Farewell to our best friend

Melissa Louise 11/25/2002-1/15/2016

We said goodbye to Melissa Louise on January 15, 2016. Missy was 13 years old, and the perfect dog for our family. We have so many sweet memories of Missy, and are so thankful that she was able to be a part of our life. If you click the label in this blog under the "missy" category, you can read several of the ways she touched our lives. We will never forget our precious Missy Lou.

Lounging with her dad

Even in her last moment on earth, Missy comforted us- her gift. She could tell we were upset and she moved closer to Welles and pressed her nose/head into his chest to give him one last hug.  

First day with us

First bath

We will always hold special memories of Missy in our hearts. She is no longer in any pain. She can run free in Dog heaven without a leash or fenced yard. I hope she's enjoying her favorite food once again- cheese grits- because don't you think dogs should be able to eat whatever they want in heaven? She's chasing cats and treeing squirrels. Did you know that Missy even knew the Spanish word for cat and she understood when we spelled C-A-T! She is laying in warm piles of laundry and vacuuming the floors after everyone eats (oh - and begging for food during meals). Missy isn't scared of thunder or fireworks anymore. She is fetching sticks to her heart's content and digging enormous holes.

They are both smiling!

Somebody got tired on our walk!

Missy's 10th Birthday

Laughing out Loud (LOL)

The Queen song, "Best Friend" has always been our song for Missy...

You're the best friend
That I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine
And I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
You're my best friend

I've been wandering round
But I still come back to you
In rain or shine
You've stood by me girl
I'm happy at home (happy at home)
You're my best friend.

Ooh, you make me live
Whenever this world is cruel to me
I got you to help me forgive
Ooh, you make me live now honey
Ooh, you make me live

You're the first one
When things turn out bad
You know I'll never be lonely
You're my only one
And I love the things
I really love the things that you do
You're my best friend

On a walk with Daniel

My favorite Missy picture.

Happy Easter

Merry Christmas

Another picture?

Her beloved soccer ball

Walking in Sunshine

Missy and her pig

Missy and her hedgehog

Laying in a warm pile of laundry just before we fold it.

Her least favorite pastime - bathing

Sleepy girl

With Quack-quack - one of her favorite toys

Goodbye Missy Lou - always loved, never forgotten, in our hearts forever!

Daniel and Missy Today

UPDATE:  Sorry, Y'all!  I posted the wrong video..below is the actual video where Daniel feeds Missy.

Now, their lives revolve around food.  Every once - in - a -while, he will feed her.  He gets the biggest kick out of giving Missy food.  I am sure that Missy's vet will have something to say about that when she goes for her yearly check-up next month!

Missy Lou is 8 today

Happy Birthday Missy Lou!

Today is Missy's birthday (11-25).  We are so thankful for Missy.  She has been with us through many happy times, some sad times, sickness, and the first 6.5 years of our marriage. 

    Looking for Santa.

With Grandpop (my dad)

 Digging a hole in the backyard:

On Thanksgiving Day, I am thankful that Missy was there for every migraine I have had, and when Welles had the flu -  resting beside us to relieve the stress of sickness.  I am thankful that she was there to comfort when grandparents passed away and as we said goodbye to loved friends. Missy knows a lot of tricks and brings so many smiles to friends and family.

We are thankful for Missy for her kind spirit with Daniel and her overall sweet nature.  In return, I think she is thankful for Daniel for all of the crumbs he drops and especially the food that he intentionally throws on the floor just for her.

 

 

Through all the good times and bad,

Missy, you're the best dog we've ever had!



Daniel loves Missy...

...even if this picture doesn't show it!

At least Missy looks happy in the photo!

They acknowledge each other's existence!

Up until this morning, Daniel and Missy have not really acknowledged that the other exists. Normally, Missy will turn the other way or remove herself from any situation where Daniel is involved. This a.m., however, Missy came over and sniffed Daniel's feet while he was playing on the playmat. Then, while I was getting ready, I brought Daniel into the bedroom, and Missy was sitting on the other side of the bed. I looked over, and Daniel looked behind him to smile at Missy! We hope they will be good friends in the future.

By the way, this week marks 7 years that we have had our sweet Missy Lou. Missy, you have brought us so much happiness through the years, and we love you!

Missy Lou - Not Forgotten!

Some of you have been concerned about our sweet pup and her adjustment to the new baby. Missy has done relatively well. The first day home from the hospital, she was apparently lacking for attention and limped around the living room when I tried to get her to come to me. Fortunately, it was all an act--she is such a drama queen! She doesn't get too close to the baby, but does seem to be interested in his well-being. We have a fancy new monitor (the Angel Care Monitor - thanks for the suggestion Uncle Scotty). It senses the movement everytime Daniel breathes. If he doesn't breathe for 20 seconds or so, an alarm sounds. Every once in a while, we will accidently forget to turn the sensor off when we pick the baby up out of the crib. If the alarm goes off, Missy is the first one in the nursery making sure the little-one is OK!

We love Missy Lou and cannot wait until Daniel is older and see them both together.

What our dogs can teach us

Last week I "won" a new devotional at a silent auction that was planned to raise money for some friends who will be missionaries in China for the next couple of years. I love this new devotional! See below for the lesson I read this week - I have changed it up a bit to read "Lessons from Missy."

When you're happy, let the world know. Missy is a cute little corgi-beagle, and it is not hard to tell when she is happy. I love when Welles comes home from work because I get to see Missy's reaction. She barks, leads me to the door, and wags her tail like it might just fall off - she is so happy! Her joy is contagious, and there is no reason to keep it in!

Hold your tail up. Dogs exhibit confidence by walking with their tails held high. Missy is a confident dog, and when we used to take her to daycare regularly, the petkeepers there would place her in a kennel with dogs that were sad or needed to hang out with a balanced dog. We should hold our heads high with confidence.

Play, Play, Play. Missy reminds us that we should always take time to play and enjoy the moment.

Be thankful. Last night, we had some pretty bad storms in Birmingham. If you know Missy, you know that she was under the bed for a good portion of the night. In the midst of the storms, we must have forgotten to feed her! Aroud 2:00 in the morning when the coast was clear of storms, Missy rang her bell wildly - wanting us to feed her. After I fed her, she came back to bed and licked the back of my hand, "Thanks, Mom!" We should be thankful for every meal, every walk, every nap, and every friend.

Stay in the now! Missy greets each day as if it is the greatest adventure of her life. If we even go near our tennis shoes, she is whining for a walk. In fact, today Welles and I were planning to go to Dawson to work out today. We put on our shoes, and Missy sat at the top of the stairs while we picked up fallen branches in the driveway. We just couldn't leave her! So - we took that sweet puppy on a walk. Staying in the moment is the only way to experience God in my life. He is here now, in the moment, the greatest adventure life holds.

Thank you, God, for Missy and all the ways you use her to teach us life lessons!

Missy's Portraits

Is this our dog?
Missy 1:



















Picasso Pets is a fundraiser including a silent auction for Hand-In-Paw. Welles and I attended this event last August, and silently bid many times for a portrait of Missy. We won, and above is the product. I had already contracted with a friend/co-worker to paint Missy for Welles' birthday, and below is her portriat.

Missy 2:














Painted from this picture:

So - which one is more like our sweet Missy Lou?

Missy - are you stuck?

I came home from work today, and something was different. Usually Missy Lou comes to the basement door to greet me. Today, however, she was wimpering in the living room. This is what I walked in to find.

I don't know if you can tell from the picture or not, but Welles had tried to make a barrier with the cushions to keep her from climbing on the couch. Smarty pants Missy thought it was the perfect place for an afternoon nap. For some reason, she couldn't get out!

Missy Lou le Poo

I have been getting requests for Missy posts, so here we go! Missy has to be the friendliest dog I have ever known. It's a little annoying when she jumps up and barks at visitors (and we have tried every trick in the book to get her not to jump--any advice would be much appreciated). Still she is a loving, loyal, and happy dog.

Missy knows a lot of words. Several specific words get her fired up to go outside: "squirrel," "kitty-cat," "birdie," and "Who is it? Go Get 'em!" If we want her to come inside, we use one word, "CHEESE." We are assuming that nosey neighbors think we are crazy and wonder why we open our kitchen window, and yell out, "CHEESE!!!!!" However, it works everytime! She also loves to hear "Aunt Mary Anne and Uncle Russell." Aunt Mary Anne was my Grandmother's sister, and she and her husband live .6 miles from our door. They come to visit Missy every Tuesday to let her outside briefly, give her treats, and sing to her on the couch. More Missy stories and pictures/videos to come!

Happy Birthday Missy Lou!

We love sweet Missy Lou, and today she is 6 years old. She makes every day a happy day--no matter if there is a bad day at work or even dissapointing news. She is always excited to see us when we walk in the door and that makes every day brighter.

Above is a picture of the day I got Missy. I had never intended on getting a dog--in fact, I was scared of dogs due to an incident at a friends house in the 3rd grade. My sister-in-law Ashley was "trying" Missy out for a few days, and realized that it wasn't going to work. She invited me to her apartment that day to meet a sweet puppy that was going to have to go back to the family that she got her from. The minute I saw her (Dixie was her original name), I fell in love. I once babysat for the family that owned Missy's mom, and I called them to ask if Missy could come home with me. I can't imagine life without Missy Lou-lou, and I hope we have many more years to come!