My First Love

My heart has a piece missing. My sweet girl that I have loved for 15 years has passed away. I was praying that she could have been able to hold on for a little bit longer for me to have said my good byes.
She was unbelievable. She was the sweetest little girl ever.

I remember like yesterday. 1999, the summer going into my freshman year in high school. Seeing both my parents sitting in the car to pick me up from cheerleading practice. I knew something was up because they both usually didn't come.  We drove a pretty long ways away, or at least it felt like that to come to a home with to many dogs. I like to think that we had saved her. We picked out our baby at 5 weeks old (i no that is to young but she was already taken away from her mother) and headed home. The best $75 purchase ever. From the very beginning, she was meant to be part of our family. Such a smart, loving little girl.  I used to play this silly game with her. I would put some spices in plastic wrap and hid it in the car. Id tell her to find it...like a drug dog. Or making her sit patiently in another room while I would hide her favorite toy somewhere around the house. She always knew where it was and was so excited to bring it back squeaking it like crazy.  All the tricks she knew.  My mother teaching her to say "ma-ma".  Her and I racing up the stairs. She always new when I said 'on your mark, get set, GO'. She sounded like crazy nut dog as we ran. Barking like she was a 100lb because she thought it made her run faster.   

She has been through so much with me. Sleeping together growing up. Sleeping without me when I was going through my crazy years after high school and still forgiving me through that stage of life. I wish I could have done things differently. Selfishly I would have loved to have brought her with me when I moved. She loved my mom and dad and it would have been just as hard for them had I done that.

She was the best thing that happened to my family.  

Home is not going to be the same. Home was where the tail wags were and a wet nose touching your leg as you eat. The place where you had to step over large stuffed animal laying in the middle of the floor with Toby sucking on it. Christmas time when she got wayyy more gift then anyone else. She loved to open all of the gifts herself even if it didn't have her name on them.  Not one family photo without her.  Cuddling with floppy ears and soft fur. The tail that goes around in circles instead of back and forth. The treat that you give her that she will pretend to bury in the corner. Forgetting her name while walking in the backyard. Nose down tail up.

 And who could forget about her bark. A beagles bark is special thing.
I am so thankful for this little girl and she will be missed like crazy.  

Toby
June 1999- November 12, 2014