REVIEW: Exploring Creation with Zoology 3: Land Animals of the Sixth Day by Apologia

We had the opportunity to review Exploring Creation with Zoology 3:  Land Animals and the corresponding Junior Notebooking Journal by Apologia.

WHAT IS IT?:

Apologia offers a series of science books for elementary, middle, and high school students.  The Zoology series is designed for elementary students in grades K-6.  The Land Animals book we reviewed is the third book in the Zoology series.  The material allows children to explore God’s amazing land animals, including carnivorous animals, marsupials, primates, rodents, ungulates, artiodactyla, squam ata, rhynchocephalia, repitles, amphibians, dinosaurs, arthropods, gastropods, and worms.  Children investigate a variety of terrains such as jungles, deserts, forests, farms, and even their own backyards!




The corresponding Junior Notebooking Journal is designed for younger elementary students, particularly in grades K-2.  The Junior Notebooking Journal is recommended for younger or older students who have not yet mastered handwriting, older students with learning disabilities, or students that are new to written narration.
Each lesson in the Junior Notebooking Journal starts with two fun coloring pages that the students can complete while they listen to the material being read to them.  Then there are opportunities for creative expression where children can draw and write a couple of sentences about what they’ve learned.  Then there are activities that help the child learn vocabulary words in a fun and engaging way with things like beginner crosswords, matching activities, etc.  There are also Map-It activities that include bright animal stickers.



The hardcover student textbook is available from Apologia for $39.00.  The softcover, spiral-bound Notebooking Journals (regular or junior versions) are available for $24.00 each.

OUR EXPERIENCE:
 

I am happy to say that we thoroughly enjoyed this product, right from the very start!  I love how the junior notebooking journal lays out a suggested schedule for me with what to read and which activities to do per day and per week.  The suggested pace is 1 chapter per 2 weeks.  If I had been using this as my primary science curriculum, that would have worked out quite well, I think.  But since we used this as a supplement to our regular science during the review period, we set aside one or two days per week and completed all of the reading on one day, and all of the activities on another day.  This worked well for us, but the children did say it was a lot of reading for one sitting.  That’s why I think the suggested pace would probably be just right for the kids.  I, on the other hand, was so intrigued with the reading that I found it hard to stop until it was finished!  Interestingly enough, my 13-year old son also found it very interesting, and even he picked up some facts along the way that were new and fascinating, even for him.

I can’t express how impressed I am with this product!  The text is very engaging and informative, yet in a way that is not dry and boring like many public school science textbooks I can remember.  The illustrations and photographs are vivid and relevant to the text at hand.  I absolutely love the way science topics are explained from a creationist perspective.  After biting my tongue all through my years in public school when the theory of evolution was readily spoon-fed to me, I was absolutely delighted by Apologia Zoology 3’s explanation of natural selection, which made absolute sense to me and my children.  Ask yourself:  does it make more sense that a cat evolved into a horse due to adaptation to its environment over millions of years, or is it more sensible that the combinations of genes through breeding within a “kind” created variations, where only those best fitting their environment survived in a given area and subsequently continued to reproduce?  BINGO!  Not only does it match my beliefs, but it also just plain makes sense!  This is the kind of science I want my children learning.  I’ve concluded that Apologia is for us!

As for the journaling activities, I was just as pleased with those.  Apologia recommends that you select your journal level based on whether or not the children are comfortable writing paragraphs, not based solely upon their age or grade level. I wanted to make sure my youngest could participate, while my 3rd grader is a beginner writer who lacks confidence, and my oldest just plain does not enjoy writing at all. For these reasons, I thought the junior journal would allow active participation of the younger two while keeping it fun for the oldest. Our goal was to do a fun group study of the material while using it as a supplement to our regular science programs, so keeping it fun and light was important for us.  I am happy with my choice of the Junior Notebooking Journal.  It included such activities as coloring pages with scripture related to the reading, fill-in-the-blank pages to review facts covered in the material, experiments that illustrate a concept in the chapter, and hands-on activities that help the student recall facts learned through the creation of mini-books, lift-the-flap pages, newsletters, etc. The text also included mapping activities, and there were stickers in the back of the journal to use for those.  The purpose of this is to identify where each type of animal is typically found.  You need a large wall map for this.

For my family, I found that we all enjoyed the reading and learned things we didn’t know, and my 3rd grade daughter especially enjoyed the journaling activities.  My older son and my daughter often took turns recording facts that we learned, but any creative activities were best matched to her.

I also really like the “What Do You Remember?” section in the textbook.  This was a great way to recall information and check for understanding from the chapter.  We did those as a group, and my kids loved racing to see who could answer first.  I was impressed that each of them remembered so much from the reading, which I did aloud.  That demonstrated to me how interesting they found the material to be, since they had clearly paid such close attention to details while I read to them.

In looking back at the chapters we’ve covered during the review period, I can see how useful a tool the journal can be, since it becomes a storehouse of tools for reviewing what they’ve learned over time.  What a wonderful keepsake to refer to again and again!  I love how everything is printed in the book so I don’t have any printing or copying or prep work to do in order to complete the activities.

I am so pleased to have had the opportunity to review this wonderful product, and I highly recommend it to any Christian homeschool family that wishes to study science from a creationist perspective.  I look forward to using other books in the series with my kids in the future. 

Take a look at what other Crew members had to say about this and other science books and journals from Apologia by clicking the banner below.

Disclaimer:  I received a free copy of this product through the Schoolhouse Review Crew in exchange for my honest review.  I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way.  All opinions expressed are mine or those of my family.  I am disclosing this in accordance with FTC Regulations.

Holden’s 5th Burgess Birthday Bash!

The big day for Holden’s birthday party finally came.  We always do it on the first Saturday in January, after everyone’s holiday happenings have drawn to a close.  We still managed to find a few of our friends traveling or working on this weekend, but it usually works out best for most around that time.

He was really, really excited.  I think this Christmas and this birthday were the most memorable for him…he was old enough to really “get” what was going on, and young enough to think they were the coolest events ever!

So this year, he wanted a football theme.  I set out to draw half of a football field on his cake.  I would have gone for the whole thing if I’d made a half sheet cake, but half a field was the best I could do on a 13”x9”!  LOL.  Steve and Hayden worked on the goal post out of toothpicks and play-doh.

Holden thought it was awesome, and that was all that mattered to me!                                                                                                  

                                 

Next up was the cake pops.  He really, really wanted cake pops.  I was already doing the strawberry 1/4 sheet cake and 24 Funfetti cupcakes with cold whipped frosting, but he insisted on the chocolate cake pops, too.  So I stayed up until 2 AM the night before and got busy baking, frosting, dipping, and sprinkling my heart out.  I ended up with 50 cake pops dipped in chocolate with 8 different kinds of sprinkles, all individually wrapped and tied with a bow.  Oh, and they were delicious, if I may say so myself!

                                   

 

 

When we all gathered around to sing happy birthday to him, he kept blowing out the candles before we were done singing…I tried twice, and he did the same thing both times!  So no pictures of him blowing out the candles this time.  Crazy boy!  He sure was in a hurry to make his wish. 

 

 

 

 

 

Upon trying the cake, Holden declared it a winner with a double thumbs up!  That’s a winner in my book any day.  

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to open gifts.  He got some really thoughtful gifts from his friends and appreciated all of them, but the big hit of the day was a shiny new reflective Nerf football with night goggles that light it up in red and green.  Totally awesome!  They boys have been playing with it ever since.  I have to admit that it’s pretty darn cool!  Thanks, Andra & Stef!

 

All of the kids seemed to have a lot of fun playing outside and generally enjoying each other’s company.  It was a beautiful day!  And in lieu of an overpriced pinata this year, I opted to use a cardboard box with a flap cut in the front where the kids could reach inside the “mystery treasure box” and retrieve handfuls of candy surprises to fill up their goody bags.  That seemed to go over really well with the kids, too.  No one went home short on sugar this day.  LOL.

 

Thanks to all of our dear friends who came to take part in this wonderful day in Holden’s little life.  And to my dear, sweet, Holden, may this be one of many blessed and happy years in your beautiful life, my darling!  I love you forever!

My Baby is 5!!!

It's true. There are no more babies in my house. I've passed from the childbearing season to the mothering season of my life. My kids are now 5, 8, and 13. Sniff, sniff.

I'm forced to admit I have no more babies now that Holden has officially turned 5! How exactly did that happen?!? Despite his age and the fact that by law, he would officially start school in September if he attended public school, the truth remains that he will *ALWAYS* be my baby! ALWAYS!  Now that I’ve made that clear, let’s talk about this special little man’s recent birthday that took place on December 28, 2012.

I always make my kids the cake of their choice on their actual birthday, along with dinner of their choosing. Holden eyed Haylee's giant colossal cupcake with envy this summer, and he never forgot that he wanted one for HIS birthday, too! So here it is:

That’s one big cupcake, huh?  It’s equivalent (minus some trimmings) to 48 regular cupcakes!  Seriously!  Not only that, but it takes a whole can of Easy Frost, down to the very last squirt just to frost the top, plus a bag of chocolate candy melts to make the chocolate shell for the bottom half of the cake!  Not to mention all those sprinkles on top.  It’s a real feast, for sure!  He was really excited when he saw it.  It’s worth the effort for the look on your kid’s face when you bring it out.

We had to wait for daddy to get home from work to celebrate, but that was okay, because it took all day to make the colossal cupcake, anyway!  LOL.

Miss Rosyln, my dearest long-time friend since 1992 and stand-in grandma for my kids, came over after work to have dinner with us and join in on the celebration.  A great time was had by all!

Hooray for 5!  We told him that now he has to go stand in the unemployment line and get a job.  LOL.  He was nervous for just a split second and then said “no-ooooooooo” in that silly way we all love.  LOVE HIM!  Happy birthday, little man!

Then on to the BIG celebration…his subsequent party on January 5, 2013.  Stay tuned for details of the festivities!  You never want to miss a Burgess Birthday Bash…trust me.

My Journey with P.I.N.K. Method

On December 19, 2011, I began my journey with the P.I.N.K. Method. P.I.N.K. stands for Power, Intensity, Nutrition, and Kardio. It was the one thing I asked my husband to get me for Christmas that year, and I started it as soon as it came in the mail. I had seen it featured on Dr. Phil, and while I've never been wowed by a tv-endorsed product before, this was different. It struck a cord with me.

In 2011, I had gained an extra 5-6 pounds, and no matter what I did, I couldn't seem to get it back off again. I had started walking 1-3 miles a day every day, and it had absolutely no impact whatsoever. My 40th birthday was looming ahead of me on 01-01-12, and I was feeling very depressed and unhappy with my physical self. So when I saw PINK on Dr. Phil that day, it was like a message sent straight to my heart.

5 days into PINK Reset (the detox portion at the beginning of the nutrition program), I had my checkup with my doctor. My family has a history of high cholesterol, and I've had high numbers in the past, even in my 20's. My daughter turned 7 in the summer of 2011, and she was also diagnosed with high cholesterol. It's in our genes. Despite our low-fat diet, our livers just make too much cholesterol. We have to compensate for that. So off to the doctor I went, as her pediatric cardiologist wanted current numbers on both of her parents. Let's just say it wasn't good! My LDL and total cholesterol were high again, even with fasting. I told my doctor that I was just beginning a nutrition and exercise program, so he told me to try that out and come back in 6-8 weeks to be rechecked. So that's what I did.

My willpower on PINK nutrition was amazing. Right through Christmas, my son's birthday, his birthday party, my birthday, and my husband's birthday in a span of two weeks, I tasted not one bit of cake or anything else that wasn't on the nutrition plan. Seriously! I was determined to make PINK work for me. I had even received a cake pop maker for Christmas, and I made a ton of cake pops for my son's party, and I didn't even take a nibble. Now that's willpower!

At the end of January, I had surpassed my weight loss goal. I was looking a little too thin, in fact, so I switched to PINK Preservation, the maintenance phase of the nutrition plan, and continued right along with the PINK workouts. 7 weeks into the program, I returned to have my cholesterol checked again. WOW! Not only had I lost 11 pounds and 11 inches in that 7 weeks, but I had also lowered my LDL cholesterol by 54 points! AMAZING! My doctor was shocked and told me to continue doing whatever I had been doing, because it had worked beautifully. My cholesterol levels were now within normal range! Woo-hoo!

So fast forward now to a year later. By Christmas 2012, I had completed the PINK workouts 4 times through, and I had been on the program for 1 year. I had been eating normal foods since January 27th, and I stopped counting calories at the end of October. Yet I have still maintained my original weight loss goal (to be 123 lbs. or better), and I feel amazing! I'm stronger and fitter and healthier inside and out than I've ever been in my life. I'm in a size 2 or 4. My husband told me it was hard to buy me clothes for Christmas this year because everything was too big. That was a compliment, for sure!

So I just celebrated my 41st birthday on 01-01-13, and I told my husband I felt 10 times better turning 41 than I did turning 40...all because I feel like a million bucks! I don't feel pudgy and tired and lacking self-confidence. I feel strong and fit and healthy, and I feel great about myself. No doubt about it...I am PINK for life!

If you're wondering what I'm doing now that a year has passed, don't wonder too long...I'm continuing my PINK workouts, of course!

I injured my back moving some heavy tubs of school books in the shed this week...I was standing in an awkward position and pulled something in my back. My first concern was that I can't work out until it heals! You see, the workouts have become a way of life for me...a part of my morning routine that I look forward to. They make me feel great and get my day off to an energized start. I drink a PINK Drink (protein shake) after my workout for breakfast, and I'm ready to go with whatever the day has in store.

So if you're feeling discouraged or unhappy with your physical self, or you lack the energy to tackle your day, I encourage you to give PINK Method a try. It is designed specifically for women, and even with my physical limitations (I have no cartilage in my knees due to a birth defect), there were modifications offered for the exercises that made it possible for me to still give it my all. It starts out simple and gradually builds in intensity and duration. And even the nutrition plan is totally doable. Lots and lots of fresh veggies,4 oz. of lean protein with every meal, and no refined sugars or caffeine. You'll look and feel amazing as the weight just naturally falls away.

I'm so glad I made 2012 a year of getting myself healthy. I am 100% better for it. Now my husband has taken a cue from me and asked for P90X for Christmas 2012. Now he's working on getting fit and healthy, too.

Here's a little picture comparison I put together to show my PINK Transformation...the first picture was taken the night before I started PINK, and the second picture was taken on the same date one year later. AMAZING! You can do it, too...just THINK PINK!

Best Christmas Ever!

The kids have officially declared this "the best Christmas ever!"  That's mainly due to the fact that each of our children received a pretty intense gift from us this year...they all got tablets!  Holden (5) and Haylee (8) each got the Nabi 2.  Hayden got a Maylong T-100CP.  Now to do this, I had to give up my dream of upgrading to the iPad Mini.  Sigh.  The things we do for our children.  Enough said.

I waited in line on Thanksgiving night at Walmart to get the first Nabi 2 for $129.  Little did I realize that we'd end up wanting another one so they wouldn't have to share.  Getting the second one turned into a real fiasco, including a bum ebay purchase that resulted in a Buyer Protection Case being filed to get my money back, not to mention about 8 failed attempts at ordering it from Walmart.com because of a fraudulent purchase that was made on my account a couple of months ago.  This entailed a couple of lengthy calls to Walmart's customer service (not recommended), which still didn't solve my problem.  I ended up having to open a whole new account with a different email address and a different credit card before I could get the order to go through.  I sure hope the kids appreciate the lengths I went to in order to complete this purchase!  I ended up paying $199 for the second one.  Not so good, but mission accomplished, and I'm glad that we were able to give them each their own.

Now for Hayden's tablet, I stumbled upon a one-day cyber sale at Best Buy's website, and I got his Maylong tablet with keyboard, case, and earbuds for half price...a mere $79!  Wish I could have been so lucky with the others, but I don't regret purchasing the Nabi 2's for them...they rock!  I did lots of research on tablets made for kids, and it is by far a superior product with top-notch customer service.

All 3 of the tablets have the same operating system...the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich.  I love the parental controls on the Nabi 2's, and I love that we can get apps from the Amazon Android App Store instead of being limited to some obscure third party app site with limited app availability.  So far, I've been able to get the kids 99% of their favorite apps from iTunes in an Android version.  They are thrilled!

I also love the built-in chore lists that enable the kids to earn Nabi coins for completing their chores.  The Nabi coins add up and earn them the ability to purchase a game app from the Nabi Store.  The Nabi 2's came with a good variety of well-known game apps, as well as the Nabi University section with lots of age-appropriate educational apps.  They also got 30 free e-books from MeeGenius included.  What's more, I signed up for a school account as a homeschool teacher with MeeGenius and got our account upgraded to 75 free e-books.

I told the kids to remember this Christmas forever, because they aren't likely to have such a generous haul again in the future.  The only reason we were able to swing these major purchases (they also got a Wii U) is because we re-financed our house this summer and got a couple of large, unexpected refunds from excess real estate taxes and escrow paid on the previous mortgage.  Now we're back to squeaking by, but we're so happy to have been able to give the kids the tablets, especially. 

The tablets are a great tool for our homeschool, too.  We set up Google Calendars on each of the tablets, and now I can enter their assignments for each day onto Google Calendar from my computer and have each assignment pop up as a reminder on their tablets throughout the day at the designated times.  This helps them stay on task as the hours roll by, and it also enables Steve to view their work progress at any point in the day while he is at work.  If he sees they are getting behind schedule, he can email them directly on their tablets and prod them a bit to get back on track.  I love the reinforcements so I don't have to yell! 

With the house less cluttered, I didn't feel as rushed to pack up the Christmas tree and decorations this year.  I actually waited until the evening of December 26th, which has to be a record!  LOL.  My friends enjoy teasing me about how I stand up as soon as the presents are opened and declare Christmas is over...pack it up!  :)  The funny thing is that this description is not far from the truth!  ha, ha.

I hope you all enjoyed your Christmas as much as we did.  I'll remember this Christmas the most because all of the kids were old enough not to squabble or whine or complain about something right in the middle of the festivities.  Everybody was happy and appreciative, and Holden was old enough to get *really* excited about each and every gift.  I loved seeing his face light up like that.  His joy was contagious.  :)

Merry Christmas to all, and a Happy New Year to come!

A Doggy Story, Part 2

There was much sadness after the loss of Suzie, and Holden was taking it especially hard.  He kept asking days later why Suzie didn't "just come back already."  His little 4-year old mind just couldn't wrap itself around the concept that she wasn't ever coming back.  My heart broke just a little more that this was breaking his, too.  He was sniffly and sad out of the blue and kept telling me how much he missed her.  He started wetting the bed a couple of times a week.  His pediatrician said this was a totally typical grief response in a child his age and that I should talk to him about our belief system and what happens when a loved one dies.  The trouble was that I couldn't talk about it without sobbing myself, so I kept trying to avoid the conversation because he is really sensitive to my feelings, and I didn't want to upset him more by showing him how upset I was myself.

Finally, after a few weeks, I was able to sit down and talk to him without sobbing hysterically.  I told him that hopefully, Suzie will be in heaven waiting for us as part of our own reward in heaven.  He seemed okay with that. 

Steve and I talked and decided maybe it would be good to get another dog, not only to help fill the void we all felt without Suzie, but also so Lilly, our yellow lab, would have a companion, too.  So the kids and I started looking around, both in local pet stores and shelters and online.  We were preparing to go on vacation at the end of October, and we thought it would be best to get the new dog after we came back.

Well, it just so happened that I stumbled upon an ebay local ad for a beautiful little dog that was located at the Eastern Shore SPCA shelter.  Once I saw her picture and read her little story, I couldn't get her face out of my mind.  I dreamed about her!  The kids really liked her, too.  I wrote back and forth to the shelter and got more information about her, and the more I learned, the more I was sure that she was *the* dog for our family. 

Her name is Teenie Tiny, and she was about 8 months old.  She had been at the shelter for 2 months already.  Her owner had turned her in along with her brother and another dog because the owner was working 12-hour shifts and had no time for her animals.  The shelter said that sadly, Teenie had spent most of her life in a crate.  So sad!  Teenie is a mix of beagle and labrador, our two favorite breeds, and her designer breed is known as Beagador, Labeagle, or Labbe.  I researched about the breed and found the personality and common traits to be a good fit for us and in line with what we're accustomed to having in a dog.  I also thought that with her being half labrador, she would be more likely to get along well with Lilly, being more hyper and playful than Suzie had been in her old age.

So the kids and I laid out a plan to convince Steve that we should get this dog right away before she was gone and before she had to spend another day in that shelter.  I made up a flyer with her photos on it blown up really big.  It had her name at the top and a message to please save her at the bottom.  We put it on the fridge and didn't say a word.  Within a couple of days, he totally caved and said we could get her! 

*************************************************************************************

TEENIE TINY

                          

Won’t you bring me home?

Please save me!

*************************************************************************************

I ordered a kennel for her that could fold up for travel, and we made arrangements with the shelter to come up that Tuesday to see her.  I had to bring Lilly and all of the kids to make sure everyone got along before they would allow us to adopt her. 

The big day came, and it was rainy outside.  We all eagerly piled into the van with our breakfast and headed up to the Eastern Shore to Onley.  This was about healthy drive of about 1.5 hours each way with a big toll at the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel along the way.  We were nervous that Lilly would be aggressive with her, but they actually did okay!  When they first brought Teenie out, she was shivering and shaking and just a nervous wreck.  She starting tinkling on the floor involuntarily...something she does when there are strangers around and she feels nervous...and was just a ball of nerves!  But she got right up in my lap and was so friendly and sweet, despite her being scared.  She even peed on my lap!  LOL.  When we moved on to introduce Lilly, we knew everything hinged on that.  But it went pretty well. 

Finally, they decided we could adopt her and agreed to waive the 24-hour waiting period since we lived so far away.  They gave her a bath and microchipped her for life, and off we went!  Amazingly, about 30 minutes into the drive home, she calmed right down and stopped whining.  She laid down and rested on her new comfy bed.  About an hour into the drive, she got carsick...something we later learned would always happen to her...but other than that, it was an uneventful trip.  When we got home with her, she made herself right at home!  Lilly kept guarding her...trying to confine her in small spaces so she couldn't go explore.  But eventually, Teenie claimed a particular sofa and wouldn't let Lilly even come into the room without growling at her!  It was so funny that Teenie Tiny became the agressive alpha dog...who would have guessed that?!?

Now that they've been together for just over 2 months, they are truly the best of friends.  They play together every day.  They both sleep in our bedroom and share their toys.  Their favorite activity is to play tug-of-war with a fake animal pelt.  They could play and nap together all day long.  We only have to separate them for meal time (they get aggressive around food), but they've both fallen into a routine of going to their kennels in the morning when it's time for food and water to be distributed.  They are so cute!

Now it feels as though Teenie has always been a part of our lives.  She has such a sweet personality, and she's a great little lap dog that loves to cuddle.  She greets me with kisses every morning when my alarm clock goes off and she sees me start to stir.  We love her to pieces!

So while we still miss Suzie and shed a tear now and again when we think of her, having Teenie around has helped to ease the pain a bit.  Holden has stopped wetting the bed again.  All is well in the House of Burgesses.

 

A Doggy Story, Part 1

In September, my beloved dog, Suzie, finally passed away.  This was so emotional for my family.  She was 18 years old!  She was a beautiful little 18-lb. Beagle/Black & Tan Coondog mix.  I remember the day Steve and I bought her from a pet store inside the mall in Newport News.  We were going to see my parents for lunch after church and stopped to walk through the mall on the way.  We were planning our wedding at the time and had no intentions of getting a pet.  But when we saw her shivering in the back of her cage, we just had to rescue her!  The other dogs from the litter were chewing and pawing on her and biting her ear, and she was just whining and shaking like a leaf!  We took her out and played with her, and we immediately fell in love.  When we showed up at my mom's with her in tow, she instantly fell in love with her, too.  I walked her around the block in my arms, and she slept there like a baby.  She was the cutest thing ever!  As she got older, we discovered she was lightning fast and loved to explore, nose to the ground.  She got out of our fence so many times and ended up at the pound.  She even ran away on the eve of our wedding!  We took a short honeymoon in town so we could look for her, and we found her at the pound just in time!

She was really spoiled and treated like our child.  She slept in the foot of our bed under the covers.  I sewed a Santa suit for her and had a professional pet portrait made for our Christmas cards.  She wore costumes for Halloween and helped us pass our candy to the neighborhood kids.  When we started looking to buy a house instead of our townhouse, I took her with me every evening after work as we drove past this house and daydreamed about all the space she'd have to run around if we bought it. 

When our actual children came along, one at a time over a period of 8 years, she was already 5 when that process began.  She protested from day one, soiling in the house wherever the baby was.  She bit 2 of my 3 children at some point along the way.  I considered getting rid of her but decided instead that she would have to live outside.  It was hard having her become an outside dog, but my babies had to come first.  She went with the flow, and the kids grew to love her.  She eventually figured out they weren't so bad, but she never became housetrained again, so she continued to spend most of her time outside.  We did, though, get another dog to keep her company.  In her very long lifetime, she outlived 2 labs who were her best friends and then lived with a 3rd one who was her arch-enemy!  When Lilly came along and they got along so horribly, Suzie again became an inside dog.  In her old age, she returned to the comforts of our home, complete with kennel, fashion doggy diapers and Depends pads, and Martha Stewart dresses.  I'm so thankful that we pampered her so much for her last stretch of life.  We were able to again spend lots of time with her and show her how much she mattered to us.

I loved her so much.  I loved her.  Real, honest-to-goodness love.  She was my companion and a part of my family for so many years.  She had always been a part of "us."  On her last night in this world, my oldest son and I cried and hugged and developed a plan to wrap her in a blanket and hold her in our arms, taking turns, through the night, so she would not be alone and would know that we loved her always.  She'd been losing a lot of weight, and we knew the end was near.  She cried that night until we held her.  Then she was comforted enough to go to sleep in our arms.  Her breathing was labored.  My son laid her down beside him, and that is where she left this world at the break of dawn.  We were so sad that she had finally gone, but as I saw her fighting that last night, I told her it was okay to let go and let the peace wash over her.  It was okay.  She had so much trouble just getting through the day to day those last few months.  She could no longer get up on her own.  Her eyes were frosted over with cataracts.  She could barely hear.  Even still, she wanted to fight like the spunky girl she had always been.  But I told her it was okay this time...just relax and let go.  And she did.  May God bless her and keep her always.  I pray she is in doggy heaven waiting for me to join her someday.  I hope she is part of my reward, and I hope I earn a place to be with her again.

Rest in peace, Suzie girl!