Remembering Taffy

While looking through old pictures of Harry for his Senior Ad in the yearbook, I came across pictures of our beloved Taffy.

We got Taffy the year Rich got out of the Navy. He was home and so it seemed the perfect time for us to try having a dog again. We'd tried 2 other times when our kids were young but it was too much like having another baby to take care of so we had to give them back. But at this time all our kids were at least past toddler-hood. So we picked out our cute little yellow lab and named her Taffy.

Rich got her house broken and she chewed everything. We played with her and loved her.

She loved a good snack. We could never leave freshly baked cookies out because she would find a way to get at them.

She was always there with us, whether playing, helping, hiding, or waiting.

She shows up in a lot of my drawings.

When Harry came along she was there. She was there to help him climb onto the couch. She was there when he needed a soft place to nap. She was right beside him when he rode his first bike.

Sabrina found her to be the perfect napping partner.

She loved laying next to Jeanette while she sewed.

She slept on our bed. She chewed our shoes. She ate anything we left within her reach. She was part of our family.

As she got older it got harder and harder for her to move around. We had to help her get on the bed. We left the sliding glass door open at night so she could make frequent trips to the potty (and she seemed to prefer the outside). Then one day she just couldn't get up. We wrapped her in a quilt and took her to the vet where we hugged her, petted her, and kissed her black nose as she slipped quietly away.

Even now sometimes I can feel her jump up on the bed and lay next to me.

I know that she is happy and running and chewing things and eating anything the angels are leaving unattended.