Today Brent and I said good-bye to our first "child" together. Chelsea Lynne Cook was a part of our lives for almost 12 years. She was my 30th birthday present and the puppy of Brent's parents' dog Sadie. When she was born, the white fur on the back of her neck formed the letter C and that combined with her beautiful red coloring made her the dog for us.
Chelsea put up with me adorning her in bandannas for every occasion. Here she is ready to help me give Brent his 30th birthday present - NASCAR driving lessons at Texas Motor Speedway.
She weathered 3 moves across the country and back and us bringing 2 small humans into her life, but through it all one thing remained constant - her passion for running and leaping to catch an airborne object.
So intense was this passion that for a while we couldn't say the word Frisbee or ball in her presence. We had to resort to "flying circle disk" or "b-a-l-l" to avoid sending her into a tizzy. It was almost impossible to ignore those laser beam eyes that practically willed you to pick up the ball and throw it for her.
Even in her last days with us, she still had the desire to retrieve. She was a bit slow at it, but she did it none-the-less. I always said she'd play ball until her dying day and, bless her heart, she did.
Chelsea was also a good companion. When Brent would go out of town, she'd curl up next to me in bed to make sure I wasn't lonely. Our house seems quite empty now that she's gone, and I'm a bit lonely without her shadowing my every move.
Even Jennie, our other Border Collie, is feeling the loss. And after we explained what was happening to Brenna, she said, "I don't want to have only one dog." We don't either, but now she is at peace and no longer hurting.
Good-bye old friend. I hope you find an angel to throw your ball for you. We love you and will miss you so.
Glad I captured this moment, because these days, they can be fleeting.
Future Lady Charmer - I'm just sayin'
Today Brent and I said good-bye to our first "child" together. Chelsea Lynne Cook was a part of our lives for almost 12 years. She was my 30th birthday present and the puppy of Brent's parents' dog Sadie. When she was born, the white fur on the back of her neck formed the letter C and that combined with her beautiful red coloring made her the dog for us.
Chelsea put up with me adorning her in bandannas for every occasion. Here she is ready to help me give Brent his 30th birthday present - NASCAR driving lessons at Texas Motor Speedway.
She weathered 3 moves across the country and back and us bringing 2 small humans into her life, but through it all one thing remained constant - her passion for running and leaping to catch an airborne object.
So intense was this passion that for a while we couldn't say the word Frisbee or ball in her presence. We had to resort to "flying circle disk" or "b-a-l-l" to avoid sending her into a tizzy. It was almost impossible to ignore those laser beam eyes that practically willed you to pick up the ball and throw it for her.
Even in her last days with us, she still had the desire to retrieve. She was a bit slow at it, but she did it none-the-less. I always said she'd play ball until her dying day and, bless her heart, she did.
Chelsea was also a good companion. When Brent would go out of town, she'd curl up next to me in bed to make sure I wasn't lonely. Our house seems quite empty now that she's gone, and I'm a bit lonely without her shadowing my every move.
Even Jennie, our other Border Collie, is feeling the loss. And after we explained what was happening to Brenna, she said, "I don't want to have only one dog." We don't either, but now she is at peace and no longer hurting.
Good-bye old friend. I hope you find an angel to throw your ball for you. We love you and will miss you so.
