Dogs

One of my best friends lost her childhood dog today.  Hershey was 17 years old.  He came to visit us several times while we lived in the condo in Jacksonville.  Macey loved him!

Got me thinking about dogs and how much they mean to us.  My childhood dog, Chance was 13 when he died.  I was 8 years old when we got him and basically grew up with him.  When he died I felt like I had lost a family member, I still miss him today and often get teary eyed when I talk about him.   When I got Macey, I wondered if I could ever love another dog as much as I did Chance, and I was surprised to find out that I could.  She will never take his place, but that's not why she's here.  I love her so much! 

Chance

I got Macey on May 21st of 2008.  Turns out three years later I would be married on that same day!  Macey was born on Valentine's day and was the cutest thing.  These are a few pictures of her first couple of days at home:

She's been a constant companion, a faithful friend, a comedian, and good "listener" since the very beginning.  Not a day goes by that I don't laugh about something she does.  As I write, she is underneath our bed, snoring very loudly.  I wonder why she's so afraid of thunder, because her snoring rattles more windows than the thunder ever does!  Her calm demeanor and wanting to be close to you at all times has been more than a gift to me over these last three years.  I love my girl.

I have a book with different pictures of dogs and quotes in it.  One of my favorites is this one:
"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart." -Author Unknown

How true.  Rest in peace, Hershey.