I still remember the very first time that we saw our puppy. It was a winter day and 4 of our kids were outside playing. The next thing I knew, the older 2 boys were bringing a dog up onto our deck. From the looks of her, she was probably about 1 year old and part border collie and shepherd mix. I knew that she belonged to someone, so I told the kids that I would put an ad in the paper and on the radio to see if anyone would claim her. I knew by her mannerisms that someone had trained her and was probably missing her. A week went by and noone came forward to claim her, so my husband and I agreed that we would keep her. Little did we know what a blessing that decision would be for our entire family! She had all of our hearts from the very first day that we found her. I feel sorry for the family that lost her and never cared to get her back, because they surely missed out on one of the best animals that I have ever had!! I was so sure that she was part human by some of her mannerisms!! She was so smart and had abundant energy!! She loved to go outside and play ball or frisbee. She had so much energy and could outplay any of my kids or myself. We had to make her rest once in awhile!! She had her routines that she would go through every day and she could always pick out the tones on my husband's pager when he would get called out to a fire!! Anytime someone was on the phone, she would sit and stare at that person and drool. She would get so excited when someone was getting their shoes on, and would run around you like she was rounding you up. At night, she would always jump up on my bed and get in between my husband and I to get her lovins before we went to bed. When she was finished, she would either lay on the floor on my side or on my husband's side. She was even so spoiled that she would jump up on my bed and sleep there when my husband wasn't home!!! She always let you know when someone pulled into the driveway or was anywhere near the house. She was such a baby and greeted you at the door with a toy in her mouth, but if someone rang the doorbell or knocked, she had a ferocious bark, which would make someone think twice of coming into our house!! Over the years, she kept us entertained and was loved by everyone!! She loved it when I would get the cheese slices out, because she knew that she would get one. When she would hear the wrapper, she would immediately sit and put up her paw so that you could shake it. She knew to do this every time that someone had food to eat. Who would have ever thought that an animal could have such a profound impact on our whole family! She was always in great health up until a few months before she passed away. She had started to lose her hearing and her hips had started to bother her. They heard a slight heart murmur, but all of these things never slowed her down very much. I still remember the night that she passed away like it was yesterday. Earlier in the evening, my husband and I could tell that she just wasn't herself. She was in the living room laying down and when my husband called for her, she would just lay there and look at him. He got down on the floor by her and was just petting her. I went and got a piece of cheese and she did sit up for me to eat that. I also had a piece of turkey, but she wanted no part of that. She went into the kitchen to lay under the table, which was one of her favorite spots because it was cool on the floor for her. Everyone else had gone to bed and I watched tv for a little while before I went to bed. When I was ready, I went into the kitchen and called for her so that I could let her outside, which was one of our routines. When I called her, she didn't get up for me. She just layed there and looked at me and I tried several more times before she got up. I opened up the kitchen door and she walked out into our breezeway which leads to the back door going outside. She made it a few steps out into the breezeway and that is when she went down. At first I thought that her hips had given out on her, but when I leaned down by her and tried to help her up, she just plopped back down, and that is when I knew that something was seriously wrong. I ran into the house and yelled upstairs for my son to come down and help me with her. He came out and tried to get her up, but she just couldn't. I then went in and woke up my husband who came out to try to help. He leaned by her and we could tell that her breathing had slowed way down. He laid her on her side and kept petting her and talking to her. We all knew that she was close to taking her last breath, so we all said our goodbyes and told her that we loved her. We saw her take her last breath and then it was all over. My youngest son took it very hard, because he was only 1 when we found her, so those two got to grow up together, and she put up with a lot from him when he was a baby. She would let him climb all over her, pull her tail, try to bite her, you name it and he tried it!! Unless you have a pet, you really never understand the true blessings that they bring to you and your family's lives, and how much you grieve for them when you lose them. We still find ourselves missing her and the routines that we did on a daily basis for 14 years. The only thing that gets us through the grief is remembering all of the great times with her and sharing stories about her. When I say my prayers, I thank God that we were blessed to have had her for 14 wonderful years, and how much joy she gave to us with her unconditional love and loyalty!!!She will always have a special place in our hearts!!