"She's just a dog." We lost Sadie early Monday morning. She just walked into her kennel, laid down and died. She was ten and a half years old. She must have been struggling with something. She had been hit by a car last spring. A broken pelvis that never was the same. The accident sure made us take stock in how blessed we were to have this girl.

She grew up with the kids. She camped, she ran, she rode in the car, she sat on our laps (all 90 lbs of her). She sat in the driveway or on the porch while we played outside. She joined us in playing catch. She hauled away wood and took out the trash. She got the mail and allowed Megan to use her for jumping demonstrations. She greeted everyone who came over as if they were there to visit her. She slept at the end of my bed. Every night. If you laid on the floor to watch TV, she laid right up against you. She wrestled and ran...she was a big lovable puppy..

I miss her like crazy. Shes not there with me for my coffee. Shes not in her kennel to be let out when I get home. She has left a hole in my heart. I owe her more than I can ever say...I wasn't ready to let her go...