Plus, we lost a dear family member this past week. Our dog, Buddy, who we have had for over 12 years, was hit by a car on Friday, December 18....just one week before Christmas. We are still trying to come to grips with it.
We first got Buddy because Kaylee and Whitney were immensely afraid of dogs when they were little. I mean really afraid. Like, crawl-up-on-your-lap-and-dig-their-nails-in-your-back-if-a-dog-was-in-the-room kind of afraid. A friend was building a house and didn't want a dog in her new house, so was giving him away. He was about 1 year old at the time. He definitely cured the kids of their fear. For that, I am grateful to him.
However, I had my issues with Buddy - especially recently. He shed. A lot. Lately, it was in the form of very large tufts of fur left randomly around the house. Since he was housebroken when we got him, he never had any accidents. At least, not in the old house. For some reason, in the past month and a-half, he had at least six mishaps here at the new house. You have to understand - the carpet at the old house had been there at least 10 years before we moved in, so I was not overly concerned about it. However, all of the carpet here is fairly new and really nice. I had just about had it with him! Plus, did I mentioned that he followed me? Everywhere. I can't count the number of times I tripped over him. Oh, the guilt.
Also, we had a fenced in yard at the old house with two gates. Buddy had gotten to the point that, even if the gates were left open (which happened a lot), he would not venture out of the yard. It just didn't happen. He just understood that his spot was in the back yard, and could have cared less if he was free to venture out. On Wednesday of last week, one of the gates here was accidentally left open. He was let out at least four times after that and never wandered away. For whatever reason, Thursday afternoon, he left the yard. Jeff and I were at Whitney's basketball game when Kaylee called to say she couldn't find him. Jeff left to help her look. We had driven separatley, so I waited for Whit and came home. I wasn't too concerned, really. I mean, he never ventured out, so I was sure he wasn't far. We couldn't find him that night. We had to tell Whitney and Cassidy that he was lost. But, we reassured them that we would look again the next morning. I had the day off, and was going to have posters printed and passed out. I'd go door to door if I had to. Buddy would come home. Kaylee texted her friends. One person called to say they saw him crossing Walnut Street about 4:00. Jeff went back out to look with no luck.
On Friday morning, Jeff left for work. He was running a little late, but still decided to make a sweep of the neighborhood where Buddy had been spotted before he left town. He didn't get far before he saw him. Buddy was in the middle of the road. He could tell it had happpened recently. Right after he got there, a cop arrived because he had gotten a call that a dog had been hit. Jeff called me to let me know to come with a bag. The kids had heard the phone ring, so they knew something was up. Jeff came back home to give them the news. That is one moment I will never forget. There are so many things that could have gone differently, and the outcome could have been better. Those are the things I keep thinking about...the "what if's."
So, if the stockings aren't hung by the chimney with care. If the halls aren't all appropriately decked. If I can't manage to go out and get those last few gifts to make everything "even," I hope everyone understands. My heart just isn't in it right now.