It has been a long time since I wrote a blog post and a lot has happened in the last few years. I will attempt to bring us up-to-date.
In March of 2011, we had our three month old granddaughter placed with us by the state, after she came into care with some very serious injuries. As we waded our way through court hearings, surgeries to correct her injuries, meetings with DHS, visitations, countless doctor appointments, therapy appointments, more court hearings, and more meetings, it became increasingly difficult for me to keep up with sewing and filling orders for the designer dog clothes that I had become known for. When it became clear that our granddaughter would not be able to be returned to her parents, we knew that there was no question that she had to remain with us and we were granted adoption. I closed down the business in December of 2014.
June 2011
Kaelynn fit into the family well, being a dog lover from the start. The dogs were not so sure about this new "puppy" that had descended upon the household, but soon accepted her and have always been so good with her. Poor Cooper probably got the shortest end of the stick, having come to live with us just two months prior to all of this. He didn't receive the extensive training that the girls had, so he is a little more of a wild child. But, he and she grew up together and have remained the best of friends.
August 2011
Stormie and Breezy loved to follow her around and were always willing to get free pets and loves.
We have made sure that she has been fully indoctrinated to love Chihuahuas first and foremost, even if it was at times a subliminal message.
Life has definitely been busy as we adjusted to parenting a child once more, at a time when we thought we were approaching an empty nest. But, life has a way of changing on you, just when you think you have it all planned out.
In the Fall of 2014, Breezy became very ill and was diagnosed with Gastrointestinal cancer and was started on a regimen of medications. She responded well to these and we were able to eventually get her down to the minimum dose required and she rebounded and was doing quite well.
In early Spring of 2015, Stormie developed a persistent little wheezy cough and we took her to see the vet. She was diagnosed with a significant heart murmur and was also placed on medications. I was doing well with keeping up with their daily doses and everyone seemed to be holding steady.
Then, one of the worst days of my life happened on the morning of June 27. We woke up to find that Stormie had passed away in her sleep. I was devastated and inconsolable. I have had to have several dogs put down over the years due to illness, but somehow you convince yourself that you are doing what is best for your pet and you come to peace with the decision. This one hit me so, so hard.
Stormie was my first Chihuahua and she was what is referred to as my 'heart dog'. She was so in tune to my emotions, always knowing when I needed a snuggle. She never wanted anything but to be held in my arms, snuggled up to my neck. She would often lay in her bed and just stare at me. I loved that little girl more than life itself. Losing her in that way, without the chance to say good bye was unbearable.
My life has been so drastically changed in the last few years since we got Kaelynn and I have had to sacrifice many things, my business being one of them. Stormie was the original model and face of the company. Now it was all gone. The business was gone. Stormie was gone. Even still, great waves of grief wash over me when I least expect it.
I did my best to move on, missing my little shadow, but having so many other responsibilities in my life, there wasn't a lot of time to linger in my grief.
Then, on the day after Thanksgiving, November 27, it was obvious that Breezy was in a lot of distress. She had also recently been diagnosed with a moderate heart murmur, as well as her other difficulties. I knew in my heart, as I scooped her up and rushed to the vet, that this was going to be good bye. Five months to the day after losing Stormie, I held little Breezy in my arms as she took her last breath and slipped away. Our vet cried, all the technicians, even the receptionist, were crying. And I sobbed harder than I could remember ever sobbing. My grief over Stormie slammed violently into my grief over Breezy and I thought I was going to literally die right there on the floor of that exam room. My heart could not handle it. How do you lose another one, when you hadn't recovered from losing the first?
Slowly, I have come to grips with the fact that I no longer have "The Girls". I still have Shimmer, who is in good health and is her sweet self, as well as our Super Cooper. Adjusting to two dogs has been a challenge. When I take them outside, I often find myself looking around for the other two, that momentary panic when I think I have lost one.
Shimmer
Cooper
I appreciate those who have reached out to me when I announced on our Facebook page that we had lost Stormie, and then Breezy. My heart is healing. I'm even thinking about perhaps adding a new pup to our little pack. Not right now, but perhaps soon. Shimmer and Cooper still bring me so much joy and I am thinking of new ways to share their fun antics on both our Facebook and Instagram pages.
I plan to get back to writing my blog, as it has always been something that I enjoy doing, and hope that there are still some people out there who want to read it!
Thanks for listening,
Kelli
