:s

Woke up this morning with a nasty cough and the chills and weird aches and a horrible headache.  I hope everyone is using PLENTY of hand sanitizer!
The weather today was BEAUTIFUL! I hope a lot of you in eastern Nebraska got to enjoy it :)
Today I finally got an estimated number of the attendees at our wedding! We're looking at 260 wonderful people!  I cannot wait!
I also can't wait until next week is over. It's spring break, but I work 40 hours (which is fine, I love to work) But Thursday night BERNIE COMES HOME from AT!!!  I get to talk to him almost everyday, but it still sucks having him away, especially when he was so good at making me feel better when I am sick.
Anyway, I have a paper I need to be working on and then it's probably for the best if I get some sleep...

xoxx

Ramble

It's been weird with Bernie gone and at Annual Training.  He's in Hastings and we don't really get to talk much. I haven't seem him since the 28th of February. He's sick too! Close quarters are a sure way to get him sick :s
Sundays will always be the worst without him.  I don't know why, but Sundays were always "our day." We had the best conversations, we would make supper together, we'd watch movies, play games...all the best times were on Sundays.  Secretly, I just wish Sundays would get over so I don't have think about him being gone, but then I wish they lasted longer so I didn't have to start back up with a Monday.
This weekend I went to Manhattan to see my sister, Laura.  Her best friend from work, Kellie is married to soldier who just got back from Iraq yesterday.  It was cool to meet them.  I asked Kellie what the hardest thing about deployment was and she said that the best advice she could give me is to always stay busy.  It's best to plan ahead and you'll always have something to look forward to.  My sister said that one time her and Andy were going to Applebees to get some appetizers and have a couple beers.  Kellie called Laura to see what she was up to Laura invited to come and right away Kellie said, "Yeah, sure I'll meet you there."  It was nice to hear that because when I think about Bernie's deployment, I worry that I'll be the third wheel when hanging out with couples, but this made me realize there is no shame in playing the 3rd wheel.  Obviously, give couples space, but it was nice to know that it's okay to go out with your friends, even when it's just the two of them.
I can't believe Bernie and I will be getting married in less than 4 weeks now! Ahh! By the end of this week I want 90% of the wedding stuff done.  There really isn't too much more to do.  A lot of shopping for gifts yet, but that's the fun part!
Bernie is getting really excited about the wedding too. I forgot to mention that Bernie sprained his left ankle.  He was playing football with the guys last week at their first day of AT and he jumped and came down on it wrong.  Poor thing.  He was only on crutches for about 3 and half days, and now I've been told he has a nice limp. :)  Feel better, babe.
Tonight was the first night I watched "Coming Home" on Lifetime.  It's a tearjerker, so if you're looking for a good cry, it's a good one to watch.  I've been wanting to buy the first 4 seasons of Army Wives, but can never find them in stores.  I should look online.
Anyway, I'm just rambling now.  Day lights savings time is going to kick my butt in the morning.
Good night

xoxx

Jenny

Again, I'm not posting every week.  Sorry, Bern

So much has happened this past month.  Bernie and I went to Kansas City and saw my sister and brother-in-law a few weekends ago and it was soo much fun!  We got back on Sunday and I had to work and then class and then I had to work again from 4-11pm on Monday.  I said good bye to Bernie Monday afternoon and he went to Fremont to pick up our puppy, Jenny.  His parents were watching her while we were out of town.  Jenny was my Christmas present in 2009 (even though I got her early in October of 2009) She's part Beagle part German Shorthair.  It's weird to think, but her mom was a 75 pound German Shorthair and her dad was a 20 pound Beagle. 

Anyway, Bernie went to Fremont and met his parents at a restaurant for dinner.  When they got back to his parents house Jenny ran up to Bernie with her tail in her legs and then she walked over to the trees and started hacking up something. Then, he noticed that she was throwing up blood and lots of it.  They rushed her to the Vet and they gave her Vitamin K to clot the blood and gave her a relaxer so the Vet could run a scope in her mouth to see why she was throwing up so much blood.  Turns out all the blood was in her lungs!

Vet told Bernie to keep her in her kennel for the next 48 hours.

He brought her to Lincoln and when I got off work I met them both at my apartment.  

Jenny looked miserable!

She was throwing up blood all the time. I decided to sleep on the floor next to her kennel and helped calm her down when she got hysterical with a coughing fit.  If I petted her, she relaxed a little.  4:30 in the morning rolls around and Bernie got up to go to Grand Island, he had to work at 7am.  We tried to figure out if Jenny should stay with me or if she should go to GI with him. We decided she should go to GI because she's not use to city life and when she hears weird noises she normally barks and barking is the last thing we wanted her doing.  At 7, I got a text from Bern saying that he didn't think she was going to make it.  She wasn't getting out of her kennel when he opened the door, she wouldn't eat or drink and when he carried her outside to go potty she just shivered.

I had four classes on Tuesday and I decided to go to the first class and skip the other 3.  I e-mailed all my professors and got out of class and drove to GI.  Bernie didn't want me to come because he was sure she was dying and he didn't want me to see. I reassured him that we need to take her to the Vet in GI and see what they say and I want to be there if he had to make the BIG decision on whether or not we'd have to put her down.

I got to John and Lissy's house and ran down to Bernie's room and walked into the scariest thing I've ever seen.  Bern was crying, Jenny was whimpering and blood was all over her kennel.  We called the Vet immediately and brought her in to town.  They were so wonderful and quick.  The Vet and Vet Tech told her vitals and got heating pads to raise her temp because she was sooo cold from all the blood loss.  They hooked her up to oxygen and an IV and told us to grab a bit to eat.  We left, went to Qdoba, but we weren't hungry. Our stomachs were in knots and Bernie is terrible at this, but he plays the "what if" game in his head. "What if she doesn't make it?" "What if it's going to cost too much?"  

Bernie and I noticed that we do a really good job at balancing each other out, when we had doubts about her making it I'd cheer him up and when I was down about Jenny, he'd cheer me up.  He kept telling me how he was glad I came.

We went back to the Vet and they said they need to keep her over night and maybe even a second night.  I spent the night in GI and left in the morning. They ended up keeping her for 4 days and 3 nights and told Bernie he could come pick her up Friday so he did and brought her to Lincoln.  It took her about a week of sleeping, but now she's back to 100% She's looking really good and back to her ole self.  :)

xoxx

m.