Losing Our Family Pet...how will my kids cope?

Let me start this by saying, I am not writing this post to gain sympathy.  I am writing this to share our experience as a family and to hopefully help others along the way.

A few days ago we had to euthanize our dog Finnegan.  Finny, as we called him, was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Lymphoma.  We knew something wasn't right about 6 weeks ago but we simply made excuses of why he wasn't acting himself.  Then his Lymph nodes swelled up by his throat to the size of clementines and I just couldn't ignore it any longer.

Let me step back 5 years to give you some history on Finny.  Finny was actually the beloved dog of another family.  However, the little boy in this family had a terrible allergy to Finny.  So, unfortunate for them they had to find Finny a new home.  Fortunate for us, they found us through mutual connections and we were the proud owners of a 3 year old yellow Lab named Finnegan.

A few weeks ago, I took Finnegan to the vet to have him checked out.  Gut feeling from the doctor was that it was not good and a biopsy later revealed the Lymphoma.  Without treatment Fin would only have weeks to live.  We put him on temporary medicine to make him feel better, but this medicine made him urinate often and I am still steam cleaning my carpets.

My husband and I had an AWFUL decision to make.  Do we prolong the obvious for selfish reasons by keeping him on the medicine that gives him a temporary relief of disease?  Or do we put him down?  We went with the latter.

Telling our daughters who are 9 and 6 that they would loose their pet was much easier than expected.  In

Our Great Grandmother, Violette with my girls back in 2007

January, we lost our 101 year old grandmother (their great grandmother) and this was very upsetting to them.  However, in comparison to them this was not as upsetting.  Why?  At such young ages are they able to weigh the importance of a pet verses a person?  Heck, it was very upsetting to me...why weren't they upset?

So the awful deed is done and I miss my boy terribly.  He was my buddy.  He followed me everywhere I went; from the laundry room to the kitchen.  There is a void right now and our other dog Guiness seems a bit sad too.

Finnegan meeting Guiness for the first time when
we adopted Guiness from the Last Chance Ranch

I guess in hind sight, I am glad that my daughters are able to move past it.  I can hear them playing in their clubhouse now without a care in the world.  I sit here and type and I still miss my loyal friend.  But I know in the end I did the right thing by releasing him of his pain.  I'd like to believe he is running somewhere in the heavens with our other pets as they wait for me on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge.

To conclude, never under-estimate your children's ability to deal with a situation.  They may be little but with each life lesson they become stronger beings.  They are able to process, learn from it and move on.  And if you are lucky like I am, they will teach you a thing or two in the process.

We will miss you, Finny!

An Enjoyable Evening at The Schnecksville Community Fair



I had no idea that I could enjoy a fair so much and not break the bank while doing it.  Last year my family and I went to a local carnival (NOT the Schnecksville Fair) and spent $15 for each of my kids to ride 3 rides!!!  We didn’t eat, there were no exhibits other than the rides, and my daughter and son each rode on three rides.  Then we left.  Not the best experience I’ve ever had.  But last night we went to the Schnecksville Community Fair for the evening and had a whole different (and much more fun) time! 

Wood Carving Exhibit: Imagine how great that
bird looked upon completion!

For just $9 a person (See below for coupon), we had more than our money’s worth of fun!  We were generously given admission to the fair for free for writing this blog, but we also chose to purchase the $8 bracelet for our kids to ride the rides.  It was absolutely worth it, and the whole trip was great!

When we arrived, we were able to park very close to the gate.   As soon as we entered, there was a blow up slide, a ferris wheel, a miniature fun house, and an exhibit where a man was carving a tree stump!  We sat for a little while watching him carve the wood with a chainsaw… AMAZING!  The kids were even intrigued and entertained watching this exhibit.  My daughter went on the Ferris wheel and both kids went into the miniature fun house. 

Side note: those fun houses are not made for adults – a lesson I learned when I had to climb in to get my son, who panicked at the top!  Yet, he almost immediately wanted to go back in, and my daughter went through 3 times!

We continued our journey and encountered an area where there were antique tractors. This was, of course, a glorious treat for my truck/train/tractor loving son!  The kind men who were sitting with these tractors even allowed the kids to sit on some. 

We next encountered the dairy show that was occurring last night.  Young men and women were showing their cows and being judged on their and their heifer’s performance.  At 4 and 2, my kids were super excited just to see the cows and hear them moo!  But it was also interesting to hear about how they were judged and to see the young men and women who work with these animals. Each night of the fair, a different animal will be showcased, so although there probably won’t be cows other nights, there will be some type of animal for the kids to watch and enjoy!

We then moved on to riding more of the rides.  With the bracelets, the kids were allowed to ride as many rides as they wanted as many times as they wanted!  Let me just say that they rode way more than 2 rides!  My son was only able to ride the rides for the smallest children (over 32”), but there were plenty of those to keep him busy!  A mini train on a track, cars and motorcycles that zoomed around, bugs that went up and down while going around and around, a carousel, boats that went in a circle, and more were available for children over 32”.   

One of two Ferris wheels

The smiles on both of my kids’ faces were priceless!  They loved being able to ride the rides, and my husband and I couldn’t stop smiling while enjoying watching them have fun!

My daughter was tall enough to go on some of the “bigger rides” as well.  The next height requirement was 36”.  She told me many times that she enjoyed the dragon roller coaster the most!  She also rode a second Ferris wheel and mini teacups.  She liked being a big kid on the big kid rides!

And, of course, there are actual big kid rides there as well.  Rides that spin so fast they’d probably make me sick; rides that go upside down, a bigger fun house, a trampoline ride, and more!  In addition to all of the rides and exhibits, there is the great food and carnival games to enjoy as well!  We treated the kids to funnel cake to cap off the evening.  They loved it, and my husband and I did too!  Although we did not play any games or eat anything other than the funnel cake, there was a plethora of food and a great variety of games with prizes to try if interested.  I’m sure there were even other areas we may have missed due to having little kids with little legs and early bedtimes! 


The fair runs every night this week from 5PM – 11PM.  With all of the exhibits, rides, games, food, and fun to be had, it is a great night out for a very reasonable price!  So go! Have fun!  And don’t forget a camera because there will be moments and memories that you won’t want to miss!

ONE PARENT’S HOPES FOR THE CLASS OF 2026

As I sat there, in the audience of proud, smiling parents, I watched my five-year-old fiddle with her gown and hold her head high. When her teacher moved the tassel from the right to the left side, my daughter became a pre-K graduate.

This class of chubby-cheeked and energetic five-years-olds are our future. Our future high school graduates of 2026 and future college grads of 2030.

Graduation, June 2013.

So many questions filled my mind. 

What will these children grow to become? Lawyers, bloggers, teachers or doctors? How will technology change as they grow up? Where might they go to college? Will they still find time to play and laugh? Will they work to save the planet? End world hunger? 

Or, might these problems be solved before they are old enough to inherit them?

HOPES & DREAMS FOR OUR LITTLE ONES

I hope: that our children learn the difference between right and wrong, and understand that we all make choices and those choices make a difference. 

That they realize, for better or worse, that their actions can have a profound impact on others. That they maintain their innocence as long as they can. And, that they don’t just pursue happiness … they actually catch it.

I hope: that their teachers inspire them to seek out knowledge and instill in them an intellectual curiosity so strong that we know longer fear our children are behind the rest of the world. That they never lose that sense of wonder or the way their eyes light up when they discover something new.

I hope: that our schools stop cutting programs such as art, music and physical education so that our children can experience an awakening of the senses and enjoy all that life has to offer. That we all 

work together to improve the health of our children, making childhood obesity a distant memory.

I hope: that parents take a more proactive role in their children’s education, growth and development, so that teachers can teach and not have to parent. And, that our children learn to love learning and never stop learning. Ever.

I hope: that my daughter never loses her love of being with her family and always remembers how much she is loved. That she appreciates what she’s been given, and works hard to realize her passions and goals. That she develops courage, confidence and humility, and realizes her potential. That she remembers that true beauty comes from within. That she lives the life she wants, finds balance, embraces who she is and lives life to its fullest.

What are your hopes for our children? Our future?