Good Bye to our Best Buddy

Our sweet dog Jackson was put to sleep on June 26th.  It was one of the hardest things we've ever had to do, but I'm so thankful that he isn't suffering anymore.  We miss him so much.  I have been putting together a collection of pictures of Jackson to make a little memory book for the girls.  I thought I would share them here as well.  Gabi & Maya loved Jackson.  They ask about him every day and like myself, have had the tears flowing.  We left on our vacation the day after we put him to sleep, so it didn't really hit us until we got home and he was gone.  I've been hearing his collar tags jingling and sometimes I'll catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye.  It is strange how that happens.

Jackson was our adventure companion.  He helped us train for marathons.  He led the way on many, many hikes and backpacking trips.  He climbed the tallest peak in Colorado, Mt. Elbert, with us.  He once beat me in a trail race by 20 minutes. :)  He was a happy dog when he was free to run.  I hope he's running freely (and breathing much easier) now.  Here are a few picks of Jackson with us on our adventures.

The girls loved their dog and he loved them.  We called him the "gentle giant"....100 pounds of pure love.

Jackson was a naughty puppy...he's lucky that he was so cute. ;-)  As soon as he turned 2, he calmed down and was the best dog one could ask for.

10 weeks old

Look at the size of those paws and ears...we knew he would be a big dog!

Jackson loved the ranch.  Whenever we would come to visit, he would roam, swim, run, play, chase to his heart's content.  I'm so glad that he was able to spend the last 1.5 years of his life here doing those same things everyday.  We buried him right outside our yard.  The girls and I made a heart out of rocks on top of his grave.

Here are a few of my favorite photos of Jackson.

The four of us aren't the only ones who miss Jackson.  Rocky has been having a very hard time and it breaks my heart.  Rocky was just a few months old when we got Jackson, so they grew up together and were pretty good pals.  Since we returned from our trip, Rocky has been roaming the house at night meowing.  His meow sounds like a cry.  Poor kitty...I'm sure his heart is broken too.

Thanks for reading this post.  I know some people think it's silly to get so upset over a dog, but he truly was a member of our family.  We miss him so much and have been trying to remember all the fun times we had with him.

Here is the last photo I took of Jackson the morning he died.  I found Gabi lying with him on the rug telling him what a good dog he was.  Rest in peace, buddy.  You will be greatly missed.