Eric Clapton

Charles and I were the lucky winners of tickets to see Eric Clapton at the Golden Gala (an annual fundraising dinner put on by Adopt A Golden-Atlanta). It was a great date night and we had a blast. The venue was the Gwinnett Arena, which we have been to for many Gladiators games, but never a concert. It was fabulous!

Hot Springs, NC

Our friends Kristin and Rob gave us a gift certificate to stay at the Iron Horse Station in Hot Springs, NC. It was SO nice to get away and I think I have discovered a new little place I would gladly call home. Hot Springs is a quaint little town located on the Appalachian Trail-one of only three towns that the trail actually goes directly through. We arrived a few weeks before the trail traffic generally peaks each year.

We walked on the trails and did a lot of sight-seeing, but this town is TINY! If you blink, you will pass it. The Iron Horse Station is a historic building which was once a train station. The rooms are cozy and beautiful. There is no internet or TV, which was a nice pace. Unfortunately my morning sickness was fairly intense during the trip so we ended our evenings pretty early.

I absolutely LOVED the drive here and back. There were some traces of snow along the miles of windy roads and the barns we passed were to die for. On the way home, we ate breakfast at the Dillard House. It was a wonderful trip. I can't wait to visit again soon.

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Iron Horse Station

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Dillard House

And Then There Were Three...

Our family is growing...by two more feet! 

We couldn't be more thrilled. 

Expected due date of Peanut Paulk~September 27, 2013.

Just Because...

...I have the best friends!

Foster Failure

Yes, I'll admit that I failed. We have fostered many dogs and cats this past year and I have been oh so happy to see them find their furever homes. I knew I was in trouble after this bizarre white dog arrived. Penny was fully trained when she arrived, however we had no idea what commands she had been taught. She was terrified of men and barked incessantly at anyone new while running in the opposite direction. She refused to eat most meals and would toss her food dish and kibble aside. She would pace in circles like a caged lion all day long. She was quiet at first in her kennel, but as she became more comfortable, she started yelping and barking all day. No treats, kongs or bully sticks would quiet her. The ONLY things she wanted were to be with me or be chasing her frisbee.

Secretly I hoped no one would respond to the posts we put up advertising her. I hoped that no one would call. This neurotic dog had already formed an unhealthy attachment to me and it was working. She was winning me over! I couldn't help it!

In the process of getting Penny prepped for adoption, we planned to get her spayed but learned that she had a stage 4 heart murmur. No doctor's would spay her with this problem. We went to Georgia Veterinary Specialists and learned that she had Patent Ductus Arteriosus, or a heart problem in which blood flows between two arteries that are supposed to close off at birth, but don't. The veterinarian said most dogs with this condition develop congestive heart failure within their first year of life, and don't survive with out surgery. Penny, at almost 3 years of age, had no signs of heart failure, which was a miracle. We scheduled her surgery for February 14th, Valentine's Day. 

Once again, a wonderful group of clients and friends contributed to this expensive surgery and we raised enough funds in just a few short days. 

The day of Penny's surgery, this neurotic white German Shepherd was sitting in my lap in the vet lobby. If she could have crawled up the wall to escape, she would have. The vet assistant had to drag her away from me as she was in full blown panic mode. Later that afternoon, the veterinarian called me to let me know that everything went very well and that she would be ready to come home that evening. I picked her up and we headed back to my house for her recovery. I didn't want her to have to recover at the kennel with barking, etc. going on. She needed to relax (yeah, right) and let herself heel. Of course I think she finally got Charles wrapped around her paw too. In fact, in just a few short weeks, Charles was the favorite and I, well, I was chopped liver. Isn't that how it always goes around here? *SIGH*

Puppy pictures from Penny's previous owners

After surgery