Sunday Funday at Animal Kingdom

For my last Sunday before hysterectomy surgery (and a 6 week recovery period:() we went to Animal Kingdom as a family. The weather is just idyllic at this time of year:)

Still working on my birds in flight photos...

We got to see some animals that are more difficult to get a good view of usually...

Such a lovely day and a perfect distraction for my pre-surgery nerves!

House(s) Update

We have just completed the first phase of refurbishing the little lake house that we bought earlier this year now that the tenant has vacated. It's really starting to come together and although we have a lot more work to do, it's definitely 'move-in ready':). Unfortunately though, our current house sale activity has almost completely stalled as construction work continues right behind our property. Ironically, they are building a couple of small business units (a dance studio and dentist have signed leases so far) and I'm sure they will very convenient for a buyer with a family. That said, for now the construction site is an eye-sore and we have resigned ourselves that we may not sell until the new year when it will all be done. We are all getting a bit tired of having to keep the house we live in 'show ready' all the time...right Juneau?!

For now, we are focused on keeping up the progress at the new place and have plenty of projects to keep us busy. I'll try and remember the camera next time we are over for some 'before and after' shots like on those cool 'fixer upper' TV shows we think we are starring in...;)

Audubon Center for Birds of Prey

We squeezed in a trip to the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland today. It's an urban environmental Center which focuses on the rescue, medical treatment, rehabilitation and release of Florida’s raptors. During the visit we were able to see Bald Eagles, Ospreys, Kites, Owls and Falcons and learn about these amazing birds and their individual stories of hardship and recovery. I got some great photos while I was there too!

We ended the afternoon with lunch at the fantastic eclectic Enzian theater - it was a perfect Sunday:)

More Juneau and Bryce:)

We love our new life with our extended family! And now that they are feeling more settled into their home,  the dogs' (very different) personalities are really coming out. They both agree that car rides are the best!

And they are really fun to watch just enjoying the outdoors at the local dog park...

Look at those faces - I can't stand how cute they are!

Bryce has one green and blue eye...

Juneau has the prettiest smile:)

The vet says that despite their ages, they are doing really great. We are so lucky to have found them:)

Welcome Juneau and Bryce!

We are so grateful for the many kind messages and wishes after the loss of our precious Denali. We still miss him every day but thanks to everyone's encouragement we stayed committed to our adoption journey:). After some research, we found the Pet Finder site which helped us with our search for a senior dog needing a home and found the lovely Penny and Rambo (original names) who were a bonded pair struggling to find a 'furever' home due to their ages and the fact that they really didn't want to be separated. The foster organization was just amazing. The wonderful girls who had looked after them for the past few months (and nursed them back to health) brought them over to see how they would fit with our family and spent about 4 hours getting to know us. It was a really emotional day for them (they needed to focus more time on working with a foster dog that was formally a bait dog) and really tough for them to hand them over since they clearly loved them very much. We still communicate every couple of days and Fiona the bait dog is making so much progress now that  they can dedicate more time to her:) We have formed a really special bond with the girls and will be forever grateful for their loving and beautiful gift to our family:)

Juneau is a beautiful Lab/Catahoula mix and about 14 as far as we can tell. She loves toys, face rubs, snoozing, baths and has a nosy and independent personality:)

Bryce is a striking Great Dane/Catahoula mix and about 11 we think. He loves bacon, barking, walks, hugs and has a more anxious yet curious and extremely affectionate personality:)

The initial settling in period was a little rough but we have a structured routine in place now that's working well for all of us. There are so many benefits to adopting a more senior dog (or maybe two:)). They sleep during the day when we are working and don't have really high exercise needs and they are very affectionate:). I'm sure there will be inevitable health issues to face which of course we understand comes with the territory. But we feel really good about  helping our babies get the most out of their golden years. We also have a really good pet sitter who walks them every day when we are working and a great vet too who is helping them maximize their mobility and quality of life. We'll never replace our wonderful Denali but I'm sure he'd be happy that we didn't give up altogether and I hope that he is chasing the squirrels in peace up in doggy heaven until we see him again one day:)