Four Footed Miracles

Summer time!

2009-05-15T11:48:00.004-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Sorry I have not updated in FOREVER; Mom and I have been busy with the college life! :-) We got done with our first year at Muskingum on May 7th, and since then, we've just been relaxing at home pretty much, enjoying the wonderful spring weather!

Coming up tomorrow is a day of great celebration for all; a CCI graduation! Mom and I LOVE to go to these; they are always SO FUN! Tomorrow's going to be THE BEST; we are taking Lisa along with us to experience the magic of a CCI graduation, AND we get to meet Madison and Andros (and Butler) for the first time!!!!!!!!! WE ARE SO EXCITED!!!! :-D

In other news, Mom had an orthopedic doctor's appointment the other day, and now she's got some big decisions to make. See, my mom has cerebral palsy, and there's this stuff in her leg muscles called spasticity that is caused by the CP which makes it hard for her to function sometimes; we've been researching lately to try and find ways to fix her functioning so that she can walk more normally, and easily. Her doctor is advocating this surgery/treatment known as intrathecal baclofen therapy. Baclofen is a muscle relaxant that has been known to work wonders in individuals with cerebral palsy. During the surgical part of it, the doctor would go in and insert a small computerized Medtronic pump into the area underneath the skin of Mom's abdomen on one side. The pump would be filled with baclofen, and it would have a threadlike catheter attached to it that would go from the pump, around Mom's side, and into the space between the vertebrae of her back. The pump would continuously deliver baclofen to the weakened muscles from her hips down to her toes, so that she could stretch and strengthen them. She would have to go in every three to nine months to get the pump refilled, and then go in every five years to have surgery to have the pump replaced (that is how long the batteries typically last). There is a trial she will go through as well to make sure that the baclofen does not have any adverse effects and will actually benefit her.

In other news, my Aunt Kaeli is getting married next month, and Mom gets to be a bridesmaid in the wedding! I, however, will be staying home, as a church filled with 200+ people is not really the ideal environment for a service dog to be working in!

Oh, and can't forget our beach vacation to North Carolina in mid-July! By then, we may have a new (furry!) member of the family; my Grammy and Grandpa are looking at bulldog pups because my Grandpa really wants one, and they have an appointment to go look at some pups tomorrow morning while Lisa, Mom, and I are at graduation.

Mom and I think you should follow our BFFE Lisa's blog, too! :-) She can be found at http://miracleintraining.blogspot.com/ ;-)

Whew! That was a lot of update! Mom and I hope all of our friends, CCI and non-CCI, are doing wonderfully!

That's it for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Update!

2009-02-20T21:49:00.002-05:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Boy, it's been a while, hasn't it? So much has been going on that I just had to update! Did you notice the new look? ;-)

This month has been AWESOME! February 14, 2009. CCI NCR Graduation Ceremony. It was the most special event Mom and I had ever been to, besides our own graduation, of course. It was Tyanna's own graduation ceremony, as a Skilled Companion for a wonderful little boy named Jackson. Maddie and Mom and Maddie's Mom were all bawling their eyes out the whole time, while I got to spend some final one on one with my buddy Tyanna before she officially became an assistance dog! The proudest and most exciting moment for all of us was when Maddie handed the leash over to Jackson and his dad; ohhhh mannnn. :-D [Kara: Um, so Maddie wanted me to take pictures of the moment, and I think I failed. A lot.] The graduation was all sorts of celebrations at once: a graduation, two birthdays [Mom's and Maddie's], AND an anniversary [OURS!] In short, it was WONDERFUL, and Mom and I are so glad we got to be there to support Maddie!!

February 15th, 2009. MOM'S 19TH BIRTHDAY!!! Party! Well, okay, not really; we didn't do much that day. Mom and Aunt Josie got some presents, ate a special birthday dinner, then had cake and ice cream with the family. :-) I got put on my bed the whole time. :'-( Mom got something she called the Twilight Saga [books] that she was VERY excited about! :-) We also got a call from Mary Beth; that made the day SO much more special!

February 16th, 2009. OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF GRADUATION FROM CCI!!! What an AMAZING day! Mom and I went out to lunch with our friend Melissa (Mom was all CCI'd up for the occasion, of course!) and then we went out to dinner with Lisa. We had our first public access issue that night; apparently someone had tried to bring their pet puppy into the restaurant the week before, so the management was being extra careful. We handled it beautifully though, of course. :-D During dinner, who should call but Mary Beth? AGAIN! Twice in two days? WE'RE SO SPECIAL!!! What a great day that was.

And now Mom's back to boring old school stuff, and I'm back to sleeping through her classes and snuggling with her in bed every night. :-) I love my life. :-D

That's it for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Winter is icky...

2009-01-28T05:41:00.005-05:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. So Mom and I are up wayyy early this morning because the snowplows and other fun icky-weather prevention equipment are very loud and obnoxious and make it very difficult to sleep! It is very, very icy and snowy here in Muskingum County; we are on a level two snow emergency, which basically means you shouldn't drive unless you really feel like you need to. The view outside our window is very...well, shiny! It's pretty, but also very dangerous for someone who has moderate difficulties with balance and mobility, and who uses a crutch like Mom does. Luckily for us, Muskingum showed some compassion and canceled class for us today!!! (o:

I have a funny story to tell you guys too! Well, okay, so maybe it wasn't so funny then, but it is now! For those of you who don't know, Mom has a golf cart on campus that she uses to get around. Her best friend, who usually drives us around, broke her collarbone and is in a sling for the next six weeks at minimum, so Mom decided she wanted to practice driving the cart. Our friend Lisa came over to help Mom practice on Friday night, and we all decided we were hungry so we went to the cafe on campus to get something to eat. The drive over was fine, and Mom did really well. When we went to drive back, however, I made the mistake of sitting on the GO pedal of the cart and caused Mom to almost crash!! Mom and Lisa were screaming right before Mom got us stopped and this group of guys came over to make sure we were all okay. Because of my little stunt, I have now earned a new designation in my name. In addition to being CCI's Jen II, I am now also known as SDSD I, which Mom says stands for Speed Demon Service Dog the First. (o:

In other news, it's one of two big days for our good friend Maddie! The CCI pup she raised, Tyanna, made it all the way through Advanced Training and possibly has made a match for February Team Training!!! She gets one call today about Ty, and then the next on February 4th. We are hoping and praying that Ty follows in my footsteps and finds an amazing partner, just like I did! A random fact about me and Ty is that we share the same birthdate, April 19th! [Kara: Maddie informed me of this last night, and I thought it was cool. (o:] I am a year older, of course!

In addition, it is almost time to celebrate the one-year mark of Mom and I's graduation from CCI!!! We are SO excited; this time has flown by!! Here's to many more happy, healthy working years as a team! (o: Oh, and Mom turns 19 the day before our "anniversary", so we will be celebrating that as well!!

Other than that, not much has really been going on. We are trying to stay safe and warm during this horrible weather, and our second semester seems to be going pretty darn well! We hope our friends out there are staying safe and healthy during this winter season!!!

That's it for now.

Until next time,
CCI's Jen II, SDSD I

It's 2009!

2009-01-03T10:57:00.003-05:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Mom and I can't believe it's already 2009! We hope that all of you had wonderful Christmases and New Year's celebrations. :) I didn't get to go hardly anywhere with Mom because Grandpa said there were "too many people" and that I would get "too stressed out" [Kara: My dad was right! At last count, my complete extended family on my dad's side numbers around 60 people, and pretty much all of them were there on Christmas Eve! I even got stressed out that night!]

Mom and I can't wait to get back to Muskingum! We miss our friends there, and the beauty of the campus. :) [Kara: It is hard for me to believe that in one more short semester, I will be a college sophomore! How time flies. It seems like just yesterday that I was moving on to high school, and look where I am now; at a great college, with great friends, and the most amazing miracle alive: my Jen Jen. :D]

We are not sure at this point if we are going to the February graduation or not; it will be our one year anniversary of TT, and one day til Mom's birthday, but Mary Beth will probably not be able to make it due to her grandparents' 50th anniversary party. So we're still up in the air on this one. I guess only time will tell. :) However, we are guaranteed to be seen at the May '09 graduation of the North Central Region of Canine Companions for Independence. Why? To support our very special friends Madison and Andros II, who will be turning in for AT at this graduation; we CAN'T WAIT to meet you guys!!! :D Mom might bring our friend Lisa with her to this graduation; Lisa is the one interested in being a PR, and Mom and I want her to experience a graduation! :) [Kara: An update on the co-raising thing: my mom said no puppy raising while I am in school, so I guess Lisa will just be raising the puppy on her own and Jen and I will help socialize it. Not really the way I wanted things to be, but I can't do much about it.]

Again, Mom and I hope everyone had a safe and blessed holiday season, and welcome to 2009!

That's it for now.

Until next time,
Jen

We are CCI Recruiters! :-)

2008-12-17T11:54:00.002-05:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. These last couple of days have been good ones for CCI! Mom has a friend at Muskingum who is REALLY interested in becoming a PR for CCI, so she hooked her up with Suzanne [Kara: The North Central Region's Puppy Program Manager, or PPM] and Mary Beth (who we thought would do a better job of explaining the whole puppy raising thing, since we're grads and not PR's!)! Hopefully this summer she can start her journey of being a puppy raiser! [Kara: Lisa is my very good friend, and we've discussed her and I maybe being co-raisers; another special and FUN way to get involved with CCI!!!] That's not the only development though! There's a little boy that goes to our home church here; he was a victim of Shaken Baby Syndrome, and he is in a wheelchair, non-verbal. Cutest little guy EVER, though, and he really seems to like ME! :-D [Kara: Of course he does, Jen, who wouldn't like you?] So Mom and Grandma told the little boy's grandpa about CCI, and he said he would look into applying!!!! WOO HOO!!!! Mom and I are on a roll!!! :-D

[Kara: I REALLY hope that Lisa and I can be co-raisers....REALLY, REALLY, REALLY!!!!!!!! I'm SO excited about the prospect of doing this!!!!! Sorry, just had to get that out.] :-)

Other than that, things have been rather slow here; we've just been watching the snow fall! I LOVE the snow! [Kara: Jen, it would be more ACCURATE to say that you love EATING the snow!] I can't WAIT for Christmas!!! :-D

That's it for now.

Until next time,
Jen

The holidays are here!

2008-12-15T14:08:00.002-05:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. So I know it has been forever, but Mom and I have been so super busy with college (and FINALS!!!) that we haven't had time to post! Here comes the good news, though: we're finally home for Winter Break! So I should find time to post, if not every day, every other day!! You'll be hearing a lot more from me now. :-)

Mom's final grades are almost all posted, and it looks as if she will be getting a term GPA of 3.57! Way to go, Mommy! I'm so proud of you! *wags tail excitedly* [Kara: College is a lot harder than I thought! I feel blessed and extremely lucky to be getting a 3.5 this semester!!!]

Our Christmas shopping is done, the presents are wrapped, and the tree is up and decorated! It's amazing! [Kara: I can't believe how fast time has flown! It is going to be our first Christmas together, Jen and I, and I'm SO excited!!!]

On another note, Mom and I got the email from Mary Beth the other day that my little brother, Jengo, has been released from the CCI program for high prey/chase drive, and distractability, among other things. We're sad, but we know that God has a greater plan in mind for Jengo, and that he'll be happy doing whatever God has in store for him! [Kara: Mary Beth also had her 23rd birthday this month; Jen and I were very excited about that!] We didn't get to go to graduation like we'd hoped, because I got sick, but Mom and Grandma took me to the vet and she made me all better!

Mom and I hope that all of our readers are healthy and happy during this holiday season, and we send you much love and many holiday blessings!!! We love you guys!!!!

That's it for now.

Until next time,
Jen

It's been a while!!!

2008-09-23T09:35:00.002-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. I know it's been forever since last blog, but Mom and I have been SO BUSY!!! We've got an Education class, a Math class, an English class, a History class, some freshman seminar class, and a wellness class this semester!

Classes are going well, and we've made lots of friends here! We are going to be in the college's newspaper, the Black and Magenta, this week! The food continues to be at least halfway decent, though Mom is WAY lacking in sleep. :-(

Mom says we might go to CCI in November because my little bro Jengo is getting turned in, and we wanna be there for Mary Beth! :-)

Sorry this blog is so short, but Mom and I have to go do field experience at a local elementary school for our Education class now...bummer. :-( [Kara: I NEED A NAP!!!!!!!!!]

That's it for now.

Until next time,
Jen

First week down

2008-08-28T21:52:00.002-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. So our first week of college is coming to a close. The classes have been good, the new friendships formed even better. We've made new discoveries, learning things we didn't know. The dining hall food is not really that bad, actually. :-)

Tomorrow is Friday, and Grandma & Aunt Josie are coming up to see us and take us out to lunch. YAY! We can't wait!

We hope you all are doing well, and we are praying for and thinking of each & every one of you!

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

So this is it...

2008-08-21T20:50:00.002-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Thought I'd hop on and write a quick post as Grandpa loads the car in preparation for tomorrow morning. No one in our family can believe that it's already time for me & Mom to go away to college! Mom & I are just excited!! Grandma's already done the whole "How could you two DO this to me?!" and "I don't want you two to go!" bit. Ahh...

The excitement mounts for us as Mom & I prepare for our last night at home for a few weeks; pretty much our whole immediate family has either stopped by or called us to wish us well in our college endeavors tonight!!! :-) Now we are just getting the last minute things together here at home so that in the morning we can just get up & go!

Mom & I will miss you all so much, and I'm pretty sure I see tears on the horizon as she sits next to me while I type this. WE LOVE YOU AND YOU WILL ALWAYS BE IN OUR THOUGHTS & PRAYERS!!!!!!

The blogs may be scattered from this point, but I will blog when I have the time.

That's all for now.

Love & God Bless,
Jen II and Miss Kara

Update 3 days to go

2008-08-19T15:10:00.002-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Just thought I'd hop on here real quick and give everyone an update on how things are going as Mom & I get ready to leave for college on Friday morning!

Mom's getting increasingly stressed as she continues the packing quest, hoping she doesn't forget anything! Here's what she's got packed so far:

*Bag 1*
~hangers
~bar soap
~hand soap
~shampoo
~washcloths
~towels
~Veet shaving kit

*Bag 2*
~sheets
~blankets
~pillow cases
~memo boards w/ pictures

That's all she's got so far, but hopefully Grandma can help her pack some more stuff tonight..we've got at least two more bags plus a laundry basket we can fill with stuff! We hope you all are doing great!

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

What a weekend!!

2008-08-16T20:16:00.004-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. What a weekend this has been!

Yesterday, Mom, Grandma & I went to Pennsylvania to see Grandma's aunt. I don't think she looked as bad as Mom thought she was going to, and she was even having a *good* day; she knew who Mom & Grandma were, and she was coherent, which was very good! We all realized, however, that it was the last time that we were going to see her, which cancelled out most of the good things. :-( Then we went to visit Grandma's Aunt Mary; what FUN! I got to demonstrate my tricks for her, and I even got some ice cubes out of the deal! :-)

Today was AMAZING in so many ways! Mom, Grandma, and I left at 8:30 this morning to drive up to Dublin Rec. Center to CCI's August Team Training Graduation. There were 10 teams that graduated; seven Skilled Companions, one Service, one Successor Service, and one Facility. Mary Beth & Jengo met up with us outside the auditorium place and we went inside and sat together; it was great fun getting to see Jengo again! He and I are the same size now!! :-)

Then Mom, Grandma and I went to the Center in Delaware where we got to meet Mary Beth's new CCI puppy, Dobie II! He is THE CUTEST PUP I HAVE EVER SEEN! :-D Mom and Mary Beth got lots of pictures, too! Then me and Jengo and Dobie II were allowed to go into the back training room and romp around for a little while; that was SO FUN!!!! Finally, it was time to go home. :-(

I'm going to post my favorite pictures on this entry!

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Dobie II, Jengo, and me

Tyanna, Maddie, me, and Mom

Maddie and Mom

Mom and Dobie II

Jengo, me, Mom, Mary Beth, and Dobie II

Mary Beth, Dobie II, and Mom

Grieving.

2008-08-13T00:22:00.003-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. I know it's late and everything, but I had to get on and tell you guys that Mom and I would really appreciate your love, support, and prayers right now. See, Grandma's aunt's daughter called Grandma tonight and told her some terrible news, which Grandma passed along to Mom & I: her Aunt Marge [our great-aunt] is dying. She has cancer in both lungs, and a brain tumor, and the doctors can not do anything to save her, because the cancer is too advanced and has spread throughout her whole body. Mom & I are going to see if we can go up on Friday with Grandma to say goodbye....we will still be at TT Graduation on Saturday, but for those of you who see us and know my Mom well, don't be surprised if she doesn't have that usual energetic sparkle in her eye. Please pray for Mom's entire family, that God gives them the strength to let go and get through this time, and that God will give the family peace. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

Oh, and I know the new banner says "To our CCI friends", but it goes for you Blogger friends, too.

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

12 more days...

2008-08-10T15:11:00.002-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Today has been a good day, nice and relaxing! :-) It was, of course, church day, which meant that I got to lay underneath a pew for an hour and a half while Pastor Floyd did the service. He did a really good sermon today about how we need to keep our values in check in today's world, and that God (if you believe in him, of course) should always be first priority in your life; not your boyfriend or girlfriend, your husband, your wife, your kids, or your career. GOD AND JESUS. This one really made Mom think. And she's sad because next Sunday is our last one at our home church before we leave for college. :-( Hopefully we can find a church near Muskingum where we can feel just as at home. :-)

It's so hot outside! Grandpa filled up our wading pool with fresh water so that Cory & Cash & I could go *swimming* if we wanted. We're always too busy chasing each other around and playing with our toys to stop and find relief in the coolness of the water, though. :-)

I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL NEXT SATURDAY! Mom & me & Grandma & Aunt Josie are going up to Dublin Rec. to CCI's Team Training Graduation!!!!!!! We'll get to see Mary Beth & Jengo & Eric & Tonya & Adrena & Christina & Gwen & OH I CAN'T WAIT! Mary Beth told Mom she would take us to meet Dobie too, and take us to her house so we could meet some of her brothers & sisters and all of their critters. :-D WOOHOO I AM A HAPPY PUP! :-D

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Madison!

2008-08-08T22:37:00.004-04:00

I made this banner for you on Photoshop. I really hope you like it!

Miss Kara :-)

Only two more weeks!

2008-08-08T10:28:00.002-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Today is Friday, meaning that there are only two more weeks until Mom & I move into Muskingum; YAY!

I just have to share the great news I got yesterday! Mom & I got an email from my stellar PR, Mary Beth, introducing us to her newest CCI Pup-in-Training, Dobie II! (Pryde x Breezey) Mom & I are lucky because we got to follow Cath's breeder journals on the CCI groups and watch Dobie grow from day one!! Mary Beth attached photos to the email, and I gotta say, that pup is pretty darn cute! She FINALLY got a yellow pup after raising three black pups in succession! (Steed [SD in Michigan] me [we all know where I am!] and my *little brother*, Jengo [currently in training at the Kopechek Puppy Academy; TI Nov. '08]) Every time we get an email from her, it makes us realize how much we miss Mary Beth. :-( Hopefully, though, Mom & I can work out some way to see her, Jengo, and Dobie on the weekend of the 16th, which is Team Training Graduation! Mom says if we go she is DEFINITELY bringing the camera so that we can take pictures with all of our CCI friends to hang on the bulletin board in our dorm room!!

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Some actual excitement!!

2008-08-04T21:26:00.002-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. The last few days have actually been kind of *gasp* EXCITING! :-)

On Friday, Mom and I went up to Muskingum to take a tour of our dorm and meet some of the girls on our floor; it was fun! Mom snagged some pictures of our room [Kara: I took them just for you, Madison!!] and then we went to K Mart where I got a new chew bone that I LOVE!! When we got home, Mom decided that she was going to try and fix her first semester class schedule [Kara: They put me in INTERMEDIATE SPANISH!!] and she sort of...well...screwed her schedule up quite a bit. Now, not only is she not enrolled in her Spanish class, she's not enrolled in her Education class that she needs, and she can't get it back either because the Muskingum College people don't have it on file that she took the prereq for this particular class so she can't fix her schedule now until she goes up to move in at the end of the month!!! :-( Craziness...

Mom's new cell phone came today!!! We have been having quite a bit of fun playing around with it and seeing what all it can do. Mom doesn't think anyone will seriously take her up on it, but she says if anyone wants her new cell phone number, she will get it to them somehow.

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Thank you.

2008-07-29T00:05:00.003-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. So I know that my blog has undergone more makeovers than I can count on one paw, thanks to Mom discovering Photoshop and digi scrapbooking. [Kara: I get easily inspired, okay?!] I just want to thank you all for bearing with...her. :) And thank you SO much everyone for taking the time to read my blog, even though I'm just a dog! It is much appreciated!!

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

The best little brother ever!

2008-07-28T00:33:00.002-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. So I have this amazing buddy. His name is Jengo, and he's my puppy raiser Mary Beth's ninth (and current!) CCI pup! I figure since I came before him as Mary Beth's ADIT, and we have almost the same name, and we look alike(ish), he warrants the title of *my little brother*! He's getting turned in in November, so I still have some time with him, but I haven't got a chance to play with him and teach him since February when Mom and I graduated! :( I will hopefully get to see him next month if Mom and I can find a way to get to the Team Training graduation!!! Jengo, you're AWESOME, and I just know you're going to do great in Team Training; make me PROUD, little bro!!!

Love, your big sister,
Jen II

Here are some pictures of Jengo, borrowed, once again, from my stellar puppy raiser, Mary Beth!

It's a video!!

2008-07-26T22:25:00.006-04:00

If you liked the pictures, then you'll LOVE the video Mom and I made! [Kara: It took us four takes to get it right!] This is me showing all those CCI ADIT's how we Graduate Dogs do it! :)

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Picture time!

2008-07-26T21:13:00.003-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Mom told me to post some pictures for you all that she's accumulated, and for each picture, I'll write a caption. For some reason, when I write captions underneath the pictures, they don't seem to work. So, I will write the captions up here.

Picture 1: Me and my WONDERFUL PR Mary Beth before Team Training Graduation!
Picture 2: Giving Mary Beth some love so she knows I haven't forgotten her!
Picture 3: Me and my handsome *brother* Jengo after Graduation!
Picture 4: Jengo and I again!
Picture 5: Mom and I celebrating our new partnership on Preliminary Placement Day!
Picture 6: Me before Mom's high school graduation; wearing that darn hat was NO FUN!
Picture 7: I'm *ready to work*, Mom!
Picture 8: Me when I was still in puppy raiser training with Mary Beth!
Picture 9: Getting ready to graduate Team Training!

That's all for now; I hope you guys enjoy the pictures, and I hope that my awesome PR doesn't mind that I borrowed some of her photos! :)

Until next time,
Jen

Wow, it's been too long!

2008-07-24T14:54:00.002-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Sorry I haven't been updating so much; it's been hard with all my recent medical problems! :( I have a urinary tract infection (but I'm almost done with antibiotics!) and I'm LEAKING!! *cowers in embarrassment* Mom says that she and Grandma are going to take me to the vet tomorrow and see what he says, but she thinks I'm going to have to go on another PILL twice a day for THE REST OF MY LIFE to stop the leaking. Ugh! She says I won't mind it, and for her sake, I hope she's right!

Being *sick* is torture; I'm not allowed to sleep in Mom's bed or cuddle with Grandma on the couch anymore because of my leaking. :'( I really hope I get over this soon, because I hate not being able to be close to the ones I love!

Only a few more weeks until we move into Finney Hall! Mom and I are SO excited!!! We love Muskingum College and we CAN'T WAIT to live there full time! Hopefully on the 15th we can go up to Blacklick and stay with Mary Beth, Jengo, and their "D" pup coming August 6th! Mom and I really miss them, and it would be so super fun to get to hang out AND go to graduation, since it's the last one we'll probably be able to go to for a while. :(

Mom and I want to send out a major THANK YOU to our buddies Madz and Andi for making us the AWESOME new banner that you see at the top of our blog! We LOVE it!!!! :)

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

A working girl never quits!

2008-07-07T21:14:00.002-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Sorry I haven't been posting for a bit; nothing exciting to talk about! The fourth of July was fun fun fun! I went to a cookout at Mom's aunt & uncle's house and got some carrots, then we came home and I watched the fireworks with Mom! I LOVED them, contrary to the reaction of most dogs!

So Mom took some pictures of me last night "in action" and told me I had to post them on here for you all to see. I'm so proud that I can be such a big help to my Mom; THANK YOU Jill, Mary Beth, Randy & Melissa, and my AT Trainer Tonya for teaching me everything I know! I'm full of pride to be a Service Dog from CCI! Catch the rhyme? :D

Oooh I almost forgot; Mom bought me a black Gentle Leader from Petsmart.com; she figures if I wear a black one, Grandma will be more likely to be ok with it cause it won't be as obvious as the blue one that CCI gave us! Mom is planning to use the Gentle Leader at college because she figures it will cause less irritation than the metal chain and pinch collars we've used before, plus she says it's a more "humane" alternative. Mom says she wants everyone out there to know this: IT IS NOT A MUZZLE!!! ...Apparently those kind of comments tick her off a good bit...

Anyway, that's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Me in action!!!

Me on Mom's lap

Turning off the light switch in the hallway...got to be careful with the drywall!

Pushing our bedroom door shut

Jumped up on our bed

Getting Mom's cell phone off of her desk for her

Laying under Mom's desk

I'm environmentally conscious!

Tugging Mom's desk drawer open

All work and no play? Don't think so! Check out my famous, fabulous bunny pose!

Last day.

2008-06-27T11:20:00.003-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Yesterday wasn't as much fun as I thought it was going to be. We went to the lighthouse, and they had a lightkeeper's house that was a museum. Mom and I walked in, and the guy in charge was like, "Ma'am, I'm sorry, but the dog can't be in the building." I was wearing my vest!!! Grandma thought quick and told him that I was Mom's service dog: "Oh, well, that's okay then." Just lovely.

Then we went to this place where Mom said the food was really good: Teach's Bar & Grill. I really liked the waitress because she gave me water and ice cubes. :)

After that we went to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum; we spent a whopping 15 minutes in there; not too exciting.

Today is our final full day at Cape Hatteras Island. Tomorrow we shove off for Ohio, for home, at 6 a.m. This has been fun, but it will be so nice to be home again. Mom's pink laptop is waiting for her at home, so she's super excited about that! Uncle Cash (Black Lab/Rottweiler mix) and Aunt Jasmine (calico cat) here I come!!!

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Museums and lighthouses!

2008-06-26T11:25:00.003-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. A quick update on my mom: she is feeling much better today, albeit a bit stiff. Thanks to everyone who's been thinking of her as she begins to heal. She still can't believe she did that!

Today we're going to the Hatteras Island lighthouse and the graveyard museum; I hope it's not too spooky; and for Mom's sake, I hope there aren't too many steps!! :D

Well, Mom's bugging me to get off here because I have to go get ready.

That's all for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Not a good day for Mom. :(

2008-06-25T12:01:00.003-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Yesterday was a blast; we went to the movies and saw "Get Smart"! I LOVE Steve Carrell; he's hilarious!! We also went to the most awesome seafood place near our beach house called Dirty Dick's Crabhouse, and everyone got Dirty Dick's t-shirts...well, except me and Cory; Mom couldn't find a t-shirt in my size. :(

This morning, me and Mom and Aunt Robyn got up way early so that we could take a walk on the beach and see the sun rise; BEAUTIFUL. It was really fun for a while, but then disaster struck. I was walking with Aunt Robyn down the final set of wooden steps before we would be back at the house, and I heard it: Mom's crutch slipped out from under her, she lost her balance, and completely rolled down the flight of eight wooden stairs...in her pj's!!! She got to the bottom and couldn't get her breath back, so Aunt Robyn went and got Grandpa who helped my mom walk back to the house. I feel so bad that I couldn't do more to help comfort Mom, but she seems to be feeling better now.

Aunt Kaeli, Aunt Josie, Aunt Robyn, and Uncle Christofer are going to some Adventure Water Park place today; me and Mom are opting out because she feels too sore and bruised to do much of anything...can't say I blame her!!! So we're just gonna chill here today with Grandma and Grandpa and Cory and make our own fun, hopefully coming out on the other side with no injuries sustained!

Keep my mom in your thoughts, please; it would make me feel a whole lot better to know that her friends were thinking of and supporting her. :)

That's it for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Movies!

2008-06-24T11:29:00.003-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Yesterday was pretty good; Mom decided she didn't want to go to the outlet malls with the rest of the group, so she and I and Cory stayed back at the house and chilled for the day. It was really nice to just sit and relax for a while. When they got back, Grandma gave me PRESENTS!!! I got a new collar that says "I Love My Big Dog" with a leash to match, and a lot of new toys; my favorite is a squeaky beer bottle! We went down to the beach while Mom and Aunt Robyn relaxed in the hot tub; Aunt Josie and Aunt Kaeli apparently thought it would be a fun idea to pick me up and have Grandma take pictures of them holding me...NOT my idea of fun!!!

Today we're going to the movies to see "Get Smart" and Aunt Robyn and Aunt Kaeli and Aunt Josie and Grandma are talking about going parasailing this week; another thing Mom refuses to do because she's afraid of heights. Oh, well.

That's it for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Souvenir time already?

2008-06-23T10:13:00.004-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. Yesterday was great! We went to this really awesome seafood place for lunch called the Dolphin Den and Mom tried crabcake for the first time; she thought it was really quite good. Then we went to various souvenir places around Avon; Mom got new sunglasses, a new t-shirt, and a postcard for us to send to Mary Beth that's super cute!

Then we went to a fudge place where Mom ate lots of free samples that she said were all amazingly tasty; Grandpa finally settled on caramel praline fudge, and Aunt Kaeli bought vanilla fudge and chocolate peanut butter fudge. It's times like these I wish I could have chocolate!! Ohhh but I almost forgot!! Grandma bought Cory and I peanut butter doggy treats! Mmmmmmm!!!

When we got home, Grandma decided it was time for me to have a bath...eeeek! I guess it's nice to be clean, but I HATE getting baths!

Last night wasn't so good; I kept stepping on Mom's hair and arms and legs in my quest to sleep as close to her as possible, and she finally got fed up and demoted me to the FLOOR! Worst night of my life... :(

That's it for now.

Until next time,
Jen

Dog days of summer.

2008-06-22T09:48:00.005-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here, coming to you from sunny Cape Hatteras Island, NC! We got here yesterday about 4:30 after spending 12 hours in the car; I wanted to sit in the backseat with my mom but Grandpa demoted me to clear back with the luggage! :( He put part of the backseat down so I could still see my mom though, which was good.

When we finally got here, I met two of the nicest dogs on the way in; a Golden Retriever and a Jack Russell Terrier. It's nice to know that my mom isn't the only one who will have friends here! I took my first trip to the beach last night with Grandma; sooooo fun!

I LOVE THE OCEAN! Grandma took me and Cory (Aunt Kaeli's English Bulldog pup) down last night and it was awesome! I had a new retractable leash which, unfortunately, was no match for my enthusiasm; I ended up breaking it...oops. :(

We are relaxing down at the beach today; well, we're supposed to be, but Mom refuses to go because she says it's too hot; leave it to her to ruin all my fun!!

That's about it for now; I hope everyone is having as much fun with their summer as I am!

Until next time,
Jen

First post of many.

2008-06-20T14:25:00.005-04:00

Greetings everyone!

Jen here. I know my mom originally wrote this post but we decided that I'd take over the duty of writing the blogs because I'm better at it. ;)

Since this is my first post, I thought I should talk about our separate histories. I guess since my mom has more authority, she should go first.

She was born in Youngstown, OH on Feb 15, 1990, via C-section, three months premature with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy. She also had a twin sister who was born three minutes after she was, who was unaffected. Doctors thought that she would never walk, or write. They told her parents to get a wheelchair and a laptop so that she could live as normal a life as possible. Little did they know what a fighter she was. Today, she is a college freshman who has the determination and drive to accomplish whatever she sets her mind to. (She's currently pursuing her Bachelor's Degree as an Intervention Specialist for Mild to Moderate Disabilities at Muskingum College.) She is confident that with the help of God, her friends, her family, and ME she can succeed in whatever life throws her way.

Now it's MY turn.

I was born in California on Apr 19, 2006. My parents were Larix (sire) and Tiffi (dam) and I and my other six littermates comprised their "J" litter. My puppyhood was unique in that I had not one, but THREE volunteer puppy raisers!! My first volunteer puppy raiser, Miss Jill Goldman, received me from the North Central Regional Center in June of '06 when I was about nine weeks old. She raised me until I was about nine months of age when, due to changes in life circumstances, she returned me to CCI to be finished by another puppy raiser. My second volunteer puppy raiser, Miss Mary Beth Kopechek, received me in January 2007 when I was about nine months old. She raised me until I was fifteen months old in July 2007, and then she turned me over to Randy and Melissa Roberts, who fostered me for my final month before matriculation into Advanced Training at the North Central Regional Center in Delaware, Ohio.

Interesting? I sure hope so! I'm going to go help my mom pack for our upcoming beach vacation; we leave at 3 a.m. tomorrow morning!!!

Until next time,
Jen