So Long, Sweet Friend.....Until We Meet Again.

Yes, I firmly believe that dogs go to Heaven.

Today our yellow lab, Remington, or Remmi, as we called him, went to heaven. My dad came to our back door this morning as we were packing our things to take our girls and our visiting family from Louisiana to go hike to a waterfall. I could tell something was wrong because my dad wouldn't come in the house and wanted Grouchy AND me to BOTH come out. He informed us that a truck was on the irrigation ditch road behind the guest house and that Remmi ran after it and cleared the water ditch but ran right under the front tire of the truck. The driver stopped and saw my dad and explained what happened. Dad had tried to call Remmi when he went after the truck, but this was a common thing for Remmi to do......to protect and defend his farm and his people. The ditch road is dirt. Remmi had to jump over a 3 foot wide concrete ditch and then about a 1o foot wide dirt ditch with rushing water to get to the truck the way he did. He has done it a hundred times with no problems, and calling him off of the chase never worked. The man talked to my dad and offered to move him for us and told Dad he was dead. Uuuuugggghhhh, this hurts!!!! This dog was a rescue my sister in law Elizabeth convinced us to take. One of her friend's neighbors was taking him to the animal shelter.....just didn't have time for him, and so a family took him in and started searching for a home for him. He was a fine dog. He was light yellow, kind, gentle, but most of all he was Grouchy's best buddy, his truck riding partner. Remmi loved nothing more than a ride in the back of the pickup truck!!!! "Load up Remmi!!!!" broucht a literal smile to that sweet dog's face. He was our jogging buddy. He and Camper explored the desert valley and farms around us every day. It seems empty outside without seeing that big lump of hair and dog smiles wagging up to me. And then there is Addie's little dog, Camper. We are sad for him. He even looks sad.

I know, I know. Worse things can happen. I know. But for some reason, the loss of a dog is a big heartache for us. We get very close to our animals, especially rescued, huge, fun ones who are absolutely loving and forgiving to our children. Just yesterday my mom was missing Garrett for a minute and found Remmi in the garage lying on his stomach with Garrett sitting straddle on his back. Remmi was just watching out for his littlest person.

Addie and Ainslee are already asking when we can get another big dog so Camper isn't lonely. Addie keeps saying how sad it is to go outside and not see Remmi. There is a furry hole in our family tonight.

Tonight I thank God for the beautiful creatures He makes, and I know Remmi and all of our pets who we have lost will come running up to me in Heaven....if I get there!!!

Godspeed,

Clara-Leigh