We miss you already.

 We adopted our dog China.

She was an older dog when we got her, and she was abused and starved regularly.

I had a small baby, she was set her in ways, had a hard life and was part pit bull and I didn't think we could trust her.

We took her in because she so badly needed a good home, but she wasn't with out problems.  She was terrified of men, and had some food aggression because she had been starved on and off her entire life.. but she grew on me pretty quickly, and before I knew it, she became part of the family.

I think because of her hard life, she was so happy to finally be loved she returned our love 10 fold.  She was the happiest dog I've ever known, and acted like a puppy until her hips wouldn't let her jump any more.

When strangers came over, she always positioned herself between the kids and the people she didn't know.  I think she might even love my kids as much as I do.  She would have died to save them in a heart beat.

And until about a year ago when her arthritis started to set in China was my running partner.

She was the first dog I ever really loved.

Tuesday morning when I woke up, China was acting very strange.  Normally every morning China and Vader greet each other by barking and jumping all over each other like idiots.  But that morning China didn't stand up when Vader ran over to her.

When I finally got her on her feet she was very wobbly and weak.  I was hoping she was just having a bad day with her arthritis so I brought her inside, made a bed for her and let her relax, but the longer the day went on the more wobbly she got.  By Wednesday afternoon she could hardly stand or hold her head up, I had to hold it up for her so wouldn't drown when she tried to drink.  As it turns out, she had a stroke.

So, I talked to my good friend who is a vet.  She said she could come to my house and put her to sleep here so I didn't have to drag her out and she could go to sleep in peace at home.

Last night before the kids went to bed they said good bye to her.

I struggled with my decision to put her to sleep up until the very last second.  It wasn't until she was sedated that I realized just how much she had been suffering.  She laid down and looked peaceful for the first time since Tuesday morning, and finally stop struggling to hold her head up.

I burred her in the back yard under the shade of her favorite banana tree.  It looks dead right now, like it does every winter... but every spring it comes back, more bigger and more beautiful then the year before.  She always napped under that tree, and now she will rest there for ever.

I love you China, and I miss you already.

This was our Christmas card a few years ago. 

China's last day with us.