MinPinMoments

I hate March. There are too many sad events that have happened during this month. I lost my precious Twinkie in March of 2007. Quest was diagnosed with lymphoma in March of 2021. And then Quest made her journey to the Rainbow Bridge last March. This year I have been counting down the days until April.

One year ago this evening, I faced the decision every pet parent dreads. Quest hadn’t been feeling well, so I wanted to get her checked out. I thought after receiving fluids and anti-nausea medication, she would perk up. As we left for the emergency hospital, I had no idea we would return home without our sweet Quest. Saying goodbye to her was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. But I knew I was making the right choice. She was experiencing a list of health problems that grew as time went by. It wouldn’t have been fair to keep her here for me. I needed to set her free to be reunited with Aspen. Life isn’t the same without them. I miss them both with a ferocity I didn’t know lived inside me. Memories soothe my heart, as does my Malibu, who is still by my side. But it will never be the same again.

Fifteen years ago this weekend, we brought home our Min Pin litter.

Happy Birthday to my Malibu –  She turns 15 today! 

Malibu continues to love taking long walks, performing tricks, and showing off her agility moves in the backyard (she doesn’t know I lowered the height of her dog walk and teeter for safety purposes, lol).

It’s a bittersweet day, but I’m so grateful to still have Malibu with me.

For many years, the first weekend in December meant one thing – a holiday photo shoot with my dogs. My goal was always the same – to capture the perfect photo for our annual Christmas card. A theme would be selected. Outfits and sometimes props would be organized. Some years I would take a group photo of the girls, and other years, individual shots would be taken. It was a weekend I looked forward to each year.

The long-standing tradition ended in 2020. Because it was the last December I would have all three girls still with me. The following summer Aspen passed away. I knew then that there would be no more holiday photo shoots. No more gathering the girls and dressing them in festive clothing or costumes. No more positioning them just right. No more taking photo after photo with tasty treats nearby to keep the girls focused on me. No more searching for the image that outshined the rest.

But I did have another project planned the first weekend of December in 2021. I planted flower seeds. When I received Aspen’s urn there was a tiny package of wildflower seeds included in the box. The instructions showed the best time for planting was late fall.

I wanted the flowers to grow in a very special area. One of Aspen’s favorite places in our home was the front windows of our living room. She would sit there for hours looking outside and waiting for something to happen. Under those windows was an empty flower bed. It was the perfect spot. I have no green thumb but did my best in following the directions.

Exactly six months later, the first flower appeared. It was the only one to bloom, but I was grateful to have it.

Last weekend, the first one in December, I had a new packet of seeds to plant. This time it would be in honor of Quest.

I planted her seeds in the same location as Aspen’s.

I hope to see flowers in the spring. Maybe I will see two blooms, instead of a single one.

Malibu

Even during the dog days of summer, the kids were never fond of getting wet. But I could always lure them in with a treat. Once I took the photo, everyone was outta the pool.

: )