Sad January

It's with a heavy heart that I write that we don't have our loveable Chula with us any longer. She was Jared's first dog. She would have been 14 years old on St. Patrick's day this year. According to webmd on pets, for her breed that's equivalent to a human being in her 80's. Somehow I think I hoped she'd live as long as we probably will, but it just isn't so. We've shed a lot of tears this past week, and I'm apparently not finished as I'm crying now, but as we've looked at photos of her from a pup on, we feel some comfort knowing that we gave her a good life. 

We got Chula as a puppy from our bishop and backyard neighbor in Spanish Fork. Her mother was a full bred chocolate lab and dad probably a black lab. We do still remember her awful puppy-missing-mom cries the first couple nights.   

This picture was also from our days living in Spanish Fork. We were lucky to have a fenced in yard and nice pre-existing dog run for her. We occasionally had one of her siblings named Sassy over to play with her.  Sassy was quite a bit rougher than Chula and that didn't last super long.











We were able to get out a lot on walks and to parks due to Chula's love for being outside. Even in very recent weeks, she was eager whenever Jared or I put on tennis shoes and we'd go for a short walk on most days.

Chula wasn't ever great in getting along with other dogs, which was partially our failure to socialize her better. But she was sweet to our boys at all stages. And when we got our two kittens, with some initial careful supervision, she learned to be gentle with them. Once in a while she'd try to play with them by putting a paw near them, or sometimes on their back, but it was always soft and so cute. But neither cat seemed to speak her language. Maybe it had to do with the fact that she outweighed them by about 50 pounds ; )

Chula liked to open presents with us. She'd take any corner of wrapping paper she could and tear away...then take the paper away and shred it to bits. Thankfully she always waited for us to start the process.

 Anytime we went camping, if there was water nearby, Chula found it and had a great time. A few times we tried to take Chula out in the canoe. she was ok to get in, and float a bit, but if she saw a duck or any other bird she leapt out, leaving us scrambling to balance the canoe.

Clyde and Roanna were with us on this hike. They might remember Chula so eager to go anywhere we were, scrambling over large rocks. She found her way and yelped if she needed help. It was a great hike in the desert but I doubt I could find it now.

 I like these last two photos because they show how she knew when to relax too. Our old blue couch that didn't come with us to the new house had her paw/claw marks on the cushions because she'd tried to re-arrange the (permanently fastened) cushions to her liking. It was ridiculous to watch. But often she'd be content to sleep on her own bed, which we always had nearby. We've been consoled by our family and friends who also know the amazing loyalty and companionship our dogs give. All the time. I believe I'll see her again and that she has a spirit and will enjoy some form of salvation and immortality and I found good support of that in my little research on lds.org. In referring to my sadness about Chula's passing, my aunt said to me, "don't worry about her, she's probably better off than you are right now!". I hope so. We love you Chula.