Link to article in Northwest Voice

Check this out! http://www.northwestvoice.com/home/ViewPost/42495

This is a link to the newest article about my son Jacob and his bicycle journey from Alaska to the tip of South America along the Continental Divide. His website is www.ridingthe spine.com . This article was written for the Northwest Voice by Lisa Wuertz. She also included links to Jacob's Utube videos.

Magic of Christmas with a Grandchild

The magic of Christmas continues with the addition of a grandchild! Christmas was so fun this year with little Aubrey fascinated with lights and trees, excited with the opening of gifts and full of laughter and chatter as she walks up to you with open arms to be picked up and loved. And, loved she is!!!
The first picture is Aubrey with Grandpa, 2nd is out for a Christmas morning stroll in her new wagon in our pajamas, next, looking at the tree in a wagon full of toys, opening gifts and ready for a nap after the wagon ride.

Christmas at The Thompson's

Merry Christmas from Brad, Kim, Mick, Gage and Saucie

Yes, we have entered into the empty nest stage but have filled it again with Pomeranians

Serafina's Mickey Doodle Bug CGC,RN,RA,RE

What a thrill! Mick is my first dog that I've trained and entered in competition and we have been very successful. Mick is 2 1/2 years old and at 10 months had his head and neck of his right femur removed due to Legge Perthes but you'd never know he had a problem if you saw him taking his jumps in competition. He has one more qualifying leg in a trial to complete his CD . Mick is a special dog and the bond we've formed through training is fantastic.

Aubrey's Christmas Dance

Aubrey's Christmas dance wearing her red shoes!

I'm On A Roll!!!

This picture is a wind-blown cropped picture of Mick and I at the High Desert Trials in Palmdale on November 11. I kind of looked like the Jolly Pomeranian Giant if I hadn't cropped it so I took out the whole left side!! In any case this was Leg 1 out of a needed 3 legs (qualifying scores) in Rally Excellent. Mick received First Place that day and was an awesome boy!!

The following weekend Mick placed first in Novice Obedience at Paso Robles. Novice Obedience is much stricter and the dog receives no cues or praise so Mick finds it quite boring but obviously he can do it. He is entered in December to hopefully complete his final leg in Novice Obedience and earn his CD.

Now I know, this is boring to most of you but this is my journal!! This past weekend, Nov. 23-24 I traveled to Turlock and Mick completed his Rally Excellent in B class with qualifying scores on both days and on Saturday he received a 95 earning him a Second Place behind a First Place of 96. I am so thrilled at the success I have had in training this little guy ! So , Mick is officially,

Serafina's Mickey Doodle Bug , CGC,RN,RA,RE he has also earned his TDI (Therapy Dog certification but that isn't an AKC title.

OK I saved the best for last, I also entered Saucie this weekend in the Turlock show where over 50 Pomeranians were entered thus making it what is called a 5 point Major Show!!! Those are hard to come by and lots of Professional Handlers were handling the Poms. Saucie was entered in Open Class Bitches and Won FIRST PLACE both days and went on to be RESERVE both days!!! OK, so if dog shows aren't something you are familiar with this doesn't mean much but I am on Cloud 9!!! My first points in a show are still eluding me but she and I have earned Reserve 4 shows in a row and this back to back Reserve at a major is absolutely thrilling!! I am having a blast learning to groom and handle my own dog and people are noticing Saucie and I .On to the next show, I know we are going to get WINNER'S Bitch soon and Best Of Breed, we are oh so close.

EMPTY NEST

I went out of town this past weekend and came home to an Empty Nest. Yes, after over 27 years of sharing our home with at least one of our "little boys" , the last one officially left the nest. Our youngest son Kurt, moved into his own apartment as he prepares to get married to Alisha, his fiance and girlfriend since their freshman year in high school in March. I have been excited at the idea of having a bedroom to use for my hobbies like grooming dogs, scrapbooking and just another closet to put seasonal clothing in. However, it is different , the house is quieter, the house is cleaner (although he hasn't gotten everything cleared out yet), I don't see a sleeping boy in his bed till noon or hear the noise of video games. Life is different.

Motherhood is and has been such an important part of my life. God entrusted Brad and I with three wonderful sons and we did our best to raise them to become men of God. We learned to parent, watched them take their first steps, speak their first words, become successful students , wiped tears from their eyes, shared in their triumphs , spent evenings in ER's, shared wonderful holidays and just experienced life as a family. I am so proud of each and everyone of my sons, they are our gift from God .

I look forward to this next chapter in my life..... well, actually I'm well into chapter 2 with the addition of my first grandaughter, Aubrey Paige ..... Ahhhh... isn't God good, he gave me a grandaughter!!! It will be thrilling to see what lies ahead as Justin is completing his Administrative Credential, Jacob is somewhere in Guatemala and Kurt, my dear Kurt is getting ready to get married as he works full-time and finishes school....

As for Brad and I, we are home .... we will be celebrating our 29th Anniversary this year.
I love you Brad, my husband, my lover, the father to our sons ..... WE DID GOOD!!!

The nest on its' way to being emptied. Note that Skyler the ferret is still hanging around till the apartment gets another coat of paint and the desk and computer (sideways) stays till finals are completed for the quarter.

It Was a Great Weekend!!

Saturday night little Aubrey came over while her parents went out and I had the most enjoyable time just being with my grandaughter. We shared some soup and crackers, whipped cream and some water. She got into my cupboards and took everything out and played with anything that interested her. She played with the dogs and talked with Grandpa Brad. She was happy and content and then around 9 PM she decided she was sleepy. Ahhhhh.... it is heaven on earth to have a little one lay their head on your shoulder, humm and make soft sleepy sounds and then relax and drift off to sleep. The sweetest thing Aubrey also does is to take your hand and place it on her face as she drifts off to sleep. Guess who else drifted off to sleep holding this beautiful little girl?

To make this an even better weekend, Saucie competed in Irwindale in an All Breed Dog Show where she took 2nd place in her class on Saturday and on Sunday she took 1st in her class and Reserve Bitch!!! Way to go Saucie

These pictures were taken by a friend that was attending the show.

Happy Halloween

"Let Sleeping Poms Lie" or " Dog Tired"

Mickey Doodle Bug

What a busy, busy weekend!! My local Obedience Club sponsored a Trial and I was the Hospitality Chairman . The trial had about 80 entries so there were lots of dogs, lots of people and lots of excitement. Our trial was held on Panorama Drive on the grass in front of BC overlooking the bluffs. The day began with a driver crashing into a parked car and totalling it and damaging 2 other cars. Luckily no one was hurt and no dogs were hurt although there were some in the cars.

Mick was entered in Novice Obedience and his first try in Rally Excellent. On Saturday Mick got his first leg in Obedience earning a 2nd place!! I was thrilled because I have always wanted to earn an obedience title but Mick hated strict obedience so I went to Rally but now that he has matured he was ready to compete and he showed me he could do it!! Sunday he had a 1st place going in both events till he broke a down stay in both events thus disqualifying him. Oh well, I learned a lot and Mick proved that he knew his stuff so now he will accompany me as I show Saucie and I'll try to finish his Companion Dog CD Title.

Here are a couple of pictures of Mick and I in the Rally Ring and one of Mick on his "down" in the obedience ring. I'm having the time of my life.

Aubrey Loves Dogs (Good Thing)

Aubrey came over today while Mom and DAd went out to dinner and she stood at the door making it clear she wanted to go out and play with the dogs. She was saying "Dog" and making a barking noise. She and Grandpa went out and played with the dogs and she was thrilled. She is even saying "Brapa", quite the talker but of course, we would expect her to be a talker!!!

Want a Bite?

This is a typical scene at the Thompson household whenever there is food involved. Saucie, Gage, Daisy and Mick are all keeping a close eye on Brad's burrito.

1st in Class, Reserve Winner

My mom,Saucie and I drove down to Santa Ana last weekend for the Santa Ana Dog Show. I invited Mom because her best lifelong friend, Edith Rae lives down there and I saw it as an opportunity for her to get away, visit her friend and see me at one of my dog shows. We arrived in Orange Co. Friday evening and went to dinner and visited with EdithRae and then went to our Motel 6 for a nights sleep before the dog show. It poured down rain that evening which concerned me because it was an outdoor dog show at Cypress College but, the next morning it was overcast with clouds but only an occassional sprinkle.
We arrived at the dog show early and Mom was very interested in all the different breeds and activities around the show. Saucie was brushed and readied for the show where she was entered in the Open Bitch Orange, Cream & Sable Class. A lot of dogs had dropped out because of a Parvo scare in Orange and the rainstorm but Saucie was ready! She looked gorgeous and showed well other than a little timidness when the judge examined her but she looked beautiful and I was very hopeful for her. Well, she placed third and Mom and Edith Rae were quite surprised because she was obviously the best looking Pom there (we weren't biased at all!!)
I got the opportunity to talk with other Pom people and had one person even look Saucie over and evaluate her after the show. Her conclusion, she loved Saucie and gave me lots of encouragement, she even said she would be thrilled to show her. However, probably her best advice to me was that when I went out into the ring tomorrow to go in knowing I would win, be positive !!!
Sunday morning we repeated our drive and set-up at the dog show. Saucie once again brushed and beautiful looked ready to go into the ring but I knew that today we would have a more positive attitude, I was confident we would do well. When Saucie's class was called we went in with confidence and she showed beautifully, she even behaved well on her exam by the judge and then he had us go around the ring and placed Saucie in front. My excitement was growing, could it be? Was she her favorite? YES!!! Saucie took the Blue Ribbon in her class and went on to win Reserve Winner which means if the winning bitch had won best of breed Saucie would have gone in the final round to compete for Winners Bitch. A very thrilling and successful day, now my next goal is to win some points on Saucie and then on to her Championship!!! It was a lot of fun and it was fun to have my Mom there watching me and Saucie.
I'm waiting to post this till my Win Picture is mailed. So when this is posted there should be a picture with Saucie and I and the judge who awarded her 1st Place.
CONGRATULATIONS SAUCIE, THANK YOU JULIE CLEMEN for the gift of Saucie and the opportunity to learn how to show the beautiful Rise and Shine's She's So Hot (SAUCIE)

PAIN!

Last night was a long and very frustrating evening for me but for Kurt, my youngest son it was an extremely long and painful night. Last week, September 8 Kurt woke up doubled over in pain complaining of right sided pain in the abdomen and back. I took him to the ER where they diagnosed him with a kidney stone. They gave him plenty of pain killer , took a CAT scan which found a 3mm kidney stone and sent us home with a Rx for Vicodin. Well, we naively thought he'd passed the stone since he had no more pain and we hoped it was all behind him. However, last night Kurt began to feel uncomfortable so he took the Vicodin but by 10PM the pain was increasing and we decided to return to the ER.
Well..... here is where the story takes a turn for the worse because the ER was full and by now Kurt couldn't even walk,grimacing, rapid breathing and tears falling from his eyes didn't convince the Triage nurse that he needed attention. So...... almost 4 hours later, yes you read it right , four hours later he was finally seen and he got relief with some IV Dilaudid.
That time spent in the ER was very lonely, frustrating and left me feeling so helpless as I watched my soon to be 22 year old son writhe in severe pain for four hours!!! It was a horrible experience and hopefully he will soon pass this kidney stone. Interestingly enough, the ER doctor said the stone was probably passing through the bifurcation of the ureters which is the narrowest area and thus the extreme pain. He also said that this could be Kurt's one and only kidney stone or he might be a person that has one every month!!! Whoa, that's enough to put some fear into you!!
Kurt describes the pain, now that it is being managed as feeling like someone takes a knife they have dipped in rock salt and then stabbed him in his abdomen toward his back. Poor guy. Prayers for his recovery are requested. Today he has been at home taking the Rx and straining his urine. They liken a kidney stone to having a baby so, at this point Kurt is still in labor and we're awaiting the arrival of "Little Stone"

Happy Birthday Aubrey!!!

Saturday, September 8 was my first grandchild's, first granddaughter's, first birthday! It seems like just yesterday we all gathered in the hallway at Memorial Hospital for the birth of Justin and Barbie's baby. We were so thrilled to find out it was a girl and even more surprised to find out she weighed 9lbs 14 oz.!! Anyways, here it is one year later and the baby has grown to be a beautiful blue-eyed, blond haired happy little girl that is loved and doted on by everyone but most of all by her parents who totally devote themselves to this beautiful gift from God.
Aubrey's party was held at the old Woolworth's store in downtown Bakersfield which is now an antique store but still has an old-time counter where you can go for lunch. The party was a 50's theme and Aubrey came dressed in her white poodle skirt, pink tank top and white patent leather shoes. The guests consisted of friends and family
who all enjoyed the french fries and root beer floats followed by a homemade birthday cake that was baked and decorated by Justin.
I can't believe I'm a Grandma to the sweetest, prettiest little girl in the world!
Little Aubrey is a very important member of the Thompson family, we love and adore her and pray for God's continued blessings.

Saucie's California Debut

Well, I got up at 4:30 this morning , got dressed, ate breakfast , loaded the car with Saucie and headed to Santa Barbara for the Santa Barbara Kennel Club Show. This was to be Saucie's first time showing in California and my first time showing by myself. I got to the Warren Show Grounds in Santa Barbara, parked , got out to open the back (leaving my purse and keys in the car) couldn't open the door so I pressed what I thought to be the "unlock" button. Well, you guessed it, I locked the car with my phone , money, keys and worst of all "SAUCIE"!!!! I had arrived early and luckily a tow truck helped me by unlocking the car and I had time to spare.
Saucie was bathed and brushed and with a few finishing touches we were ready for the ring. I got a call of encouragement from my good friend Annette in Washington a little before our ring time. When our time came Saucie was a little shy of all the people, dogs and noise and had her ears laying back but with encouragement she quickly calmed down. Well, out into the ring we went and she did a fabulous job other than moving away from the judge during the examination. She stood perfectly and had a cute alert expression on her face. We didn't win but we were awarded SECOND PLACE!!! Now we are going to get busy and train for our next show in Santa Ana in Sept.where we want to win a Blue Ribbon (LOL) It is fun and I'm so proud to have the privilege of showing a Rise N Shine pom thanks to my very good friend Julie Clemen. We plan to make Julie very proud of us as Saucie and I learn the art of "Dog Shows" and become a working team. It was a long day, I got home about 5:30 PM, tierd, hungry but feeling very good about the day.

Saucie , Ready for the Show

School has started once again but for the first time in many , many years it hasn't been a big occasion. After being a district nurse for 17 years I find myself working as a Program Nurse for the Kern Co. Supt. of Schools in a program that has year round school so there isn't a beginning and an end to the classes. I work in Alternative Ed and do health assessments on students that are incarcerated or students that are attending Community School and the majority of my day is working with Pregnant and Parenting Teens. It is an exciting change and I still have a lot to learn but I think the change is going to be good.

I'm preparing to go to Santa Barbara on Saturday with Saucie where I have entered her in her first California show. I'm anxious to see how I do without my Washington friends at ringside but I know they are excited that I'm taking this big step. Saucie has been washed, brushed, trimmed , walked and practiced on the table so hopefully we are ready. Saucie has adjusted well to her new home and she and I have formed a real bond so hopefully she will trust me in the ring and together we can make Rise N Shine Pomeranians proud of us!! It will be fun and it will be good experience.

Saucie practicing her stand on the table

Relaxation

It has been over a year since Brad and I have taken the time to do something we both enjoy and find extremely relaxing --- Kayaking. It looks like a lot of exercise and it can be when the wind or the tide comes up but the majority of the time it is a very peaceful and quiet time just to relax and enjoy your surroundings. We've owned kayaks for three years and love going up to Huntington Lake, Florence Lake, Monterrey Bay, Lake Ming, Lake Isabella and Morro Bay. Last Saturday we packed up the car and kayaks(this is a lot of work and Brad does it so willingly because I am almost no help at all) and headed to Morro Bay.

AHHHH...... it was so nice to step out of the car and feel the cool air and feel the mist on our faces from the foggy clouds that hung over the bay. A lot more comfortable than the over 100 degree temperatures we are experiencing in Bakersfield! We paddled around Morro Bay for 2 1/2 hours looking at Pelicans, Boats, Sea Otters and just enjoying the ocean breeze. Afterwards we enjoyed a delicious lunch , I had Clam Chowder in a Bowl while Brad had Fish N Chips. DELICIOUS!! It was a wonderful day, we enjoyed the time together, the time on the water and the time of relaxation.

Kim The Handler

This is a picture taken in Portland when I was getting my experience at handling show dogs. This is Windy who took 2nd that day in 6-9 month Puppy Bitches

Rally Advanced Title x 2

Official picture taken by photographer July 10 when Mick placed 2nd and Gage placed 4th in Rally Advanced. This was their 3rd leg with a qualifying score and they both earned their RA titles. It was a windy weekend in Ventura thus the windblown look.

Poms, Poms and more Poms

This is me with Gage, Saucey and Mick taken this evening in Doodle Bug Park.

Gage and Saucey are littermates.

VACATION

Where do I start? I spent the last two weeks enjoying a road trip to see friends, family, dogs and the beautiful Northwest. I left early on Friday July, 13 with Mick and Gage in their crates and the car packed to its' max with clothing, dog equipment, food, water and anything else I could fit in. We arrived at Julie Clemen's house Saturday after about 15 hours of driving and had a great time getting reacquainted and seeing the Little Paws Kennel and all her Pomeranians. The cool, clean Northwest air was wonderful even though the people living there thought it was hot! The next day I traveled with Annette (Julie's cousin and also good friend) to a breeder's house where we picked out 4 Poms to add to Julie's breeding stock. The trip was filled with lively conversation as we munched on fresh picked marionberries and raspberries. On Wednesday, Annette and I loaded up her truck for the Brush Prarie Dog Show and as Julie waved good-bye to us I was excited at the prospect of handling a dog in the Pomeranian Specialty. Annette and I spent 4 days showing 5 different dogs and boy is that the way to get broken in!!! It was a rush to get dogs brushed and combed and ready to go out in the ring and then hurrying to the ring to show the dog. I showed Wendy, a black Pomeranian in the 6-9 month Puppy Bitches ring (she embarassed me by peeing in the middle of her walk for the judge) and then Saucie in Open Bitches Orange. Oh yeah, and the best thing of all is that Julie has given me Saucie so that I can show her in California!!! Saucie is Gage's littermate sister and is a beautiful, petite orange female who I am so honored to be entrusted with and excited to have such a beautiful, well-trained dog to learn how to handle in the show ring. We had a great week and were fairly successful although , of course, we would have loved to get Best In Show but for some of the puppies first time out and it being my first time out it was a fun but exhausting experience. My sister Julie came and spent 2 nights with us at the Portland Dog Show so she got to experience a little of "my new world" too.After leaving the Dog Show I headed up to Seattle and Lake Stevens to visit Julie and then down to Gig Harbor to visit my nephew Ross and his family at his beautiful home. The Pacific Northwest is sooooo...... BEAUTIFUL!! Yes, I love it and would move up there if there was a way. LOL!!

I spent the remainder of the week visiting with my friend Julie and learning all I could about Pomeranians and their health, grooming, funny antics and visiting Olympia. I helped mow lawns, exercise dogs, dry dogs and cuddle dogs. I stayed at Julie's parents house and what gracious hosts they were to this strange Californian that loves Pomeranians as much as their daughter!! I feel so blessed to have made such good friends in Julie and Annette (my husband calls them the "POM MAFIA") and I look forward to many more "Pom Adventures" and visits to Olympia, WA.