You're just messin' with me, right?

Do you ever wonder if the things that happen in life are just so random or absurd, that someone up in heaven MUST be messin' with you? Take our family situation today, for example. We got another dog. Her name is Sandy. (Remember this and this?) I have to preface this tale with the unbelievable, but completely true admission that I really do love this dog. She couldn't be more perfect for (*me*) this family. Ok. I'm sure you're confused. Let me tell you the story. One month ago this week, as we made the long drive home from our California trip, Joel and I started talking about dogs, and how they relate to our family. More specifically, how I might consider getting another dog far in the future and with stipulations. I get to pick it out, it will not be a shedder, and we had to be in a financial situation to be able to have said dog, ie, a kennel, vet bills, etc. So you can imagine my suspicion when, 2 days later, Joel's aunt called with an offer he couldn't refuse. (He was completely innocent it turns out. His aunt had just had a strong feeling that she should call our family to offer the dog to us). She's a 5 year old Golden Retriever, fully trained, super sweet, and just needed a new home. I'm not sure that I even agreed to have her come, but before I knew it, his aunt and uncle had driven her all the way here from California so that we could have her on a "trial basis". I knew better. I love my husband, and when he turns those puppy-dog eyes on me, I really just can't say no. We all knew this was no "trial basis". At any rate, we set out on the bumpy trail of dog ownership with an agreement to "just see". I quickly learned that an older, trained dog is easy peasy. They don't chew up your appliances, they don't dig, they use ONE designated spot to got to the bathroom, and they even tolerate (if not enjoy) small children climbing all over them and throwing (lovingly) their toys at them. I actually found myself allowing her in the house. (I know, right?) Did we hit the jackpot, or what??? Truly, my only complaint (and we all know I have had many in the past), was her long hair. We're going on 3 weeks now, and I've decided it's something I can live with since she makes the entire family so happy.

And now to the the messin' with us part. Joel and Haddon headed up to Millcreek Canyon at 8:30 Saturday morning, to get in a little hike before the rest of the days activities. Unfortunately, just as they were getting back to the end of the trail, Haddon fell ahead of Joel, and he had to run to help him. Haddon was fine, but Sandy took that opportunity to bolt past the two of them to chase after a cyclist on the road. Joel didn't see what happened, but he heard a yelp from the dog, yelling, and then barking. He ran towards the commotion, only to meet an angry cyclist who quickly apologized for running into the dog with his bike. He told him she had bolted back up the mountain without Joel seeing her at all. Haddon and Joel spent the rest of the morning, and a good part of the afternoon, searching the trail and surrounding areas for her, to no avail. Finally, Joel brought Haddon home, and then went back up alone to look for her. He just couldn't bring himself to leave her on the mountain. Several nail-biting hours later for me, at 9:30pm, he came back home with her. He had had to hike 3 miles for the third time that day, all the way to the peak of the mountain, where he found her in a bush. She was limping, and exhausted, so Joel had to carry her down the steep mountain trail at dusk. We hoped that she would just need some rest, but that she'd recover. No such luck. She got worse over Sunday, and refused to eat, drink, or even move. We took her to the vet Monday morning, and the x-rays showed that she has severe arthritis (very uncommon for her age and breed), which, coupled with the trauma to her back, had pinched several of her vertebrae and paralysed her. She's now unable to go to the bathroom or walk or be the amazing dog that she is for our family. Heartbreaking, huh?

We were told that we could have a $2000 operation on her, but that it might not work, or that we could wait and hope that she's a miracle dog. We opted for the wait option, since it just seemed cruel to not give her a chance at recovery. We really can't afford the $2000 surgery, so that leaves us hoping that she miraculously heals, but she's not showing any improvement. Joel and I keep hoping we'll blink, and the joke will be over. "You're just messin' with me, right?" At this point, we KNOW from experience, that things happen for reasons we don't understand. It's not my place to question why, but to simply trust that there is a plan. Maybe this sweet dog was brought to our family to soften my heart towards dogs. Maybe it's something more than that. I don't know, but I do know that Sandy will have a place in doggy heaven, if it comes to that.

She has definitely earned it.