Turkey Aches

Thanksgiving has come and gone! As you get older, holidays take more and more responsiblity, almost lose their magic in all the running around. Erik is from a small town in central Nebraska, and I was born and raised here in Omaha, with family scattered all across the midwest. Holidays usually involve travel, meaning car rides!
Sammy knows (and loves) the phrase car ride:

(this was his exact reaction to "ready for a car ride, Sammy?" I finally had the camera ready!)Sammy is wonderful on car rides. He knows its gonna be something exciting, but more importantly he is involved, and that is really all he cares about. The car ride to Axtell takes about 3 hours, which most of it he sleeps...evertime! When we inch near, Sammy wakes up somehow and boy does he let you know he is excited.

Sammy knew where we were when we got there, and knew he had doggie friends! That night it was just him and the family dog. (As I said before, I feel bad saying her name, so I refrain using "she," "her," "family dog," "Erik's dog" etc.) She has grown a huge attachment to Sammy, and now likes me by extension (she doesn't like, well about anyone). Sammy can get her to play and play, and she even instigates it now! I am impressed with both of them. After dinner, they got leftovers! We had meat with noodles and potatos...yum yum! They each got a small serving of meat with noodles!

The next morning we were awakened by the family dog busting out closed bedroom door! (Common thing.) It scared us to death! She kept coming back til we got Sammy out of bed! We barely got him out the door to go to the bathroom, they both wanted to play so bad! I got his breakfast ready for him, but he was uninterested. His food was shared by the other animals before he took a stab at it. Really, I think the only reason he ate his quarter of a bowl was because he wanted to take it back from Sneezy, the cat! It was ok though, Erik's mom gave each dog a pumpkin pancake each! And, they were delicious! Mmm mmm.

Then they played outside, then inside, then outside again....nonstop all morning! It was really fun to watch! Then Sammy's cousin, Bella the huge black lab, was coming! Sammy was in doggie heaven! He got to have 2 dogs, 1 cat and like a million people to give him attention! The dogs were to remain outside during the festivites. Sammy is young and impressionable, and has learned some tricks from Bella.

Bella is a very hungry dog, a bottomless pit for food! She can smell food 4 miles away, I believe. Bella knew why she had to be outside. At first Sammy couldn't care less, he had tons of other things to do. He could run wherever he wanted without a leash and collar, be one with nature! He had another dog and cat to play with and tons of people to greet as they came in, he didn't need to be bothered by what Bella was up to. Bella however has an imfamous whine, to match her uber sensitive nose; Sammy's new trick. Bella started to whine at the glass door on the front porch. That caught Sammy's ear (it should have as big as they are!). He decided to check it out. And to his dismay, he saw all the people sitting at tables with plates full of yummy foods bigger than he! Bella had an alliance with the new pup!

They salavated at that door! After we finished dinner, I took a second to go see Sammy and let him know he was not forgotten. When I got out there, there were 2 puddles (one much larger than the other) where those two had been sitting. They were piles of drool from watching the American Holiday at it's finest! Bella's drool puddle was beginning to drip down to the next step! It was disgusting, and amazing. Later I snuck out some pie crust to give to each dog (Sammy got the biggest.) Also Erik's mom brought out a plate (yes plate) of a peice of turkey with gravy for each dog. So they were happy.

Once the extended family left, it was down to Erik's parents, Erik's brother and his wife, Erik's sister and her fiancee, and us. The dogs were allowed back in, and Sammy hadn't had his nap yet so he took refuge on my lap and passed out! After a little bit of time, I got out the dogs' Thanksgiving treat. Turkey and crossiant compressed rawhides! Bella got her crossiant in the kitchen, and the other two got theirs in the living room so Bella wouldn't try to steal anyones!

We then took off, back to Omaha. Sammy passed out before we turned the car on! He slept the WHOLE way and was carried inside. He wouldn't get up for anything but dinner. After dinner it was a struggle to get him outside, and immediately he came in and fell over asleep! I however, needed to put up my Christmas decorations! Sammy gave up very quickly and just went into the bedroom while I continued to work. He slept the whole night, and was upset when it was time to get up at 8am.

Friday morning, it was time to have some Thanksgiving time with my family. We went over to my grandparents where my mom (who lives next door) prepared a Thanksgiving breakfast for us all. Sammy started energized and gave my grandma (Monie) a big hello, but quickly tired out. He just slept while we ate.

After we left, he slept pretty much the rest of the afternoon. I started to wonder if he had too many left overs and snacks through the holiday. Today (Saturday) I was home with him all day, and he just whined and jumped on my lap to sleep and get attention. He definatley had too much for his little tummy. I feel bad for him. We are going to have to be more carful at Christmastime. Sammy's tummy is a little more delicate than most dogs I think, because he seems to have tummy aches alot. Oh well, he needed to be lathargic, it was his Thanksgiving, too! His first, at that! He is already feeling better, and I don't think he regrets a bite!