Goodbye Addy

Jeff and I have decided to bring Addison back to the breeder tonight. Her heart condition is simply too unpredictable and complicated for us to provide her the care that she needs. This has been the hardest decision, to date, that I have ever had to make.

I never knew that I could love a dog so much, let alone in such a short period of time.

I will miss her loving eyes looking up at me. I will miss her soft whimper crying for me to pick her up. I will miss her warm body snuggling with me. I will miss her following me around. I will miss the car rides with her on my lap. I will miss Jeff softly telling her "no," as she chews on his favorite shoe.

Most of all, I will miss the happiness in my heart that she has brought me.

We will miss her sorely.

Saddest Day of All

Yesterday I took Addison to the vet for her first puppy check up. No more than 5 minutes into the examination, the Dr. furrowed his brows and gave a look of concern when he listened to her chest. My heart immediately sunk and tears welled up in my eyes. The Dr. took her out of the room for a consult with another Dr. in the practice. Both Drs. confirmed that Addy has a serious congenital heart murmur. The vet referred me to an excellent cardiologist.

Last night, Jeff and I took Addy to a veterinary complex that treats only referral cases. The cardiologist had left for the day, but the Dr. on staff confirmed that her heart murmur was indeed serious. She diagnosed her murmur as a "4," on a scale of "6."

Most puppies outgrow this over time, but in Addy's case, she will most likely need medication and there is no telling when or how this condition will affect her quality of life. Medication is very costly, and diagnosing her specific heart condition is very costly as well.

Jeff and I have the hardest decision of both of our lives ahead of us. Do we keep her and accept the costs and heart ache of caring for a dog who will most likely develop serious heart problems? Or do we give her back to the breeder? We both have grown so attached to her and can't imagine accepting another dog into our hearts. Lots of prayers have been whispered and tears have been shed, but no clear answer has surfaced.

As I was sitting with Addy in my lap, patiently waiting for the Dr. to come back into the examination room, I read a quote on the wall that sums up my feelings for her...

"The sunshine in my life does not come from the skies, it comes from the light in my dog's eyes."

Fun for the whole family!

My mother stood in line at Target for two hours in a blizzard to buy
my sister Christina a Nintendo Wii for Christmas! It was a complete hit at our family Christmas party. Even my grandpa took a turn playing golf (pictured left). My dad was the real treat to watch. He won 10 rounds of boxing and broke a sweat!

Announcing...Addison Shepherd Burch!

Cocktail of the Week

San Moritz Martini

ingredients
1 cup crushed ice
3 ounces black currant vodka
1 ounce Champagne
Clear crè de menthe
Pomegranate seeds for garnish

directions
For 1 drink, combine 1 cup crushed ice and 3 ounces black currant vodka in a cocktail shaker; shake vigorously.
Strain into a chilled glass.
Add 1 ounce Champagne and a splash of clear crème de menthe, garnish with pomegranate seeds and serve.

Three Movies Coming to the Silver Screen

#1. I Am Legend
Even if end-of-the-world doomsday thrillers have already been done to death, so to speak, there's that real life ongoing ill-advised human tampering with nature that contributes to the repeatedly reawakened fear and dread of these movies. Based on the Richard Matheson sci-fi human extinction classic of the same name, I Am Legend is the third novel-to-screen adaptation. This time around, Will Smith does doomsday duty as determined scientist Robert Neville, who's in a race for the cure for a diseased and virtually disappeared mankind.

#2. The Dark Knight

I cannot wait for the next installment of the Batman series. Batman Begins was easily the best comic book movie ever. There will be a six-minute intro, which will be attached to IMAX screenings of "I Am Legend" starting December 14th. I won't share all the details here, but let's run down a few of the high points:

1. It begins with the first few minutes of the film, which introduce Heath Ledger's Joker to the audience.

2. A bank heist is involved.

3. William Fichtner sighting!

4. Explosions! Gunfire!

5. It ends with a series of clips of Batman in action.

Two words: Bad Ass

#3. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

I have been a long time fan of the Indiana Jones trilogy. I cannot WAIT for Harrison Ford to resume his role as Indy.

A dog after my own heart...

Eva is truly a girl's dog. I love having her around! She has a great appreciation for the art of napping. She spent most of Saturday night curled up with me on the couch. A real live teddy bear!

She also rivals me for being the family member who loves shopping the most. Eva hopped right into her bag when I told her that we were going shopping for some new toys. She truly is a dog after my own heart!

The Husband of the Year Award Goes To...

JEFF BURCH!!! (Roar of applause)

I awoke Sunday morning to the smell of fresh coffee. I rolled over to find an empty bed and a clock that read 8:00 AM. I thought I was dreaming.

To my surprise, this was not the case. Jeff woke up early and surprised me with my favorite breakfast...waffles and fresh coffee! Way to go honey!

Santa Paws Is Coming To Town!

Eva is staying with Jeff and I this week. I brought her to Petco to buy some treats. I saw this adorable collar and I simply could NOT resist! It was too cute! Now, Eva is ready for the holidays. She has her new party collar.

Home is Where the Heart Is

Jeff and I went to Ikea this weekend to find a few items to spruce up our little apartment. We found the mirror to your left, for above our couch. It is a classic piece that we will be able to use in our future home!

To your right, we bought a floating shelf. It was originally intended for above our other couch, but it did not fit very well in that space. Instead, Jeff hung it in our dining room as a sideboard. It is fabulous for munchies when friends come over for cocktails!

Our First Christmas Tree

Christmas is officially here at the Burch household! Jeff and I
decorated our tree, complete with candy canes and lights. I was very pleased with how the tree turned out. It adds such a warm touch to our living room.



Elvis' slow and sultry voice played in the background as we decorated. Afterwards, we nestled up with some hot chocolate to admire our work. I hope next year we have room to get a bigger tree. For now, this will do as our very first Christmas tree. Isn't it lovely?

Valentino's 5 Ways for a Woman to Look Sexy

1. Even the most beautiful clothes cant do all the work, so before anything else, you must believe you can be sexy. Every woman can.

2. How would you like to walk? When you decide, practice how to move. Use your hips and a mirror. Nobody does this naturally. Trust me, no one

3. People don’t want to admit they pose, but how you sit is important. Never plop down. Lower yourself on to a sofa at a slight diagonal. Of course its deliberate! But it works.

4. You can’t be sexy without a beautiful smile (but never show your gums) or shining healthy hair. Don’t trust mother nature. She’s too busy.

5. The way you speak can bewitch. Low, slowly and always looking the listener in the eye. And nothing matters more than how you say hello and goodbye.