New Pictures

One of Summer's friends took some family pictures for us at the Fort Worth Stockyards. They all turned out GREAT! Here are my two favorite of Matt and me.

Ginny's Hips

We noticed that Ginny started having some trouble getting up on the bed or couch. We didn't think much of it at first, but after several days we decided to call the vet. We talked to him on the phone, he said it sounded like a virus, told us to give her some medicine, and see if it cleared up. She felt better for a short time but then the symptoms returned, and they seemed to be getting worse. There were several days where she would hardly even get up off the floor.

Matt and I did some research online and determined that she probably had hip dysplasia. It is common in big dogs, and even specifically in catahoulas. We talked to the vet, and since the medicines hadn't helped, he wanted to schedule x-rays to look for hip dysplasia. Unfortunately, we were right. I thought she was too young to have it already (she's not quite 4 yet), but the vet said that is usually when the symptoms start showing. It's just a genetic condition, and there really isn't much to do for it. There is surgery, which the vet said would cost thousands of dollars and he wasn't even sure that was the best option for her, or trying to manage the pain with medicine, healthy diet, and regular (but light) exercise. We found some medicine that worked pretty well for a while, but she still seems to be getting worse. The vet said it varies with every dog... some can live comfortably for years and years, and in some, it progresses very quickly.

As you can imagine, she is spoiled rotten now (even more than before!). It is dark, but I caught this picture of Matt loving on her after our vet visit.

It's a tough situation. It is hard to have to be the one to judge her quality of life. Some days she seems perfectly happy, and others she seems miserable. Matt and I are doing our best to take good care of her and to try to be aware of her pain and how much it is hurting her.

This is SAD, certainly, but it DOES make us laugh to watch her mope around, grunting with every step, then JUMP UP, TURN CIRCLES, and RUN TO THE DOOR when you ask her if she wants to go for a walk. :)

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are my favorite kind of flower. Last year we noticed several fields of sunflowers near Hillsboro, but never stopped. This year when we saw they were out, we made sure to stop and see them. They are absolutely beautiful, and way bigger than I thought! We took several pictures, so I'll share:

See? Told you. Beautiful. :)

Trip to Gainesvile

We took a trip to Gainesville just to visit and spend some time there. Most of that time was spent near the pool. :) Here are several pictures from the weekend.

This guy is so funny. He is easily one of the funniest kids I've ever met. We had a blast playing together.

Evangeline had fun with Matt's phone!

Sweet Ginny loves being around people!

Elijah and Judah helped clean out the pool.

Nana and Evangeline helped too. :)

This was Evangeline's first time around a BIG dog! She liked Ginny when SHE was the one to initiate contact... haha! I think the first time Ginny licked her, it surprised her quite a bit! She loved touching her and watching her, but was a little more hesitant to have Ginny giving her kisses. ;)

We enjoyed getting to play with the kids and spend some time visiting with family. We were disappointed that Brad, Nova, and Solomon couldn't be there - I guess we'll have to try again sometime soon! :)

Meeting Evangeline

We got to meet Evangeline for the first time this weekend. She is absolutely precious and so much fun!

And I can't forget about how much fun it is to see these two stinkers!