A dance party and some good parenting...

Dance parties are pretty routine (pun intended) in the Howell house, but this one was exceptional.  Adele is probably our top played artist.  Who doesn't love her pipes?

Don't miss the grande finale, or what is recorded of it...it was a surprise, so the camera was being turned off when "it" happened!

Never say Neverland

I can't believe it either...Disneyland?  Maybe it was the bad January air, but I needed something to be happy about and it's supposed be the happiest place on Earth, right?!?  So, off Evan and I went with our good friend "Aunt Shelley."  We had an unbelievable time.

Flying high

 Our thin-walled hotel was super close....

 Buttons galore

 

First ride: the teacups!

 Next, Alice in Wonderland...

  and Dumbo.

Eventually we made it to the Princess Meet 'N Greet, where Evan positively refused to speak to Tiana or Cinderella (which left me having a weird and awkward exchange with Tiana. lol).  She only wanted to meet Belle.

 Then off to the Bippity Boppity Boutique for her transformation...

 Ok, we caved and bought her a princess dress...all self-restraint was out the window.  Just look at that face!

 Before:  

  

  a sprinkling of fairy dust 

 the big reveal 

 After:

 Meeting her doppleganger

 Just look at that decorum

 This made it worth every penny

A spoonful (or 100) of sugar helped fuel us for our 13-hour day

 The real sleeping beauty

 Day 2: California Adventure

 The princess dress had to make way for more sensible clothing

 More sugar...it was a weekend of decadence.

 

Missed our flight, but still made it home on Sunday.  It gave me more time to hang with Shelley and eat more sugar.

Sisters were reunited and princessified.

 One happy little sis who has no idea what she missed out on,

 but got souvenirs too (or "guilt gifts" as I like to call them).

 All in all it was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Farewell, Dear Trigger

At the risk of this blog simply becoming a running obituary of our pets, we absolutely had to pay tribute to our dear Trigger.  She was certainly present (or at least part of our family) for all of our adventures. When not in tow (which was often) she patiently waited for us to return, and never failed to give us a hero's welcome.  Even if no one else on the planet seemed to care, Trigger could be counted on to make you feel important and loved.  But Andy said it best when he penned the following.  I have simply added pictures.

My sweet dog Trigger passed away last week at the not-so-spring-chicken-like-age of 13.  And notwithstanding her longness-in-the-tooth, her death came quickly and without warning, even if it was peaceful.  Her passing was oddly coincidental to the recent death (last month) of my fat cat Weasel because I was out of town for both passings.  Being absent to cradle them in their final breaths causes me some amount of guilt in addition to my sorrow.  As those with pets surely know, pets properly loved become family members.

Trigger was no exception to this, and she and I shared better than a third of my life (and all but two months of hers).  Trigger was with me when I walked Shawn home from out first date.  "Ugly dog" as I affectionately, albeit correctly, called her was among the many things that Shawn would have to learn to love about me, tolerate, or ignore.  Or course, Shawn learned to love Trigger, which was easy given Trigger's sweet disposition, impeccable behavior, and terrible looks (which must have made me far more handsome by comparison).  Trigger was one of the best dogs ever.

Trig was unfailingly patient and pleasant, even though she was always resigned to being "just the dog."  The top of our family's veritable family totem pole changed often; from the introduction of Weasel, followed shortly by Ladybug, and years later with two actual children.  The bottom, however, remained constant.  And Trigger waited patiently as her share of parental time continued to diminish.  Always a lover, she was ready at a moment's notice to go for a ride or walk, but was also happy just being around people.

For my own part, mine became a love-hate relationship with Trigger: love for all those that you love a great dog, and hate for knowing that I did not deserve her and that she was not treated as well as she deserved.  Too often she was neglected, relegated to getting out of the way, and treated more as an irritation and unwanted distraction than the valued member of the family that she was.  There might be a special place in hell reserved for me for being a bad owner to Trig, yet even in hell, she would be right by my side, ever the loyal mutt.

I am still traveling, which thus far has prevented me from making my peace with my oldest friend.  Normally I keep these sort of feelings to myself, but so many people knew and adored Trigger that I feel constrained to post of her passing.  She was a wonderful friend, dog, and member of my family.  She will be sorely missed and never forgotten.