Everyday together...

My sweet, wonderful, loving, kind, gentle, and fun puppy (mas o menos) died a few days before I left for London.  This was a very, very sad day for the Holt (and extended) family.  He was a month shy of his 16th birthday, so of course it wasn't unexpected.  He died with my mom petting him (getting pets was his goal in life) on the patio of the house on the Oregon Coast and I was on the phone.  I'm thankful that it was before I left for my trip, that I was able to be on the phone and a part of it, and that we didn't have to make a decision for him.

Here is our announcement:

He was a birthday present for me when I turned 11, but he quickly became a full fledged member of the Holt family loved by all, often acting like a little brother to her.  After I left home, he was a great companion for my empty nester parents.  Mom never really wanted a dog, but they shared a love of spending time outside dinking around so she became his favorite and he followed her everywhere!  Dad loved that we could take him on hikes- even carrying his own overnight bag!  I had the opportunity to have him with her for a summer in Chicago that she is very thankful for.

Casper really was the best dog.  He was quiet and relaxed in the home, enjoying our company.  When he was outside, he would love to run around and have fun (although he couldn't care less about a ball being thrown, which we didn't mind).  He had his quirks, but we loved him for it!  In the last couple of years, he has become a world traveler- going to Canada, Mexico, and almost all over the US.

Some favorite memories:

- Mom: "You got a dog that can't walk?!"  Casper was neutered right before we picked him up and he couldn't walk from the anesthesia, Mom was not impressed.

- Random guy on Bainbridge:"Well, hello Casper.  You always know it's spring when Casper gets his haircut."  Casper was such a good dog that he was able to run around the neighborhood and greet walkers.

- On hikes he would run ahead of us, then run back down to make sure we were still there, then run ahead again.

- I would be outside "shooting hoops" or whatever and Mom would let Casper out to be with her, but she would sometimes protest and Mom would say "Just let your little brother play with you for a bit."

- Casper will never waste an opportunity for a pet.  You could be standing there minding your own business and Casper would see your free hand and come nudge his nose under it and before you knew it, he was getting his pets!

- Mom and me: "Some people say their dogs can tell if you're not a good person, well we think if you don't like Casper, you're probably not a very good person."

- Cousin pictures around Casper with Mom's family at Christmas 2010.

We are thankful that he was a part of our family for so long and we hope he has been a blessing to you as well.

He was always Casper the friendly dog, now he can be Casper the friendly ghost!

As much as I love collages, Casper deserves his own VIDEO!  These are only the digital photos we have, none of the old film photos.

My (friend's) fancy house in London Town

Wow, what a week!!  I was sad to see the week that I thought would never end come to a close.  I like to sum up my week in England for Betsy's wedding by saying it was crazy- the majority being amazing crazy, but a few moments of crazy crazy.  I'm beyond happy that I was fortunate enough to be a part of this experience and don't regret one penny spent.  You know, money comes and goes, but friendships are forever for me.
I got to Betsy's "flat" (apartment) on Saturday afternoon, just over 24 hours after leaving my house in Alamosa.  Luckily I was able to sleep a bit on the plane as we had our first night of fun right away!  Oh man, it was so good to be back with my go-to girls for having fun in the city!  We really know how to have a good time no matter where we are or what we're doing.
We spent a lot of time with Betsy and Patrick's parents, who are all amazing people and became our parents for the week.  As for friends, it was mainly me and Cora (the maid of honor) and Patrick's 2 best friends, Andrey and Jim, for the week.  In between tourist activities, there was eating, drinking, dancing, and general merriment for all!  Destination weddings can be a little intense and crazy, but it was so great to really get to know the important people in the lives of the bride and groom.  All the wedding guests (about 25 people) spent the weekend together in a house in the countryside (you can be jealous here), we were one big happy family!  When we all said our good-byes on Sunday night, people were tearing up.  It really was a special time with only people who are important to the bride and groom (no random coworker you feel obligated to invite!).

I'm grateful to Betsy and Patrick for allowing me to crash at their place all week.  I'm grateful for their families' generosity and hospitality.  I'm grateful to my parents for helping me out.  I'm grateful for time spent getting to know friends better.  I'm grateful to know people that truly love.

Now, I have about 1,200 photos from the weekend, so I've made a few collages of various things....

I'm a tourist again!

Nights out with the girls!!

Nights in with the family!

The grounds of one of the most beautiful houses

The inside of the house

Having fun with the old house

Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day!!

Here are 2 special photos I want to share:

We made up a game on the Billiard table called Skuddle... um, best. game. EVER!!

Patrick's dad, Tata... maybe the best dance of my life?  Sooo fun!!

By the Way

Ahhh... it's been so long!  I'm sorry!

This week I'll be working on a few blogs, I promise!  There is a lot to share from the past month (especially the last week I spent in London) and you will be kept in the loop.

Thanks for checking in and please come back soon for some fun photos and deep thoughts!