2001 and 10 years Later

A lot of things happened in 2001.  AND 10 years later things are still happening.  First and foremost, THIS kid came to our family.  Dalin is so funny and smart and sensitive, yes... he has his other moments, but for the most part he has been a joy to have in our family.

In 2001 the Arizona Diamondbacks won the World Series.  I was pretty on top of my baseball knowledge back then.  It was a very exciting year.  This year is the 10th anniversary of that win so they made a big deal out of it.  We went to the "memorial" game to witness all the fun for our selves.  They brought back almost the entire team from that year!  It was so fun to see them all.  Wow, they looked old.  I know, so do I.  Ten years... that's not a short amount of time.  The current team wore the old turquoise and purple uniforms, which I loved! ... for the game that night.  I hate that they switched to red.  Throughout the entire game, they played reruns of the highlights from the big game on the JumboTron.  Really really fun to relive.  The game that night turned into a very exciting one as well, extra innings and everything.  It was truly a super fun night that I was in desperate need of.  Go D-Backs!!

The attacks on the World Trade Center also happened that year, another ten year anniversary.  I feel like every year should be just as sad as the next, but this year there was more hoopla going on.  Rhett and Dalin both were able to participate in a memorial service at our local library.  Rhett read a poem and Dalin sang with his 5th grade class.  I wasn't happy to see them playing all the footage again on TV.  I think living it once is plenty.  Still, a nice day to remember.

Then there's this sweet dog.  He celebrated his 10th birthday in July.  We have had him for the last 8 of those years.  Jack has not been well for a long time now.  His hips got really bad, we're pretty sure he couldn't hear well anymore and if you've been to my house recently, you noticed he just poops wherever he happens to be.  Usually that's right in front of my front door.  Honestly, we've been praying for him to die so we wouldn't have to make that decision.  Many who come visit us say we were mean to keep him alive and yet I just didn't have it in me to say "this is your last day".  I was more than ready to be done with him, but still.. he's Jack.  Glade pulled a dead tree out of our back yard on Saturday and decided to cease the opportunity.  Without any of us knowing, he had him put down and buried him in the hole.  It wasn't until the next day when the kids noticed he hadn't eaten his food and they couldn't find him that questions started to arise.

I didn't even know.  Glade admitted what had happened and so we explained to the kids why it was OK and let them cry a little.  As sad as it made me, it was the only way it was ever going to happen.  I just didn't have the heart to do it.  I know it's a good thing but it's still hard to have him gone.  The kids wrote on sticks and cut out little hearts and put them over the hole.  We will buy a new orange tree and plant it there and call it our "Jack tree".  I would like to say he will be missed, but in reality he really just laid on the porch for hours on end.  He was the perfect dog for me and I love him, I'm sorry we let you go on for so long.