The first thought of you was when your mother and I saw a sign on the side road in front of a house 'Yorkie Puppies for Sale". I thought it might be a good time for a new member of our family. We visited that breeder but you were not there. So your mom found another breeder and found you. The cutest little boy ever and your color was perfect. Your mom and Sarah brought you home when you were big enough to leave the breeder. Mommy gave you your name "Hercules" and the whole family agreed it was perfect. Eventually I gave you a nickname "Peanut" My Peanut. When you came home it was a special day for the whole family, Jillian, Robbie and Sarah just wanted to eat you up; we have a picture to prove it. Your big brother Elvis was not so sure. Elvis was our special boy also and we rescued him nine years before you came home. He wasn't so sure about you at first, but after a little while he seemed to be happy too. Then you and he would play with the toys together. You liked to sleep next to Elvis on the rug in the den. He was truly your big brother.

I used to play with you on the couch and put you on your back, on my legs and say "You can't bite a Daddy" and then you would bite me ever so easy, then I'd say "You do bite a Daddy" and you loved to play that with me. You also always loved to play with a soda bottle and it was so funny to see you with the two-liter bottle in your mouth and running with it. Your Uncle John and Aunt Shari always loved it too. The bottle was bigger than you.

About a little more than a year after you came home your big brother Elvis got sick and we tried all we could to make him better, but we couldn't. He was a little more than ten years old when we had to say goodbye to him and let God have him. Now you are with your big brother again in heaven. We were so sad and missed your big brother very much.

Your mom loved to take you in the car and you loved to sit on her lap and look out the window. When she would stop for gas you would bark and growl at anybody that came close to the car. Even when we would take you to Home Depot and put you in the shopping cart and you looked so cute that people wanted to pet you, when they tried to, you would try to bite them. I know you were just protecting us.

You used to love to go see Jillian at college and take that long ride to Boston in the car. And every time we would tell you, you were going to see Jilly you would open your eyes and slant your head and spin around with joy. And every time we said Jilly was coming home you would do the same.

I also remember how much you loved to run around the three doorways from the den to the living room to the dining room and back again and again, chasing you for your toy. You loved to play with your teddy bear and have us throw it and you would fetch it and bring it back. Mommy always said it was your girlfriend. You were very smart and knew some of your toys by name. You also loved to jump up on your bench in the kitchen and watch your mom cook and wait for a special treat.

When Nana came to stay with us, she would roll over to you and you would sit down and give her your paw as if you knew she could not stand up or you just wanted her to stop before she would run you over. But whatever it was it was so sweet. When Nana was with us we would go over Uncle John's and Aunt Shari's for dinner on Sundays and you would always jump on the couch to sit next to me, usually on the arm of the couch and sleep. But sometimes your cousin Jeffrey would come close to us because he wanted to play with you, you would growl and snap at him to leave us alone. Then Jeffrey would drag his bed around the hallway to get your attention.

After about three year we thought we could get you and us a new friend, so we recued your brother Stretchy from the Bronx. Stretchy is a special little boy too. He is a little nervous but very sweet and you seemed to be very happy with him and tried to teach him how to be part of our family. You would teach him to play and now he does play and runs around and around as fast as he can. Then came your sister Shelly. She is a rescue from NYC and she is special also, she is deaf. Jillian and Kevin rescued her but could not keep her because she could not stay alone, so she came to live with us. She was fine but to our surprise one day she started to bite our company at our house. As much as we love her, she does cause a problem. You thought she was fine and accepted her into our family.

A few years later Jillian and Kevin brought home to their apartment your nephew Slater and when you met him you didn't know what to think because he was a puppy and all he wanted to do was play and fly from one couch to the next. Then after a while you accepted him into our family too.

One of the many things I remember and miss about you is when you would be so excited when I or your Mom, Jillian, Robbie or Sarah would come home and you would jump and spin around with joy. We we're all filled with joy to see you as well. What I think I miss the most is when you would sleep next to me at night and you would go out in the middle of the night and then when you came back to bed you would tap me on the shoulder to let me know you were back and to let you under the covers again to sleep under my arm.

My Hercy, My Peanut, My Best Friend,
Our hearts are so broken since you had to leave us. We are so sorry your life was cut short, leaving us one month before your tenth birthday. I always thought you would be with us for fifteen to eighteen years and I dreaded the day you would have to leave us at any age. Now you rest next to the pond where it is peaceful and we can see your face every day on the plaque next to you.

I always said to you "I think I love you too much" and now I miss you too much.

Goodbye for now My Hercy, My Peanut, My Best Friend.

When we see you again in heaven, we will jump and spin around with joy together.

We will always love you and miss you our good boy.