All Dogs Go To Heaven

I know not all will agree with the title, but I have to believe I will see this sweet face again someday. 

That her and Chase will be running to greet us at heaven's pearly gates, just like they did everyday when we walked through the back door. 

As wonderful as the 4th of July was, July 5th was equally as horrible.  We knew we were on borrowed time.  We thought we had lost Ginger on Christmas night but God granted us 7 more months with her and for that we are so thankful.  Chase (her doggy husband and daddy of their 6 puppies) died when Trace was 15 months old.  They were Jimmy's family long before we were.  They watched him become a husband and a father.  He spent nearly half of his life loving them.  Losing Ginger was like the end of an era.

For people that don't have dogs or whose dogs aren't their "family," this may sound ridiculous.  But to us, they were our first children.  Jimmy wasn't known on the water by what boat he drove, but as the guy with the 2 white dogs.  He was rarely on the lake without them.  They vacationed with us, we went on "field trips" just for them, they rode in the car on dates with us. He had a connection to those 2 like I've never seen between a human and a pet.  I could watch him with Ginger and Chase and know exactly what kind of daddy he would be.

I met Chase and Ginger in October 2001, around our 3rd date.  I knew he had dogs, but I had NO idea at the time just what a test our first meeting really was.  Some relationship deal breakers are where you live, what religion you chose, how many kids you want to have.  Ours was, "Can you love my dogs too?"  And love I did.  It was the easiest thing to do, to fall in love with those dogs at the same time I was falling in love with him.    Kinda like, buy 1 get 2 free.

One of our first "dates."

Wherever we were on New Years Eve or the 4th of July we always got back before dark because Ginger was terrified of fireworks and thunder.   I can't tell you how many times we sped across town rushing to get home before it stormed to be there with her. She would lay there trembling in Jimmy's lap. They were both happiest that way.

New Years Eve 2002

Those dogs saw the beach more than some adults ever do.  We've made so many memories with them.

Building the deck, after we moved into the house.

Destin, summer of 2006, right after I found out I was pregnant.

Waiting on Trace...

Ginger was here to welcome both of our babies home...

and then proudly watched over them like the mamadog she was...

was occasionally tortured by them...

Do you want my apple???  Just try and get it.

Keatyn giving her a mani/pedi.

They often shared breakfast together.

But she never doubted how very much    

she was loved...

Her 14th birthday

Any given Sunday.

I'm sorry for being so obnoxious with all of these pictures.  Once I started, I couldn't stop. 
This blog is the story of our family, and she was such a huge part of our story.

Her favorite fishing hole in Destin.

 It wasn't a complete family photo without her in it...

She wasn't always to blame for messing up our photo ops.

Daddy's spic-n-span new boat... plus a few thousand white dog hairs.

One of my all time favorites.  A boy and his dog.

She always knew just who to sit beside.

Christmas 2008

I wish I had more pictures of Ginger and Keatyn.  They were quite a pair.  Ginger wasn't too fond of the whole "baby learning to walk" phase and was a little gun shy after being the landing pad through 2 toddlers.  They say, the second child always gets slided on the pictures, well, the same is true for the dog after the second child comes along.  :(

When I picked Trace up from school on Thursday, I knew Ginger didn't have long and I tried to prepare him.  He came in the house and went to where she was lying in the living room.  We told him we were taking her to the vet and that she probably wasn't coming home.  He kissed her and told her it was OK, that she was going to heaven to live with Jesus.  He believes she is in heaven with Chase and that her body is young and healed again and that together they are chasing squirrels like they did when they were young.  She outlived several of her puppies, so I like to imagine a sweet reunion across the Rainbow Bridge.

 We knew we wouldn't have them forever and we are blessed we had them for as long as we did.  It's just the longer they are here, the longer you love them, the more apart of your heart they become and the harder it is to remember your life without them.  We are dog-less for the first time in our marriage.  Jimmy is dog-less for the first time in 18+ years.  Honestly, maybe for the first time in 42 years.  Just this morning, he was googling "Brittany puppies."  No puppy can ever replace them, and the next dog we have will certainly be the "kid's" dog.  I think it's so important for kids to grow up with pets.  They learn so many life lessons from them. 

Thank you Ginger for giving us more love and loyalty in your 15 years than we ever deserved!  Thank you for sharing your daddy with me and for loving (and tolerating) our babies.  You were the best package deal I ever got!