we were supposed to be doing.

At this point, Bo was still bleeding from his biopsy, and the vet wasn't happy about how long it took him to shake off his anesthesia... so Scott took him back to the vet for the day on that Tuesday so that he could get two more stitches. The vet told us that he was bleeding because that tumor was expanding and the blood didn't have anywhere to go, basically. The area was bright red and getting worse by the day... he said it was because the tumor wanted to rupture.

Bo came home Tuesday afternoon and it went downhill fast. He wouldn't eat, and started getting sick (most likely caused by the cancer already spreading to his liver and spleen). Wednesday was ok but he wasn't himself.... Thursday he got sick many times that day and refused to eat at all. He perked up for a little while when Jim and Dianne came over for dinner, but then Thursday night, he barely slept at all, and ended up going to lay in another room by himself and got sick all over the floor.

So, on Friday, July 27, we knew it was time. We didn't want it to be time, but we knew it was. He was suffering and we didn't want it to get any worse. We thought he had 90 days... I was so mad that it happened so fast. I sat on the floor with him, and he climbed in my lap for a few seconds. The kids were running around, oblivious to what was happening, so I tried my best to keep it together, but I didn't succeed.

Scott left with Bo and I was a wreck. Fischer kept saying "Don't worry Mommy, Bo will be home tomorrow." I wish he was right. Scott brought him home and buried him right by Sassy's little area... all before the kids were able to look out and see what was going on. We didn't want to scare them.

It was one of the longest days ever... and that night was even worse because at night is when we spent most of our quality time with Bo. After Addison and Fischer went to bed was our time to sit and cuddle with Bo, and he slept with us so it just wasn't right. It still isn't right... I've had a very hard time these past couple of weeks, and I'm hoping it will start to get easier soon. I miss him so much, and feel so guilty that there wasn't more we could do. He might just be a dog to some, but to us, he was our baby!

One afternoon, we filled the pool up on the driveway instead of in the backyard. You know, we have to keep things exciting around here. :)

The kids were playing so nicely together that I decided to bring out a couple of magazines to read! I did manage to get through 2 magazines, while keeping an eye on Addison and Fischer. Apparently not too close of an eye though, because when I finally looked at their pool, it looked like this:

This was their "soup" and they had added many ingredients! :) They played with this for almost 2 hours. Playing with something for so long, together and happily, is very rare around here!! It was an enjoyable afternoon for all of us. Needless to say, they went straight into the bathtub once we went inside. Yay summer fun!:)

In an effort to get semi-caught up on here, I am going to do a post about numerous things that we've been up to!

- On July 28, Addison's dance school had an open house. She and I went so that she could see the place again (she saw it a couple of months ago when we picked up the registration paperwork). She loved the pink and green walls, and seems excited to get started. While there, I managed to get her some tap shoes (which are required for her class) for only $2! We also go the details of the other items she'd need, so the next day we stopped at Target and got her ballet shoes, leotard and tights! Here she is -ready to go!

- That same day, July 28, we headed out to my parents' condo at the lake for a mini-vacation. We went swimming, watched movies and just had a relaxing time. The kids slept great and got to swim one more time in the morning before heading home. We will definitely have to go stay again when we are in need of a change of scenery and pace. I didn't take any pictures. :(

- On Monday, July 30, I took the kids to an ice cream social at My Gym. They've been attending classes again this summer on Wednesday mornings, but I thought the ice cream social would be a good reason to get out of the house last Monday. It turned out to be a full hour-long class, which was a nice surprise. They got to run, play, sing and dance and then got to end class with some yummy ice cream. Fischer was very happy because Mr. Jared (his favorite teacher) happened to be doing the ice cream social class too.

- The next day, July 31, I was feeling brave and took Addison and Fischer to our local Children's Museum for the first time by myself. They've been several times before but I've always had another adult with me. They did a great job listening to me and sticking together, and we ended up meeting up with a fellow twin mom and her 3 year olds! It was nice to be able to let the kids play while getting to chat with a friend! Doesn't Fischer look like a natural milking the cow?! :)

- Over the past several weeks, I've been working on a color wheel project with the kids. Fischer ended up helping the first day, and a tiny bit here and there, but it mostly became a project that Addison and I worked on together. It was great for her/their cutting skills, and they also got to use glue, which they always enjoy. We flipped through old magazines and found pieces of each color, then glued them into each section. I think it looks cool, and I want to find somewhere to hang it up in the house for a little while.

- We've had a baby gate at the top of our stairs since we moved in last summer.... but not anymore! On Friday, it came down! It hasn't been a big deal.. I just worry that when Addison and Fischer are upstairs playing and they come running out of Addison's room (which is right at the top of the stairs), they will get going too fast and trip and fall.  Speaking of tripping and falling, you will notice Fischer has three band-aids on in the picture below. He had an unfortunate run in with our driveway. :(

- Yesterday, Scott and Fischer had some guy time while Addison and I had some girl time! We decided to head to the zoo - the first time I've ever been with just one of the kids! We had a good time riding the train and carousel, and feeding the birds and giraffes. This was the first time Addison actually fed the giraffes by herself - she was very proud and wanted to call Daddy and Fischer right away to tell them the news. She kept wanting her picture taken, so here are a few of them. She would say "Mommy, take me a picture!" The one of us together is on the carousel.

- Last night we had our friends Rylan, and her mommy and daddy, Irish and Mike, over for dinner. The kids had a great time playing together. We ended the evening with some dancing by the kids - the girls wore princess dresses while Fischer wore his knight costume.

Rylan also got to play a round of Addison and Fischer's new game: "The Question Game!" Scott came up with this the other night while I was cleaning up the kitchen one night after dinner. They sit on the couch and he asks a series of questions and they think it's so fun to answer. He'll say something like "What do you like better: a lake or an ocean?" and they answer. Then he just keeps coming up with different questions - it's pretty funny to hear some of their answers. Then they get a turn to ask us, and some of the questions they come up with are hilarious - Fischer, especially, gets very into the question asking part.

- And, finally, we've just been doing a lot of playing and hanging out at home. Fischer loves using a koozie these days - he LOVED these sparkling water juice cans we got. Special treats for summer!

Wow, I am so behind on updates. It's been a busy summer, and I don't want to forget anything we've done!

I know I haven't mentioned our newest baby, Lucy, in awhile! That's because she has been away at doggy college for the past 2 weeks!

Scott and I went back and forth about sending her but finally came to a decision that we thought would be best for our family. We want Lucy to be a well-trained dog, and we knew that he and I just wouldn't have/put the time necessary into proper training...especially for such a large, active dog! So, we found and interviewed a guy and thought he sounded like a great match.

He lives about an hour away from here, and owns his company, K9 Good Manners. He has many, many years of experience working with dogs, including service dogs over in Iraq. He came to our house about a month ago and spent a couple hours with us and Lucy. When he left, we knew we were making the right choice and this would be very beneficial in the end.

So, two weeks later when Lucy was 12 weeks old, we took her to "college" and dropped her off. This was the same day we had to take Addison and Fischer to camp for the first time so I was emotionally exhausted by the end of the day.  I was glad to be able to see where Lucy would be living - I was thrilled that she'd actually be staying inside her "professor's" house... Addison likes to call him "Professor John." :)

We've gotten several updates and so far she seems to be doing very well! Scott and I will go in 2 weeks to spend a day with "the professor" and Lucy and have a training session of our own. After that, she will stay another 2 weeks and then John will bring her home and spend another day with us so that the transition back home for Lucy will be smooth.

When she comes home, she should have great manners... we hope!! What I'm most excited about is that she will learn to have a special "place." When we say "place" she will go to the specified mat/towel/blanket and sit or lay until we tell her she can get up again. If this actually works, it will be AWESOME! Like when the doorbell rings, we can say "place" so that she doesn't come charging to the door. Or when the kids are running around and it's just too hectic, I can get her out of the way for a few minutes.

Here are a few pictures that John posted on facebook the other day. She is getting so big, and will be huge by the time she comes home!

Things have been busy, and emotional around here! Unfortunately, we've had a very sad few days around here, as we lost our fur baby Bo last Friday. I will write more about him and his last days with us soon, but I'm just not ready to do that yet.

In the mean time, I thought I'd post about something fun! :) 

I love the Olympics! I have been staying up way too late watching them but I can't help it. I've been avoiding the internet as much as possible during the day because of all of the spoilers out there. I want to pretend I'm watching the events live! :)

Anyway, the kids and I did a fun little project last week in preparation for the opening ceremonies. We made our own gold medals! Jim and Dianne came over Thursday night for dinner, and they were lucky enough to receive medals of their own!

First, we had to make the mixture that would turn into dough. We mixed baking powder, corn starch and water.

Then we had to bring it to a boil and stir until it turned into dough.

Next, we had to let the dough cool.

We could then roll it out, cut out our circles, punch out the ribbon holes and make the Olympic rings.

Then, more waiting while the medals dried.

Finally, it was time to paint, which was Addison and Fischer's favorite part.

The last step was putting them on ribbons, and then awarding them, of course. :)

*Addison and Fischer are wearing coordinating Hawaiian outfits. Scott and I bought them last year when we went to Key West. I remember thinking they looked so huge, and that it would be a long time before the kids could wear them. They have grown so much this past year! 

This past Friday (July 20), the zoo had a member appreciation night. The gates opened at 6:00, and they had $1 hot dogs, icees, popcorn and free drinks! They also had an alligator feeding and a diving demonstration. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to either of those, but it was pretty crowded so I don't think we would've been able to see anything anyway.

We had plenty to do and see though. We met up with our friends Irish and Rylan too. Rylan is just 2 months younger than Addison and Fischer and they always have a good time together. Here they are right when we got to the zoo... at least Rylan will look at me! :)

Our main concern was finding some dinner... we set out to get some cheap hot dogs and french fries. I love this picture so much... it wasn't prompted at all, and I just think it's so cute. Just incase you can't see it, Rylan and Fischer are holding hands.. Love it!!

After dinner, we headed to the train. While we were waiting in line, the kids thought they'd play conductor and undo the chain. Actually, Addison and Fischer were doing this and Rylan was just watching them get into trouble. :)

Scott rode the train with all 3 kids (Rylan calls him Mr. Spot, which is so funny!).

Then it was Icee time. All Fischer talked about the entire night was getting an "ice shake up." Finally, he got a red and blue mixed one. All 3 kids were excited that their mixed Icees turned purple as they melted!

Also, we went in to see if the gorilla was out... instead we saw this in the enclosure...

We all had a great time! I think the biggest thing that happened that night was Fischer finally getting to hear his echo. He'd been trying for weeks, in many different locations. He'd yell "Echo!!" and listen.. but never heard his actual echo. So, at the zoo, I took him into the bathroom and he yelled "Echo!!" and  it finally happened! He was so excited, and of course kept yelling "Echo!" while we were in the bathroom. I'm sure the next time we go to the zoo, he will want to go to the bathroom as soon as we get there. :)

Last week, Addison and Fischer attended a camp at their preschool. They went Monday-Friday, 9 am - 1 pm. The week we chose for them was "safari" week since they both like animals so much. They even got to eat lunch there everyday!

A few weeks ago, Addison and I went to Target to pick out lunch boxes for them. She picked Princesses for herself, and we picked out a fire truck for Fischer. Luckily he was happy with our choice.  Here they are before going to their first day of camp!

I was a little nervous about dropping them off on Monday - I just never know how they are going to react when I/we leave them. And, it's been awhile since they last went to school, so they are out of that routine. Scott went with me on Monday, which made things easier (on me, anyway).

They were really excited to go, even on Monday morning. Up until it was time for us to leave them there, that is. I think Addison thought I was going to be attending camp with her. :) They were all out on the playground already, so that's where we left them. Fischer walked right in and started playing. Addison clung to my shirt so tightly that I was shocked I didn't have a huge tear in it... so I had to hand her over to one of the teachers and walk away, while she screamed and cried. I think having to do that is one of the hardest things ever, and it never gets any easier.

Luckily when we picked them up, the director told us she calmed down quickly and had a great day. The rest of the week went pretty smoothly. The kids had a lot of fun, but were exhausted by Friday! They brought home their art projects on Friday, which included zebras, and elephant bag, a stamped cup and a tiger mask. They also got to bring home little treats each day, which was fun for them. I think their favorite part, though, was that they got to eat popsicles every single day. What a treat for them!

Don't they look so grown up carrying their lunches?!

Now, it's time to start talking about school and getting them excited for that! Good thing we have a few weeks before that starts!