A to the C to the L

It has been nearly a week since I returned from North America and I am getting back into my South American routine. While I was gone Matt developed a new Sunday routine, which includes a lot of football. It creates a feeling of comfort here {to hear him yelling at the television in between the English commercials from America. Seriously. This makes us happy.} although it doesn't look or feel the way I expect it to when football season rolls around. I am definitely going through some severe fall withdrawal.
But the stars aligned, quite literally, and while I make this post I have the pleasure of watching the Emmy Awards, in English, with no subtitles. Thank You Universe.
Speaking of stars aligning and the universe taking care of me, did I mention that I get to return to North America in 3 weeks.... With the hubs. Yep.
But I am getting a bit ahead of myself and need to back up and share another installment of my USAdventure.

{Warning: This is going to be a lot of dogs}
But first, more pictures of the Pour House.
I told you I spent a lot of time there
{and thoroughly enjoyed every minute}


I also enjoyed a Starbucks latte or two or three.







{i love her. and I told you there was going to be a lotta dogs. not done yet}


I've got a few more pictures to share of both dogs & The Pour House, but first I need to get you up to speed.
About 2 years ago Bella had a play date with another boxer and soon afterward we noticed she seemed to be avoiding using her left hind leg. She would hold it up and not put pressure on it. I took her to the vet and was told that she probably played too hard and needed to take it easy for a while. From time to time we would notice it, but it she would quickly return back to her normal 4 stanced self and it never affected her ability to run & play.
While I was in Tennessee my family and I noticed that Bella appeared to be holding up her left leg again and at times even limping. My parents have a wonderful vet & friend that I was able to get Miss Bella to see. After Bella's visit to Dr. Sam in which she received some nice drugs and I received some x-rays, we found some good news and not so fabulous news.
This is Bella on drugs.

Half of my heart hurt for the poor doped out dog. The other half guitily giggled at her.
Good News: Bella's heart murmur is still a small murmur and is not causing any problems. Fabulous.
Not so Good News: Bella's got an ACL issue. It is likely that she has a tear in her ACL and this will continue to be an issue for our active midsize dog until she has surgery. In the x-rays it was visible that Bella's left hind leg muscle is much smaller than her right.
It was recommended that Bella try swimming to build her left leg muscle while not putting additional strain onto her knee. But Dr. Sam has seen her swim. Enough said.
We were determined to give it a go.... So a swimming we went.

She was in hell.

We actually did have her swim and not stay on a float the whole time. But when she wasn't on a float she had a pure panic attack and flailed about in the water... On the float she 'calmed down'.
Does she look calm?

After we finished swimming, Bella was quite proud of herself {I may have been pretty proud too}.
Her ego may have been inflated a teensy bit.
She strutted around the Pour House like a Billy Boxer Bad Ass.

Her mohawk even made an appearance...

After consulting Matt, we decided that we would go forth with the surgery. My wonderful parents are in the process of meeting with a surgeon to get his second opinion and then Bella will become a patient at the Schoenfelder house. And as a former frequent patient at the Schoenfelder house, I know she is in good hands...

...and paws.