Just Like Adler

There are so many similarities between Adler and Sadie. The way they lay, hiding out under the table, quick learners and the list goes on. Sadie, however, is very much her own puppy too. She likes water and will drink out of a dirty puddle. Adler wouldn't touch a water bowl that wasn't hers. And while Adler walked around puddles, Sadie splashes right through them. All the toys that Adler didn't care for Sadie likes and they are now finally being played with. 

Sadie gets these crazy bursts of energy and runs hog wild around our kitchen just like Adler used to do. And now she's taken to laying in one of Adler's favorite spots - the landing of our stairs. It made me happy and sad all at the same time.

It's nice to remember Adler through Sadie while still realizing that she's her own dog. Part of me thought we would talk about her less now that we have Sadie but so far that hasn't been true. Any full grown Berners we see are instantly Addie to Hailey and any puppies are Sadie. And, just yesterday we got off the highway at the exit where I had taken Adler to the emergency vet (we were headed to Austen's baseball game). I hate that exit, that road, that area because all the memories, the anguish and the loss come back to me. However, yesterday morning as I am exiting, Hailey looks out the window and says I see the moon. Addie is in the moon.

 Yes, Hailey, she is and she will always be with us. She is forever part of our family and we are forever part of hers. 

For once I smiled as I turned off on that exit. Because I knew at that moment we will always remember her for she will live on through our new love for and journey with Sadie. 

Father's Day Weekend - Phew!

Even though we didn't have baseball (or soccer) games this weekend, it still was a very full weekend.

We kicked off the weekend with Peyton's dance recital. She takes hip hop dance at a local dance studio with a few of her friends. She loves this part of the whole season (which literally is the entire school year) - the recital where she gets to dress up and hang out with the big kids. I think this may be her last year as she's ready to hang up her dancing shoes for soccer, basketball and softball, she recently informed me. 

After the dance recital, we had lunch then spent the late afternoon at our town's carnival. Hailey loved the cars. Her smile was so big and genuine. She was clearly having a blast!

Sunday started with our annual 5K race for the adults and 1K race for the kids. Tom ran it this year as we alternate because one of us has to stay with the kids. Peyton joined Austen running the 1K this year. See Austen in the red shorts in the home stretch below. Peyton ran the whole thing too and I am so proud of her. It's crowded and she tripped coming out of the starting gate, bloodied her knee, but got right back up and kept running. You can see in the picture of her, her bloody knee. So proud of all of them and my husband - who doesn't run a lick all year and still completes a 5K.

We capped off the weekend with a swim at our local pool and celebrating with my Dad and dinner. Happy Father's Day Tom and Papa.  We love you!

It's a Wrap for 3 and K

Last week marked the end of third grade for Austen and kindergarten for Peyton.
Can't believe I now have a fourth and first grader....and a 2.5 year old! Oh, and an almost 4 month old puppy!

It was a crazy week with a lot of Austen's baseball games, but we made sure to have some other fun too as the neighbors and I planned a lunch and a surprise water balloon fight for the last day of school.

Yay! School is out for the summer, and we are finally in 1st and 4th grades!

Water balloons! Even Hailey got in on the action (see our little brunette in the blue suit next to the pink pool).

Austen and a bunch of his soccer teammates all got to see the USA vs. Costa Rica men's soccer game this past week at Soldier Field.

Meanwhile Peyton enjoyed a special night attending a farm team baseball game for her elementary school. Daddy took Peyton and Hailey while I went to baseball with Austen. 

 

 

 

 

Summer has officially begun in our household and camp starts early tomorrow...at least for Austen. Should be a fun summer!

Our Escape Artist

This past Wednesday, I went about my morning per usual. Tom and I got the kids ready for school. Tom and Austen left for school and work. And, I put Sadie in her crate and then took Peyton and Hailey to school.

When I returned home three hours later, I opened the door and there was a stuffed animal on the floor. Weird, I thought. How did Hailey leave that there when I was the last one out? I climbed the stairs and noticed one of Hailey's boots from the boot tray downstairs was now at the top of the stairs. I still was not registering why these things were out of place until our 3 1/2 month old puppy came bounding around the corner to greet us. She looked thrilled. I, however, was not.

Oh my God, I thought,  how did she get out? I know I put her in her crate. I took her out right away before I even had a chance to survey the damage. Good news. She went to the bathroom outside almost immediately. A good sign. I breathed a sigh of relief. After I got back inside, I surveyed the damage walking through each part of the house. What I found was that aside from the boot and the stuffed animal that she licked to death, the only other thing that she did was pull a string on our front door mat. Really? That was it?! She could have done so much more damage. How long was she even out?

My mind raced through so many different scenarios. She could have choked on one of the kids' toys left out or fallen down our steep stairs. But nope, she was okay. She didn't destroy anything and aside from being very tired, she looked none too worse for the wear.

So how did she do it? She squeezed her fat little body through a small opening I failed to properly latch on the bottom of the crate. She must've been working it for awhile too because she seemed exhausted after her little adventure.