Holding On While Letting Go

This post comes from a heavy, heavy heart. If you haven't heard from us much lately, here's why.

For the last three months, Roscoe and I have been battling his cancer. He was diagnosed in early April 2025 with Osteosarcoma in his hind leg. It's ironic; the same surgery that fixed his CCL tear is the same surgery that fated his cancer. While the surgery gave him six more years of pain free adventures, hiking, walking, visiting the mountains it is also what killed him. I hope, and I believe, that this is a trade-off he was willing to make.

After vet visits, cancer consultations, talking with a pet medium, and a lot of crying I decided to let Roscoe live out the rest of his days at home. For those of you who know Mr. Roscoe, you can imagine how he would have reacted to chemo treatments, vet visits, and constantly being poked and prodded. I can see his grumpy little face now, hating every moment of it.

So, for three months I slept on the couch in the living room with my baby. Luckily, even with the current political climate, I was able to work from home which gave me every possible minute with Roscoe. During this time we laid in the sun, we laid on the floor, we spent time in the yard, I read my books to him, all his favorite people visited, and he ate A LOT of bacon.

Then on July 15th, 2025, Roscoe crossed over the rainbow bridge. He passed at home in the backyard surrounded in so much love. To my two amazing friends that were there with me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I could not have done it without your love, support, and help. Thank you for loving me at my absolute messiest.

Roscoe and I had twelve wonderful years together. I still remember the first picture I saw of him. Someone abandoned this tiny puppy at a gas station in negative degree weather. I cannot imagine the person who let this puppy walk out of their life, but I have never been so thankful. Their loss was my life's gain. Those that know our origin story, know that Roscoe saved me. He was a tiny beacon of light during my darkest time. Well, maybe not so tiny of a beacon. Roscoe had a larger than life personality and touched a lot of you out there.

In his honor, will you all take a walk with me down memory lane? 

The First Picture I Ever Saw of Roscoe

Roscoe's First Day in His Forever Home

The Exact Moment I Fell in Love

With This Little Soul

Our Favorite Place:

Hinkley Lake [Hinkley, OH]

Pre-Run Stretch

Post-Run Mud

Our Other Favorite Place:

Lake Erie [Erie, PA]

Summer Roscoe

Winter Roscoe

If I Sitz, I Fitz: Vol 1

If I Sitz, I Fitz: Vol 2

Just a Girl & Her Dog: Vol 1

Just a Girl & Her Dog: Vol 2

Living in an Adventure

In Denver, CO

Selfie: Vol 1

Selfie: Vol 2

Selfie: Vol 3

Selfie: Vol 4

Selfie: Vol 5

Selfie: Vol 6

Our First Photo Shoot

[Amber Boutwell Photography]

Roscoe: Hater of Christmas Photos Vol 1

Roscoe: Hater of Christmas Photos Vol 2

My Stoic Little Love: Vol 1

My Stoic Little Love: Vol 2

The Time I Bought Roscoe a House: Vol 1

The Time I Bought Roscoe a House: Vol 2

The Way He Made Me Laugh

The Way He Made Me Smile

Roscoe, Lover of Blankets: Vol 1

Roscoe, Lover of Blankets: Vol 2

Roscoe, Lover of Blankets: Vol 3

Roscoe, Lover of Blankets: Vol 4

Our Last Photo Shoot

[Amber Boutwell Photography]

[Amber Boutwell Photography]

[Amber Boutwell Photography]

Well, here we are; end of the road. I keep wondering, how do you say goodbye to someone who means everything to you? I don’t know the answer, maybe there isn’t one. I guess that is something we all have to figure out at some point in our lives.

While I figure out what my life looks like without Roscoe, I’m looking for quiet space to grieve. Instead of texting, will you post a comment below? Tell me something you remember about him, something you loved about him, a funny story, anything….everything.

Farewell my love, may we meet in our next lifetime.

Roscoe’s Last Day: 07/15/2025

Own Your Shit, Shave Your Pitts & Screw Hard Times!

I think we all had such high hopes for 2020, I know I did. I remember writing a blog especially for a new year and new beginnings and, at the time, I was feeling so hopeful. Today its April, 2020. COVID-19 has taken over and the world has been quarantined for at least a month now (depending on where you live I suppose). It feels bleak. And…scary. People are hurting, fighting, struggling and most of all they are doing it alone. I have to admit, I am an only child, so being alone for long periods of time really never bothered me. In fact, its grown to feel normal and comfortable to me. And in this scary, lonely time- I have taken my power back! I’m used to long work commutes, long work hours and exhausted weeks. Now I get to roll out of bed and walk to my living room where I set up a little “home office”. Nothing special: a $100 Ikea table, amazon keypad & mouse and a monitor my kind neighbor let me use. I’ve been cooking, working out, spending more time with my dog, paying off bills and still working those long work days. My yoga instructor (Brittany Hopkins over at CCYoga in Lakewood, CO) gave a class once and she talked about power. We all have power, some more then others, but we all have some. And what your power is, that is entirely up to you. You get to choose how you want to spend your time, and you get to choose what makes you happy and fulfilled. Maybe your power is wearing “work pajamas” during the day. Or shaving your armpits! Or dropping off porch presents to friends, or mailing cards. Maybe your power is journaling or even not crying one day. Those small things? They aren’t small. It only takes one small thing to start something grand and beautiful. So, even though we are all apart, we can still come together and take our power back. See you on the other side!

* Stay Wild * xo_dre

New Year's...Resolutions? Or Intentions?

Photo Credit: @cottonbro

Every new year we are enchanted by the thought that this year will be something different…something new. Every new year, for my whole life, I would chose this extravagant resolution. Since it was a new year I could dream big, as big as I wanted. Because…dreams can never be big enough! Right?

… “This year I will lose 20 pounds.”

… “This year I will get promoted at work no matter what.”

… “This year I will eat healthy and workout more.”

I guess what I never realized that setting unrealistic goals at the beginning of the year only set you up for failure. It seemed like year after year I tried as hard as I could but I never meet my resolutions. It’s really fricken hard to keep a resolution up for a whole year! I mean- life happens, like stuff you don’t plan for. You lose a loved one, you lose your job, you get sick…and the list goes on.

So- in 2016 for the first time in my 31 years I decided to do something different. I decided to make intentions instead of resolutions. Everyone thought I was crazy…”What’s an intention? What does that mean? Is the the same as a resolution? Maybe just make a resolution instead?” But- no! I had read somewhere something about intentions and the idea of it enchanted me…for the first time in a long time. I set 5 intentions: 1- Make your own happiness, 2- Seek silence, 3- Create beautiful rituals, 4- Stop pushing 5- Take one risk. Seems reasonable right? To be honest I don’t even know how I came up with the intentions; I think I copied a few from online and a few from tips from my therapist at the time. I wrote them down on paper, cut out the paper and put the list on my fridge. And I looked at that list every day for the whole year. Where they came from didn’t matter! What mattered is that 2016 was one of the best years I’ve had so far! I took ONE risk…I picked up my life and I moved across the United States…alone. No family, no friends. Just me and my trusty sidekick Mr. Roscoe. And dammit- that was the best risk I ever took! And those small, easy intentions…they made me brave. They made me take that one life changing risk.

Fast forward to 2019 / 2020. Every year since 2016 I have chosen to take the path of intentions instead of resolutions. And it’s been a true journey! My career took off, I made new friends, I spent all my time outside in the sun, and I started this little business. This little ray of sunshine. So, for this new year I choose intentions again. My biggest intention this year- “Being at peace with where I am in my journey”. And that my friends is a whole other topic for another day!

Until then, HAPPY NEW YEAR to all the beautiful humans out there.

* Stay Wild * xo_dre