You’ve seen all the meme…
Truth!
That couldn’t be a truer statement.
We started the year with a heartbreaking goodbye to our beloved Stella, but there have been silver linings—ones we’re clinging to with the same determination as Tom Cruise hanging off a plane in Mission: Impossible.
At the same time, life keeps moving…
January began with us saying goodbye to Stella, our little princess and baby girl—the scrappy poodle who showed up on our doorstep in 2011. If you don’t know the story, she wandered into our yard one day, looking like she’d been through the wringer (as you can see below). And from that moment on, she was family.
No tags, no collar, three pounds (March 2011)
I took her straight to our local vet, who confirmed what I feared—without a collar or tags, she had likely been abandoned (the horror!), and judging by her condition, she had been fending for herself for quite some time (cue my heart breaking). We had the option of bringing her to the local shelter, but when I asked if I could take her home for a meal, a bath, and a good night’s sleep with the intent to ultimately keep her, they simply said, “You can do that too.”
So, I did. The moment we walked through the door, she curled up next to Buster, our pitbull, as if she had always belonged there. And just like that, she burrowed her way into our hearts forever.
She knew what she was doing when she showed up in our yard and lived her best life for 14 years.
Two years ago, we learned that Stella had an enlarged heart. She even had her own cardiologist and spent nearly two years on medication as we did everything we could to manage her symptoms. But in the last few months, as her coughing episodes worsened, we knew the time was coming. On January 2nd, we made the heartbreaking decision to say goodbye, holding her close and loving on her until she took her last breath.
The grief was heavy—it took me about two weeks to emerge from the fog. We were gutted. Even now, I still catch myself looking for her, and when the realization hits, the loss feels just as raw. She was that dog—the one who sets the standard, the one who leaves a permanent mark on your heart.
Over the hill and through the woods…
Next month, I’ll speak on a panel at the Top Workplaces USA Summit in Las Vegas (Vegas, baby!). It’s been a while since I’ve been onstage, and for those who know me well, they might have to wrestle the mic out of my hands. The hubby is coming along, and for the second half of the trip, we’re going back to the Sphere to see Dead & Co. Do I follow them religiously? No. Do I know their music? Kind of. Am I going for the experience? Absolutely. We’ll be staying at Resorts World and The Linq, keeping our streak alive—fun fact: we’ve never stayed at the same hotel in Vegas twice.
Then in mid-summer, we’re off to London! I’ve been deep in research mode, planning what to see and mapping out our routes. We’re checking off a major bucket list item—seeing Oasis at Wembley! We’re also hitting up the Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour, exploring landmarks, and diving into the museums.
We also hope to squeeze in a trip to Universal Florida for Halloween Horror Nights. By far, it's my favorite theme park destination, even though I’m not a rollercoaster kinda gal. With the opening of Epic Universe, I can’t wait to see the new Mario World and more.
But “weight,” there’s more…
Back in November, I wrote about Taking My Shot, and here’s the update: We’re still using GLP medication for weight loss, and I’m officially down 30 pounds since June 2024! Even better, I’m 40 pounds down from my first GLP experience in 2023 and a full 60 pounds from my highest weight ever. I feel alive again! I’ve also started going back to the gym—time to get my joints moving with cardio and strength training. We have those trips I mentioned, and I want to build both muscle and stamina for all the walking ahead.
2025 is shaping up to be quite a ride.
