Foster Care: Year Two

Troy and I are wrapping up our second year fostering dogs for Friends Of Animals so here's the recap of pups that have come and gone in 2011.

  

Drake (Black Lab)

Most readers of this blog already know about Drake. Drake came into our lives last December as a dog who needed long-term fostering. At the age of 3, he had been diagnosed with progressed bone cancer, and was no longer a suitable candidate for adoption. We couldn't stand the thought of this poor boy bouncing between foster homes in his frail condition so we asked to adopt him. FOA was so kind to waive the adoption fee, and turned Drake's papers over to us for keepsakes. We had Drake for over three months before he passed away in March.

Though we knew Drake wouldn't be with us for long, his passing was hard. Troy and I took a brief hiatus from fostering for a few months while we focused on traveling. Come late summer we were ready to pick up another pup.

Penny (German Pointer)

Penny was also a long-term fostering case. This young dog had been running as a stray when she was hit by a car, and broke her front leg. She needed a foster home for several weeks until the cast could come off, and she could return to the shelter.

Besides Drake and Penny, all our other dogs were short-term fosters, and stayed with us just until they could find a home. The average turnaround time for our short-term fosters has been about two weeks.

Lola (Miniature Pincher)

Melody (Cocker Spaniel)

Pluto (Cocker Spaniel)

Porsche (Pit Bull/Lab). 

Porsche had a heartbreaking past. While most of the dogs are strays that have been picked up by various shelters before making their way to FOA, Porsche came to FOA after being involved in an animal cruelty/neglect case. She had scars reflecting past beatings, and even though she had been removed from the violent situation, any fast movement would make her hunker down and cry. Luckily this sweet girl found a home quickly because Troy and I were seriously tempted to add her to our permanent family. ;)

Taz (Pekingese) 

Colonel (Terrier Mix)

Vigo (Schnauzer/Poodle)

Pilgrim (Chihuahua)

Trying to update my blog with Pilgrim snoozing on my arm. ;)

Here's looking forward to another great year filled with many fur-kids! 

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Our last stop on our Mexican cruise was Cabo. When I did this cruise about seven years ago, I remember Cabo being my favorite of the three stops so I was thrilled that we got not one, but two days to soak up the sun in Cabo.

Beautiful beaches. We followed the same itinerary as Puerto Vallarta. All we did is play on the beach all day!

Boat ride and snorkeling on day one.

Jet skiing, playing in the surf, and building sandcastles with the little ones on day two. It was definitely a relaxing vacation!

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The week of Halloween the entire Madsen crew set sail on a Mexican cruise. Now Troy and I have done this same cruise before, but not together. Troy went on a Mexican getaway shortly after returning from his mission, while I picked this cruise as a celebration for my upcoming 19th birthday. I can't speak for Troy, but the first time around, I did a ton of sight seeing. I took cab tours around the outskirts of town, and used entire days trekking through town on foot. This go around I just wanted to relax. Troy and I spent all our time in Puerto Vallarta lounging on the beach and snorkeling.

Beach time!

The city from the ship

More travel posts tomorrow!

Birthday Girls!

Lucy                                      Desi

Our old pups just got a year older. The Corgs are now 14!

2011 Running Review

Yesterday's 5K will more than likely be my last race for 2011. The Utah racing scene is pretty sparse for the next few weeks, and with the upcoming holiday and all the time I've been spending on the slopes, it doesn't break my heart to hold off until the snowshoe races kick off in January. So how did I do in 2011? Here's the final tally:

three 5Ks
five 10Ks
seven half marathons
four full marathons

I absolutely loved every experience, even though some races were better than others, and plan to do all these same races again next year with the exception of the 4th of July Half and the SoJo Marathon. I do, however, plan to increase the number of races I complete next year, and push my limits with my first ultra marathon in April!

Girls On The Run 5K Results, Plus Some Good News

This morning I ran the Girls on the Run 5K, but before I get to the main event, let me give you a little background. Girls on the Run is a non-profit organization geared towards preteen girls. Their mission is to "develop self-respect and healthy lifestyles through running." I became involved as a running buddy for GOTR this summer. One of the local training sites just so happens to be the elementary school I worked at for the past two years so I was thrilled about the opportunity to still be involved with these students I love so much.

I was assigned as a running buddy for eight-year-old Hannah, a former student of mine. We did a few training runs over the past few weeks, and today was the big day. The race was held in Sugarhouse Park, which is pretty hilly, and today was quite icy. This didn't stop Hannah. She was going all out, just like she had done in our training runs, and tackled those hills without problem. We went just over two miles before she took her first walking break, and we crossed that finish in 42 minutes! It was such an amazing time, and I really can't wait to begin training again for the April race.

And on the topic of running, here's a little good news. This week I was offered the opportunity to be a race pacer for American Flyers. Woohoo! Free race entry? Yes please! My first pacing experience will be the St. George Half Marathon in January!

Winter Playlist

It's time to break out those Yaktrax, and get ready for some winter running!

Bulletproof - La Roux
Hook Me Up - The Veronicas
Like A G6 - Far East Movement
I Got It From My Mama - Will.i.am
Lollipop - Mika
We'll Be Alright - Travis McCoy
We No Speak Americano - Yolanda Be Cool
Sexy and I Know It - LMFAO
Please Don't Go - Mike Posner
How You Like Me Now - The Heavy

6 Down, 94 To Go

Our winter challenge has begun! This year Troy and I are going to log 100 days of skiing, and so far we're ahead of schedule. The resort has been open for seven days; I've skied six of those days. We'll be hitting those triple digits in no time!