A Day of Goodbyes

Good-bye old friend.

Today Jake, the best dog and friend ever, had to be put to sleep. He was patient, kind, and loving. He was a fantastic playmate and protector for my boys. He fought off coyotes to save a neighbor's little dog. He lost a foot being trampled by a horse. He was now 15, deaf, partially blind, had suffered a stroke, yet kept on going and being his sweet self through it all.

How Jake joined our family:
Dustin was at the grocery store in the summer of 1996, just before we were moving to New Waverly, and saw a Free to Good Home poster for a beautiful black and white border collie. He thought this would be a good farm dog. (Caleb already had a dog, so this one would be Jacob's.) We called and went to check the dog out. We learned his name was "Jake" and knew it was meant to be. He was also two years old just like Jacob.

We lived out on the New Waverly property for seven years. Jake was the PERFECT farm and family dog! I usually wasn't afraid out there because I knew he would protect me.

We moved back to The Woodlands in October of 2003. We had three dogs and couldn't have all of them at our townhome. My in-laws graciously offered to take Jake because they liked him best. Jake has been well cared for and loved by Darrell and Kay for the last six years and we are so grateful to them for that.

We will miss you dear friend!

THE GOODBYES CONTINUE....

Growing up in the 70s and 80s made this week's death announcements hit close to home.

Ed McMahon - I grew up watching Ed on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. I will always remember his, "Heeerrrreseesssssss Johnny," and his special way of saying, "Yes," to the many things Johnny said. Also years of the Publisher's Clearinghouse giveaways.

This morning I opened my emails on my phone to learn that Farrah Fawcett had lost her battle with cancer. She fought a tremendous battle just like she always fought tough as one of Charlie's Angels.

Then, as the boys and I were in Walmart we overheard an older lady talking on her phone while riding around on her scooter talking about how she heard Michael Jackson was probably dead. I was like, "WHAT?!" (in my head of course). The boys looked at me and I said that couldn't be possible or it would have been all over the news. I had checked my emails right before we left for the store and there were no news updates (I get all Click2Houston breaking news alerts). I pulled out my phone to see a breaking news alert and there it was. At that time it just said he had been taken to the hospital. By the time I got home the newest alert said he had died. It was kind of like when Elvis died. I know Michael had a lot of weirdness going on, but I still remember him as a cute little kid in the Jackson Five and seeing and listening to him in his teens when he was as normal as he could be for the life he had grown up in.

This day made Dustin and I realize we really are getting older. OH MY!