There has been a lot going on lately, as there usually is in life, and blogging has taken a back seat while I deal with moving and being "homeless" for a week.
We've also hit some rough times in our family. Our dog Baylie, whom we've had for 10 amazing years, had to be put down recently. It is a strange sadness losing a pet, which, if you've ever had to go through it then you know what I'm talking about. Baylie was simply another member of our family. I spent the good first half of my life begging my dad to let us get a dog. When I was 13 he finally caved and we trekked down the the Chesapeake Bay to pick out our boxer puppy from a breeder. We immediately fell in love with her and I remember thinking as we drove her home, "I can't believe I finally have a dog...it really happened" It was that amazing feeling of a long awaited hope fulfilled, a sweet and rare emotion.
We loved her intensely, took her to the beach, let her run around as fast she she good, let her on our beds, piled stuffed animals on her, and could never stay mad at her for long (even when she would get into the trash and leave it all around the house). My brother was especially close to her, always letting her lick his face in ways that made us all exclaim, "Ew!" When you walked in the door she would greet you as if you had been gone for years and years even if you were just outside for 30 seconds. I had a special game I would play with her when seeing her, I would creep up to her slowly and she would do the same, holding in her excitement until the last possible moment and then she would come bounding toward me, tail wagging with her lips curled into a smile.
Even as she grew older she still had her puppy mentality. You couldn't stop her from chasing squirrels or begging for food or barking like mad at other dogs. She was such an important part of our family that it now feels weird to think of us without her. We have so many great memories with her though and I'm sure one day I'll bring home another puppy and experience the same joy and love I had when we brought Baylie home.
Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear about your dog. We didn't get a dog until I was 16 - a yellow lab named (coincidentally) Bailey. When he was just under a year old, he chased a bird into the road and was hit by a car. I can still remember what it sounded like and it still makes me want to cry. :(
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