You were such an incredible dog, and it will be impossible to ever find another dog with your qualities. You were such a selfless animal from the puppy stage on up, always giving as much love as anyone could take. You shared lots of life changes with us, with careers, houses, and kids. You were such a gentle soul, touching countless lives, and most importantly you took such good care of our children from the time they were born, nurturing them from the babies they were to the beautiful children they now are, never once batting an eye at the stress they sometimes caused you. You never complained about the attention they took away from you. You just patiently stood by, always loyal. You were the best dog anyone could ever ask for. Such a gentleman, lean, mean, physically fit with the best demeanor. I remember holding you as a puppy on your back in my hand, and you would just lay there. In fact, that is how you got your name. You were so "chilled out," your name was instantly Chilli, and you were ours from the moment you were born.
We had a great
weekend over Labor Day. You had a great last time at the lake and were
great with the kids and everyone else. Everyone liked having you at
the lake. Everyone knew you. You chased
those vultures off the dock and
didn't seem to lack any energy. On Tuesday, you ran the boys to
school, and then went with Scott on a run to a doctor appt. and then to
the post office. On Wednesday, you got to take the boys to the school in
the van, and you played with Mikayla in the back yard. You seemed to
be enjoying every minute.On Wednesday afternoon, when we found you lying peacefully in the backyard, and we went into a bit of panic. What could have happened and how was our wonderful little dog laying there with no previous hint of anything wrong? We went in to tell the boys, and we all gathered around you for quite some time, with the tears flowing.
In the past few days, we have recounted many things that made you such a special dog:
-You were so loving and loyal, yet didn't beg for excessive attention.
-If you had gotten out of the house while we were away, you would be sitting patiently in the driveway, just waiting for us to return.
-You loved to travel on the airplane, even if it meant being cooped up in a little duffle bag for 4-5 hours, because you knew it meant that you would get to be with us.
-You took your turns sleeping with all of us, understanding that each of us wanted a turn, yet seemingly grateful when you got to sleep in your own bed every fourth night.
-When the kids as babies would pull your ears or tail, you might bare your teeth a bit, but never once did you even think of biting anyone.
-If you would want back in the house, you would cautiously bark just one time, quietly, to let us know you needed in.
-You loved to swim, chase ducks, chase squirrels, ride the jet ski, and run the trails, and never turned down the opportunity for any of these.
-You would go with us on walks, without a leash, minding your own business, stopping at the streets to wait for permission to cross, and loving all the squirrels.
-You could sense just when to ask for attention, and you would do so by jumping on the bed and quietly putting your beard in our face.
-"Your" spot was on the back of the couch. I'm sure over the years the cushion got worn down more than it otherwise would have, but you were content there, and took thousands of naps in that spot!
-You were the perfect watchdog, alerting us to guests by barking, yet not excessively. I always felt safer with you around, listening for any strange noises.
-We remember when we first brought TJ home from the hospital. We set TJ in his carseat in the office and let you discover him. From the moment you first smelled him, you knew he was a part of our family, and you instantly accepted him.
-Then, I'm pretty sure that when we brought Mikayla home, you said, "Uh oh. Not another one of these." Yet again, instant acceptance.
Some moments to remember:
-We were playing softball, and a rogue ball hit your leg and instantly broke it. You were in a cast for weeks, and we would carry you in a little dog carrier.
-You got into a dog fight, and we got really mad at you. You came in the house and hid under the afghan, peeking through the holes and thinking that we could not see you. We laughed so hard!
-How many times were we grateful that someone returned you to us, after you got a little curious and wondered too far from our house?
-You were tied to Jada on a double leash, saw a squirrel, and you both took off running; unfortunately, 2 year old TJ was in your path, and the leash clothes lined him at the knees and took him out.
-One of your few faults was finding something to get into at the house while we were gone. You would crawl up on the kitchen table, looking for crumbs. You liked to eat earplugs, and you found dirty diapers on more than one occasion!
Chilli, we are so very sorry that this happened. At the same time, we are so glad you seemed to love life to its fullest. You were an incredible friend and companion to each of us. Goodbye Chilli, and thank you for being a part of our family. We will always remember you!
Love, Lisa, Scott, TJ, Luka, and Mikayla
P.S. - The boys have created a memory box in your honor. It contains pictures, cards, and other memorabilia. We will keep it close by and continue to fill it with treasures and memories of our life together.
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