GREEN LIGHT!

Today we had the best report card after a visit with Lola-Jane's surgeon, Dr. Gallagher.

It has now been 8 weeks since our girls FHO surgery therefore, she had to go in for a check up. This afternoon Dr. Gallagher watched Lola-Jane walk and checked her hips to see how her range of motion is. I could not be more excited- he said she is right on track and has great range of motion in her right hip as well as the left. He also commented on her walking ability and said that as time goes by her slight limp that she still has will eventually go away. We have the green light for longer (slow) walks and for short spurts of play time with other dogs. So who wants to play?! We cannot thank our surgeon enough, the team at Quartet Animal Hospital and our Vet (Armadale) for recommending Dr. Gallagher. Our girl has made tremendous progress and it will only continue to get better. She is now ready for beach time so she can go swimming! Our next check up won't be until next May! Say what?? To say Michael and I are happy is an understatement. We are thrilled to have our puppy dog back who is pain free.

Update on Garland-

Her first duck!

 Our other sweet girl is beginning her third month of hunting training at Blue Moon Kennels. We MISS her so much, but according to her trainer she is doing so well! We have had a few moments of concern during training regarding her progress, but those concerns have now gone away. She is right on track and where she needs to be. Michael will be going up in a few weeks to do some training with Garland. He has to learn everything she has been taught so when she comes home she continues it. He too needs to be trained as well as myself. I will go up at the end of this month with Michael to watch and listen so I know and understand commands. Then we get to bring her home at the end of that weekend! This is the home stretch and we including Lola-Jane are ready for Garland to be home.

A picture the trainer sent- her learning force fetch!

Missing this sweet baby G

Garland as a puppy... where has the time gone?

Stay tuned for more updates on Lola-Jane and Garland!

XOXO

Robyn

Then Sings my 
Soul

Hello Spring!!! 
I love all of the seasons, but Spring and Summer are by far my favorites. Our household has stayed pretty busy between work, travel and our Lola-Jane's recovery from FHO surgery. In between the craziness and fun, Michael and I have tried to get in the yard and spruce things up for our warmer months ahead! Although I do not compare to the talent the ladies of my family have for gardening and yard beautifications, I can say it is where I get my green thumb from. I absolutely LOVE waking up on a Saturday and hearing the lawnmower going, the birds chirping and the sound of people working in the yard. Call me crazy, I know! But there is something about it that makes me happy. With that said, we decided to re-do our mailbox flower bed (seeing as one fabulous company installing new lines, I won't mention names, destroyed the previous one) and I began potting some plants to get the front and backyard looking bright and cheerful. 

Vinca, dusty miller, marigolds, impatiens and ideal select violet all make for a pretty spring combination!

Boston Fern- Every year I purchase a few ferns to add a pop of bright green to my screened in porch. They love the shade and lots of water, so you have to make sure you have them on a watering schedule. Last year my fern grew huge and did very well. I am hoping for the same results this year. My mom always says to add a bit of miracle grow to your watering pale and watch it work its wonders 😃

Coleus, an attractive plant for containers and underplanting! I put coleus in my hay basket planter that hangs on our deck railing as well as one of my flower beds.

Sweet potato vine is a must have in a pot! It produces vigorous growth and beautiful vines.

I hope a few of my suggestions can get you started in the right direction for your spring time planting. Of course, there are tons of beautiful flowers/plants to choose from and you will find the ones you like. Every weekend I find myself doing a little bit more. Maybe I will eventually become satisfied... probably not! More is always better in my book. 

"I say, if your knees aren't green by the end of the day, you ought to seriously re-examine your life." Bill Watterson, Calvin & Hobbes

Happy Planting!

XOXO
Robyn

3 Weeks and going Strong!

My last post I gave a brief update on how Lola-Jane has been progressing after her FHO (Femoral Head Ostectomy) surgery earlier this month. I wanted to share another video on this post to show her continued improvement with walking and also share some of the little things we have learned just in a few short weeks.

My sweet girl

Lola-Jane's sutures came out last week, so she now has a little more freedom. I can hear her now singing, "FREEDOM, FREEDOM!" We have started walking her 2-3 times a day for 3-5 minutes at a time. This will increase by a few minutes each week as tolerated. The trick here is getting her to walk slow enough to ensure she is engaging the leg and using it to walk. She has been doing pretty good with this, however you have to tell her to slow it down sometimes. At times she wants to gallop or jog which then causes the leg to go up and she doesn't use it. 

Michael and I have learned the saying, "patience is a virtue" is TRUE! One of the hardest things post operative surgery is keeping Lola-Jane confined and making sure she doesn't do more than she should. She is stubborn and has a mind of her own, therefore as she has felt better she is wanting to run, jump and the list goes on... Of course we monitor her and keep this limited. But that's just it, prior to Jane's surgery she wasn't the dog we had to monitor anymore, it was Garland. We have now had to change our focus and keep a close watch on LJ. After the sutures came out the vet told us that the cone could come off, but quite frankly she is a perpetual licker if that is even a thing. To give her a break from the cone, we take it off during feeding times and when she can be monitored at home. Otherwise, the cone is left on her so she doesn't lick her skin off!

I have to keep reminding myself that it has only been three weeks and that she is doing well. Our neighbor happens to work at our Veterinarian and knows both of our dogs very well. He said that Jane looks to be doing well. She still has a slight limp to her gait, but as she continues to strengthen that hip and leg it should go away. Fingers crossed it is only up from here! See below two short videos of Lola-Jane's progress in just 3 weeks. 

And not to forget...

Our Garland is doing well! Soon, I will have a post up with her progress report. We miss her dearly, but she is learning a lot and from what we hear is enjoying her training.

XOXO

Robyn

Glitter for dayz

My husband surprised me the other day with a customized, fun yeti tumbler! His excuse for getting it- so I won’t use his and get lipstick on it anymore... Of course that’s the reason he gets it for me. I’ll just continue to think it’s because he is thoughtful and sweet J which is really true.

If you haven’t already, you must check out our dear friends awesome tumblers for sale! She has taken a yeti to the next level with colors, glitter, designs and all different patterns. Check out my personalized Trick My Tumbler, customized by my hubs for a simple beach girl.

Trick My Tumbler

My very own Trick my Tumbler and a sweet note from the owner, who just happens to be a friend :)

Perfect for taking to my barre class! 
Not pictured: A cute umbrella and shells in the sand, on the backside of my tumbler.

Follow the link the get started. Great as gifts for all ages!
www.trickmytumbler.com

Making progress one day at a time

The morning of Jane's surgery!

Lola-Jane had surgery last week and we are now in recovery mode. Week two has begun and she is doing great! She came home last week on heavy pain medication and has now transitioned to a less powerful dose of pain medication. She has sutures that will stay in for 12-14 days and while they are in Jane has to wear a cone. I’m pretty sure she dislikes us at this point, but I keep telling her that in just a month or two she will feel so much better! Just in the few days that she has been home, she has shown great progress and is getting her sass back. Right now, she has to stay confined to the office and to go outside she has to be on a leash. At this point, there isn’t any exercise or “walks” per say. Those will be implemented once her sutures are out. With that said, we are patiently waiting for our next step in her journey to recovery! See Lola-Jane coming home after surgery down below. This was day 1 being back at home and now we are on week two. If you can imagine, she has shown even more progress from when this video was taken. Keep checking the blog for an update on LJ!

XOXO

Robyn

To hunting camp we go!

Our household is struggling a bit this evening after Michael and I just got back from dropping our Garland off for her 3 month hunting/training camp. We have all shed a tear or two, maybe three and Lola-Jane is confused. I know she is missing her little sister because I put a towel in her crate that is Garland's and Jane went straight into the crate to lay down on it. Talk about a tear jerker! While we are all over here moping, I'm pretty sure Garland is having a ball. She is with a trainer in Haynesville, VA who came highly recommended to us. Our friends also took their pup at the same time as we did, so G has a friend she knows at camp. Although 3 months feels like eternity, right now we know we have a lot of other things to concentrate on so by the time the training is over with it will feel like it has flown by! Plus, it will be super worth it as she will be amazing when she comes home and ready to go hunting with her Dad.

With that being said, our Lola-Jane's hip surgery is scheduled for this week! She will be having a FHO (Femoral Head Ostectomy) in order to get rid of the constant pain she has every day from her hip dysplasia. For those of you who do not know, an FHO is a surgical procedure that removes the head and the neck from the femur. As Jane heals she will develop scar tissue so the joint is no longer bone to bone. A false joint is then formed which is now pain free!

While Garland is training, we decided it would be the perfect time to have Lola-Jane's surgery that way we can focus on her recovery and she can get enough down time to do so. Lola-Jane's estimated recovery time is 1-2 months. After surgery, she will have to be monitored and put on controlled leash walks to go outside as well as a strict therapy regimen. We are excited and nervous all at the same time, but know this will make a world of difference for our Jane girl. In just a few short months she will be ready to re-unite with her little sister and actually be able to play like a normal 2 year old dog is supposed to do! Stay tuned for updates on Lola-Jane's recovery and Garland's progress in training.

XOXO

Robyn

A Taste of Spring

Re-cap from our week-
Gabbi came to stay with us while my parents went on a vacation to celebrate their Anniversary. Michael and I survived with 3 dogs! We had a blast and the girls had an even better time playing together. To top off the week, we took the girls to the farm Friday night. This was Gabbi's first visit to the farm and she absolutely loved it. Mom and dad met us at the farm on Saturday to pick up their sweet Gabbi girl. Since Gabbi has gone home, Lola-Jane and Garland have been wiped out and mom says the same for Gabbi. Before you know it, they'll be back at it and ready to play together again!

Picking up Gabbi for the week!

Sweetness💟

Gabbi enjoying her time at the farm

The weather this weekend was amazing! It gave me just the taste I needed of Spring time, which is right around the corner. Saturday was filled with sunshine, trail riding on the ranger, dogs and small town eating in Garland, NC. We came back home on Saturday to go to the Guiding Lights Share to Care Gala held that evening in Raleigh. My community sponsored the event, so a few of my co-workers and our spouses got all dolled up to support a great cause! Please see the link below to learn more about Transitions Guiding Lights and how they can support caregivers.

Let's not forget, Sunday Funday!

Sunday was beautiful and so warm outside. Michael got up to put the pork butts on at 6am so they could cook all day. We had planned for friends to come over with their two pups for a BBQ. While the meat was cooking we did a few house chores, outside maintenance and I actually convinced him to take a jog with me:) I could not of asked for a better Sunday in the sunshine with my hubs, the girls and friends. Cheers to a great weekend and to a great week ahead!

XOXO

Robyn

Transitions Guiding Lights

Three’s company

My parents went on a little vacation this week to celebrate their anniversary, so we have a special furry guest living with us, Gabbi! When Michael and I picked up Garland as a puppy we also picked up Gabbi girl to bring back home to my parents, so the two of them get to see one another often.

Gabbi girl

For the next 7 days my house will be full of wagging tails, wet noses, dirty paws, and lots of kisses. 

"Dogs are like potato chips, you can't just have one."

XOXO
Robyn