Ryan House is Open!!

This is Jesse's card that we will give to the children visiting Ryan House. (She has one for HOV too that we leave with the hospice patients that we visit as well) It is a nice way for not only the patients to remember Jesse visiting but so the families see that we have been there as well.

Last Thursday Jesse and I had our first visit at Ryan House. Last week was the opening of Ryan House and all week people from the community could come and see the house. I can't even put into words how amazing this place is! Everything is beautiful, magical and fun! They wanted to have a pet therapy team at the open houses so Jesse and I were there Thursday 5pm-6pm and then Saturday 11am-1pm. They are going to have the house open for a few weeks before we start on our weekly visits so it won't be until probably close to the end of the month when we will start our weekly visits.

Just want to share one story that I think sums up this place....
There is a family who has I believe 4 or 5 children. Two of the children they have are special needs children and require 24 hour care. They have scheduled a stay for those two children at Ryan House so that they can take the other children to Disneyland. While the family is at Disneyland, Ryan House is going to bring disney to Ryan House! They have volunteers coming as snow white, cinderella, mickey and minnie mouse! That way the children who are unable to go to Disney can experience a disney of their own!

Now that I have seen the house I am more ecited than ever to be a part of this amazing place!!! Jesse and I are very lucky!

This is Baer, my friend Ann's dog who is also a Hospice therapy dog and now will be visiting Ryan House as well. Notice their cute bandanas. A fellow volunteer made them and then I had our embroider at work, embroidery the dogs names on them. She also made us aprons that I had embroidered with the Ryan House logo that the volunteers wear. That way we can carry water, hand sanitizer, poop bags etc. They look great!

Spring Has Sprung

It is not a surprise to most of you that I would do this to the dogs. It is all in good fun! I love these guys and don't know where I would be without them! It really is amazing the impact dogs can have on your life, especially when you are single! They definitely keep me smiling! As you can see we are ready for Spring and looking forward to all the fun that comes with the nice weather and sun!

Visit from the Colorado Crew

This weekend the Leahy's were in town for a visit! Jami is one of my good friends and since they moved to Colorado a few years ago, I have missed them dearly! I was thrilled when I heard they were coming in town for Scott's brother's wedding. They weren't here for long and were definitely tied up with family and wedding stuff but I was lucky to be able to meet them for lunch on Sunday. We were joined by Meghan and her family, since she and Jami have become friends as well. So fun to catch up even if it was way too short! (and I was way late, after coming from my mom's test out on 145th Ave!!) So fun to see the boys who have gotten so big! Already looking forward to a trip this summer out to Colorado to visit!

New HOV Team!

Since I have been so happy with volunteering for Hospice of the Valley and doing therapy dog work with Bogey and Jesse, I have through the years encouraged ( she would say pushed) my mom to do it with Casey. Since work at the office has slowed down for my parents she has the time to do some other things. I really think Casey will be wonderful and I think my mom will enjoy it as well. We have both often talked about how pet visits would have been SO good for my grandma when she was in a nursing home. I know for me, this is my weird way of doing it for her and I think my mom will see it the same way. Well, Sunday my mom and Casey had their Therapy Dog International evaluation and they did great and passed with flying colors! My mom has already been through the Hospice of the Valley Volunteer training so as soon as she gets her TDI paper work back she is ready to get started. HOV and their many patients as well as other residents at the facilities they will visit will be lucky to have them! I am so proud of both of them!

Sunday at the Spa

Yesterday I joined a group of 13 ladies to celebrate that my good friend Meghan is having her third baby in a few weeks. (on a side note, she has two adorable girls and has not found out on this one...I think her friends are having more trouble with not knowing than she is! I am dead set that she is having a boy, I just feel it and am anxious to hear the news that she had a healthy baby ?!!) We went to the Joya Spa at the Montelucia hotel. This was my first time there and WOW...what a place! Singne, Nicole and Debbie did a great job organizing the day, scheduling everyone's services, and planning the lunch. It was such a treat and a nice way to escape and relax from the stresses of work these days! What a fun day and great way to pamper not only the mom to be but ourselves! We all enjoyed a morning of having different services including massages, facials, and pedicures and then had a nice lunch poolside followed by enjoying some time by the pool enjoying the sun!
Congratulations Meghan...So honored to be your friend and to have been able to celebrate the birth of all three of your kids. You are a great mother and this next little bundle of joy is lucky to be joining the Wilde Family!

The Group of ladies celebrating with the mom to be!

Meghan Opening Gifts

Mitzi and Noe, enjoying a drink poolside!

Saturday Morning Hike

Saturday morning my mom and I decided to take Casey and Ripken on a hike. It was a trail near Piestewa Peak that dogs are allowed on. It was a fairly easy trail so it was not difficult for the dogs and was still good excercise for my mom and I. It was a nice way to start a Saurday morning! Hopefully we'll do it more often.

Welcome back to AZ Ripken!

Saturday the 27th I welcomed a new addition to my home,Ripken! My sister and Joe have had Ripken since he was a puppy and got him shortly before they got married. He has always been a wonderful dog, very well trained and obedience wise, he is a gem! He is a lover and really an all around good dog except one thing......kids! It started when my nephew was born, and Rippie would growl here and there. It was not often and Tine and Joe nipped it in the butt quickly. Unfortunately over the last few years it has become very frequent. After working with a new trainer/behaviorist for the last few years, it has continued to escalate. While in our hearts we choose to believe that he would never do anything to the children, as parents you just can't take that chance. So he has been welcomed with open arms back to Arizona to live with me a lot of the time and my parents some of the time as well. Since I have two of my own, he will go stay with my parents who only have one dog sometimes too, to give me a break. :) So.......let the fun begin!!

Celebrating Mitzi

Last Saturday we celebrated Mitzi's birthday. We went to the Old Town Tortilla Factory in Scottsdale for dinner and then went down the street to Grazie for coffee and desert. As always it was a fun night with the girls!