A Sad Day

Today was a very sad day for me. We had to put our dog, Champ to sleep. He was 15 years old. He sure was a great dog. I will miss him very much. Here are a few pictures of him.

This is when he was a puppy shortly after we got him. He was so tiny, less than a pound.

He loved swimming in the pool. We had to watch him though cause he wasn't afraid to just jump right in. He was too little to get back out on his own but he knew to head for the ladder. And his favorite thing to do was run around the deck after he got wet. It was so funny how he would zip around and around the pool. He was so fast for such a small little puppy.

He also loved opening presents. It was so fun to watch him open all his gifts on Christmas. He would even help me open mine. One time, when he was a puppy, we came home and all the presents under the tree were opened.

His first haircut. Doesn't he look handsome.

He sure loved kids, especially Hailey. He was her little buddy. He was always by her side. Even slept with her every night.

I love this picture.

Begging for food.

A funny picture.

Hailey and Champ. We have so many pictures like this of Champ laying right next to the baby.

Max and Champ

Jack and Champ.

He was such a wonderful dog.

Whenever the kids get balloons, they always want to let them go outside and send them up to Grandma and Jesus. So we gave the kids each a small piece of paper and they colored a picture for Champ to send up to "heaven" with balloons. They both had me write a short note to him on the back of their pictures. Then Hailey said she wanted to make one to send to Grandma and Jesus too. They colored a couple more pictures and told me what to write on the backs. Her notes were so precious and sweet. She told Champ that she loved him and to have fun playing with Grandma and Jesus. She told Jesus to take good care of Champ and that she wants to sit on his lap when she comes to heaven someday. And she told grandma that she loved her and missed her. Then she told me to write "From Grandma's Angel (which is what Grandma always called her)". We tied them onto the balloons and the kids let them go outside and watched them as they floated up to "heaven". They said "Champ and Grandma and Jesus are going to love them."