Saying Goodbye to Roxy

One of the reasons we took a trip to the cabin was to get the kids minds off of Roxy. The time has come to say goodbye to our sweet puppy. We have had Roxy since before we got married when she was only a few months old. I snuck her into my apartment for a few weeks before we got married and she was the cutest most fluffy playful dog. 

After about 9 years and 2 sets of puppies, Roxy started to get sick. We started to notice bumps along her belly that almost looked like she was pregnant. Looking back I wish that was all it was. Turns out she was developing tumors. At first they were small and didn't seem to bother her at all. But over time they got bigger and bigger and made it harder for her to be active. She sometimes would moan in the middle of the night or for no apparent reason. We knew something needed to be done but also knew that the only permanent solution was to put her down. We didn't want her to be in a lot of pain but also wanted to make sure the timing was right. 

One day I came home from the gym and our front room looked like a crime scene. There was blood smeared all over my nice front room carpet! Seriously I just about had a panic attack. Roxy decided to try and remove one of the tumors herself and cut herself pretty bad. Thankfully we got the blood out of the carpet but knew that the time has come to say goodbye. 

I will never forget that day. We sat the kids down and told them what was going to happen and that they needed to say goodbye to Roxy. It was the hardest thing we've had to do as parents. They just cried and cried and I cried right along with them. It was almost as though Roxy knew what was going on. She got a sudden burst of energy and was playing in the yard before we put her in the car to go, almost like it was her last time to run free. 

The boys have adjusted ok. For a few days I would walk into Tatum's room in the morning to wake him up for school and he would be crying in his bed. He always would say he missed Roxy. We framed a picture of the boys with her and put it next to his bed and that has helped. Tatum was very worried that he would forget her. Poor Tatum has taken it the worst out of everyone. He has never known life without her.

Now that she has been gone for a few weeks, everyone is fine. Occasionally Eric and I will find ourselves doing things out of routine without remembering that Roxy is gone. But other than that life is back to normal. We miss her tons but a part of me is glad to be done with animals. I know it is terrible but with 3 kids my life is too busy to give a dog the attention that they need. 

We miss you Roxy and will always remember you!