August 30, 2009

A perfect weekend- to say the least! Friday night, Sam and I hung out with our friend Jess. Caught up with her over a glass of wine while Andy and the guys were "jammin". Saturday, I headed down to Napa to check out numerous potential wedding locations with mom. We now have some front runners, but still have some work (negotiating) to do before we set the date. I'm looking forward to bringing Andy's family down very soon to check out a few places. I had a wonderful date night with my friend Roo- dinner, movie, laughs, drinks... fun walking around downtown Napa. Andy and Sam enjoyed a big boys night with about 6 friends at home- BBQed, swam, chilled. Sunday, Roo and I scarfed down some huevos rancheros at ABC Bakery, and headed out to the driving range in Yountville. Topped off the day with orange creamsicle slurpees. What a perfect weekend - I'm looking forward to many more in the very near future!

August 27, 2009

Finally! Time to look back on this crazy week! Last Saturday, Andy and I went to Berkeley to celebrate his dad's 60th B-day at Leslie & Chris's lovely home. Great food, fun people, beautiful atmosphere, a quiz all about Bob = very fun. The Engagement announcement was made there, among Bob & Cherie's friends & family, and my parents.

On Sunday, the 3 of us (Sam included) went over to Neil & Nellie's house to play games and catch up. Sampson LOVES their house because they have more carpet than we do. He ran all over, sniffing for kitties, and he finally relaxed in a comfy spot on their new couch.

This weekend, I'm going to Napa to visit a few possible wedding/reception locations with my mom. Hopefully, we can get a better feel for what there is in Napa (I've been getting frustrated with the pricing they quote online-- very expensive). I hope to find a venue within the next month or so, but, we will then need to determine a date we want to shoot for, and see what is available. Whew! Wedding planning is craziness, and it's only just begun.

Sorry- Goofin' around, trying to get a good pic of the bling. I know, I know... barf-o-la

August 22, 2009

We're engaged! Yesterday, before a wonderful dinner at our favorite Sacramento restaurant, Andy and I went for a walk around the rose garden at McKinley Park, and he popped the question! Of course, I said yes... and he gave me the most beautiful diamond I have ever seen. Sampson approves, and we're all looking forward to a wonderful engagement.

August 18, 2009

All is good :)

August 16, 2009

Is this the face of a happy dog or what!? This was taken right after our Friday night walk to the park. Sampson's legs are looking very strong- he's able to run, jump, sit -- all just like before the accident. It has been amazing watching him heal, and for now, it looks like he's good to go!

August 12, 2009

Peppers, anyone? Our plants are almost falling over with peppers. Many of them will end up going to waste. If you want any, let me know. Andy and Sampson just arrived home from a walk. Andy's leg is a bit swollen today, and he is feeling pain in his foot as well. He will have his blood levels checked tomorrow, and I'm pushing him to ask about this new pain.

Sampson is doing extremely well. It's strange to think about how things were just a few months ago. I was listening to Fresh Air on NPR this morning on my way to work, and they were describing a program called "Puppies Behind Bars"- in which inmates train pups to become service dogs for the disabled (I call them "sightseeing eyedogs") and law enforcement. Dave Davies was interviewing Gloria Stoga who started the program, and I enjoyed the segment so much that I looked up the transcript to find a sweet quote that describes how wonderfully loving dogs are:

"Those us who have dogs, know dogs, or any animal for that matter, know that dogs love unconditionally; know that dogs have this extraordinary ability to heal. And I have heard time and time again from inmates, saying that they will tell their dog things that they've never told anybody else. Their dog doesn't care what their crime was. Their dog doesn't care what their social status in life is. All the dog cares about is that this person loves me, this person takes care of me, this person feeds me, and in return, I give kisses and love 24 hours a day. "

August 11, 2009

Good morning! I'm already up-n-at-em on this wonderful Tuesday. I hit the gym bright and early this morning (I can already hear Cindy laughing at me), and now I'm waiting for a SMUD landscaper to meet me at home to bring me some free trees. I hope I can talk him into a few more crapeyrtles.

Andy and I went to Napa on Saturday night for my Uncle & Cousin's B-day celebration. We played some ping-pong, ate some great grub, and laughed at their cutie-patootie doggie, Maya (pictured here).

August 7, 2009

It's freezing in our house! I'm wrapped in a blanket, snuggling with Sampson who's trying to cover his cold nose under my leg. We need to figure out how to work our new touch-screen thermostat, and most importantly, learn how to turn it OFF!! Brrrr.

Andy and I enjoyed a lovely dinner out of the house this evening (first time in a long time). We took Sampson for a walk to the park where he checked out all the trees (he's quite the arborist). And I made tie-dyed cuppy cakes! yummy. Wendy- I posted these pics for you! :)

Tomorrow, Andy and I are heading to Napa to celebrate a few family Birthdays. Should be a lovely weekend.

August 6, 2009

Our new A/C & furnace was installed today and it is totally awesome- cools the house down within minutes. Andy had Sampson groomed today and we took him on an extra long walk this evening. He's very happy. Andy's leg is feeling better, which is awesome. Our crapemyrtles are in bloom.

A good day.

August 4, 2009

Things are improving in the Fluken-Moss household. Our old furnace & A/C has been removed, and we will have our new unit by the end of the week. Andy's leg is feeling much better, and his blood work from today shows that his INR is now at 2.5- where it needs to be in order to break up the clot. He no longer has to give himself shots of Lovenox in his tummy. Sampson is looking wonderful. He enjoys our walks around the block, and he loves spending tons of time in our newly-secured backyard (thanks dad for fixing our gate!).

August 2, 2009

We had a very productive Sunday- as usual when mom and dad are around. Dad planted the crapes and fixed the broken fence, mom helped me clean, we had a nice meal with Neil & Nellie, and spent a ton of time petting Sam. Andy is feeling well today. To my dismay, he plans on going back to work tomorrow after his blood tests.

August 1, 2009

We've had a bunch of visitors come by the last two days- Andy's parents, sister, friends. I really appreciate the help & concern. Andy is doing well. His leg feels better, and he has figured out a schedule for his meds. Yesterday, he had his blood taken and tested to determine the INR (International Normalized Ratio). We need to get his INR between 2-3 (thin blood) with the hopes of breaking up the clot in his leg. This process will take some time. He began at a 1 (normal blood thickness) and is now at 1.2.

Sam has been enjoying time with all of our visitors. He has been very active outside- yesterday, hanging with the boys by the pool. Today, I am picking up some crapemyrtles (found $8 on Craigslist!) to plant in the backyard.

While driving home around noon after picking up the trees, Andy mentioned that the pain in his leg was feeling significantly better. He was flexing his leg and moving his foot around without much pain. But, shortly after he said this, he began feeling an intense pain in his head behind his left eye. He described it as a sudden, horrible headache. We discussed going immediately to the hospital, but decided to go home and make a call to a doctor. Andy contacted a nurse at Sutter, and she told him to go immediately to the ER. We were concerned that the blood clot may have moved. The ER doctor had a long talk with us about possible causes of the sudden headache (Andy was told yesterday to increase his dose of Coumadin) and calmed our fears that the blood clot could have moved to his brain (this is highly unlikely, as it would have to pass through both the lungs & the heart first). So, we're back to positive thoughts that the blood thinners are doing their job, and the Lovenox shots are keeping the clot in one spot. Andy is feeling much better now, and I am very relieved after our brief visit to the hospital.