Our Kai Girl

Shortly after Handsome and I were married we got a dog.....or our first child if you will.  We weren't crazy and fanatical about our baby.  She was an outside dog.  A hunting dog.  And being the beautiful yellow lab that she was we knew she would someday be a big dog.  Although our "babying our baby" was scarce we loved her and enjoyed the newness of her energy and puppy breath kisses.  And for some reason, having a dog kind of made us more of a family.  I'm not sure why.

Kai was the smartest dog I've ever met.  Alcatraz didn't stand a chance with that pup.  She climbed kennels and jimmied locks.  Still to this day neither Handsome or I can figure out how she got out of a choke chain that we found laying in a straight line in the dirt.  Like I said....Houdini smart.  We tried everything to keep her contained and safe and to teach her not to bark.  After multiple embarrassing and aggravating middle of the night phone calls with neighbors we even invested in a bark collar.  That was hundreds of dollars well spent!  Kai had the collar off and buried within days.  We later found the collar in a shallow grave in her kennel.  

Although like most dogs Kai was full of shenanigans, she made up for her naughtiness on hunting trips.  Handsome swore she was one of the best dogs he'd ever had if not the best.  And year after year Kai and Handsome would venture out to hunt pheasants.  It's true what people say about a dog being a man's best friend.  And it makes sense.  Those two spent a lot of time together.  How could they not be best friends?  As a pup Kai would tag along to the milk barn and sit on the step while Handsome tended to the cows.  Then they'd go hunting and walking ditch banks between chores.  

As we welcomed kids into our family Kai was a sweetheart.  Never once did she nip or bite at them.  In fact, as she got older, she would lay in the yard by someone and just let them love on her.  She spent most of her days guarding the front porch and watching people come and go.  And the older she got the slower and more crotchety she got.  She took on the attributes of an old lady who enjoyed the company of others for short times but mostly wanted to be left alone.

We have added several other pets, mainly dogs, to our family over the years.  Some pets have been sold.  Others have died.  But Kai stayed year after year.  Just shy of 14 years old she recently passed away.  And although we always knew she would die, and knew that it would be sooner rather than later, it was still hard.  Last weekend Handsome dug a small grave in our garden and gathered the kids together to say goodbye to the dog that they have never known life without.  There was silence.  There were lots of tears.  But later that night there were also many prayers.  Said one of my babies with eyes closed and arms folded, "Thank you for letting Kai be part of our family.  Please help her to be happy and not hurt in heaven."  

Oh, how I love all of my babies!