Aug. 18: You may have noted over the last week or two that our website has been down.
The server upon which it lived has reached the end of its life, and I am in the process of moving to a new hosting service. Ben, our terrific brother-in-law, has hosted our website for the last year and a half. In the next month or two, he’ll be trying to retrieve the data from our website off the now-defunct server. In the meantime, I’ll start a new site from scratch.
Joe is off to college
Aug. 18: Dad and I waved goodbye to Joe as he and Mom and Michael pulled out of the drive way and drove down Dennis Drive and they began the long trip to Maine. Joe is off to Bowdoin College this fall, and we are all so very excited for him. Makes me think back a lot to what it was like to leave for college. There are so many unknowns. So much excitement and terror and glee and fear.
After leaving his stuff in his room, Joe will head off for a pre-orientation frosh trip to Acadia National Park for a four day hiking trip. Bryan and I are hoping to head out to visit and to do some camping of our own on the Maine coastline sometime soon. Photos I snapped the day of Joe’s departure are in the gallery.
Float’n down the river
Aug. 14:
We just got back from the Babler family’s annual trip to Jack’s house on the Wisconsin River. I kept remembering back to last year when Andrew was so very little (and rather unhappy that month). He’s such a different kid now. And such a marvel! We did all the regular activities…played games, ate loads of yummy food, floated down the river, and sat outside and watched the stars come out. Andrew stayed out of the river again this year, but maybe in another year or two we’ll think of bringing him along in a canoe. It was a fun trip…commemorating Joe’s last weekend in Wisconsin before he heads out to Maine for college this fall.
And we were all so much more light-of-heart because of Mom’s continued excellent health. Photos of our weekend are in the gallery.
I got to go Up North!
Aug. 12: I just spent a really fun few days up north near Three Lakes, Wisconsin with my friends the Riccios. Back in high school, I traveled up north with Debbie, Liza, and Julia for happy summer times. Our group has grown, and I haven’t been up to Whispering Pines in about eight years. I drove up north solo (sans husband or baby!) on Wednesday and had to leave on Friday, but during our trip together, we read, played Mille Borne, canasta, and euchre, took walks, and played in the lake. I missed my sweet boys, but it was so nice to get away for a bit. Bryan was just wonderful to take on single-parenthood for a few days while I played in the woods. Photos of my time are in the gallery.
Realities
July 30: It was occurring to me this morning that most of my posts are about how fun and wonderful Andrew is. I put pictures of our trips and visits with friends, I happily announce Andrew’s developmental milestones, and for the last six months, I’ve had only positive things to say about Mom’s health. So as I was looking at the loads of laundry and the dirty kitchen floor and thinking about the weeds in my garden, I thought that maybe it was time to post a more mundane update.
Hope you can make it to Mom’s party on Saturday!
May 25: Mom’s carpe diem party is nearly here! I hope you can make it.
Here’s a reminder of the details…
Date: Saturday, May 27
Time: 11 am – 4 pm
Place: Token Creek Park, just north of Madison on Highway 51 (details below)
We’re looking forward to celebrating my mom’s good health and thanking you for all of your support over the last year. There’s no need to bring any food to the party; it’s our thank you to you!
The entrance to Token Creek Park is on Highway 51, one-half mile north of I-90/94. When going north, it is on your right, just after the Pine Cone filling station. If you reach Highway 19, you will have gone too far north.
Shelter #5 is toward the back of the park. Follow the road up the hill and keep your eye open for signs and balloons!
If you have any questions on the day of the party, you can reach me on my work cell phone: 333-1475 or on Mom’s cell phone 239-5453.
A map is included below. If you have other questions, please give me a call.
Farewell April
April Dotzour
Madison, WI
— April, a 5 ½ year-old golden retriever, died on May 22, 2006.
Her sunny disposition didn’t keep her safe from cancer, and it was fibrosarcoma of the upper jaw that led to her death. April was born on October, 18 2000 at a kennel in Michigan. She was adopted into the hearts and home of Althea and Bryan Dotzour on June 18, 2002.
April participated in a wide variety of activities including obedience and agility classes. While she never really go the hang of running an agility course (she just liked to tear around the equipment), she did receive the AKC Canine Good Citizen award for her good behavior. In 2003, April passed a series of tests and became a registered therapy dog through Therapaws of Michigan and Therapy Dogs, Inc. April and Althea visited the University of Michigan’s pediatric physical therapy and cardiology units weekly where April spread happy dog vibes to sick and sad patients and their families. It was amazing the way people’s faces lit up when April came into the room. Her favorite activity was catching balls for children who were working to develop arm mobility and strength. In doing physical therapy, April made a positive impact in many peoples’ lives.
April’s favorite activities included eating, chasing balls at the dog park with her dad, running “crazies” around in the yard, and exuberantly greeting friends. She spent many happy hours cuddling or being pet by those who loved her. April’s heart was made ecstatic by many of her human and canine friends who will sorely miss her alert, welcoming face.
A retrospective of photos of April is available online.
Survivors include her mom and dad, Althea and Bryan; her boy, Andrew; and her fellow feline fur-faces, Bowser and Spooky. We are all so sad to see her go. A dogwood will be planted at the Dotzour home in honor and celebration of April’s beautiful spirit. In lieu of flowers, give your favorite pet or person a big hug.
“Happiness makes up in height for what it lacks in
length.” ~ Robert Frost
Relay for Life
Hello everyone! Happy Spring! Joe, the wee-est of the Bablers, here again.
A little less than a year ago, I asked for your support in my school’s local Relay for Life fundraiser and you were all extremely generous in your financial support of this great cause. Last year, the De Forest community raised over $20,000 for Relay for Life and they are trying for a similar goal again. A year ago, the event was held just two months after my mother’s diagnosis. Now, a year later, we all have something to celebrate! Mom will be walking in the survivor’s walk!
Last year I was involved in Relay for Life through my NHS, but this year some friends and I decided to get a team of our own together. The event starts June 9 when we all gather around the high school’s track.
People sent up tents, sell food, walk laps, and generally have a good time until the ceremony begins. The ceremony is aimed to bring hope to those with cancer, and celebrate those who have defeated cancer. They also sell paper bags with sand and a candle in them, which you can donate in memory or honor of a person, for $5 and line them around in the inside of the track. They then turn the stadium lights out and light all the bags for an amazing effect.
Anything you are willing to send is more than enough. In the past, donations of $10 to $50 were normal. If you want, you can send cash and I can buy paper bags and write any names you would like on them. Thank you in advance for your support!
Checks can be made payable to: Relay for Life
Send your donations to:
Joseph Babler
4575 Dennis Drive
Madison, WI 53704
April is getting much worse
May 8: Our dog, April, has had fibrosarcoma, a bone cancer in her jaw for the last 10 months. See my post from late July when I described her diagnosis. We had the lump on her upper jaw removed in July, and it didn’t start to come back until January. It’s been growing steadily for the last five months, and now it’s really starting to bother her. Chemotherapy and radiation aren’t effective treatments of fibrosarcoma. If her cancer had started on a limb, we would have had the limb amputated, but the only real treatment was to have her jaw amputated. And even then, the median life expectancy was only about 16 months after the surgery. So last summer we elected not to do the invasive (and gross) jaw removal surgery.
We’ve had our fingers crossed that the tumor would grow back slowly and would be something that didn’t bother her too much. April has been on prednisone and antibiotics for the last month to help with the side effects of the tumor. But this week, it has become clear to us that this isn’t a sustainable situation.
April is in pain, and she’s been bleeding a lot recently. We still don’t know when, but we have started talking to our vet about when to put her down.
This really breaks my heart, because she is such a good, loving, and joyful dog. I went through the hundreds of photos I have of her from over the last five years and compiled a retrospective album of April. I love how April’s joyful spirit shines through these photos. I also recently took some photos of April playing with our neighborhood dogs and some of her sitting on our lawn last night. She was very happy and rolling in the grass that night. See those photos in April’s April album.
From being a therapy dog at the Hospital in Michigan, to letting Andrew paw all over her to running her “crazies” around the yard, April has been a wonderful dog and family member. I’m hoping we don’t have to take any actions soon, but it is inevitable. I’ll let you know when there is news. In the meantime, feel free to come by (if you’re in the area) to
give April a hug.
Joe’s going to college in Maine!
April 3: On Saturday, Joey finally heard back from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. He was accepted! Bowdoin was his first choice, and after an agonizing couple of days, he confirmed his decision today by sending in an admittance fee and his acceptance card. So come the end of August, Andrew, Mom, and I will be driving Joe out to Maine. He is so excited (and I’d guess a little nervous)! On Sunday, Bryan and I hosted a party to celebrate his acceptance. We had clam chowder and "polar bear burgers" since the polar bear is Bowdoin’s mascott. For more info on Bowdoin College, visit their website or see the photos from the trip Joe and I took to Maine in October.