It was trhe summer of 1994 when my 2 young boys saw a neighbor with a little Jack Russle and when the neighbor said theres more in the little, the boys begged me for the approval. OUR life has been changed since that day. Smart, lovable and MY best buddy... Dixie has left a mark on us like nothing else has over the last 15 years, She has been everywhere we went and we happily included her in evrything we did. We were campers and she loved the life. She was just happy to be with us and we were happy to have this crazy bundle of energy. Up until 2 years ago she was still a pistol. But a tumor started growing on her back and the doctors said they could do nothing. She has been slowing down to the point where we need to carry her out and back in, which we didnt mind doing because we love her so. Well, we took her to the vet last week knowing what he was going to say.... and with sadness that I never felt before we made the decision to put our best friend to sleep. This takes place this upcoming Easter weekend when the whole family (my grown boys) can be here for her last morning. I have never been through this and it is so hard to deal with. I want to have her for ever but I know thats not even possible. This week she gets everything we would never let her have. Even tho we always gave her lots of attention, its three fold this final week. I lay down on the floor and we stare in each others eyes and i wish she could tell me her feelings and i hope she can understand mine...... then I cry. Theres been alot of crying and I know theres going to be more.

Ya know, there are people that have pets and never haver that type of bond or the experience of true devotion and love. No matter what kind of day I had or what mood I was in, she was always there to lick my hand, bark and make me happy. I watched the movie Marley & Me today and it is such a good movie. If you never saw it.... check it out.

As for us.... we will need to keep Dixie in our memory. We will pull out the hundreds and hundreds of pictures and re-live the last 15 years with her. She was there for everything and every event.

Thanks for letting me ramble on about my best friend. As a tear falls and I know there will be more, I look at Dixie and say... I love you girl, Sweet dreams till we meet again.