Wow....my birthday is coming up...The vets gonna eat her- words...

Just think. April seventh is just around the corner. I never thought I was gonna make it to five. Now with my newest lab work showing normal...me thinks its gonna happen. I will be five and when that day comes, me is gonna go down to that ole vets office and make her eat some of that doggie food that they have recalled. She is gonna have to eat her words coz I will have made it to my fifth birthday. I bet mom and me are going to celebrate in style. You think I will get at least ONE treat on me birthday? Maybe a Cake....or toys or...awwww hooorwooooffwing woooooooooooo maybe all the above. I will have to start making my list now...coz I AM GOING TO MAKE IT!! Rio...doing the wiggle butt dance....coz me finally sees a smile on mommys face.

Dear sweet Rio. We have fought a long battle and I am praying hard that we have many more years together. Five is not enough and I am over joyed that we will reach that mile stone...and I will always pray to have you with me for many more years. You are the wiggle butt in my life that brings me my snuggles and my heart smiles. I love you baby boy...and on that day in April..we will celebrate in style. Keep your paws crossed....your fifth birthday is growing closer each day....we give thanks to God for helping us through all the times we thought this day would not come. I love you to the moon and back. Mom

I will miss you big guy....RIP Austin..may you always feel- our love...

Austin, me did not know you were leaving...and me is so sad you had to go. You became my friend and I prayed so hard that the lymphoma would lose and that you would win this battle. You stood by my side when I was so sick and you were there chanting for me and sending me your prayers. I will never forget you or your courage. I came to love you and you will remain a part of my heart furever. Tell LB we miss her and to show you where she has hidden all her blizzards. RIP big guy...and know you will never be forgotten. I am just so very sad...Rio..wiping tears for his buddy Austin. We wuf you big guy.

Another gets her wings....I am so very very sad...

Today I got the news that a very sweet friend is leaving for the land of Rainbows. My dearest friend Cherry is losing her battle to a horrific infection. Me is so sad I just can not believe another is leaving. Just when you think you can not cry any more...another thing happens and your heart breaks again. Sweet Cherry, as much as our hearts are breaking we know your mommy is just devastated. We send her our loveand gentle hugs, and to you we say...we hope your passing is without pain and that your journey is peaceful. We never wanted you to leave. You have fought so hard and so long and this battle we were hoping you would win too. It is with a very heavy heart that we say God Speed...we will never forget you nor ever stop missing you. You are a beautiful sweet girl who already earned her wings here on earth. We love you Sweet Cherokee and we will miss you so very much. Wuf to you..
Rio and his mommy...wiping tears and wishing Cherry could stay.

There's No place Like Home!!

While I was at the vet me started getting very lonely. There were simple signs that people and doggies were thinking of me. Then I heard doggies chanting and each chant became louder and louder. Pretty soon the room was shaking with all the vibrations from those chants. Thats when the howling began. I was singing to those chanting. I thought if I sang really loud mommy would hear me and come and pick me up. Since that did not work, I tried the escape mode...but mommy came and silly me ran to her coz me was so glad to see her. Again...I was back inside the dungeon...the Vets clinic. Me was getting depressed. But I kept hearing you gotta fight Rio...cyst be Gone. So, I thought if I howled louder that it would work and I would heal and I would get to go home. You see, there truly is no place like home. Home is where you lay your head down on the pillow next to mommy and she rubs your belly while you drift off to sleep. Home is where all your squeaker toys are and your own special dog food bowl and your family. Home is where you feel so loved that you never want to leave!! That is what I missed. I just missed me HOME. So today I feel good and strong. I feel like things are going to get better and that I can beat this battle. With all my dogster pals chanting and praying for me, with the love I get from mommy and with all the boss people and doggies praying...there is just no way this wittle wiggle butt is gonna give up.
So to all of you....I heard your chants, I felt your spirits with me and through it all.....I knew I was loved. So home is truly where your heart, your friends and all that you love and that love you will always be. You see.... Home is in your heart. Even when you are away, if you are loved...you are home. I learned this but still Me is so glad to be HOme with my mommy. So I am home. I am HOME. I am HOME...and I am so grateful to have all of you here with me in spirit. I just wuf all of you. I am so very grateful to all of my dogster pals. You enrich my life and make me feel so loved. My life is blessed because of each and every one of you. You will always have a wittle piece of my heart...and I will wuf you furever and always. Rio.........

Willie, sweet brother in heart...the stars are out...and tonight I reach across the heavens to you , I take your paw...and our spirits are dancing under the stars together. Me wufs you little one.
Zoe Dingo...my sweetheart. When I came home last night, there was a special squeaker toy that you sent to me and a beaUtiFul Valentines day card. I could smell my sweetie on that card and I sniffed it for a very long time. I wuf my new toy. It is red and so cute. I wish I were not so camera shy so mommy could catch a picture of me with it. Thank you for caring about me and being with me in spirit. Happy Valentines day sweet baby girl.

To all of you, from my heart to yours...thank you for caring about a wittle bi red aussie in Kansas named RIO. I wuf you very much, Rio...wiggle butt dancing under the stars...

Looking through the eyes of Love...

I can tell that things are not going as well as mommy would like. She tends to get all teary eyed and hugs me all the time. Sometimes she touches my paws, kisses my nose and looks into my eyes and tells me she wants to memorize every little thing about me. She adores me and I adore her. Sure, sometimes theres that struggle for who gets the best spot on the bed, but lately she has been letting me win. I wonder...is that good, or bad? I heard her pray real hard last night. She asked God to give her more time. More time for what?
I think she thinks I might be going some where. I hate to tell mommy..but this fight is not over. I am not going any where. I love her to much to give up now. We have came so far this human and I and I plan on keeping her around for a while. Sometimes they say if you look into ones eyes you can see their soul.....I tend to believe, you can see all the love they feel for us. When you love something that much....you fight to stay so this battle is not over and as I look into moms eyes....I see to ....all the love she has for me.
So Today, I am going to eat. I am going to play like there is no tomorrow and tonight, I am going to snuggle real close to that human I love and look into those eyes I love so much. I bet those eyes show me she loves me as much as I love her.
Rio.................wiggle butt dancing in the sand for my friends.

Tears for Buster!!

My heart is again very sad. A friend, a kindred spirit, a fellow kidney disease fighter, a beautiful soul is leaving us for the Land of Rainbows. I sometimes wonder why I have not had to say goodbye to my mommy. I am so thankful that I have not had to do that. It would make her heart break, just as we know Kathys heart is breaking. I do not know why so many of my friends are taking the trip to the land of Rainbows but I want them to know that they will never ever ever be forgotten. Each one has touched our hearts and we will always be grateful for the friendship, laughter and yes even the tears we have all shared with each other.
So dear Buster, I will not say goodbye. I can only say that I will always miss you. You will be a part of our hearts furever. We send love and prayers to your family. We know their hearts are breaking into a cazillion pieces. Gather bones for me my friend. Someday when I have to leave mommy, I promise I will find you and we can share in the treats we have never gotten to eat while we were doggies on earth. For now....I must continue to fight this battle of cyst in my kidneys. I am not ready to leave, not yet. So we hold you close to our hearts and say God Speed sweet Buster. We will always wuv you, Rio...wiping tears ....me heart is so sad...

Watch us Dogs..you Humans could learn alot.

If a Dog were your Teacher


You would learn stuff like.....

When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.

Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.

When it's in your best interest-practice obedience..

Take naps and stretch before rising.

Thrive on attention and let others touch you.

Run, romp, and play daily.

Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do.

When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.

On hot days, lay down and rest.

No matter how often you're scolded, don't buy into the guilt thing and pout... run right back and make friends.

Eat with gusto and enthusiasm. Stop when you have had enough.

Be loyal.

Never pretend to be something you're not

When someone is having a bad day just jump in their arms and bring a happy smile.

Merry Christmas to Everyone..

On this eve before Christmas day, I wanted to thank all of you for your continued support, prayers, and chants for me. Each of you have blessed my life and helped to make my mommys days brighter. Sometimes even when you are faced with impossible odds, miracles can happen. So with each chant, and each prayer...I fight and I will continue to fight because you all have given me the strength to carry on. On this Christmas Eve, my blessings to each of you. May your days be filled with love, your bowls full of food, a treat ..for just because I love you, and a year full of health and happiness. I will forever and ever feel so blessed for having the joy of knowing each of you. From my wittle wiggle butt to all of yours, dance in the sand like there is no tomorrow, and remember always and forever I wuf each and everyone of you. Rio...

To my friends who have gone on the journey before me to the land of Rainbows, I miss you so very much. Little Bit, you are and will always be my strength and inspiration. You gave me so much, I just wish I could have given you a miracle. To Hayley and Bandit, you are together again and I know you sent your new brothers and sisters to help your mom and dads hearts heal. You will forever and ever be missed. Now I ask of you to guard all the wittle doggies that are sick and fighting to stay with their families. Please guard them well and if you can...send each of them a miracle. Merry Christmas my bridge friends. Though you are gone from body, your spirits remain with us forever. I love and miss you all very much. Wuf you, Rio..

The Honor of being Dogster of the Week.

I still am in shock..but I want to thank everyone for the love and support that has been showered upon me. So many to thank..for the rosettes, the stars, the love, prayers and the chants. Geezzzzzzzz...I knew mom loved me..but to have so many care about me makes me feel very humble. I can not thank all of you enough. I am still getting alot of IVs...but today...KNOW WHAT??? Mommy came to the vets office and told her I had never got to play in snow before...and I deserved to have some fun. So that ole vet took the needle out of my leg..and let me go home and play. I WUV the snow. I ran so fast in it. I even did the wiggle butt dance in it. Mom started taking pictures and ruined the fun..so I ran and hid till she put the camera away. She did get a couple of shots in. I hope all of you have a wonderful week. Again...thank you so very very much for caring about me. You all are so special and without you mom might be a basket case. So from my heart to all of yours...thank you. You have my undying love and devotion...forever and ever and ever. Rio...
Bowing in thanks and reaching out to all of you to give you a paw hug. thank you so much.

Update on how I am doing.

So many of you have been chanting for me and sending me your prayers. My heart is filled with love and devotion for each of you. As you know I have polycystic kidneys. Which means...the cyst take over the healthy tissue in the kidneys. Humans usually have kidney transplants when they have this disease, not so for us canines. I have had mostly good days, but lately my appetite and energy level have not been as good as they should be. Today my lab work and ultrasounds showed that the cyst are still growing and the good tissue in my kidneys is getting less. Moms tears showed me that that was probably not the best news for a me...but her hugs and kisses showed me she still loves me even with those ole nasty cyst. So today..I am getting IVs and resting at the vets. I will get them all day today and then come home with mommy tomorrow. I still plan on beating this disease. I just have to, coz I could not stand to see mom with a broken heart. As the IVs are going and I become sleepy...I can softly hear...cyst be gone...cyst be gone...and when I awaken..with a loud BARK: CYST BE GONE...I thank you for this. for the chants for your prayers and for your love and friendship. Woofin hugs to all of you. I promise....I will fight till the end. Rio.....Bowing in thanks to all his friends on dogster...