All Dogs Go To Heaven: Part 2

As you know we about a month ago we lost our lab Gracie.  We knew Sam would be heart broken without her.  We were afraid he would go downhill fast and we were right.  31 days after he lost his best friend, Sam passed away.  It was heart breaking to lose him but it was also heart breaking watching him mope around without her.  When he realized she wasn't coming home he quit eating.  He would eat bread or scraps but he wouldn't eat much else.  He didn't want to go outside.  He just laid by the garage door.  He didn't get excited when we came home.  He was just there.  You could just tell he was heart broken.  It was pitiful.

Patrick had Sam before we got married and he was the best dog.  You could just open the garage door and he went straight to the fence.  He didn't get out of the fence and if he did he just went to the front and sat on the front porch.  He was the best guard dog.  He never barked and if he did you'd better get up and see what was going on.  He was huge! When Gracie had her puppies he was a nervous wreck.  We had to make him sleep outside because he made her so nervous.  He was so sweet with her and the babies. He didn't like hot weather at all.  In the heat of the summer, when you opened the door for him to go out if it was too hot he would just look at you like you had lost your mind if you thought he was going out. He loved the lake too.  He didn't get to go as many times as Gracie.  He would swim and swim until he could barely walk he was so worn out.  Then he drag himself up to the deck (or where ever the most people were gathered) and shake of all the water.  As you can imagine, no one enjoyed that.  I will miss his sweet face that was always happy to see me. In his younger days he would chase a tennis ball for hours.  In his later years he would chase it once and then look at you like you're an idiot if you though he was going after it again.  He loved us fiercely.  He was the definition of loyal.  He was the best dog.  I'm sad that Barrett wont remember what a great dog he was.  We miss him and Gracie so much.  But life goes on.  We hold on to all the memories we made together and we're comforted that they didn't have to live long without each other. 

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.