*OurGirlBailey

On Wednesday February 16th, I was put in a position that no pet owner ever wants to encounter. A desperate scramble to the veterinary ER. Wondering why our girl Bailey struggled to get to her feet and walk. Legs buckling and labored breathing. God knows what spilling all over the back seats of the car and thinking of the least painful way to tell the kids Bailey might not come home again. Thankfully that last thought never had to happen. After a full week of nerve wracking back and forth with the emergency clinic and phone calls and uncertainty, Bailey is finally home and on the road to recovery as of today. We're so grateful to the team who made sure Bailey didn't cross that bridge. We weren't ready to let her go, not with being so young in her life and so loved in ours. The recovery will be long, but pales in comparison to the time we now get to live out with her. While it was worth every penny to keep Bailey here with us, it was unfortunately pennies we barely had. Setting aside pride and embarrassment has been it's own journey, but a necessary one. I lost a lot of work in January, due to a sudden accident, a last minute trip to say goodbye to my grandma who was battling lung cancer and a nasty bout with COVID. Rebounding from that large gap in wages has been a painfully slow work in progress. The humility and humbleness gained from all this is overwhelming and has been the ultimate push in gaining the courage to ask for help. Help in a time of unprecedented and unplanned emergency. An emergency that forced us to come face to face with immediate decisions involving love, heartbreak and tough calls. It's these moments that truly make you realize what's so special in life. Maybe we won't be the family that vacations or has fun gadgets and toys or gets to splurge on experiences. But we will be the family that gets to have a home, food on the table and the chance to make more memories with our extended furry family members. Anything helps. And if anyone would like more information, I'm open to sharing Bailey's story. I'll be posting her recovery for all to keep track if interested. We thank you from the bottom of all our hearts, especially miss Bailey Kin Kins.