Goodbye, Sammy...

It's been over a month since I've written and I suspect part of the reason is that I was avoiding this specific post. We said goodbye to Sammy just over a month ago. He blessed our lives for 10 1/2 years and after battling intestinal issues for over a year and a half, we were faced with the decision to put him down or watch him starve to death. We watched his weight plummet this fall and after a year on steroids, his body had enough.

After struggling to determine when it was the "right time" we finally called the vet on Monday to set up Friday's appointment. On Tuesday evening, Sammy stopped eating. He had been eating hamburger and rice for over a month and had finally tired of that food, too. We tried all of the old favorites. Chicken, no. Peanut butter, no. Cookies, no. Cheese, no. Ice cream, no. He would eat nothing and while he was definitely weaker and more lethargic, he still had a sparkle in his eye.

Friday came and both Dan and I took the day off of work to spend one last morning with our "first kid". Without discussing it, both he and I had the same idea... take Sammy to Crystal Lake and let him walk the paths one last time. It was a cool, crisp day. The sun seemed to shine just for us. And all of the scents and smells of the lake and woods seemed to morph our old dog into a young pup again. It didn't take long for him to find the water and he didn't hesitate to take a dip. It was a beautiful last memory that will forever be etched in our minds.

The kids took it well. Riley was really too young to understand death, but was the first to say, "Sammy" when we arrived home from school each day. We prepared Luke for Sammy's death prior to the final goodbye. There were a few bouts of tears and lots of questions, but the thought of Sammy running and being healthy in heaven. Dan misses taking Sammy for walks and I still think of him every time we drop a crumb on the floor. Vacuuming under the dinner table has become a daily occurrence.

We miss Sammy and he is thought about daily. Dogs add so much to a family and we look forward to welcoming another dog into ours once the kids get a little older. Until then, Sammy-stories will continue to be told and we'll keep imagining Sammy swimming around in heaven.