...favorite hello and hardest goodbye

It's been a second. I had a goal to post at least once a month, but as you can see - life happens! We have had nonstop visitors, lots of birthdays, and have been traveling for the past two months. I have been reflecting on a lot of things the past few weeks. December was kind of a weird month for me. Like most people, I don't always adjust well to the idea and the reality of "new" things. 

On December 11, 2017, we said goodbye to my childhood golden retriever, Bronte. She was 14 years old which is actually pretty old for her breed. Bronte joined our family in Fall 2003. She was born on my sister Shannon's birthday making it really tough for my parents to say "no" to the dog thing. She was a pretty fun dog who cried nonstop every time she saw you. This was my favorite thing to come home too after college semesters in Idaho. She "smiled" by showing all of her teeth which usually scared newcomers the first few times. Bronte was obsessed with chocolate, and as a puppy ate an entire bag of Hershey kisses (including the foil!). Every night she loved to run across the backyard chasing a laser pointer. She would drop shoes off at your feet (...not necessarily your own shoes) if she needed to use the bathroom. And she was nearly a pro at delivering dirty plates to the dishwasher! Bronte is also the only dog Gracie has ever tolerated. 

There's lots more I could say about this amazing creature God blessed our family with so many years ago, but words are a little tough still. I don't think I realized how hard losing a pet would be. She was old and hasn't been her true self for years. We all knew it was coming one of these days... In fact, two years ago I made the entire family paw print ornaments for Christmas because we expected to lose her soon. But she surprised us all by living for another two years! I would probably argue that pet loss is just as hard as human loss. Bronte was part of the family. She was part of everyone's everyday routine. She always seemed to be in tune with the family's emotions, maybe even better than a human at times. 

Bronte's absence definitely made the house feel a little bit empty on Christmas. She was, after all, in charge of throwing away the wrapping paper as we opened gifts. Bronte was buried in my family’s backyard with a favorite toy and some Hershey’s kisses. My family is in the process of creating a rock garden in the back as a memorial for her. I know we all will be missing her for a very long time, and that's ok! 

I read this quote a few weeks ago by Cecelia Ahern, "You will always be my favorite hello and hardest goodbye. P.S. I will always love you." I think that pretty accurately describes my feelings currently. 

Until we meet again, sweet angel pup...