All Dogs Go to Heaven

When I was a kid I wanted a chocolate lab so bad I couldn't stand it.  My parents wouldn't let me have one because they knew I'd never take care of it.  Well, when I was 17, right before Christmas, I got in the shower and when I got out there was the cutest black lab puppy sitting in a box in my room. (imagine a really cute picture of a black lab puppy)  I was smitten from the get go.  My aunt got her for me and my mom was less than thrilled.  I'm pretty sure I spent all my Christmas money that year on Gracie.  I was 17 and had no idea what I was getting myself into.  I don't remember much about her as a puppy.  I think she slept in a crate in my room.  I don't know what she did while I was at school.  I do know that she was always waiting on me when I got home from school.  In fact, when she was about 5 months old, she was so excited for us to get home from school she came barreling down the driveway at the same time as I was turning to go up the driveway and we collided.  I panicked.  She ran off wimpering.  I was hysterical.  I tried to call my mom on my cellphone from the driveway and luckily my little brother (who was around 11 at the time and had the most level head and handled the whole situation) was coming in the back door at the same time I called so my mom knew we were ok.  We took her to the vet.  Her leg was broken but because it was so close to her growth plate we had to see a specialist.  You can imagine how expensive that was.  She had a cast on her leg and I'd have to wrap a grocery sack around it every time I took her out. 

 

(I'm going to have to dig out some cute puppy pictures to add here)

 

My first year of college she had to stay home with my parents because I lived in the dorm.  I missed her.  She was always so happy to see me when I came home.

She came to live with me my sophomore year when I lived in a house.  The first tailgate party we hosted happened to fall around my aunt's birthday.  Gracie was never to be left in the house loose alone.  Well everyone got a ticket to the game last minute and the last person out left Gracie in the house.  When I got back there was cake and icing everywhere.  She had gotten the birthday cake off the table and had her own little party.  She was so bad.  She would get food off the counter all the time.  Once she got chicken fingers out of the toaster oven while they were cooking.  That's talent. 

She loved the lake.  She would swim out and try to get on your float with you.  Most people hated that.  When we would all go out to ski or tube, I never could go right in front of the house because she would swim out and chase me.  I think the lake was one of her favorite places. 

When Patrick and I got married she came with me to Morris.  Patrick already had Sam, his yellow lab and they were best buds from the beginning.  She had puppies that year too (they weren't Sam's, we don't know who the daddy was).  She was a good little mama.  She was so proud of her babies.  Last week she started moving slow.  We thought nothing of it.  She was almost 14 years old.  Well by Wednesday she wasn't eating.  Friday I had to go out in the yard and find her when I got home from work to get her in out of the rain.  She could only take 2 or 3 steps before she would fall and I'd have to pick her up again.  It was heartbreaking.  I got her in and she plopped down right in front of the door.  She was in the same place when Patrick got home 5 hours later.  We got her moved closer to her bed but she wouldn't eat or drink.  We decided we would take her to the vet Saturday morning.  When we got up Saturday morning Patrick went down to check on her and she was still in the same place we'd left her.  We got her loaded in the car and headed to the vet.  It was packed, Patrick stayed in the car with her while I went and told them we were there.  I broke down talking to the poor receptionist.  They came out to get us and we went back to the room.  The vet came in and examined her.  She said her liver was enlarged and that was probably what was causing her symptoms.  She gave us a few options.  She let us know that it could possibly be infection or something else causing her liver to struggle but most likely at her age it was probably just giving out.  She was so kind and told us she supported what ever we decided.  We decided that moving forward with treatment was not worth putting her through for maybe another week with her.  The vet was so kind and reassuring to us.  They let us hold her and say good bye.  As I was sitting there I was so mad at myself for not spending more time with her.  For not taking her to the lake again, not laying out in the yard on a blanket with her.  I was just so sad I took the time I thought we had for granted.  I know she was just a dog but that dog saw me through some of my life's biggest accomplishments.  She was there when I went to prom, graduated from high school, went off to college, moved in to the first place where I paid bills, when Patrick and I went on our first date, got engaged, when I finally graduated from college and got married.  She was there when we got home from our honeymoon and we moved in together.  She was there when we brought Barrett home and she was there for every day in between.  She was a food thief and an escape artist.  She got in the trash and was a little bit racist (which was odd since she was black).  She was the only reason I've ever had the police called on me.  She was the best bad dog I've even known and she will be greatly missed.

Dog weekend at the Lake

We had a nice weekend at the lake with my little brother, his soon to be wife and 5 dogs.  I love taking our two labs to the lake because they love it. It's so hard when we have a full house of people to add 2 hundred pound dogs, so we planned a low key weekend just the 5 of us and our dogs.  We were loaded down in my pilot.  We had to put the dogs in the very back, we put Barrett in and the piled stuff around him.  It was a lot of work but so worth it.

 

This was Barrett's second trip to the lake but first time to swim and he looked adorable!

In our hats ready for the water.

 

He was not to excited about the water.  I think he might have enjoyed more if I'd spent more than $3 on him a float.  It was crappy and I was afraid he was going to fall out it.

Here we are dodging the dogs chasing tennis balls.  They played fetch forever.  They had a ball.

My sweet (old) girl.  This is her spot on the deck.  It's completely in the way but she likes to keep an eye on everything.

This girl didn't really know what to think with her big brother and sister there.  She did manage to roll around in the dirt and get extra dirty!

I think this boy had the most fun out of all of us.

My boys.

He fell asleep waiting on dinner.

I love this picture of Patrick and Barrett snuggling one morning.  So sweet!

 

I thought it would be fun to get a family picture of the three of us and the three dogs.  Yes, i'm crazy.  This was the best one!

Packed up and headed home.    It was a nice relaxing weekend.  We enjoyed getting spend time with John and Hope.  John has grown up so much in the last few years and I love hearing him talk about life.  He's embarking on the start to the rest of his life. Graduating college, starting his career and getting married.   I remember the excitement I felt when I was in that stage of life and I love seeing it again through his eyes. I'm so proud of him. 

Blah, Blah, Blah

I've been in a bit of a funk this week.  I don't know if it's the weather or stress or the fact that my sister got a ticket to the National Championship game in Pasadena and i'm very jealous about it  i'm not really sure what it is.  (I really am excited for my sister and proud that she has worked hard and has the hours she needs I just wish I could be a part of it too.)

 I'm not really looking forward to the holidays this year like I was.  I am sad that my husband has to work Christmas Eve night and Christmas night.  I'm tired of having to work our schedules so that everyone else is happy.  I'm sick of making a plan, planning my schedule for the plan only to have the plan change to accomodate people who wouldn't pay you the same courtesy.  I love to buy people gifts but I hate to buy them something just so I have them a gift.  I like to put a lot of thought into each gift and get them something they will really love and use.  I usually fail miserably at this.  Which makes gift buying very stressful and not a fun experience for me.  I feel guilty for complaining about my husband having to work on Christmas when there are familys out there who would love to have a job.  And military families that have been seperated for months that would be thankful the spend a few hours together on Christmas. 

It's so hard for me to just be happy.  I am blessed beyond belief but all I can focus on is what other people have.  I see these people that seem to have it all and do it all and I don't know how they do it.  I know that they are probably struggling with things too.  I have always liked to believe that if all you and all your friends put their problems in a pile that you would quickly grab your own back!  I hate that I get to go have fun with friends on the weekend while my husband is at work but I feel worse about the fact that even if he wasn't at work he still wouldn't want to go and do the things we do for fun. 

I hate to be such a downer today but I feel like so often the blogs I read and feel jealous about are only telling about the happy things.  Not that they have to share the not so happy things in their life, but I feel like it isn't an accurate account of life.  People get down sometimes. It happens to everyone at some point or another.  I would like to be honest about what is really happening in my life. 

Anyways enough about that!  My sweet husband decided he needed a work bench for the basement.  Mind you, there was already a work bench in the basement when we bought the house ( that he has yet to work on)  but he needed a bigger one.  So he got one yesterday that someone was getting rid of.  I think it is bigger than our bed.  Okay not really but it is very big.

It is a good 3 feet wide.

On a Happy note...Have you ever seen a cuter face?!?

And because you never see the other babies here they are.

Gracie, this is the chair she sleeps in.  She somehow curls herself up in it.

Sweet Sam!

Sorry for the long ramblings.  Sometimes you just have to unload.  I'm feeling better already!

Season of Thankfulness: Day 10 & Show Us Your Life

Today is show us your pets over at Kelly's Korner.  So I thought I'd just make my sweet dogs what I'm thankful for today!

Our Pets

Mainly our sweet puppy Ally Bama! We love all 3 of our dogs but I'd be lying if I said we didn't spoil Ally just a bit.  We have a yellow lab, Sam, a black lab, Gracie and then a tiny toy poodle Miss Ally Bama.  Patrick had Sam and I had Gracie when we got married and they are like best friends now.  Gracie and I have been through a lot together.  I got her for Christmas my senior year of high school.  She survived being hit by a car when she was about 5 months old.  I was the one who hit her (talk about traumatic!).  She can to college with me my sophomore year ( I lived in a dorm my freshmen year).  Then she and my roommate didn't get along so she went back home.  They stay in the yard during the day and then we bring them in at night. 

Ally is my baby.  We I got her after we'd been married about 5 months.  Patrick works nights and I was lonely. I wanted something that would keep me company while he was at work. That is exactly what she does.  She is glued to me all the time.  Patrick wasn't really crazy about the idea of getting an inside dog but I insisted.  He realized I was lonely and we both knew we weren't ready for a baby.  So one day I came home from work and told him I'd found a puppy in the paper and I was going to look at her.  I brought her home that day!  She goes to work with me every day.  She pretty much goes everywhere we go.  I never understood people that got so attached to dogs.  Boy do I get it now.  Even Patrick loves the little thing.  He lets her sleep in the bed with us and she usually ends up with her head on his pillow right between us.  It really is the sweetest thing.
The day we got her. (she weighed 2.5lbs)

Tailgating in Tuscaloosa.

Our Christmas Card photo last year.

In front of the Christmas Tree for her First Christmas.

Ally's first snow!

Ally's First Birthday.

 

In the Magnolia Festival Pooch Parade (she was voted People's Choice)

Riding in the boat at the lake!

Helping daddy grill hamburgers

Watching Sportscenter with Daddy!

Halloween 2009

(She finally weighs 5lbs)

Hop on over to Kelly's Korner and join us to see a whole bunch of cute pets. 

Ally Bama Horton

Not long after we got married I new I wanted a puppy. I actually had talked about it before we got married!! I new that I wanted a little poodle. My family had a teacup poodle growing up and he was the best dog we ever had. We all loved him so much. Patrick works nights so I wanted one that would sit a watch tv with me but also have some personality! That is exactly what we got. We already had two big dogs but Patrick wouldn't let me let them in the house. He has never had an inside dog so he didn't really know what to expect. I think he was pleasantly surprised. He loves her more than he would ever admit. She goes everywhere that we are allowed to take her. She goes to work with me everyday. She goes to our parents houses, she goes to our friends houses. She is like our child only we can leave her at home when we need to. She is just enough responsibility for us right now. We would like to wait 2 or 3 years before we have children so Ally is our baby for now!

This is Gracie my 6 year old black lab. We've been through a lot together. I hit her with my car when she was only 5 months old she had to have very expensive surgery. She survived almost a whole year at Alabama with me. Then she moved back home to live with my mom and dad until I finished school. She is very hyper and will get our of any pin you put her in but she is so sweet and so good with kids. I have so many pictures of my neice Ava laying all over her. This is Sam. He is Patricks 105 pound yellow lab. He is the biggest baby. In this picture I actually am in the kitchen and he has is nose and mouth pressed up against the glass door. He is a great dog. He does exactly what you tell him when you tell him. He and Gracie have become best of friends.
These are all of out babies.