Howie Slideshow

28. April 2014 · 2 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,

This is a work in progress, but I’ve been consolidating Howie photos from my Google photo albums into one location. For those photos that are already in Google, this has been quite simple. Select the group of photos, and select “Copy into New Album”. However, I didn’t start using Google photos until 2007, halfway through Howie’s life. So we’ve been going down memory lane looking for the pictures of him right around when the boys were born.

These photos are approximately in chronological order. You might find an event or two that’s backwards, but hopefully that’s the exception and not the rule. Also, some of the captions might seem odd, but that’s because they were taking from an album that was probably telling a story in its original context.

Enjoy!

Howie Memories: It’s Those Little Things

23. April 2014 · 3 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , ,
June 2013, at Howie's last family reunion in Lancaster. Jacob loved him so much.

June 2013, at Howie’s last family reunion in Lancaster. Jacob loved him so much.

It’s been 5 days, and I’m pleased to report that we can now write and talk about Howie without bursting into tears. But it sure was a tough 5 days…for Jacob, it was the worst first thing in the morning, when he usually kisses Howie good morning, and at bedtime, when saying “goodnight” to Howie was part of his very elaborate go-to-bed routine.

I felt like the bad guy by Monday; the boys had a day off from school, so they had an extra day to grieve, but by Monday night I had to ask the boys to do their best to get back into their normal routines. School, baseball, and music lessons weren’t going to stop.

Nonetheless, all week there have been tiny little hints of Howie’s absence. I feel it pretty profoundly when Dave is at work at the boys are at school. I’m not bursting into tears anymore, but I still think to myself, “Boy do I miss my good boy.” Here are several small examples of where I feel his absence: More »

Howie the Wonder Dog: May 2000 – April 19, 2014

21. April 2014 · 2 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , ,
Howie lying in the snow, one of his favorite places to be. This was taken on April 13th. The last picture I took of him.

Howie lying in the snow on our back deck, one of his favorite places to be. This was taken on April 13th. The last picture I took of him.

This past weekend was very sad for our family. We lost our beloved family dog, Howie. He had developed a liver tumor that grew incredibly quickly. We first discovered it in February while he was getting pre-dental blood work done. On Saturday morning, after 36-48 hours of not eating, he had grown so weak he needed immediate medical attention. Our vet was open on Saturday mornings, and she was able to quickly take an x-ray and determined that the tumor had completely overtaken Howie’s liver, and was pressing his lungs, stomach, and intestines up against his abdominal cavity.

It had to be so painful for him.

He seemed okay last Wednesday night, walking around, taking the stairs, and even playing with his stuffed animals with Dave and the boys. This all happened so quickly. More »

Spring 2014 Baseball

18. April 2014 · Comments Off on Spring 2014 Baseball · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , ,
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Jacob watching a strike go by. The pitcher throwing in this picture was very good and had VERY fast pitches.

We are armpit-deep in baseball here at the Vollmer house. Our boys joined the Academy Little League (ALL) baseball club here in the Springs, and we have been busy with the boys’ respective schedules. More »

Colorado Discoveries 31: Crested Butte Ski Resort

10. April 2014 · 3 comments · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , ,
Standing at the top the Red Lady lift. The lifts at Crested Butte are named after former Colorado mines.

Standing at the top the Red Lady lift. The lifts at Crested Butte are named after former Colorado mines.

Our family took a Spring Break trip at the end of March to Crested Butte, Colorado. It’s home to Mt. Crested Butte Ski Resort, which is a family-friendly, classic ski resort, a far departure from the day-tripper-friendly ski mountains we’d been visiting this season. Enjoy the pictures I took with my brand new iPhone 5S’s kick-butt camera!

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