Zoe, My First Baby

We decided to put Zoe down today. It was a sad decision, but an easy one. She had been showing her age for quite a few months now, and it was getting harder and harder for her to stand up and walk around. We had taken her to the vet for a check up about a month ago, and they found that she had a pretty decent size tumor that was likely cancerous. We decided to just see how she would do for the next couple of weeks, and it really seemed like she was getting worse each day. I was having to lift her up to help her get on her feet, and she just seemed so tired. On Father's Day, we went to the Astros game, and we were gone almost all day long. When we got home, it was very clear that she had been stuck on the ground for a long time. She was so worn out and stressed, it made me so sad for her. We decided that night that we would take her in the morning. The girls went off to VBS, and I told them to say goodbye to her because she would likely not be coming back. They gave her one last little pet, and they headed out. The vet was very kind, and she definitely supported our decision. I didn't want to go back with her, so I just said a quick goodbye and they took her back. It was pretty sad at the moment, and I wish that I would have asked them for an extra minute or so to say something to her. I mean, I know they are dogs, but I also know that they know more than we think. I was trying to not break down in front of them, so I told them to just take her. I do regret not asking them for a few minutes alone, but I learned my lesson, I guess! I put together a slideshow of all my favorite Zoe pictures from the last 14 years to remember her.

Some of my favorite memories of Zoe...
*The girl LOVED the bayou! At our old house, she would dig out as much as she could and just run and run and run. Luckily, she always came back, but she loved it! I would go running with her sometimes, and she would stay right with me for a bit. Just when I thought she had learned to hang out, she would go crazy and jump the water and run to the other side. The only time she ever didn't run away was when I had just had knee surgery. Cory was out of town, and I was lonely and bored. I really wanted to get out of the house, but I could barely walk. She seemed to be going crazy in the house, so I took her out to the bayou. I brought a chair to sit on, and I fully expected her to run away. She must have known that I didn't have the ability to chase her this time, so she just stayed close this time.
*We took her to Tennessee to climb and camp one Thanksgiving, and it was ridiculously cold. She absolutely loved every minute of it! One night it started to snow. Cory and I were all snuggled in our warm sleeping bags, and I was worried about her getting too cold. At one point, I yelled for her to come to us. She ran right up to the tent with snow all over her, poked her head in the tent, licked my face, and ran right back out. She explored all night out in the freezing cold. It must have been a dream come true!
*When we first got Willow, she hated her! I remember crying to Cory and saying that I thought we ruined Zoe's life. She finally got used to her, and although Willow still bugged her often, I think she was glad to have a buddy. I loved how they used to play and run in circles all around the living room. When Zoe was done, she would always put Willow in her place and let her know that she was still the queen of this castle.
*I was in labor at home with Adilyn, and I was trying to get in whatever position was the most comfortable, which was getting increasingly harder. I remember at one point, Zoe just came over and licked my hand, and laid down right next to me.
*She was always terrified of thunderstorms. Anytime it started to thunder, she would jump up in our bed. Not only was just huge, but she would also breathe crazy heavy and shake all night long. One night after Adilyn was born, Dad was in town. Cory and I decided to have a quick date. As soon as we left, it started to rain and storm. Zoe just jumped right up in Dad's lap on the chair, and she stayed there until the storm passed. Dad is not the biggest fan of pets, but he felt so bad for her, that he let her stay there.
*Any time she got out of the house, she would explore. She would run and run until you got in front of her. The minute you cut her off, she would run right back to the house.
*She was always weary of certain people, especially people that really wanted to pet her. When we first got her, anytime a person crouched down and tried to get her to come to them she would go crazy barking and growling. The minute they ignored her, she would creep up to them and check them out. I always thought she must have been abused by someone who would crouch down like that. I am so glad that she chilled out in her old age.
*She always loved snuggling on a blanket or pillow. Any time the kids left anything on the floor, we would always find her laying on it. The other thing she always loved was rubbing her head in a blanket that I was using on the couch. Even just the other day, she stuck her head in my blanket like she used to.
*The best memory of all was that up until the last 6 months or so, every single time we came home, she would meet us with a stuffed animal in her mouth. If she couldn't find an animal, it would be a shoe or a Barbie. Whatever she could find! She never really liked to play with toys, but she would always greet us with one for some reason.

We will miss her, but we are so grateful for the years that we had with her! Love you, ZoZo!