It is Victory’s birthday today, and she is eleven years old! It is difficult to believe that we have had our precious Victory for nine years! October 12 is the day we adopted her from the Michigan Sheltie Rescue. This past weekend, we had a wonderful fall birthday celebration with a custom cake with a fall themed three-dimensional rendering of Victory on top of the cake, balloons, and decorations for our fur girl, Victory! (When I get a chance to edit these photos, I will share, more, soon!)
Importantly, we recently attended the Blessing of the Animals at Alex’s school. We have never attended such an event, so it was really fun to witness Victory receive a blessing. Doug also gave a reading, shown immediately below. And, we were given a certificate to take home with Victory’s blessing. Victory did well, and I am certain she knew that this event was all about her!
Reading: But ask the animals, and they will teach you; the birds of the air, and they will tell you; ask the planets of the earth, and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of God has done this? In God’s hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of every human being.
The Blessing of each animal: Victory, we give thanks for your life and companionship. May you be blessed in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that you and your family may find joy in your life together. Amen.”
Shown below are a few photos from the Blessing of the Animals.
14 years of marriage. 18 years together. 4 years of parenting a little human together. 9 years of loving and taking care of our fur girl together. You are my favorite human being. You are always by my side, and supportive through everything. You are the greatest gift of my life, and each day spent with you is truly a gift. I look forward to many, many more years together, knowing that we can get through anything together. Most of all, you are an incredible Daddy to our girls! We are all so blessed. I am truly grateful for you. Happy fourteenth anniversary!
It is with a heavy heart to share that my parents’ rescue papillon dog, Nick, passed away in early August, at home in my Dad’s arms with both of my parents with him, outside on their deck with the sun shinning brightly. It was very peaceful; and it was heartbreaking simultaneously. Nick was seventeen and he lived with my parents for eleven years. Nick stayed here on earth as long as his body allowed him to stay.
Nick came into my parents’ lives in 2011, the same year that Doug and I rescued Biscuit. Nick was such a good, sweet little dog, and my parents loved him so very much and they treated him like one of their human kids. Nick adored my Dad, and literally followed my Dad everywhere, whether that be watching my Dad while he used the exercise bike; going outside with my Dad while he worked in the yard; sitting by my Dad while he worked on his computer; going for car rides together; or cuddling up with my Dad while he took a nap. Also, you could always find Nick in the kitchen while my Mom cooked, hoping to find any remnant of food on the floor to eat; and Nick always went to my Mom when he wanted a treat or some chicken breast, his absolute favorite food! I remember Nick always barking and being so excited to see us when we returned home from being out somewhere! Nick always came with my parents when they came out to visit, and we are so glad that he made it to Alex’s fourth birthday party. Nick was spoiled and very well cared for, as every dog should be, and he even ate dinner at the dining room table with my parents in the evenings, as he had his own chair at the dinning room table! Nick was always friendly to everyone he met. Most of all, Nick gave my parents so much joy and comfort.
Nick knew both Biscuit and Victory, our rescue shelties, and life will never be the same without Nick. This was also Alex’s first encounter with death and the finality of it all, which is often challenging for adults to grasp. Alex asks many questions about heaven and what it means to die. We believe that Nick is free of pain, and both Nick and Biscuit are together in heaven. I believe losing a beloved animal can sometimes be more difficult than losing a human. Your furry family member(s) is literally always there for you, loves you unconditionally, and it is unbearable to imagine a life without them. Shown below is one of my favorite quotes about the great loss of a beloved animal. Nick will forever be in our hearts and he is greatly missed here on earth.
“There is a cycle of love and death that shapes the lives of those who choose to travel in the company of animals. It is a cycle unlike any other. To those who have never lived through its turnings or walked its rocky path, our willingness to give our hearts with full knowledge they will be broken seems incomprehensible. Only we know how small a price we pay for what we receive; our grief, no matter how powerful it may be, is an insufficient measure of the joy we have been given.” —Suzanne Clothier
We are back! This was the longest break I have ever taken on the blog in 10 years! It was a much needed sabbatical; however, I did really miss writing in this little space, and it feels like now is the right time to return. And, I cannot believe it is already officially fall, our very favorite season! We have a lot of fun activities planned, this fall, including: celebrating Victory’s eleventh birthday; seeing the Van Gough Exhibit: Immersive Experience; going to the pumpkin patch; picking apples; celebrating fourteen years of marriage; visiting with friends; celebrating Halloween; and hosting Thanksgiving!
During my time away from the blog, I was able work on catching up on my photo editing, which I always seem to be playing catch up, and I am still currently playing catch up in this area, always! I was able to create family yearbooks from 2018 through 2021, along with creating a book containing Alex’s pre-school art! (Prior to this, I printed my favorite family photos, but I have so many, it was getting difficult to manage, so I decided it might be better to make archival, high quality photo books. I still print my favorite images to frame.) Alex loves creating art, and it was my way of capturing her art forever, and encouraging her to continue her creative projects, which she very much enjoys! She is still hard at work making her lovely cards and sending them out to friends and family! It was very gratifying to get these books finished and printed, and I plan to make a family yearbook for each subsequent year! And, I plan to continue to make books containing Alex’s artwork, a nice keepsake! It is my way of creating a legacy for our little family.
We spent a lot of time at the pool this summer; Alex is swimming, on her own, which is so great! She is a little fish in the water! She was very determined to swim on her own! She wants to continue swimming so we are joining an indoor pool. Alex also continues her horse riding lessons, and she enjoys the horse she is learning to ride named, “Storm,” which she affectionately refers to him as, “Stormy!” We have brought Victory with us a few times, and she loves the horses as well! Alex is trotting now, which is great progress!
We celebrated Alex’s birthday, and I cannot believe she is four, already! Since she turned one, it was the first time we were able to do a formal birthday party with family and friends due to the pandemic! It was great fun, which included face painting and a rainbow science show!
We went away to the beach for vacation, and it was really a nice time away, and we rented a different house this year, and it was perfect! Both of our girls love the beach so very much! We also took a trip to Michigan this summer as well, and we all survived the long drive! We had a lot of fun together! Alex is looking forward to flying on an airplane again later this year!
This fall, Alex started a new school, and she is transitioning well. It has been a big adjustment for everyone, attending an elementary school, but she continues to enjoy learning and she is so very curious, and I hope she never loses her curiosity and love of learning! Victory goes with us every morning for school drop off, it is so great, and we are so grateful for Victory’s good health, as she just had a wellness exam at the vet.
I hope that you had a great summer and that you are enjoying the cooler fall weather!
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall” —F. Scott Fitzgerald
I hope that your spring is going well! We have been doing a lot of swimming; and Alex has been doing horse riding, which she loves. Victory just got over her urinary tract infection (UTI), thankfully, and she is doing well. I feel like the days are going by way too quickly.
I am taking a break from the blog for a couple weeks to see family; soak up our days together; rejuvenate; and to catch up on some photo editing, as it has been so busy lately. I want to thank you, as always, for being here. Whether you are a recent reader or have been following the blog for awhile, I am honored you take time to read the blog. I am truly grateful.
Meanwhile, if you are in a blog-reading mood, you are warmly invited to visit the archives — the links are shown below.
Last year, I did our summer check list for the first time, and I am doing our summer bucket list this year. It is super, super hot outside here! It feels like summer. We spent the past several days at the pool, and Alex has loved every minute of it, especially diving for her rings and sharks!
So, on our bucket list is the following for this summer…
Swim. Enjoy a lot of swimming time at the pool together.
Play more games. Alex likes playing games, for the most part, and we are building her resilience as she does not like to lose, so we are working on building this ‘muscle’ with her. So we hope to play more family games such as Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and Bingo!
Grill more food. Doug is a really good cook, and we hope to use our Big Green Egg, more this summer, to enjoy more grilled foods!
Go fruit picking. We are going to pick strawberries soon, at a local farm, and we hope to pick some other fruits this summer. Alex loves fruit!
Go to the beach. We plan to take a trip to the beach, and Alex and Victory also love the beach, and we always have great memories together!
Visit Family. We plan to visit family this summer, which will be fun.
Do Fireworks. We plan to take a short trip to Pennsylvania to get some child-friendly fireworks for the Fourth of July!
Celebrate Alex’s Birthday. Alex has been unable to have a proper birthday party since she turned one, due to COVID, and she is very excited to have a birthday party this year, a rainbow themed party!
Go to Dutch Wonderland. Alex is quite tall, and she is excited to really enjoy her first theme park this summer, as she can get on most all the rides now!
Building in more down time. I literally feel like the time is flying by way too fast, and, at times, it is hard to keep up with. Sometimes, there is so much going on, that we do not plan enough down time, and I plan to do better about planning down time together.
Our fur girl, Victory, has a urinary tract infection (UTI). Thankfully, she is on an antibiotic, that seems to be working. Victory is integral to our bedtime routine in the evenings. We typically turn Alex’s bed down and Victory happily hops onto Alex’s bed and waits for Alex to finish her bath and getting ready for bed. After Alex’s bath, we have been reading and playing games like Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, and Bingo. Victory stays on the bed, during this time, and she occasionally gets off to get some treats, which we keep in Alex’s room. Alex has a butterfly pillow that she shares with Victory so that she can put her head down on it to rest, she’s so thoughtful! Victory and Alex usually play together, and Victory is so tolerant. Right before bed, Alex and I usually cuddle and talk, Alex is a pro at stretching out her bedtime, so she does not have to go to bed, and Victory stays with us until Alex gets into bed. We feel so grateful for Victory! She is a great fur sister, and our bedtime routine will never be the same without her!
I loved this excerpt from Lisa Congdon, which you might find inspiring, too!
“As human beings, we like to control things. It’s in our nature. But having to control everything all the time ultimately zaps our energy and causes anxiety, because it is simply not possible all of the time. So much of our stress is caused by wanting everything to go a certain way. That can be exhausting! Since the opposite of control is allowing, it can be helpful to consciously allow at least one thing every day. For example, allowing your day to unfold in a way you did not expect (which might also mean not finishing everything on your to-do list). Or allowing someone to have feelings or reactions you wish they didn’t have without having to fix them. Or allowing yourself to have painful feelings without burying them. Allowing requires surrender and a certain trust that everything will work out, which is tough. But when we consciously allow in moments where we feel a tight hold, peace settles in.”
Have you recently heard about this tiny Jack Russell terrier that has won hearts and admirers for helping neutralize hundreds of Russian explosives in Ukraine? He has even won state honors, too.
Patron the bomb-sniffing dog — and his owner, Mykhailo Iliev of the Civil Protection Service— received a medal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a news conference on Sunday, in recognition of their service to the country.
Patron, whose name means “ammo” in Ukrainian, is credited with detecting more than 200 undetonated explosive devices since the beginning of the war in late February, according to Reuters.
With his powerful snout and protective vest, Patron has become a fixture of Ukraine’s official social media channels and an international symbol of patriotism. He’s even inspired an outpouring of fan art in the form of illustrations (ranging from poignant to tongue-in-cheek) and knit plushies. His official Instagram page has more than 240,000 followers.
Zelenskyy handed out the award at a news conference with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Kyiv, as Patron barked and wagged his tail enthusiastically. At one point, Trudeau laughed and pretended to check his pockets for treats. This is such a neat story, and you can watch the ceremony here.
Patron poses at an award ceremony in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sunday. The Jack Russell terrier is credited with detecting more than 200 Russian explosive devices since the start of the war. Photo Credit: Efrem Lukatsky/AP.
1. Patchology Restoring Night Gels — I love these Patchology night gels. They contain a dose of anti aging Retinol and Peptides to reduce wrinkles. They are very soothing, and I love them!
2.ILIA Serum Foundation— I came across this new line of makeup, ILIA, and I love it! The serum foundation is so wonderful, and it goes on so easily and it does not feel like you are wearing anything on your face; plus, it is a clean makeup. I highly recommend this makeup line!
3. Fromm Wet Dog Food — Victory loves this dog food, which we use in conjunction with her kibble. We have used it for years, and the quality of this food is excellent as well.
4. Minnow Swim Swim Suit— Alex loves these swim suits! They come in unique designs and cuts, and they hold up pretty well for a busy little girl!
5. The Power of Showing Up — This is an excellent book for any parent, especially of young children. I loved this book. I learned how important and crucial is is for parents to consistently show up meaningfully in their child’s life. And the research suggests that this is one of the best predictors for how a child turns out in terms of happiness, academic success, leadership skills, and meaningful relationships. Ultimately, this book is a wonderful guide to cultivating your child’s healthy emotional landscape and wiring.
6. Hanna Andersson Dress— Alex’s favorite color is orange, and we love Hanna Andersson’s clothing! So, this was a perfect match! The fabric is light and airy and comfortable for enjoying play time!
biscuit's space | The blog of photographer Katherine Carver 