Hello to all our friends, old and new *wave*

I wanted to share some milestones with you because they are things that only people here will truly appreciate.

Darcy has just enjoyed her second Christmas as a tripawd.  That in itself is amazing enough but even more amazing and wonderful is that she picked this special time to add on a couple more 'firsts' (firsts being things that she's not done since before her diagnosis and amp/chemo).

Darcy has been enjoying some lovely walks.  She's so reluctant to go out but once she's there, she really enjoys herself.  When we were out the other day, I was remembering how - in the early days after her surgery - she'd get as far as the first bench or bush and then lay down and refuse to go any further.  These days, although she sometimes stops for a breather, she rarely lays down at all.

This is her with Sprout, doing fabulous cornering!

She's had great fun playing with one particular new toy.  It's not one which I'd have thought she'd give a second glance to but for some reason, she adores it

And now onto the first 'first'.  Some of you might remember that a few months ago, I reported that Darcy had gone to the toy basket and stuck her head in it for the first time since surgery.  But she'd not picked a toy - she'd just looked in and then come away.  Well, the other night, she went to the box, looked in, selected a toy and then carried it back to her bed - yayyyyyyyyyy!!

Here she is, arriving back at her bed with it!

And then another 'first' was when she stood, along with everyone else, to eat treats on Christmas Day.  I don't know if anyone else has found this but since Darcy became a tripawd she has found it difficult (as silly as this sounds) to stand up on three legs AND eat.  Normally she would take the treat to her bed and lay down to eat it.  So that gave me a big smile too.

And then she stole a turkey sandwich of hubby's plate on Christmas night!  Hahahaha.  (Who else do you know apart from us mad dog owners who would delight in such a thing?!).

AND - on the night she did the toy box thingy, I was sitting here at the computer downloading the pics when I heard a funny noise behind me.  I turned around and saw Darcy with her one front leg up on the kitchen counter, stealing a teatowel!!  She's not done that for YEARS!!  My camera was on the wrong setting so the colour is all vile but I just managed to catch her on the way down from her counter surfing...

How naughty and fantastic is THAT?!

So.  If you are reading this post within a few hours, days or weeks of learning that your beloved dog has bone cancer, just remember that sometimes, we can get a miracle.  These Darcy pics come to you 14.5 months from the day we heard the dreaded news and as each day, week and month goes by, Darcy is doing more and more of the things she used to do before That B****** Disease touched our lives.

I know that this may not go on forever - but what does?  Today things are good and we are loving every moment.

Darcy and I (and the rest of our gang) wish you all a very happy, healthy and prosperous 2009 and we raise our glasses (and treats) to Spirit Dog Jerry and those who are with him.

Bev & Darcy

x