And, we mean, REALLY late. This was the Feb 29 school talent show. :-)
Just to be clear, "The Short One" isn't going to be the "short one" very much longer. I have to lift my chin to put it on top of her head. She's very close to wearing the same size shoe. And her dad sometimes has trouble discerning whose clothes are whose. I'm flattered, but she's offended.
Birthday Sushi
Happy New Year to all our friends and family. 2011 was certainly full of ups and downs. Wishing you all a new year full of prosperity in all things that matter most to you.
(Clockwise from top right: Surf lessons in Maui; sandcastles and sandmen in Maui; San Francisco's Union Square; across the river from Heinz Field in Pittsburgh; iconic blue roof in Santorini; in front of the Parthenon in Athens; enjoying wet weather in Venice, Italy.
Center: Even Boomer roots for the Steelers!)
Love,
Bryan, Marnie, Ashleigh, and Boomer
I have learned an awful lot about dog anatomy in the last month, particularly dog knee anatomy. It turns out dogs are not built especially well around the knees. And, it turns out, dog knee ligaments are much, MUCH smaller than people knee ligaments. As a result, dog knee ligaments - dog ACLs - get blown with a litle less effort than people ACLs. Therefore, ergo, and such, Boomer had knee surgery for a ruptured ACL on Dec 13. Yay for us!
It also turns out that you can't quite just repair dog ACLs. They're so small and in not such a convenient place, so there's a lot more involved in the dog ACL surgery. Because Boomer is a big guy (big guy => 50 lbs; Boomer = 90 lbs; ergo, he's a BIG GUY), he gets the TPLO surgery, which involved bone cutting, plates, screws, etc. <<shiver>> I'm not that squeamish, but, goodness, cutting bone for a ligament seems extreme. But, we're now 11 days post-op, and I have to say, he's already doing so much better than he was just days before the procedure.
He's been doing great, letting us put ice and heat on the incision and around the knee, letting me do passive range of motion (I'm not kidding), and going for short walks and putting some weight on it. We'll get the staples out next week, and hopefully get back to normal soon. It will be a while before he can do Crazy Lab Runs in the back yard, but hopefully we'll be able to do some regular runs in a couple months!
Boomer walking and putting weight on his back leg just 9 days post-op. The fur on his leg is growing back quickly, thankfully - it's cold out there!
Many thanks to vet surgeon Dr. Stephanie Foote and her staff at VetMed in Phoenix for the fanstastic surgical care.
We had a great time on our most recent trip to Maui. Sun, sand, and surfing! Goofy Foot Surf School in Lahaina provided the boards, swim shirts, shoes, and our instructor, Bully. Bully, who looked tough but was a really nice guy, has been surfing since the age of 4, and was a fantastic instructor. We all managed to get up on our feet the first time out! We didn't necessarily stay on our feet for long that first time, but we did get up. By the last ride in, we were all pros. Or, close to it. Surfing lessons are definitely a must-do in Hawaii. (Side note: If you do take lessons, be sure to wear board shorts - the non-skid surface on the boards is a little rough on bare legs!)
Since we were all in the water, and focusing on not getting hit by our boards or hitting anyone else with our boards, I wasn't able to record video. But we had some pics taken of Ashleigh, so here's a compilation for your viewing pleasure.
Untitled from Marnie Wilking on Vimeo.
The rest of the time was spent snorkeling and building sand castles on a variety of beaches, driving to parts of the island we hadn't been. Dragon's Teeth, La Perouse Bay, Oneloa Beach, and of course, our favorite, Black Rock, where we came almost nose-to-nose with a very large sea turtle! We also managed to get in a trip to the Maui Ocean Center, where our octopus friend entertained us by periodically punching an annoying fish. (Seriously! Watch the video!)
We were given a proper Hawaii welcome by a sea turtle while snorkeling at Black Rock. Ashleigh was able to use her Kodak PlaySport camera to get some underwater shots as our friend munched away, and tried to escape from the crowd of people who eventually also came to take pictures. I'm still working on editing that video so that you don't get seasick just from watching it.
More pictures are on the menu to the left. Holidays - and more pictures - are coming soon!
In the meantime, Hang Loose!
