So Long Sweet Siler - You Were Loved

April 8, 2011 will be a day forever etched in my memory as I found our sweet dog floating in the pond. My heart sunk and a sadness that my little family had never experienced came. While Jacob and I hiked the Appalachian Trail from Feb-July of 2004, we spent many days talking about how we wanted a puppy when we were done. Well, the day after we returned from this 5 month adventure, we decided to go to the Greenville Humane Society and "just look." He was the cutest little puppy and neither of us could leave without taking him "home" (although, we were actually homeless at this point in our marriage). He was a far stretch from the small, female dog we were planning on but he was irresistible. We adopted him on July 10, 2004 at 16 weeks of age. Over the past (almost) 7 years, we have experienced a sweet love that only comes from a dog. A love that is different than a child's, certainly not comparable, but special and unique in its own way. I'm thankful that we were able to give Siler a happy life, taking him on many adventures and treating him to lots of table scraps. The last year of his life was his happiest as he took to "country living" like a champ. There were plenty of creatures to chase from tree to tree and his nose stayed to the ground. Ultimately, this is what got him in trouble and took his life. We'll miss him but will treasure the special times we had with him in our family. So long buddy.