Disney World

Well...I'm finally posting just a few of the 2,000 photos I took at Disney World while on vacation with Jackie. We left on December 13 and stayed for 8 nights. Jackie and I stayed at the Wilderness Lodge, an incredible Yellowstone type Lodge that was just beautifully decorated for Christmas. We had a blast. I've never seen 8 nights pass by so slowly. Felt like we were gone for more like a month. Anyway...here are a few of my pics and a couple of Jackie's 1,600 pictures that she took.

Cinderella's Castle (Magic Kingdom)

Cinderella's Castle all done up at night for Christmas. It was incredible.

France (World Showcase Epcot)

Minnie Mouse and I at Chief's Mickey's Breakfast

Jackie and I with Pluto at Chief's Mickey's Breakfast

Another foggy morning. This picture was taken in front of the the Beach Club looking toward the Boardwalk (Epcot).

Expedition Everest (Animal Kingdom)

Cinderella's Castle

Chinese Theater (Disney Hollywood Studio's)

Micky's Sorcerer Hat (Disney Hollywood Studios)

Walt and Mickey!!

Tree of Life (Animal Kingdom)

Spaceship Earth (Epcot)

Disney Wilderness Lodge (The front of our hotel)

The inside lobby of our hotel (That is a 70' xmas tree)

Back of our hotel.

Bay Lake Towers (after 9 years of thinking about it we bought into the Disney Vacation Club). So we now own a little piece of the Bay Lake Towers in Disney World!!! For the next 50 years we can go to Disney World every year and stay for up to 2 week or Disneyland or 500 other hotels around the world that Disney have a stake in.

The back of our new home when we go to Disney!!

Feynman and Heidi

Well today is a tough day for me. 1 year ago I lost my best little buddy Feynman from cancer.

It's been a long year my little furry kid. I've missed you so much. So many soccer games not played. Take care Feynman....I miss you and I still love you and think about you every day.

6 months ago today as I well I lost Heidi to cancer as well. The love of my life....my biggie, my who. There isn't a moment of the last 6 months I haven't thought about you. The house hasn't been the same since you had to leave. I love you Heidi.

Pensacola Beach

Well I can't believe how long it's been since I've updated my blog. What can I say....other than time has a way of getting away from me these days.

I do have some updates. I finally got away for a vacation. The first one in more than 4 years. Jackie and I went to visit her Grandmother in Pensacola, FL. We had a great time. The weather was brutally hot. It didn't slow us down as we were up every morning at 5:30 getting ready and hitting the road. We went to the Pensacola Beach, Fort Pickens, Fort Barrancas, NAS Pensacola to see the Blue Angels, Pensacola Lighthouse. Pensacola Beach, Fort Walton, Destin, Fl, Gulfarium....and so many other tourist shops and stops. In the end we needed a vacation from our vacation....but we had a FANTASTIC time in the end and saw some incredible sites in America. What a country....

One of the Blue Angels cutting through the humidity.

Alone on the beach

Fort Pickens

Langdon Beach, Pensacola Beach

Gunner Position, Fort Pickens. Pensacola, FL

Heidi's Birthday

Well today is Heidi's Birthday. Heidi would have been 6 years old today. I picked up the corgi's a cheeseburger today to celebrate my big girls birthday. Happy Birthday Heidi. I miss you my biggie.

This picture is of Heidi on her first b-day with all of her berner friends.

I still have the hat that Heidi wore on her first b-day so today I'm celebrating your life Heidi. It has almost been a month since I had to let you go. Take care my sweet Berner Angel.

Love you, Dad

Heidi's illness

This is the last photo I got to take of Heidi the morning I took to her to cross over the rainbow bridge. To view more photos please go to my web site @ www.austindunnphotography.com and click on my portfolio section and look under Heidi.

Well I haven't even been able to write about it but Heidi had been sick for sometime and I've been taking care of her. She started out back at the beginning of March with not wanting her dog food. Not really unusual as any one who knows Heidi knows as a puppy my wife had to feed her on a pillow in front of a fan out of her hand. That's right you heard me...she was that spoiled. Anyway...she turned her nose up at her food. So I switched food which she took to her new food with no problem. Within a day or too....it was the same thing. My wife and I went through so many different types of food. In the mean time we took her to the vet and found out she had some high kidney levels. We got some medicine for her and the vet was working on finding out what was wrong with her. In the mean time Heidi had to be put on people food as I couldn't find a type of food she would eat. On April 7th I dropped Heidi off at the vet and after a few x-rays found out she had kidney stones. My vet thought it could be a hyperparathyroidism as she didn't have any crystals present in her urine. If so this would require a pretty big surgery but we were ready and willing just awaiting the results of some blood work to confirm the presents of a hormone that would show she did have hyperparathyroidism causing her to have a excessive amount of calcium in her blood.

Well after the test came back which took a while, the test didn't show the hormone.

My vet braced me for some possible bad results as high calcium levels in the blood (which the test did confirm) normally point to some type of tumor. So we did another series of x-rays and the results were shocking in just 9 days from the first round of x-rays. There was clearly 3 tumors in her chest and abdomen. None of these tumors could be seen on the April 7th x-rays. On the April 16th x-rays we could clearly see masses. One was a very large tumor causing her stomach to be pushed forward making it nothing but a little pocket. She had another tumor on her liver and her kidney. She also had a enlarged lymph-node in her shoulder neck area about the size of a golf ball. My vet did a biopsy on the lymph-node and after a pathologist looked at it, we found out it was malignant histiocytic neoplasia. By now Heidi was showing signs of just how sick she was. She had stopped eating all together back around the 7th of April and I was having to force feed her different foods (chicken...etc.) I tried everything everyone could tell me had worked for there dog...eggs, tuna...you name it I cooked it. Every time though I was forced to pry her mouth open and force her to eat the food. Up until this point I wasn't about to let my girl starve to death. She had already gone from 128 lbs down to 107 lbs. in just about a month. So I took Heidi to work with me on Friday so I didn't have to leave her at home. She put on such a good front at work smiling and wagging her tail at everyone. It was easy to pick up on though as she normally gets up to meet everyone that comes in my office but this time she just laid down and waited for them to come and see her. She was now getting were she didn't even want to drink. It was very apparent that Heidi was very sick. Plus the enlarge lymph-node had become 3 times the size in just 2 days. Once she got home she slept for nearly 6 hours straight and didn't even want to get up to use the bathroom. She was also having a hard time even getting up. So I decided that I she had been through enough and my wife and I scheduled with our vet to help get her out of her pain and help her cross the rainbow bridge. It was such a hard decision as Heidi was still wagging her tail and looking so happy. Friday night April 17th our little Corgi Snuffles was whimpering behind our couch and when we turned around she was staring at Heidi. She knew. She had been down this road just 6 months ago with her baby brother Corgi Feynman. Who passed away with lymphosarcoma on October 18th. That night I made a bed on the floor near the front door (Heidi's favorite spot) and I slept on the floor next to her. It was really nice. I wanted to sleep next to my best friend in the world. My Heidi-whoo. On Saturday morning April 18th (six months to the day we lost Feynman to cancer) we woke up to help Heidi get out of her pain. It was so much of a deja vu moment for both me a Jackie. We woke up early to be able to spend some time with Heidi and the around 7:40 we left for the vet. Once again we had a dog that could read our minds as Heidi went straight to the back door waiting for us to take her. We didn't say a word about going anywhere but it was as if she knew what was going on....just like Feynman did before we left for his journey to cross the rainbow bridge. Losing Heidi was even more harder on me than losing Feynman. You never want to have a favorite among your kids but it was no secret (even though I tried to keep it) Heidi was a daddies girl and I was proud to admit it. I held Heidi's head in my lap and just before she fell asleep I bent down and kissed her right on the mouth and told her I loved her and to please forgive me for not being able to save her. She answered me with a few more kisses right back at me (I taught her a few years ago to give me kisses...and yes she really did pucker her lips...I'm not kidding either). I know Heidi knew what was going on. She seemed so excited to be crossing the bridge and going to Heaven. I know she was looking forward to seeing her baby brother and soccer buddy Feynman. My furry kids have taught me so much. I've learned for one thing...why are we humans so scared of death. I'm not welcoming it right now as I'm still young. But I know one thing. If you know where your going like all dogs do..(all dogs do go to heaven after all) then why be scared. That is one thing I have learned from them. I know I for one will be thinking of crossing the bridge a little different now after watching Feynman and Heidi cross over. I know they will be waiting for me ready to play a good game of soccer. It does add a plus to getting older now. 8)

I want to thank again Dr. Young, Dr. Blue and Dr. McNeal at Harris Animal Parkway Hospital for all their hard work and caring that they put into taking care of all my animals.

I also want to thank Jeff and Mary Chapdelaine (Heidi's breeders) at Snobears Berners. You guys were always there for us when we needed you and I will one day becoming to see about getting another Berner from you.

I want to thank Heidi for 5 years 9 months of love, and companionship and for being such a good daddies girl. You where the best furry kid I could have ever ask for. You where my first Bernese Mountain Dog and a great ambassador of what the breed has to offer. You never knew a stranger and was so good around little kids. I'm sorry your mom and I never had any for you to be able to play with. I have to say in the short time we were together you made me so proud to be able to call you my furry kid. You where my 'rock star" (if you cold have written your name I know people would have asked for your autograph). Thanks Heidi for being my daughter I will miss your smile, hand shakes, yawns, and snoring so much. I know I already do.

God bless you Snobears Sirius Stargazer (Heidi)...I know he did me the day I got you.