Holding My Own -

Doc and Kate

2009-04-10T22:31:00.008-06:00

These are our dogs Doc and Kate. We got Doc near the end of January. A friend of Dan's called and said his sister found him out in the cold, abandoned and starving. We were looking for a good dog, wanted one as a puppy but we couldn't turn this one away. He was a good looking dog - and a blue heeler/border collie mix. I wanted a blue heeler, so we took him in and named him Doc.

Because both Dan and I were gone a lot during the day, we knew it would be a good idea for Doc to have a companion. My friend Burke had a red heeler who had had a litter of pups and was trying to find a home for the cute little puppies. As soon as I found out, I called him up and told him I wanted the female.

I drove down to Cedar City valentine's weekend. THere was a big snowstorm that weekend - and it took me forever to get down and back. But it was worth the trip! Although she threw up a few times on the way home (including once all over my lap - UGH!) she eventually got used to the motion sickness and became quite happy.

When we walked in Doc thought she was his new toy. But Kate held her own. She is a tough little girl. And so very darling!! The dogs quickly became friends and got along well. They were sometimes monsters and had to be forced outside when they got a little too rambunctious! Is that how you spell that word?

For about two months our dogs were probably the biggest part of our world. We had them both vaccinated a week or two before we went to las vegas for spring break, and Doc was going to be neutered when we got back.

But when we got back the dogs were a little bit sick. I picked them up from where they were staying but Kate was not interested in a treat. Neither of them had dinner that night. They were not interested. Neither of them ate breakfast. Kate seemed a little bit slow and not quite herself. Neither one of them were, really. But when I got home on Monday Doc was very eager to eat, and since then has been his old self.

Kate, on the other hand, only got worse. By Wednesday we decided we needed to take her to the veterinarian along with Doc the next morning. But that was not soon enough.

My baby girl died that night. She had Parvo. Doc did too but he was older and his immune system was stronger. Little Kate was just so sad and miserable for the last few days. It broke my heart. I wish I could have saved her. I could have if I had known more about the disease, that it could kill her, and that I could have known if she had it with a simple $30 test from our vet. We will never be able to replace her, but Burke has promised us the pick of his next litter. We will not be able to replace Kate, but we will be able to have another dog to love and for Doc to play with.

It has been one of the saddest days of my life. Dan took it hard too. We were both very attached to the cute little thing. Doc has been looking for her, and is really lonely while we are gone. But we were sure lucky to have her for two months. She brought us so much happiness and joy and love.

The Best Day

2008-12-07T20:07:00.004-07:00

Here are a few pictures from the big day! I have more fun ones to post of family and friends.

Make a Smilebox photobook

. . . patience . . .

2008-12-07T01:47:00.002-07:00

Okay Okay Okay! I know. But I just can't update right now - my life has been turned upside down since about june . . . things are just starting to smooth out - but it's Christmas time . . .I just spent over 6 hours on a saturday night grading algebra tests and make up work while Dan is working nights - it is almost 2:oo am. . . I will update when I can . . . I am thinking Chrismtas break! Thanks to all of you for being interested!!! And i would love to hear from any of you! I think you all have my number!

Killin' Time

2008-05-22T10:47:00.026-06:00

Well the last time I was here was well over a month ago - so I just found the comments from April!

I am in my hotel room in Boise at the state track meet. We have an hour until we meet for lunch so I thought now is the time for me to get on here and at least let everyone know I am still alive.

There is plenty to update you on still - last summer had a lot more to it than the Alaska Cruise.

I hiked the half dome at Yosemite and went to two sisters' weddings. My pictures of Colorado were mostly lost when my hard drive crashed in September - so I am not sure what I will be able to find when I finally update all of that. This is one I salvaged because I had emailed it to someone. It was taken from Mt. Columbia looking onto Mt. Harvard. With Columbia and Missouri last summer I finished all the Collegiate Peaks. I think I have done 43 total. I will have to re count to be sure. This summer I am thinking I will do Snowmass in the Aspen area and possibly one or two down near Alamosa. . .

And then there was Cancun. . . I have some pictures from the week long trip just before Thanksgiving up to the right - there are some fun things to share about that trip.

I will tell you about Florida - SO FUN. Yvette and Greg took good care of me as always. Easter Sunday and the following Monday was nice and cool. Yvette nearly froze to death. I bought a sweatshirt at the gift shop and she wore it all day Monday. But the following days were WARM! and by WARM I really mean HOT. We went to see a spring training game. That was fun - and the hot dogs were great! Yvette had sunblock so luckily I didn't get burned. I had been skiing the week before in Idaho - so the change in weather was quite drastic for me!

Let's see - I guess my favorite rides were those at Universal Studio, with the exception of Rockin' Roller Coaster at Disney World and Mt. Everest at Animal Kingdom. I also liked the jeep/dinosour ride at Animal Kingdom - kind of an Indiana Jones type thing. It was fun.

We ate at Epcot Center a couple of times and walked around 'the world' a time or two. We caught good firework shows at the end of the night both at Universal Studios and Epcot.

I saw a sunset on the most beautful beach I have ever been on. The sand was like flour it was so soft and fine. Got most of the sunset on film but I got distracted near the end. Josh was playing in the water - trying to stay dry so he was lifting his pant legs up. The funny thing was that he was already wet up to his waste still holding his pant legs up. . . The week went buy way too fast. I am looking forward to seeing Yvette again.

Wish I had time and money for more trips because I sure would like to get around to see all of you. It has been a long while since I saw family and friends in New Mexico and it has been forever since I have seen many of you who are all across the country. . .

This weekend I am going to Arizona for Amber's wedding. She is marrying John in Springerville on Saturday.

I have a trip to Nashville in July for a professional conference. I will be there for a full week so if anyone is close enough to meet me one day/evening I would love to see you. As a faculty we will have a rental car and maybe I could sneak out with it once or twice . . .

I might update this once school is out. . . I need to move out of my apartment byt he end of June. I am going to try and buya house. I also have some trainging to go to for my new job teaching for Idaho Digital Learning (online classes) and I have to take a certification test for American Govenrment on the 14th. School will be out but I wll have plenty to do still. . . What can I say? I am never bored!

North - to - Alaska

2008-03-01T20:32:00.016-07:00

Alaskan Cruise - Summer 2007; I went with Dad, Wendy and Douglas. Cutler was in Seattle for the weekend so he met me at the dock before we embarked. We went to Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Glacier Bay and Victoria, British Columbia. While in Skagway we traveled up into the Yukon Territory and did some canoeing and horseback riding. It was all so GREAT! In Victoria we went whale watching. Sea World will never be the same . . .

Mi Vida Loca

2008-02-28T22:23:00.016-07:00

Well, I really don't know what I am doing. I am giving this a try and all of you veteran bloggers out there can give me pointers. I don't know that I can add one more thing to my "to do" list - and I don't think so much of myself to think that anyone is really going to check this regularly just to read about ME. But at times when I know I need to call people and let them know the headlines and big events, this could definitely be the way to go.

I am really enjoying Idaho. I am teaching American Government, Pre Calculus and Algebra. It has been hard to go back to teaching three curriculums, especially considering the Am. Govt is brand new and VERY different from math. It is hard to fill 90 minutes with enough activity and challenge to keep the students interested, successful, and intellectually challenged. With math, that is just not hard to do.

Track season has started. I took a few years off while I taught AP Calculus in Orem, Utah, but I am back on the track and have to say that if the snow/ice ever melts and we can actually run outside and USE the track - then I will start to really enjoy the season. I am the mid-distance coach and I appreciate a light duty. After all, I have to keep the stress level down.

We are waiting to see what my response to the prednesone is as perscribed by the doc. After the liver biopsy he thinks it is autoimmune hepatitis - no this is not the contagious kind! Like the Multiple Sclerosis, it is my own immune system attacking my body. I have had this longer than the MS - more than likely 10 - 15 years according to the doc. He said the liver showed enough scar tissue to suggest it has been there a long time. We will know in another couple of weeks. If not autoimmune hepatitis, then I am going to University of Utah for further testing and consultation/review with a liver specialist.

I will update my summer 2007 adventures as I have time. It was a jam packed summer. I can't ever do one like that again. Three weddings and three high school graduations within a month. From Yosemite National Park to Niagra Falls, I was a gypsy - living out of my truck and being a guest everywhere I went. It is not easy to not have your own place for three months. But I didn't have a lot of choice. It was from one place to the next constantly from May 27th until August 6th, when I got back from the Alaskan Cruise and finally made my way back to Idaho to move into my new place and start a new school year.

Since the school year has started I was hardly home one weekend a month. If it was not a family event like a baptism it was something medical like MRIs in SLC or follow up appointments with my Neurologist. I spent eight days in Cancun in November, another weekend in Southern Utah for Thanksgiving, three weekends in December and two in January where I was either in Oregon or Utah. Seth graduated from Weber State in December and I made a quick trip to Ogden for that. It was so good to see the "little boy" again. (Check out he and Merek's website below!) I spent another weekend in Oregon this month for my grandmother's funeral.

I never thought track season would mean the RELAXING of my schedule - but it looks like it is going to be that way. Now that the season has started and I have obligations to the team on the weekends - I am looking forward to being home through most of the spring.

Okay Okay Okay - not the entire spring. I am going to Florida in March to see Yvette for a week. Spring Break this year is a whole week - and my trip to Niagra Falls last summer left me with credit after accepting a few travel bumps. So I am going to Florida and Yvette is taking me to Orlando.

That's enough for now - I'd love to hear from you!
Julie