One week ago, today - The storms and terrors were too much for my boy. His hips had been bothering him and we were trying new meds. But all the overnight pacing and panic with those bad storms on Tuesday - he couldn't walk Wednesday morning.
From a six week old fluffball with blue eyes to a huge 90 pound horse/dog - he was something else. He was my friend, sidekick, grandpup, a sibling to my kids, snack loving, cookie thief, houdini dog, sammich grabbin', white hair sheddin' hound. We sang songs about him and quite often he sang with us.
The kids didn't live with me as they were growing up. And he loved their visits, evident by the way he would practically recline on Brandon or Dani any chance he could. You could tell he wanted to keep them - just by his facial expressions. "Mom, can we keep them? Pleeaase?"
Oh... and he was a back talker, especially at bedtime - fussing back at me with the kids laughing as I would shoo him downstairs. And being a houdini hound he quite often found his way back upstairs with them.
He would sit on the couch curled up with me after they went back to their Dad's in Wisconsin. Sadness shared.
Anybody that met him, couldn't help but like and/or love him. His size intimidated people, but it didn't take long to see beyond it.
Almost 13 years of memories, stories, lots of laughter and lots and lots of love.
His last few years were more quiet, tried to keep things comfortable for him. And being an elderly boy, he slept a lot.
More than a dog, way much more than a pet - he was a beautiful Being.
And Lord, how the house - is so empty.