01/01/2026
I've neglected to update this page for quite awhile, so now you guys get a super long post to make up for it!
As the year comes to a close, it's always a good time to pause and reflect. Often, I'm counting dog titles earned or looking back at memories of big shows. But 2025 was one of those years that hit a little harder.
In dogs, we didn't meet hardly any of our goals. Most of you know that at the end of June, Stella was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer. Two short weeks into navigating that, Dream suddenly developed severe neurological issues. These dogs are our world and the closest thing to children we'll ever have. So everything stopped and my life became little more than attending vet appointments and advocating for my girls. Between July 1 and December 23, we went to 40 vet appointments. That's over 2000 miles driven, over a dozen vets personally consulted nationwide plus many more they reached out to, and countless hours spent by all of us scouring literature for possible ways forward. Add to that, the constant anxiety of waiting for the next test result, hoping for answers, improvement, stability.
I still work a full time job. I'm not sure how I made it work, but I did, and I'm super thankful for good cell phone reception and clinics that have wifi so I can say I never missed a meeting or a deadline.
So, 2025 was hard. I could focus my reflections on how unfair it all was, but that isn't how I feel. Yes, it was financially and emotionally draining, and yes, we miss Stella so, so much.
But, what has stood out brighter than anything was the incredible sense of community that was demonstrated. So many of you all stepped up to help and I cannot even express the level of gratitude and appreciation we have felt. Stella had an amazing ten weeks getting to enjoy all of her favorite things, including an epic 13th birthday party, until she finally had one Very Bad Day. But even then, she somehow managed to schedule it so she could summon all her favorite people to her to say good-bye.
Meanwhile, Dream is nothing short of a miracle. From being completely dismissed after her MRI and given less than two weeks to live with a very grim diagnosis to still fighting five months later with an admission that the original suspected diagnosis was wrong. The times in between were not easy. More than once we've made the decision to try one last thing, stopping or starting a medication, and she's rallied. She's still not out of the woods, but at this moment she's stable, and we are so, so thankful.
And while we didn't get to hang Stella's stocking this year, we did get to hang three new ones - for one dog we were planning and two we were not. So, despite hardships, 2025 has made sure that our service to these loving creatures continues.
Along that line...many have been asking when we'll have puppies again. The answer is...when Dream is truly stable and no longer a biosafety hazard to puppies (she has an antibiotic resistant infection due to being immunosuppressed for so long...there is no treatment available), or she is no longer with us.
Tentatively, our next breeding will be next summer, and it will be performance home focused.
In the meantime, we just want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has been on Team Maywood this past year (and a few years ago with Clarity, too - she's still here and doing great, as is son Quest!).
Let this be a reminder to always try to look for the positive. Yes, we lost Stella and went through a lot this year, but as I look around my living room, I see 13-year old Percy, Clarity living her best life, Dream, pictures of miracle boy Quest, and baby Cider, and know that we're not short on miracles this season, so we remain thankful.
Here's to 2026! 🎉
Picture of Dream with her stocking 💜
